C O N T R A S T

by Rowan Jacobs

Life is like the ocean; it comes in waves, ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm and sometimes it's overwhelming. All we can do is learn how to swim.

4. Devil Take The Hindmost

C O N T R A S T

Chapter 4: Devil Take The Hindmost

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Central City was located approximately two hours away from Station Square, and despite the latter being quite a large city it paled in comparison to the overwhelming magnitude of this place.

Sonic sat in the backseat of an extensive car with black leather interior and toned windows, which he attempted to peer out through the best he could. Opposite him was Rouge seated, positioned in a way that made her able to observe his every movement. She gazed at him with her inquisitive, opal blue eyes squinted slightly while he ignored her completely. In her hand she held a glass filled with, judging by the stinging almost sickeningly sweet smell, what he suspected was some sort of alcohol.

"You sure you don't want a little pick-me-up, hun?" Rouge offered in a sultry tone, making a sweeping gesture at a glass carafe which stood upon the broad armrest next to her. "Make you loosen up a bit. Your shoulders look really tense.."

Instinctively, Sonic relaxed his shoulders. He hadn't even noticed that he'd been sitting so stiffly. However, he didn't appreciate her underlying insinuation but managed to remain calm and unaffected when he answered— "No, thanks. I don't drink."

"Come on now, your little fianceé ain't here to see you do anything naughty. I promise I won't tell."

In response, he merely turned his head to her and gave her a contemplating look.

Sonic had never outright disliked Rouge, nor harboured any real resentment towards her. She'd been his ally almost as much as she had not been, but since she'd began working full time for G.U.N. their paths rarely crossed anymore. Admittedly, he rather enjoyed her blunt and mischievous personality at times - particularly when it was directed at Knuckles, and he was sure that she deep down had a good heart. But on the other hand she could also quite vulgar, callous and deceiving - one never knew fully where her loyalty was at or if she was trying to use you for her own benefit. And despite their past cooperations, he didn't trust her in the slightest.

"No, thanks." Sonic ultimately repeated.

Rouge merely crossed one of her legs over the other and leaned back in her seat, still keeping her eyes on him, as if he was an especially entertaining TV program. "So, tell me now - how did pinky do it?"

"Do what?"

"Catch the wind." She did a dramatic sweeping gesture with the hand that was holding onto the glass, and nearly spilling some of the liquid in the process. "Don't tell me she forced you to it. Blink twice if you are in danger!"

Sonic snorted. He had no interest in discussing his love life with Rouge out of all people, even less so of how his proposal to Amy had went down. Still, he guessed there was no harm in humoring her just a bit.

"I proposed, she said yes, end of story."

"Wow. Don't drown me in details, Blue."

"It's none of your business anyway.

"Well, you're certainly no fun." Rouge concluded with a mock sneer. For some reason she only seemed even more amused by Sonic's refusal to engage in the subject.

Without thinking, Sonic quickly fired back with— "And what about Knuckles?" And for the first time during the entire drive did Rouge's grin suddenly pale. He could clearly tell that the mention of the echidna wasn't something she'd expected.

"What about him?" Her voice had turned cold and her eyes were narrowed.

"Aren't one of your hobbies to pester him every now and again? You know, stealing the Master Emerald and all that. Or maybe you lost interest, or did he-"

"For your information, I happen to have bigger and better things to occupy myself with nowadays than waste my time hanging around that stubborn old meat head."

This time it was Sonic who grinned. "Ouch. Stubborn old meat head, huh? Sounds like there's trouble in paradise."

"It's none of your business." Rouge echoed his own words.

"Heh, you're right - it's really not."

They exchanged a knowing look, and Rouge seemed to soften up again as she emptied the rest of her glass in one big swig. She set it down on the armrest beside her with heavy sigh, and in that moment Sonic suddenly noticed just how worn she looked. It occured to him that Rouge was actually three years older than him, and while she was very much mature he could still feel that there was an obscure sense of vulnerability to her. A softness underneath the hardened exterior.

Had he accidentally hit a sore spot by bringing up Knuckles?

Sonic knew close to nothing about whether there was or if there ever had been something between the two of them. Flirty banter perhaps, but he doubted Knuckles had ever taken it beyond that. At least he thought so... Knuckles was about as easy to read as a closed book with steel chains wrapped around it, along with a lock and a key that someone had thrown into the ocean.

With an apologetic glance, Sonic said in a softer tone— "Hey, I didn't mean to upset you or anything..-"

Instantly, Rouge regained her previous nonchalant posture. Waving away Sonic's concerns with her hand with a broad smile plastering itself onto her face. "Ha! Upset me? Please, I'm not some silly little school girl, hun. As I said, I have bigger things on my mind." Then she poured herself a new glass of the alcohol and emptied it just as swiftly as the one before. But something had happened. Something that clearly occupied her thoughts because the rest of the drive passed in silence, she didn't ask him anything further.

Once the car finally and quite abruptly came to a halt, Sonic could see that they'd parked just outside a massive building in the very heart of the city. The car door was opened by someone outside, and he immediately got up from his seat and stepped out on the sidewalk with Rouge following close behind. It was a great relief to leave the alcohol-stenched car and breathe in some much needed fresh air.

Sonic had been in Central City before, and he could honestly say that it wasn't one of his favorite places on Mobius. The buildings were so tall that one had to crane their neck to see the very top of them, and the roads were so packed with cars that sounds of fuming engines and honking horns had become a constant part of the background noise. Everywhere you looked there were flashing neon signs to different stores or fast-food restaurants which a regular horde of people either entered or exited in a never ending stream. And the heavy atmosphere that covered the whole city was polluted and murky to the point where even the sky appeared bleak. It was very different from Station Square where you had the closeness of the ocean to contrast with the hectic city pulse. Around here, however, there existed only a handful of parks and greeneries.

Despite the sheer magnitude of the city, Sonic got the sense of being trapped inside an endless maze of skyscrapers.

"Come on now, Blue." Rouge called over the heads of people that passed them by. The sidewalk they had stepped onto had less pedestrians than the one across the road, probably because there weren't as many shops along this particular street. Instead, a much taller and grander building than the ones surrounding it towered over the area like a dark shadow - namely G.U.N.'s headquarter.

Without having to be told twice, Sonic swiftly made his way through the people passing by and joined Rouge outside a set of glass doors that led into the building. Two guards stood on either side of the door while a half dozen others patrolled up and down the street, all heavily armed and wearing black uniforms with protecting helmets on. Sonic figured that their presence was one of the reasons people hurried past the headquarter a bit quicker than usual or simply chose to cross the street in order to evade crossing their path all together. He certainly couldn't blame them. The mere sight of the guns, being so effortlessly carried in the guards' hands, made his blood boil as he averted his eyes in great distaste.

Rouge appeared totally unbothered by it though as she simply strutted up to one of the guards posted at the side of the door and flashed him a card, which she'd pulled out of the inner jacket pocket. The guard only threw a single glance at the card and nodded his head once before wordlessly motioning for them to pass on inside.

"Thank you, stud." Rouge commented with a voice that dripped of mock sweetness. The guard didn't respond in the slightest.

They entered into what appeared to be a regular lobby, except that it was particularly well lit, had a consistent grey interior on most of the scarce amount of furniture and that G.U.N.'s logo filled an entire wall behind a wide receptionist desk to the left of them. Everywhere there were doors that had the same color as the walls and thus blended into the them, the only way to detect them was that each door had a digital combination lock beside them on the wall. There were also another pair of guards standing at either side of the entrance with guns clearly sticking out of their belts. The only pleasent object in the room was what looked to be a sheer, see-through waterfall stuck between two thick walls of glass. It emitted a low, rippling sound that subconciously evoked a feeling of calm in Sonic. He strongly suspected that it had been installed there for just that exact purpose - to lull people into a false sense of security.

In which case they'd only partially succeeded, cause the rest of the large room was not in the least bit welcoming.

Rouge paid no mind to the two guards by the door but instead walked straigth up to the receptionist desk, where a female lynx sat and absentmindely sharpened her long painted claws while observing the two newcomers with peaked interest. Between them and her there was solid, and surely bullet proof, glass that enclosed her in a protected space. Once Rouge approached with Sonic trailing slightly behind, however, the lynx pressed a button which opened up a small hatch in the glass, perfectly in height to that of her mouth.

"Welcome back, agent Rouge." She greeted polietly with a voice that was blantantly sugarcoated and likely not her usual manner of speaking. "How was your trip to the country side? It must have been just absolutely lovely - what with all the little critters and other pleasantries." The way she'd finished that last sentence made it obvious that this girl had probably never been as far as outside Central City, even less on anything that could be considered 'the country side'.

"Oh, it was simply marvelous, Celeste dear!" Rouge replied with faked enthustiasm and clearly mimicking the girl's voice. "Can you believe that people actually live in these sort of tiny little houses in the middle of nowhere over there, cottages I think they're called - so adorable! And instead of subways they use something called, uh, what was it again..?" She pretended to think for a moment before clasping her hands together, smiling widely. "Ah! Right - trains!"

The girl named Celeste managed to keep her polite facade, yet it had noticeably strained a bit. "How quaint..!" Was all she said before turning her head towards Sonic. Her eyes suddenly sparked with an eager hunger as she shamelessly let them drift across his body, from his head down to his shoes.

"And this must be the famous hero of Mobius." She said with an even sugary voice. "It's an honor to have you at G.U.N., Mister Sonic, a big honor indeed."

Sonic, who disliked all sorts of formalities or exaggerated allusions to his heroic persona, automatically replied with- "Just call me Sonic."

However, Celeste misinterpeted his words and batted her eyelashes at him while also making sure to lean herself forward and deliberately purse her painted lips. Her eyes fell sightly though when it didn't have the desired effect on him as she'd hoped - Sonic had instantly taken a step back, notably irked by the girl. Fortunately for him, Rouge cut back in with a loud clear of her throat. "I believe we are expected up at floor forty seven, and I don't think we should keep our Commander waiting, now should we?"

At that, the smile on the girl's face suddenly returned.

"Actually, the Commander has requested for only Mister Sonic to be present at the meeting."

"What now?"

"I'm sorry if there's been some form of misunderstanding but the Commander has explicitly expressed to meet with him alone. No agents allowed, unless authorized, and unfortunately your name is not on any of-"

"So I travel all the way to Station Square and then to some rural village out in Chaos-knows-where, collect golden boy here, ride a second-grade vehicle back, with horrible refreshments by the way, and then you're tellin' me Mister Big Shot up there-" She jabbed her thumb upwards. "-is suddenly requiring some formal invitation by the gal who got him here in the first place?"

During Rouge's rant had Sonic noticed that Celeste had discreetly pressed yet another button behind her desk, probably alerting someone or something. Most likely the former. Celeste completely ignored Rouge's question and instead turned to Sonic when she opened her mouth again— "An escort will be here shortly, Mister Sonic. He'll accompany you further. Good afternoon." And with that the the hatch which she'd spoken through closed, leaving a fuming Rouge to glare daggers at her.

"That snotty little vamp." Rouge muttered under her breath, and Sonic figured the glass must've also been sound proof because the lynx girl didn't seem to react in the slightest. Or maybe she just pretended not to, for she'd turned her attention to the computer screen next to her with sudden interest.

In an attempt to distance himself from the receptionist and since all he could do at the minute was wait, Sonic wandred over to the glazed waterfall and carefully leaned against its cool surface. He closed his eyes, and with the help of the rippling water he could almost forget that he was in the very heart of a vast city made out of nothing but steele and concrete. For a moment he tried to think of what the Commander could possibly be inclined to ask him or, more likely, ask of him. Rouge had mentioned something about them wanting to be assured that he wasn't planning to do something stupid. But in all honesty, Sonic never actually fully planned to do anything. He hadn't thought about Robotnik more so than that he knew he would put a stop to him before his threat against Station Square became reality. It wouldn't become reality...

Sure, Robotnik had not sounded quite like himself on that radio message, Tails had pointed it out to him as well, but had the people at G.U.N. really taken notice of that too?

Did they fear the same thing he did? That Robotnik had finally become insane and was so unstable to the point where they thought he might blow up the entireity of Station Square without even batting an eye. That wasn't like him after all. The Doctor was usually out to get something, something he, Sonic, apparently had in his possession.

A Chaos Emerald?

Robotnik hadn't specifically spelled it out, but perhaps it was simply due for dramatic effect.

Either way, if so actually was the case, Sonic couldn't give him one. He'd used them a couple of months earlier, in a particularly critical showdown against none other than Robotnik himself. And since then he'd hadn't had much time to locate any of them - again, due to Robotnik's more frequent attacks all over Mobius.

Gathering all seven emeralds wasn't exactly something one did in an afternoon.

"Sonic.."

Rouge had come up to him, thus interrupting his speculations. She had a hesitant look on her face, as if she was internally debating with herself. Sonic blinked in surprise and cast a quick look around the room, but it was just as still and empty as before, excluding the receptionist and the two guards by the door.

"What's wrong?" He asked lowly.

"Nothing, I just thought... I really thought I was gonna accompany you on the meeting, you know like an accomplice of some sort. But if I'm not even allowed to be in the room..." Her voice trailed off and Sonic raised his brow in suspicion.

"An accomplice? Why would I need-"

Just then, the sound of an elevator door opening echoed through the lobby along with a heavy pair of boots stomping against the floor. Sonic and Rouge turned to see that it was an agent approaching them, an anthro with no helmet on but still with a gun securely in his belt. He was a cheetah and appeared to be middle aged as far as Sonic could tell. When he opened his mouth to address them, he spoke with a deep and grave voice—

"Mister Hedgehog, sir. I'm agent Javid, and I'm here to escort you to the meeting."

Agent Javid reached his hand out, and Sonic naturally did the same. The handshake was firm and ended just as quickly as it had begun. Still, there was something about the steady look in his eyes that made Sonic relax a bit. He didn't look like the type to shoot someone in the back, but rather someone who just held very hard onto the principles of his work.

Rouge, however, didn't seem to hold him in any high regard as she merely eyed him with apparent disdain - yet, surprisingly, she remained silent.

"Alright, let's get to it." Sonic said without any real enthusiasm. "Lead the way."

"Certainly. Right this way, sir."

But just as he was about to leave with the agent, he got pulled back by Rouge, who'd grabbed his arm and then leaned her head so close to his ear that she almost buried herself into it. She then whispered so low that it was barely audible- "Don't let the Raven twist your head." Then, as to cover up her action and before Sonic could stop her, she'd planted a kiss on his cheek, carelessly shoved him away and said with a loud and unusually brisk voice- "Knock em' dead, Hero boy!"

Sonic was too stunned to reply, he merely straigthened himself back up and followed agent Javid, who glanced back at him with a look of silent bewilderment. Behind them, Rouge playfully waved goodbye while the receptionist had thrown a bitter glare her way.

Rather than taking the same elevator as his escort had used, they continued to walk down a long corridor to the left. Just like the lobby, the corridors they passed through were well-lit and wide and the floor was so polished that Sonic could see his own reflection while walking. He noticed that his face had turned slightly tense again and forced himself to relax. Nothing was going to happen. He was only there to talk. He hadn't done anything wrong. Yet somehow it felt just exactly like he was wandering right into the dragon's den - to either be scolded or get eaten alive...

They rounded yet another corner, but this time there was an elevator on the other side of on an otherwise dead end corridor. As they approached, agent Javid brought forth a card, similar to the one Rouge had carried, and held it against a panel to the side. He pressed a few buttoms, and the buttoms which pointed upwards and downwards on the elevator suddenly lit up, sliding the doors open. Agent Javid motioned for him to step in first, but Sonic stood his ground. "Do you mind if I take the stairs?" He asked, though there was obviously no door leading to a staircase yet it might as well have been hidden. "I guarantee that I'll reach the floor faster than you taking the elevator." As if to make his point he sprinted back through the corridor and then back within the blink of an eye, grinning widely at the agent as he came to a halt.

"I don't doubt it, Mister Hedgehog, sir. But I'm afraid that to the floor where we're going you'll need special access to reach - no staircase leads to there."

That statement sounded both impractical and hazardous in a case of emergency. Surely, there must be a fire exist located in the building.

But instead of arguing against the obvious lie, Sonic merely bit back his tongue and stepped inside the elevator, watching as agent Javid followed suit and the doors closed. It wasn't as cramped as he'd feared, the mirrors that covered the walls, and even the ceiling, helped make it feel less enclosed. Sonic had never done well in tight spaces, he despised being locked up or having his freedom restricted in any way. It tormented him both physically and mentally so bad that he got anxious just thinking about it - borderline claustrophobic, as Tails might've put it.

But this was only a short trip he reminded himself.

"No elevator music?" Sonic remarked.

A vauge murmur could be heard from the agent, apparently he wasn't too keen on small talk. Making the elevator ride dead quiet all the way up until a static voice finally announced—

"Floor fourty seven, Raven."

"Raven?" Sonic blinked in surprise and turned to his company for clarification. Once again, he received no answer as agent Javid pretended not to have heard him.

Stepping out on the new floor was much like stepping into a completely different time period. The interior was extravagant and old-fashioned - like from a time that he was either too young to remember or belonged in another type of culture all together. It was a wide, oval shaped room, decorated with furniture made out of dark sandalwood, large woven rugs and paintings hanging on every wall. Looking up at the ceiling, it had been painted to appear like a cloud-filled heaven with something akin to little angels in various poses - playing trumpet, resting on clouds or simply staring down on the people below. Their kind, yet ghastly empty eyes sent an unpleasant shiver down Sonic's spine and he quickly made note of not to raise his gaze too high.

There were no windows, which only added to the murky atmosphere and for a moment Sonic wondered if he was actually underground rather than several hundred feet above the street.

Agent Javid hadn't followed him into the room but instead remained by the elevator. "The Commander has already arrived, he's waiting for you through that door." He nodded towards the only visible door in the entire room, one which it didn't look one could simply just waltz right in through. The door had yet another panel to the side of it and something which looked like a regular key hole below the handle. Feeling slightly relieved to not have to wait any further in the eerie room, Sonic approached said door, hesitating only a second - was he supposed to knock?

It felt silly, especially with the agent's eyes boring holes into his back, but ultimately he knocked quickly three times before taking a step back.

A voice, disembodied and seemingly emitting from somewhere within the room itself, beckoned for him to enter.

The new room was similar to the previous one in matter of furniture and decor, except for the walls - they were made out of steel, giving the impression that one was walking into a bunker. As Sonic stepped inside, the first thing he noticed was that there were guards positioned along the walls on each side, he quickly counted to twelve in total. All of them were dressed in uniform, helmet and they all carried guns in their belts. The only person who wasn't dressed like that was the human man who'd been staring down at some documents before Sonic had entered.

It was the new Commander.

He was tall and robust, dressed in a deep marine-blue outfit with silver lining and several badges adorning the jacket. As far as Sonic could tell, he appeared to be somewhere in his mid-thirties, and despite giving the impression of being haggard, there still burned an intesity in his hazel eyes. Once they landed on Sonic, they surprisingly lit up even more as a sly smile found its way upon his face.

"Sonic the Hedgehog, so we meet at last."

Sonic blinked, not sure what to respond to a greeting like that. "New Commander guy.."

"Let me first say that I really appreciate you meeting with me. And, please, you may call me Commander Rhys." On the far end of the room stood a desk, he gestured for for Sonic to sit down in an armchair infront of it while he walked over to a small cabinet and opened it gently. From his new seat, Sonic could see that it was filled with tiny glasses as well as various expensive looking bottles of what he assumed to be different types of alcohol.

"May I offer you a drink, Mister Sonic?" Commander Rhys asked, glancing at him with a curious expression, as if he was conducting an experiment.

Sonic's brow furrowed slightly - Why did people keep insisting on getting him to drink?

He repeated the same phrase as before when Rouge had offered him a glass in the car— "No, thanks. I don't drink."

The Commander uttered an agreeable hum and immediately closed the cabinet again before walking over to the desk and sitting down in the big leather chair opposite Sonic. A pair of folders was stocked on the desk, next to a fragile looking lamp and a rather large bronze statue of a raven, a non anthro owl anyway. It put Sonic slightly on edge and he tried not to look at it for too long, averting his eyes from its sharp claws especially.

"So, Mister Sonic, I thank you once again for meeting with me in such a short notice. I trust agent Rouge did her best to accommodate you?"

"Absolutely. She should defenitely get a raise." Sonic replied, grinning slightly.

A dry laugh escaped the Commander's lips, though his eyes were completely humorless. He proceeded to take the top folder out of the stack as he then laid it out before him, slowly opening it. Sonic's grin immediately faded once he saw its content. A photo of himself was taped in the upper left corner of a document that appeared to have various details regarding his life printed on it. To be honest, he wasn't too shocked over the fact, after all he had been involved with G.U.N in the past - having been arrested by them nonetheless.

Still, it made him feel weary and a bit awkward as his fists tightened almost subconsciously.

However, Commander Rhys seemed perfectly comfortable flauting the file in Sonic's face and even began to read aloud from it just as calmly as if he'd merely been reading today's newspaper. "Let's see... Sonic the Hedgehog, born on the twenty-third of June in 3991 on Christmas Island, though there's no record of any parental guardians?" He cast a glance at Sonic, probably excepting some form of explanation.

Well he wasn't getting one...

Sonic simply shrugged his shoulders in response. "I never knew my parents. I've been an orphan for as long as I can remember."

"I'm truly sorry to hear that." And he did actually sound sincere when he said it.

"Don't be."

After a moments silence, Commander Rhys continued— "If I've undestood it coreectly, you have an adopted brother - a Miles Prower, born 3998 who's recorded to have at the age of four ran away from the South Island Orphanage. To then, at the age of eight, save Station Square from a missile attack from Doctor Robotnik.. Yes, I remember that, impressive no doubt." Sonic tried to stifle a smirk, but the Commander paid no mind to it. "I suppose he takes after his older brother, eh?" Once again, Sonic just shrugged his shoulders. To him, Tails was a hero in his own right, and while some of his behaviour had certainly rubbed off on his little brother there were also a remarkable differences between them. Tails was a natural born genius with a much more logical and foresighted view of the world than him, to only name a few. With or without his influence, he surely would've grown up to become just the same brilliant and kind-hearted kid he was now.

When Sonic didn't engage in the conversation, Commander Rhys shifted focus and brought forth another folder. "Say, Mister Sonic, you live out on the country side, yes? A few miles off of The Mystic Ruins? With a-" He threw an eye down at the newly opened folder, probably only for effect "-Miss Amy Rose, who's your..-"

He waited for Sonic to fill in the sentence, but when he didn't instead just stared back, the Commander did it anyway.

"..fiancée, correct?"

Sonic tried to look indifferent, and with a terse tone answered— "Yes."

Where was the Commander going with all these questions anyway?

However, the man looked pleased, glancing back down the folder regarding Amy on the desk. "I must say she has quite a record - breaking into Prison Island at the mere age of twelve, aiding in the prison break of none other than her current fiancé."

Sonic had half a mind of saying something mockingly over the fact but decided against it, he opened his mouth to immediately shut it again. However, the Commander picked up on it, misinterperting the reaction. He smiled somewhat graciously and said in a voice that Sonic guessed was meant to sound reassuring, but instead came off as condescending. "Don't worry yourself, Mister Sonic. it has since long been discharged, especially since you were found innocent in the end. It's nothing that will be held against her, not now nor in the future."

"Yet you still feel the need to keep it recorded in a file."

Commander Rhys kept his smile, probably pretending not to have heard him and glanced down at the folder once again.

"No records of any family, nor place of birth. Multiple instances of aiding in the preservation of Station Square against Doctor Robotnik's acts of assault... Yes, many recorded cases, right up until roughly one year ago." He paused for a moment, studying Sonic with a curious glint in his eyes "How come - if I may ask?"

The fact that this unknown man spoke to him about Amy in such a way made Sonic's nerves tighten and his fists to bawl. While, at the same time, the memory of a distant summer's day flashing by inside his mind...

The nervous feeling in his gut.

The feeling of his heart pounding so hard against his chest.

The way her dress had fluttered in the gentle breeze, and how he'd finally mustered up the courage to go down on one knee and—

"We... got engaged." Sonic mumbled and averted his eyes down to his knees, not wishing to spoil the image by meeting the piercing eyes of the Commander. It felt almost too private to say out loud, and being under the watch of all the guards and the human opposite him didn't exactly make him feel less uncomfortable. If he hadn't wished to discuss the matter with Rouge before, he most definitely didn't want to talk about it in front all of these complete strangers.

Suddenly, Sonic felt how the frustartion had bubbled up inside of him during their talk, and he already longed to get out of this room, this building and this entire city all together. Why was he even showing him these files in the first place? To intimidate him? Or did he actually think it was a way of earning his trust somehow?

Long car rides, guns, cryptic questions and cramped rooms had began to take a toil of him.

"What's it to you anyway?" He ultimately snapped back, instinctively drawing his left hand, where his engagement ring was positioned, out of everyone's view. "I thought Rouge said you wanted to discuss something important with me, not play twenty questions about my life." Immediately realizing that he'd lost his cool, Sonic tried to regain his nonchalant tone once more, runnning a hand through his quills before giving the Commander an impatient look. "It was important, now wasn't it?"

The guards around the room exchanged a glance with each other while Commander Rhys still maintained his patronizing expression, very much like as if he was having a conversation with a child. "Of course, please, do excuse me. I had no intention of offending you or your fiancée in any way." He said, calmly. "I am of a very curious nature, you see, and insteresting characters such as yourself have a way of bringing that side out of me. But you are absolutely right - let us proceed to the more important business at hand."

With a brisk movement, he closed the folders in front of him and dicarded them to the side. Then the Commander changed into a most formal tone—

"As I'm sure you're aware, Doctor. Ivo Robotnik has been causing quite the havock all over Mobius for many years now - acts of terrorism, destruction of gouverment property, tyranny directed at both this planet and others, even going so far as to blowi up half of our moon - just to name a few offenses and deeds of downright evil on his part." A subtle frown then appeared between his eyebrows. "My predecessor, as well as our former President, might have turned a blind eye at certain things, but I am glad to inform you that G.U.N will have a much stronger involvement in preventing the activities of Doctor Robotnik from now on."

Sonic must admit that he was surprised to hear this new Commander so openly condemn the actions of not only the previous Commander, but the previous President too. As a carefree teenager who'd preferred dealing with everything himself, Sonic hadn't been too bothered by either of those two's lack of real action against Robotnik in the past. The previous President had been sympathetic enough, he guessed. And while the old Commander had bettered himself, he'd still had some apparent issues with his mental stability and was most likely ridden with paranoia due to his many years in G.U.N.'s service.

Now they were both gone.

One retired while the other one hadn't ended up getting re-elected.

As much as Sonic lacked interest in politics, he'd naturally been forced to realize that some changes in Station Square were hard to just go by him completely unnoticed. He reluctantly listened back in on the last part of Commander Rhys' monologue—

"We intend, to once and for all, bring Doctor Robotnik to justice for his crimes against Mobius, and with any means necessary shut down his illegal construction of robots and other large scale damaging weaponry." He waited in silent anticipation for Sonic to say something and perhaps praise him for coming to that conclusion, but got no such response.

Instead the blue hero in front of him merely shifted in his seat and said—

"Well, that sounds good and all, but he's not as easy to 'imprision' as one might think."

An almost amused tone appeared in the Commander's voice. "Are you doubting our competence, Mister Sonic?"

"Not at all, but as far as I know I haven't seen G.U.N trying to help all the villages across Mobius that he's been targeting recently. I doubt locking him up will bring back the loved the ones of the families he's wrecked there..."

Sonic witnessed how something seemed to flare up in Commander Rhys' eyes for a brief second, but on the surface he remained perfectly calm when he answered.

"Well, as the self-proclaimed hero of Mobius you must've had plenty of chances to hand him over to us. And as you seem so upset over his supposed recent atrocities - why haven't you put an end to his nefarious deeds, hm? Everyone knows you certainly have the power to do so."

Sonic blinked.

Had the Commander just insinuated what he think he had?

"I'm no killer." Sonic spat out with a new found defiance evident in his voice, his blood was boiling as he resisted the urge to jump to his feet. "Whatever's snapped within Robotnik's psyche as of late, I have no idea. Maybe he's sick or something... and if he is - I certainly can't help him. It's when he starts attacking innocent people that he becomes my problem, not otherwise."

Something about that answer seemed to please the Commander as he replied with an almost sickeningly velvety tone—

"Mister Sonic, I understand if the excitment and thrill of continously bringing down the villian and being presented as a hero is very much a tempting and rewarding lifestyle - and such attitude might be eligible to a teenager - I may remind you that you are a young man now. Robotnik's crimes are no longer of the nature to that of capturing mere woodland creatures..-"

"You think I let Robotnik get away on purpose for all these years and continue to hurt people just to make myself look good? To gain the status of being a hero over and over again?"

"You misunderstood me. Your actions are very much worth of praise and I do not doubt your intentions nor your courage. But we stand before a new era, Mister Sonic, an era that can't rest on the shoulders of a twenty-two year old with the mindset still of that to a juvenile. After all and as you yourself have already said; innocent lives are at stake and-"

This time around, Sonic couldn't contain himself.

He leaped out of his seat, ignoring the instant cocking of guns from the guards, and slammed both of his hands down at the desk. Hard.

"You wanna speak to me about lives?" He practically spat forth, locking eyes with the man before him. "I've protected this planet and all its people for more than half of my life. I've done more than you or anyone else in this darn organisation put together! It has cost me friends, and loved ones of countless others, as well. I've seen it first hand and there are things I will never be able to forget - so don't talk to me about being ignorant because G.U.N. haven't batted an eye to help those innocent lives you suddenly claim to care so much for!"

Every gun in the room was now pointed directly at him, whether they were loaded with bullets or some sort of tranquailizer he didn't know, nor did he care at the moment. He only focused on the still calm expression on the Commander's face, the human hadn't even flinched in the slightest and his voice was as patronizing as ever.

"As stated before, I can't answer for what my predecessor did or didn't do. Though I'm inclined to say that the G.U.N. has always had the best interest of people in mind, and I could point out quite a few examples where we've acted on many different places across Mobius... But if you have found our efforts to be otherwise I can once again only assure you that our working force will be more apparent in the future." When he was done, he gestured with his hand for the guards to lower their weapons before nodding towards the armchair again. "Please, do sit. I shall bring forth my proposal, as I know realize I probably should've done from the very start."

Sonic reluctantly regained his seat, removing his hands from the desk at the same time. A part of him felt ashamed over having lashed out like that while another still felt like he'd just been slapped and wanted to continue to throw insults at G.U.N and the Commander.

"You need to calm down." His mind told him. "Think about Tails and Amy. Do you really want to risk getting a bullet shot through your head?"

Meanwhile, having opened one of the desk drawers, Commander Rhys had brought forth a single paper. The white arc had tiny black letters printed on it and Sonic's intial thought was that it looked just like—

"A contract..?" He asked, suddenly dumbfounded over the hasty turn of events.

"Precisely. Mister Sonic, this contract invites you to join with the Guardian Units of Nations, serving as an agent of ours in the reestablished mission to take down Doctor Robotnik and bring him to justice. Liberating millions of Mobians from his spreading tyranny."

Granted, this wasn't what Sonic had been expecting when he'd stepped into the room and he instantly regretted to not having pressed Rouge even more for details. She'd claimed it was about Robotnik alone, not joining G.U.N. .

Sonic thought about it for a second.

Him joining G.U.N? It was so utterly ridiculous that he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

However the commander looked dead serious and waited patiently for his laughther to subside. Not seeming to be bothered in the least by the reaction.

After awhile, Sonic managed to regain his posture again. "You're joking, right?"

"Not at all."

"I'm practically an ex-prisoner!"

The commander produced a half hearted smile, continuing on as if Sonic hadn't said anything. "Consider how much your cooperation with G.U.N. would mean to the people of Mobius. It'd give them reassurance, and hope above all else, an inspiration to keep on fighting in this dark time. Especially the people of Station Square, who all have Robotnik's recent threat hanging over their heads this very moment."

"I'd be an agent on a leash. And I don't take orders from no one."

"It's a temporary contract, just until we've successfully overthrown Doctor Robotnik."

Sonic still didn't quite follow the Commander's logic. "Why sign me up for a contract when you could already be having the oppertunity to take Robotnik into custody in merely three days? If he's serious about the threat, and I do believe he is, G.U.N. could make sure that he'll be playing right into your hands. Use that force of yours to round him up - I'll gladly help smashing every last robot that stands in your way for free!"

"The keyword being 'if'..."

"Huh?"

"We don't know for certain that the threat has any validation to it or not." The Commander pointed out.

"Well yeah, maybe, but it's not like he hasen't attacked Station Square before. Just for the heck of it." Sonic shot back.

"But in that case, this time it wouldn't just be 'for the heck of it', as you put it. He claims you have something that he desires. Do you have any idea of what he might be referring to, hm?"

In all honesty, he hadn't had any time to ponder over that yet. "I don't know. A Chaos Emerald I recently took from him is all I can think of. And since he might be desperate enough, I wouldn't take any chances."

For some reason, Commander Rhys appeared to be please with that vaugue answer. He gave Sonic a calculating look, seemingly pondering with himself to then ultimately asking—

"So you think we should evacuate the city then, Mister Sonic?"

Sonic nodded.

Better to be safe than sorry when it came to other people's lives.

"Yes, I do. Me and my friends can help with that - you know, help everyone keep calm and lift their spirits. We've done it once before."

The Commander nodded as well, his eyes suddenly lightning up again. "Very well. We shall issue an emergency evacuation of Station Square, beginning tomorrow." He sharply turned his head around. "Agent Willa." One of the surrounding agents stepped forth, raising her hand to her helmet-covered forehead in a swift motion. "Report of the evacuation order to Hawk right away, tell them I'll be there shortly to go over the plan."

"Yes, Commander!" The addressed agent called loudly, before exiting the room.

Sonic also made a movement to get up as he guessed the meeting was thus over with that order being issued. But Commander Rhys turned his attention back at him, holding up a hand in a halting gesture as if he was about to ask for one more thing. Again, he slid the contract closer to Sonic.

What now?

"Mister Sonic, please, I have yet to dismiss you. I once again ask you to listen to my offer of joining the ranks of G.U.N. if it should turn out that Robotnik's words are mere empty threats. In that case, we'd need to both locate and come up with a different strategy as to how to arrrest him in the least damaging way possible. It might take longer time than you think, and you're expertise could benefit the cause. We'd be more than happy to welcome you."

"What happened to me being just a mere juveline?" Sonic thought about saying but held it back. He bit his tongue and instead muttered— "I bet."

"You'd undergo the proper training, of course, a maturing experience both physically and mentaly. And for a agile young man such as you, I have no doubt it'd be anything but rewarding as well as challanging. As for your fiancée she'd be free to visit you at any time she'd like during that period, and in case you have any children...-?"

It felt like a rethorical question because surely everyone and their mother would've known if Sonic the Hedgehog had gone and had a child. But he decided to clarify anyway— "We don't."

"Ah, you see I have four of my own." Commander Rhys explained. And for some reason Sonic felt a little bit more at ease at hearing that. Surely a father couldn't have any bad intentions. Maybe he really just wanted to make the world a better place for his children. "I'm sure you understand my desire to rid the world of its evils, so that they won't have to worry about the likeness of Doctor Robotnik conquering our world ever again. You must feel the same way about your beloved fiancée - you'd want her to feel safe, right?"

For a moment Sonic imagined a world where Robotnik no longer roamed free. A world where no one would have to fear him anymore. A world where he could wear his engagement ring without having to hide it. A world where Amy could be his wife... Maybe that life was closer than he realized. Maybe it wasn't so bad to join forces with G.U.N if it meant that all of his friends and loved ones would be safer quicker.

Maybe...

"I do, but... But I can't. I appreciate the offer, and if you plan on bringing Robotnik to justice and lock him up in prison then I can't say that I don't support it. His actions as of late has gotten too serious to let him roam free anymore." Sonic said, sincerely this time as the truth of his own words sink in. "But we are not the same - I do things a certain way, my own way, and I can't compromise with that. I'm sorry."

"Please, Mister Sonic. I did not expect you to give me your answer right away. On the contrary, I humbly implore you to consider the offer in the peace of your own home and leave your answer after we know if Robotnik will strike against Station Square." The Commander said. He then arose from his chair and walked "All I ask of you now is to consider the direness of our situation if he does not, and in that case meet with me again to decide whether your future lies within G.U.N.'s service."

The idea was still laughable and beyond all reason. Sonic disliked the way the Commander had expressed his offer, as if he was a foolish teenager with no real grasp of how the world worked and he should therefore be reformed by G.U.N. somehow. But he also seemed genuine in his desire to cooporate in taking down a mutual threat, and after all there was no harm in pretending to consider the offer - if only just to show good character. And if G.U.N. wanted to put an end to Robotnik and make him serve in prison for his crimes then Sonic at least wanted to be on good terms with them.

But becoming one of their many mindless agents? No thanks.

"I'll think about it." He lied, before getting up from his seat and shaking Commander Rhys outstretched hand.

"Excellent, I'm glad we've managed to come to a mutual understanding."

A very pleased smile stretched across the man's face, patting Sonic almost fatherly on the back as they together walked out the door.

---

Running the entire way from Central City and back home turned out to be very much needed for Sonic. It gave him some time to process all that had been said and agreed upon during the meeting with the Commander. But halfway he had to give up on trying to make sense of it all and instead just let his mind become one with his feet. The darkness around him was comforting, while the stilness of the night felt protective and secure. Away from the chaotic madness that was the city and back into the countryside.

Plains, hills, meadows and forests...

Sonic felt it as if he could finally start breathing again.

He had half a mind of simply settling down to sleep in one of the many meadows, with their soft grass looking very inviting right about now. Only the thought of Amy, waking up in the morning to find he hadn't returned, prevented him from actually doing so.

Subconsciously, his feet sped up.

Pretty soon, Sonic finally arrived outside their cottage. Deciding to go through the kitchen door he jumped over garden fence and found that the lamps in the kitchen were still on.

Amy must still be up. Not that he knew exactly how much the clock was, but he guessed it was well past over twelve at least. To announce his arrival, Sonic whistled the cheerful tones of an old love song he knew she was especially fond of.

The effect was almost immediate.

The kitchen door flung open, flooding the garden with soft light that didn't quite reach him. Out stepped Amy, clad in nightgown and slippers - though it didn't look as if she'd been sleeping one bit. When her eyes detected Sonic in the dark they immediately lit up, and soon she was dashing towards him with her hands clutching the hem of the gown. "So-nic..!" Her voice cracked, and she almost stumbled over her own feet in her eager to reach her beloved.

Sonic began to sprint forward as well, opening up his arms in order to catch her in his embrace. "Amy..!" Once his arms was securely around her waist he lifted her above the ground and spun her around until their lips finally found one other. The usual warmth spread within his chest as the heavenly mix of cherries and strawberries captivated his lips, making him feel slightly lightheaded.

As they drew apart, a yearning gasp escaped Amy's lips as she sucked in a hasty breath of a air before getting her lips captured by Sonic's again.

And again.

And again...

When Sonic remembered that his rose needed to breathe, he forced himself to withstand the desire to keep kissing her. Gently, he placed her feet back down on the ground, but kept his arms around her for support for a brief moment. Once he'd fully come back to his senses, he instead cupped her face in his hands, lovingly stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Amy, I told you not to wait up for me. You should be sleeping sound in bed by now.." He chided but only halfheartedly - Sonic was actually happy to find her awake after everything that had happened tonight. Her presence naturally made all other worries subside.

"I know, but I just couldn't fall asleep." Amy admitted, lowering her head slightly with a timid smile settling upon her lips. "After getting used to sleeping by your side again, it's hard to so suddenly not have you beside me."

"It's okay, I'm here now."

Sonic softly pulled Amy closer to his chest, drawing in her scent which is so much like an actual rose's, but ten times more appealing.

"You must be hungry..." Amy said after awhile, pulling Sonic along as they make their way inside the house.

The thought of food hadn't crossed Sonic's mind during the entire time he'd been away. Sure enough, he hadn't eaten anything since the cake with Rouge yesterday, his stomach growled just then to make him aware of the fact. More so had his run home probably burned the few extra calories he'd had left. "Starving!" He confirmed in mock agony.

It was warm inside the kitchen and smelled pleasently of baked goods that Amy had probably spent the night making. Sonic knew she often used baking and cooking to relieve stress, much like he used running to take his mind off of things.

"I made mushroom pie." She told him while putting the pie in question into the oven for heating before then placing a plate in front of him where he'd settled down at the table. A couple of candles were lit while two emptied tea cups stood across his plate, right next to something he recognized as Amy's pocket calendar.

Without thinking too much of the it, Sonic instead raised a curious brow at the set of tea cups. "Did Cream come over for tea?" He asked.

"Oh, no, Vanilla actually. She said she wanted to keep me company when you were away - so we chatted and did some knitting together. She just left a few hours ago."

"No Cream and Cheese?" Sonic inquired, and when Amy only shook her head he added— "What did you guys talk about?"

To his further surprise, he witnessed how a rosy blush blossomed upon Amy's cheeks as she averted her gaze and turned her attention to the oven. "Oh, you know.. Just women's stuff." She must've heard her own evasive tone for she hastily looked up only to see Sonic smirking slyly at her.

"Uh-huh..."

"Sonic the Hedgehog, don't you look at me like that! Some things are actually private between friends."

Sonic swiftly rose from his seat, approaching his fiancée and encircling his arms around her waist. He chuckled as he saw her flabbergasted expression before whispering playfully into her ear—

"And here I thought that there weren't supposed to be any secrets between husband and wife."

With a light swat of a kitchen towel, Amy broke free from his embrace, backing out of his reach and sticking her tongue out at him. "Well, we're not married yet, mister!"

"Oh, yeah? We'll see about that - what if I told ya' I'll marry you on the spot, Miss Rose? Since you're already wearing white and all..."

For a moment it almost looked like as if Amy was actually considering the offer. She rocked gently back and forth on her heels with a thoughtful expression upon her face. But soon enough she seemed to come back to her senses as she merely shook her head and proclaimed with a dramatic sigh— "I'm sorry, I can't - I have a hungry fiancé to feed."

Sonic grinned and went back to his seat by the table. "Aw, shoot..! Well, better luck next time, I guess." Even if it'd only been for fun, he was slightly taken aback by how casually they could joke about the prospect of marriage. A few years back he would've most likely bolted out of the room at the mere mention of it, while Amy would've went into complete "fluffy dream-mode". Albeit not the most romantic guy on the planet now either, Sonic still tried his best to show her that he wasn't too worried about the future he'd promised her.

He had to constantly remind himself to actually dare think beyond the present, beyond the here-and-now, and allow his thoughts to try and grasp the many fleeting possibilities of days that laid ahead of him. But considering everything about Robotnik and G.U.N, his future as of now looked quite uncertain. In an attempt to change perspective, he instead focused on the parts of his future that included Amy.

As if on cue, a shimmering image of Amy clad in a fluffy white dress with her face concealed behind a sheer veil popped up in his mind. Immediately he felt heat rise upon his cheeks.

Okay, maybe now wasn't the best time to be thinking about that sort of things...

Luckily, Sonic was just then served a generous plate of pie. With an appreciative nod to Amy, he then shifted focus onto solely eating.

The savory taste of mushroom and various herbs spread in his mouth when he took the first bite while the pie crust made a pleasent crunching noise. He ate the first few slices so rapidly that Amy pulled a face at his poor table manners, but as he came down to the last two slices he forced himself to truly cherish each and every bite. She had kindly waited to speak about the subject that had kept her mind busy ever since Sonic had left. "So...-" She began, trying not to sound as anxious as she felt. "-How did the meeting go?"

And thus, without going too much into detail, Sonic told her about the whole trip to Central City and the peculiar meeting with the new Commander. He intentionally left out the more sensetive parts of the conversation - for example the fact that there at one point had been about a dozen weapons targeted directly at him. Amy was indeed a strong girl and had certainly been through worse situations than most people were during an entire lifetime. Yet Sonic didn't want to worry her more than necessary, maybe just because he knew how much he'd put her through already.

"-And can you believe it, heh - he actually offered me a place as an agent at G.U.N.! Isn't that something, eh? I was half expecting it to be a joke but the guy was dead serious 'bout it..!"

"Actually, yes, I can..." Amy answered softly, she'd shrunk a bit in her seat while her eyes were fixed on the candles in front of her. "I've feared something like this would happen for awhile..."

Sonic blinked in surprise. "What, why?"

"Oh Sonic, isn't it obvious? People put more trust in you than they do in G.U.N. these days. You're on the news almost daily, you're all of Mobius' hero and every tablooid magazine wants to know what type of sneakers you're wearing."

"That must be pretty boring to read, it's always red and white..."

"-G.U.N. is probably not too slow to pick up on the fact that by recruiting you they'd get a much stronger influence and gain an advantage to any possible adversary if they had control over you."

"I'd never let them control-"

"I know, I know." Amy assured hastily. "And I honestly think that they know it too, that's what makes me worried. Cause, if you're desperate enough, what do you do with a person you can't control?"

Despite his better judgement Sonic answered— "I dunno. You force them, I guess."

Amy nodded solemly, putting a hand to her mouth as she closed her eyes and probably fought back any tears from breaking forth. When she finally spoke again her voice was low and shaky. "What if they frame you for some crime you didn't commit, and- and they arrest you, just like that time they sent you to Prison Island. What if they one day show up at the house and we can't stop them from..-"

Before she could go on, Sonic's hands grasped hers from across the table - gently, he began stroking his thumbs over the back of them. "Ames,-" He began soothingly. "-no one is taking me anywhere, alright? Those G.U.N. goons are all bark and no real bite, trust me. Besides, even if they somehow managed to put me in prison, you'd just bust me out again, remember? Have no fear, Amy Rose is here..!" At that last part he mimicked a familiar high pitched voice, his smile broadning as Amy couldn't help but smile back. "Listen, I offered to help with the evacuation of the city tomorrow, or today rather, to make sure everyone gets to the safe zones alright. And I'd really wanna have you and Tails by my side for that. What do you say?"

"Of course I'll help." Amy answered before suddenly remembering something. It was something Robotnik had said during his threat against Station Square. Something he wanted - from Sonic. She had just assumed it to be "all of chaos emeralds" like usual, but, as far as she knew, Sonic only had one emerald in his possession at the moment.

Sonic had mentioned that G.U.N. most likely, in this very moment, constructed a plan to capture the Doctor as soon as he approached Station Square, but what if they failed?

Would then a single emerald be enough to save the entire city?

And what if it wasn't..?

She drew a quick breath. "Sonic... what is it that Robotnik wants from you? Is it really just the emerald?"

Sonic felt his throat tighten and a heavy stone drop inside his stomach.

When the Commander had asked him the same question he'd been telling the truth. In that moment he hadn't known, or at least he'd thought he didn't know. The emerald was after all only a guess on his part. An educatd guess, but still only a guess. And now. as he met Amy's beautiful, and currently anxious jade eyes, he for some reason couldn't bring himself to give the same answer.

Did he actually know?

"Her." A tiny voice whispered in the back of his mind. "He wants her."

No. That's impossible.

"First Metal Sonic, then the threat against Station Square, and that gnawing worry that's been growing ever since you came back home - it's all connected... He knows. You've known it too."

No!

"Sonic..?"

"The emerald." He said firmly. "He wants back the emerald I took from him. Remember, I wrote about it in one of the letters I sent ya.'"

It was true that Sonic had taken an emerald from Robotnik not too long ago, the red colored one. He had used it to power a particularly big, and deadly robot during his raid against one of the unfortunate villages in Chun-Nan. But luckily Sonic had managed to fend of the robot and then ripped the emerald straight from it's core. That had naturally left the Doctor fuming with rage over his wrecked creation and loss of an emerald. Now Robotnik only wanted it back to most likely just power yet another robot with, that's all.

That's all.

"But don't worry, Amy-" Sonic continued, softening his tone and squeezing her hands gently. "-I'm not planning on letting him have any of the emeralds any time soon. And I'll make sure to kick his huge butt all across Mobius before he even gets the slightest of chance at damaging Station Square. I promise you - everything will be all right."

Amy let out a sigh, although a vaugue smile returned to her lips while her cheeks regained their rosy hue. "I know I shouldn't worry so much, I'm sorry. It's just that I love you so much..."

"And I love you."

They shared a tender kiss, Sonic's arms embracing her around the waist while Amy's hands rested against his chest. He knew that he would need to hold her close tonight. His entire being needed to feel her soft skin against his, to hear her heart's every tiniest and fragilests of beats. "We should probably get some sleep if we're gonna be of any use during the evacuation." He murmured against her quills. In response, Amy uttered a low humming noise in agreement, he figured that, much like him, she was probably out of things to say for tonight. Too tired to formulate words or uphold another conversation. He glanced around the kitchen - it was quite messy from all the cooking and baking.

As if one cue, Amy said— "I'll be right up, I'm just gonna clean up a bit around here."

"I'll help ya-"

"No, no, it's okay. I'm fine. You're more exhausted than I am."

Despite his trip, Sonic still seriously doubted that. But she seemed keen on it and he guessed she might just need a minute to herself, in which case he wouldn't argue about it. He had been able to process all of the night's information as he'd ran home, and now Amy probably needed to do the same.

"Okay, I'll wait for you upstairs." He kissed her again, lingering a bit longer this time. "Don't take too long."

Only once he'd opened the door to their bedroom had he realized how flirty that must've sounded. Sonic shook his head in spite of himself, continuing into the little bathroom to splash some water on his face. The cool water made him a bit more alert, and would help him withstand the looming drowsiness a while longer - since he still needed to remain awake until Amy fell asleep before him. He wanted to be sure that her dreams were sweet, or at least not of the nightmare kind.

For a brief moment he debated whether he should take a hot shower to relieve some of the tension in his muscles, but decided that it could wait until morning.

The bedroom laid quiet in the dim lights from the lamps on the two nightstands, but also from a kerosene lamp that stood on Amy's dressing table. Spread out on the surface were multiple cards that had been drawn from a big deck. All of the cards had beautiful drawings both back and forth with the former all in a matching print and colors of purple and maroon. They had certainly seen better days with their tattered edges, and slightly faded colors and motives. Sonic recognized them as Amy's tarot cards - her oldest and most precious of keepsakes from her childhood. She couldn't remember a time where she hadn't had them in her possession so she secretly clung to the possibility that they might've belonged to either of her parents.

Even if the probability of that was highly unlikely, he knew the cards also held a certain soft spot in her heart because they had once led her to her destined meeting with him.

Sonic's own personal belonging was so scarce that he could've easily carried it in a rugsack. The things he kept on him at all times were of course his beloved sneakers, and a photo of him, Tails and Amy taken a sunny spring day a few years back. They had visited Knuckles up at Angel Island for a picnic, though the stubborn echidna had firmly declined to be in the photo. Still, in the last second Sonic had managed to jank one of his arms into frame as the flash had went off. Knuckles had taken a hard jab at him for the deed, but it had totally been so worth it.

Another thing of his, that was resting upon a shelf above the dressing table, was a tiny metallic necklace with a green bauble attatched to it. Sonic could barely wear it around the cuff of his glove as a sort of bracelet, but it was significantly more than a mere accessory.

It had once belonged to Light Gaia, or as Sonic had called him - Chip.

As he carefully traced a finger across the bauble's surface, a wave of memories washed over him.

The whole Gaia incident had been one of the most challenging and difficult times in Sonic's life, both physically and mentally. The threat of the end of the world. His.. forced transformation, Robotnik's scheming in the background, a confrontation against an enormous, ancient god that had almost cost his life. And ultimately - the loss of a very dear friend. Chip, who in many ways had reminded of a child in his way of being - whimsical, goodhearted, with a naive curiosity of life and the biggest sweet tooth. Despite their dangerous journey to save the world, he had remained faithfully by Sonic's side, albeit occasionally scared and a bit annoying. Yet, when the time had come for Chip to meet his destiny, he had done so with his back straight and head held high.

It was a most overwhelming thought to ponder that his old friend now slumbered somewhere within the very depths of Mobius, and would do so for thousands of years, only to someday arise and uphold the order of the universe.

Never to meet Sonic again.

A melancholy feeling settled inside his chest as he sighed and gently put the trinket back in its place - leaning against a photo album filled with photos from their adventure together.

Running a swift hand through his quills, trying to shake off the feeling, Sonic then turned his attention back to the tarot cards on the table.

Had Amy tried to get a prediction of the future?

He glanced down at the four cards that were facing upward, laying in a neat row beside one another. The card furthest to the left depicted a tower on a rock in the middle of the sea, the second showed a feminine silhouette standing between two trees. The third, resembling a sun, was turned upside down, and the last one made the least sense as it merely showed a solitary figure surrounded by what looked to be four golden goblets.

Having no experience within the field of fortune-telling, and seriously doubting the authenticity of it all, the images made no impression on Sonic. At least neither of the cards seemed to depict anything too ominous - the last thing he wanted was for Amy to walk around feeling anxious due to what some silly cards had supposedly 'foretold'. But since Amy strictly refused to listen whenever he criticized the cards in the slightest, he knew better than to mention anything of it. Her argument was that considering everything they had all been through and all that existed in their world - magic stones, spirits, ancient gods and storybooks that could summon people, just to name a few - then reading tarot cards was the least odd of them. Truly there was no room to be skeptical about anything anymore, she'd claim.

And sure, strange stuff tended to happened around their gang, especially himself.

But even more the reason to hold onto the belief that there still existed some form of logic in the world, and that certain things, like tarot cards, were only just a regular deck of cards. Maybe a little bit of Tails had rubbed off on him in that regard. Or maybe it was because the thought of the future already being set in stone secretly terrified him.

No, people make their own futures. Period.

Sonic walked over to sit at the edge of the bed and began taking off his shoes and socks, removing his gloves as well. Then he laid on his back for a while, staring up at the ceiling and focusing on simply staying awake. Minutes passed... This bed had always been so soft... Amy's lovely scent seemed to wrap itself around him like a blanket, the warmth being so comforting... He nearly nodded off right then. But by pure instinct he just couldn't fully slip away. Before he even knew it, his feet was leading him out the bedroom.

There was not a single sound coming from the kitchen.

"Amy?" Sonic called as he made his way down the stairs.

No answer.

Within the quarter of a second had a rush a adrenaline shot through his body.

"Amy!"

Just as a flash of horrible scenarios went through his head, he sprinted into the kitchen - his eyes quickly scanning the room for any danger. And then—

Instant relief washed over Sonic as he found Amy sitting just where he'd left her. Sound asleep - with her head on the table.

---

Small circles of smoke rose to the dark sky as Rouge took another puff of her cigarette. Silent tears trickled down her cheeks, but her sapphire eyes showed no emotion, only... cold weariness.

She leaned against the railing of her balcony - of her penthouse apartment, located on the finer streets of Central City. Perhaps she was leaning a bit too far out and perhaps the wine she'd drunk before had lost it's appealing taste a little quicker than usual, but Rouge couldn't remember if she cared about any of it anymore. Down below, the street was just as busy as always. Traffic never stopped in this city nor did the people ever seem to sleep, and she found the constant activity to be soothing rather than unnerving. In the noise she found herself being able to somehow shut her own inner thoughts out. To drown all feelings and thoughts in the haze of smoke, and watch them dissolve into nothing over the rooftops.

The loud sound of a couple of screeching tires followed by yet another couple of angry voices reached her ears.

Rouge blew out a new stream of smoke.

A few droplets of tears dropped down at her feet.

Shit. She forgot to buy a new pack of cigarettes this morning.

A cool breeze swept by, making her pull the silky bathrobe closer to her otherwise naked body.

She leaned out another bit further.

Suddenly the sliding doors behind her opened, and soon a pair of heavy boots stepped out on the balcony.

"It's not safe to lean over the railing like that. Especially since you've been drinking."

Shadow's deep, stoic voice was barely raised, yet carried the same weight as if he'd just shouted at her.

The sarcasm in Rouge's tone was hard not to miss. "Since when did you become my dad? It's pretty disturbing considering what we've just done, but if that's what you're into, I guess...- Want me to start calling you daddy as well?"

"Are you done?"

"Just quit saying shit like that."

"Okay."

Rouge glanced back and saw Shadow taking a seat by the glass table, lighting a cigarette of his own and fixating his gaze on her back. Neither of them said a word for almost a full five minutes until—

"Perhaps we should end this, if it causes you too much distress."

"What?" Rouge blinked, stepping back from the railing in order to whirl around and glare into Shadow's ruby eyes. She even put her hands on her hips. "Didn't I just say-"

"I can sense how it makes you feel." He cut her off, furrowing his brow ever so slightly. "And since we are comrades I wouldn't want it to start affecting our professional relationship. It could cause unnecessary suspicion and tension to arise."

"Oh come on, don't be ridiculous! This has nothing to do about us."

"I know." Shadow assured bluntly. "I know very well who it's about."

"Don't." It was a warning. Low, and icy cold. Rouge was too tired and too drunk to get a lecture from the guy who had the emotional range to that of a rock. Partners or not, Shadow had no right to throw those types of insinuations right in her face while in her current state. With a swift movement, she heaved herself up on the railing, sitting cross-legged on the edge and leaning herself back quite a bit. Trying to provoke Shadow as much as possible she even let the bathrobe drown down along her shoulders, exposing her chest to the warm night air.

A lame attempt maybe, considering her wings would save her from a potential fall, and that Shadow had many a times seen her completely naked - most recently being less than an hour ago.

True enough, Shadow didn't even move a muscle. Seeing her naked never aroused him nor did it interest him seeing naked women, or men for that matter, in general. His generics didn't work the same way as a normal Mobian's did, which in many regards was a blessing but just as much a curse in others. "You've been acting out quite a lot lately." He stated, just as tersely as if he'd announced how today's weather was going to be.

However, the fuse inside Rouge instantly lit up.

"I have been acting out? You're gone so much that the only time I get to see you nowadays is when you're literary pounding me!" She shot back sharply, her cigarette slipping slightly. "What's that about, huh honey? Has our new Commander taken a shine to you? Are you suddenly too important now to meddle with us low class agents?"

"Your deflecting is as pointless as it is pathetic, Rouge. Please, don't lower yourself to make this about something as pitiful as envy, for I know it is not."

"Maybe you don't know as much as you think you do."

This time, Shadow didn't answer.

Instead he closed his eyes, exhaled some smoke only to then crush the cigarette against the table's glass surface.

"I met Blue boy today, I was assigned to bring him in. Chaos, It already feels like forever ago..."

"I'm sorry for your misfortune."

"Did you know?"

"Know what?"

"Him and her. Pinky was practically bubbling with joy... She sends her regards, by the way." She uttered a dry laugh. "Wanted me to tell you that you're more than welcome to come and visit..!"

A pause.

Shadow abruptly arose from his chair. his hands gripping the railing in something akin to a sudden convulsion. He looked ready to either leap off of the balcony or freeze to the spot and never move again. Every muscle in his body was visibly tense, his eyes remaining tightly shut as he let out a heavy breath. If Rouge hadn't known better, she'd guessed he was upset. But Shadow never showed raw emotion in this kind of way - except fury perhaps, yet, his expression now was more disturbed than mad.

Could it be that she'd been mistaken about Shadow's relation to the girl?

No, that was far too unlikely to the point of absurdity.

Was he simply putting on an act as to throw her off?

Rouge snorted. "Am I supposed to take that as a 'no', then? And am I supposed to believe that it upsets you in some way - shocking news, is it? Please don't tell me this some infamous 'hedgehog's pride' thing or whatever...-"

"Would you stop spouting idotic insinuations." Shadow snarled, though his voice died down to it's usual stoic tone at the end. He'd already regained his composure. Staring into empty space as Rouge blew out a long stream of smoke through her nostrils.

It was funny, she never took as much pleasure in mocking her partner as she did others. Perhaps because they, despite whatever mask they chose to put on among others, were too much alike on the inside. Deep down where it really mattered. In some way - his pain was just as much hers. Their bond and history together was embedded within her mind and very skin, reminding her that of everyone in the whole wide world, they only had themselves. They saw through each other's bullshit.

Truly, Shadow was the only other living person on this earth that she trusted with her life.

Damm.

Why did he always have to make it so hard to hate him?

Rouge was just about to reach a hand out to touch his shoulder when he pulled away from the railing.

His voice was back to stiff and cold when he said— "I'm going to be away for a while. I'll see you when I see you." He'd already made it to the sliding doors when he turned back to give his partner one last look. "Just don't forget we are still an unit - you and me. Don't do anything stupid."

And for some reason Rouge knew he wasn't alluding to her currently risky position upon the rail.

"Stupid? Oh, honey... Don't you know who you're dealing with?"

"Remember it well, then. We are not dead yet, Rouge."

"We are not dead." She repeated, looking him straight in the eye, a weak smile forming upon her lips as she said it. "But I don't think we're alive, either. Not really."

And so the cigarette finally slipped from between Rouge's slender fingers, falling down into the dark abyss - as if she'd just dropped a bomb.

---

The Tornado soared through the clouds, gliding on the fresh morning breeze with ease as it's pilot set course towards Station Square.

Tails had naturally agreed to help with the evacuation the best he could along with his two friends. Sonic, in ordinary fashion, stood effortlessly upon one of the wings of the plane as he as many times before relished in the rushing wind grazing his cheek. Amy, on the other hand, sat securely seat belted behind the pilot's seat, occupying herself with reading a book. There wasn't much to do in the small passenger's space except stare out at the charming views and landscapes that passed beneath them. But right now she felt she needed to distract her mind and not let it wander. Although, the book wasn't doing much to help her in that regard either, as she'd mindlessly began doodling along the edges of the page instead of really focusing on the words.

Nothing seemed to be able to ease her worry today.

So, while letting out a gentle sigh, Amy closed the book and put it aside.

With his ears easily picking up her sigh, even over the sound of the wind, Sonic shifted his posture slightly in order to glance down upon her. He crouched down into a sitting position and then reached his hand out towards her, his palm flat upwards - encouraging her to lay hers on top of his. A warm smile spread across his lips as Amy's delicate hand laid to rest on his, to which he then tenderly enclosed with his fingers. Wordlessly, he renewed her spirits with hope, the hope that everything would turn out alright. As well as lending her some of his strength with a confident wink and quick squeeze of her hand.

Sonic then turned his head to his little brother. "Hey, Tails! Put some music on, would ya?"

"Okay!"

With one hand Tails leisurely reached over to open up a glovebox-like compartment located to the side of the cockpit. It was stuffed to the brink with various necessities one might need, but there was also a small selection of cassette tapes of which he picked one at random and then inserted it into the right player. After a few sparking noises, and Tails giving the dashboard a light smack of his palm, there soon came the sound of instrumental rock blaring out.

"All right! A good ol' classic!" Sonic called appreciatively, instantly pretending to be rocking out on an imaginary elecrtric guitar. Making both Tails and Amy to snicker at his playful antics, or, to Sonic himself - a most serious passion.

"It looks to be a beautiful day!" Tails commented to Amy under his brother's now wailing singing.

"Te-he! Yes, it really feels like summer in the air!"

"Hey rockstar - tone it down, would you? You're scaring off the seagulls!" A wide grin stretched across Sonic's muzzle as he only sang even higher and purposely off-key.

"I think he has a lovely singing voice..." Amy sighed dreamily, giving her fiancé an affectionate look. To which Tails playfully rolled his eyes before turning his attention back ahead. In the distance, the city of Station Square had already appeared. Pretty soon the white beaches stretched out underneath them. But this morning no one was there to enjoy a morning dip.

"Coming in for a landing now, guys!" Tails suddenly hollered, smirking. "Hold on tight!"

They had decided to land a bit off of Emerald Coast so they had to walk a bit to the meeting point, where they'd be receiving their instructions from a G.U.N. agent.

When they arrived there were already large groups of people being escorted inside the train station while others waited to board the oncoming trains. Some wore anxious, nervous expressions upon their faces, some looked totally unaffected, even bored over having to wait for so long. Everywhere stood soldiers from G.U.N. , whether they kept the citizen in line, handed out water bottles, guarded the entrance to the train station or simply patrolled around the area. Each and every one of them carried guns in their belts. Making Sonic instinctively grab Tails and Amy's hands in his and quickly steering them toward the closed off entrance of the Emerald Coast Hotel lobby.

To Sonic's surprise, it was agent Javid that was awaiting their arrival. Looking just as stale and serious as he'd done the last time the young hero had seen him.

"Mister Sonic the Hedgehog, sir - we meet again." Agent Javid greeted, saluting them as they approached.

"Yeah, what's up!" Sonic responded with a smirk, shaking his hand. Perhaps a bit too vigorously this time around. "This is my little brother Tails-"

Naturally, Tails and Agent Javid shook hands. The young fox smiling nervously as they did, but tried to mask it with a simple "Hello.".

"And Amy Rose, my—"

For a fraction of a second, Sonic hesitated.

This morning, like most mornings, he'd hidden his engagment ring under his glove. But Amy's ring sparkled proudly over her gloved finger in the brilliant morning sun as usual. He'd already been made clear that G.U.N. knew of his engagment to her - he'd been pressed to openly admit as much. Still, he inwardly tensed up as he finished the introduction—

"-my fiancée."

Agent Javid bowed his upper body slightly, and, with surprisingly gentleness, shook her hand. He could apparently tell, by simply giving her a single glance, that she was just as dainty as she looked. His hard stare softening ever so slightly. "Miss Rose.. A pleasure to meet the family of Mister Hedgehog."

Tails and Amy exchanged an uncertain glance between themselves. They were both slightly intimidated by the tall and serious agent, who also carried a gun in a holster around his waist as well as a longer rifle-looking gun upon his back.

"We're only happy to help." Amy answered shyly, curtsying.

"And G.U.N. appreciates your generous assistance, young lady. Now, to the business at hand...-"

The people of Station Square had been issued to evacuate by train to a safe zone located near Central City in the early morning hours. The city had also been divided into different sections of evacuation order, and all citizen had been informed which section they applied to. Although most already knew what was expected of them since the section system had been used before in various cases of emergencies. Previous Robotnik attacks, and most notably the Black Arms Invasion had been one of those instances, and that incident was still pretty fresh in people's memory.

This time, however, the threat level was uncertain.

Some even planned to be well and back within a mere couple of days - which was just what G.U.N. had promised - while others packed up and left their homes with a slight sense of anxiousness. There were also a few people who had already left the city on their own accord, simply viewing it as a opportunity to take a spontaneous vacation.

Despite it all happening so fast, Agent Javid informed them that the Commander was confident people would handle the evacuation most excellently.

"—If everything goes according to plan, we'll have most of the city evacuated by tomorrow morning. Nearby towns and villages has been informed of the situation as well, and been advised to either evacuate their homes or adapt other saftey precautions. We've also sent out people to monitor these areas, just in case."

Sonic resisted the urge to raise a brow at hearing all of this.

Commander Rhys was apparently keen on making sure he knew he'd been serious about his promise...

It was probably something he should've seen coming, but now when he was expected to express himself Sonic grasped for the right words. He didn't wanna buy into the whole charade, yet he guessed the agent standing before him had most likely no part such a thing, so acting disrespectful or unthankful was merely pointless. And despite hidden intentions people were at least being protected. For now.

"Well, that sounds good. I don't want innocent people to get hurt because of the bad blood between me and Robotnik." Sonic commented, realizing that 'bad blood' was to put his relation with the Doctor awfully mildly, especially nowadays. And even more so considering they were in the middle of a literal evacuation because of it. But not wishing to dig deeper into it in Amy's presence, he quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, where do you reckon we can help out the most right now?"

"The Commander figured that due to the heroic status you posses among the citizens of Station Square, your task is mainly to boost morale and give the crowd calm in knowing they can trust in G.U.N.'s handeling of the situation." Agent Javid answered in a stiff, matter of factly-type of tone.

"You mean I'm to just walk around like some sort of mascot?" Sonic questioned flatly.

"Think of it more as being a symbol of hope to the people."

"Right.."

Sonic had thought something more along the lines of saving people out of collapsing buildings, like when the gigantic Perfect Chaos monster had flooded the entire city all those years ago. Of course, the situation now wasn't as dire as back then, so he had no other option than to bite his tongue and settle for the task. No matter how mundane it sounded, he should probably still be thankful for it.

Next, agent Javid turned to Tails and Amy.

"You two may help handing out provisions. The weather is forecasted to reach high temperatures so all the people being evacuated will need plenty of water. There have been put up specific provision stands as well." He paused briefly, turning his gaze to Amy, and then said— "Perhaps Miss Rose is more suitable to assist at the stands. She shall be better shielded against the heat there."

Sonic, who appreciated the suggestion, turned to his fianceé and gently stroked her cheek - her fair peach complexion blossoming in a lovely rosy color as he did. He could tell she was hesitant at being seperated from him and Tails, and to tell the truth, he wasn't too thrilled about it either. Not when basically every G.U.N. soldier was armed and not too friendly.

But now was not the time to argue...

Thus he gave her his most reassuring of smiles. "It's okay, Amy. We'll see each other soon, all right?" In return, Amy mustered up her confidence, giving him a smile of her own. She nodded.

"Yeah, we can meet up at lunch later!" Tails chimed in, cheerfully.

Agent Javid then witnessed how the three friends joined in one big hug.

It would take until late noon that they could all meet up again, settling down outside one of the many locked up cafés that, despite the evacuation, had left their outdoor seatings still accessible. Tails had luckily managed to find an empty table, though only two chairs, which Sonic insisted his little brother and Amy to take. They ate the lunch Amy had prepared this morning - consisting of neatly cut sandwiches and a few pears from their garden, as well as three bottles of water she'd been allowed to bring with her from the provision stand.

Looking around at the crowding people, who all sweated profusely in the imense heat, Amy felt a terrible guilt well up inside her chest. Especially the children who either clung to their parents or simply tried to fan themselves with their tiny hands. Those poor families. Forced to abandon their homes without knowing if they'll even have a home to come back to again. It must be just awful. And in that moment she wished she could've had enough food to give away to all of them... Suddenly she lost all the appetite she'd worked up. With a heavy sigh she discarded her water bottle and slumped back in her seat.

Sonic, who leaned against the café building's window, had just finished munching on a pear. Misinterpreting Amy's sigh for fatigue, he attempted to cheer her up by saying— "Hey Ames, check this out!" He then proceeded to throw an olive from one of the sandwiches high up in the air and trying to catch it in his mouth. Unfortunately, the olive just barely missed his open gap and instead splattered down on the ground.

"Wow, impressive. Hey, Amy, we should try and sell him to the circus!" Tails said in mock wonder, trying to hide his snicker behind his sandwich. Earning himself a playful shove in the back head by his older brother soon after.

"Oh zip it, pixel-brain."

"Hey now, I actually use my brain at least!"

Their lighthearted banter caused the corners of Amy's mouth to stretch into a small smile. She soon interrupted their bickering by clearing her throat and gesturing with her hands, catching the boys' attention again. "I'm sorry, guys. I guess the whole situation is getting to me a bit... I just...- wish we could do more for these people."

Sonic's expression softened remarkably as he looked down upon her where she sat with her head hung low. Her caring nature making his heart to surge with warmth and love, igniting his own spirits anew. Croaching down beside her, he took her hands into his. His voice lovingly tender as he proclaimed— "You have done everything you-"

Then it happened.

A deafening, world shattering burst.

An explosion that tore open the atmosphere and ripped every sense of safety apart.

The pavement beneath them shook violently, causing multiple tables to fall over as well as people. All while bits of concreet loosened from the surrounding buildings, and several windows crack or simply shattering all together. The convulsion also caused Amy to fall off her chair with a cry of surprise, but Sonic just managed to dive underneath her body and catch her before she hit the ground.

Unfortunately, Tails landed square on his rear. "Ow.." He winced as he gradually and shakily got to his knees, looking around their surroundings in great shock and confusion "W-what's going on?" But no one had the capacity to register anything before a wave of distant, muffled, yet bloodcurdling screams of hundreds of people rose up to the skies, somewhere beyond their square.

"Tails, you okay?" Sonic shouted urgently as he was in the midst of lifting a quickly paling Amy onto her feet.

"Yeah, I think so.. But that sounded like-"

"I know, Tails, I know." He watched his brother then turn to his fiancée. "Amy.. Amy, pull yourself together." Sonic whispered her ear with a voice dripping of concern. She shivered greatly and had to grasp ahold of his arm to steady herself, her knees pointing slightly inwards as her gaze swept all around the square. In vain, he tried to make her to look at him, but she had her eyes fixed at all the people surrounding them.

"Sonic..." She finally managed to breath out. "S-Sonic, all-... a-all those p-people.."

"Don't worry, everything's gonna be fine." He reassured, before handing her over to Tails who in turn proceeded to hold her around the shoulders in an attempt to keep her, as well as himself, from sailing down on the ground again.

Around the trio rose the worried voices of the people who had now managed to come back to their senses filled the air—

"What's happening?!"

"Oh Chaos, have mercy on us!"

"Mommy, I'm scared!"

"Does anyone know what the heck is going on?!"

Taking a leap and swinging himself up a lamp post, Sonic got a better view of the square and could more easily be seen. Naturally his voice took on a vigorous, yet calming tone and loudly called out— "Hey, Is everyone all right?"

Almost all of them, including some of the G.U.N. soldiers, turned their attention to him, the fear in their eyes being put to rest by the mere precence of the hero of Mobius. "Look! It's Sonic!"- many of them called out in relief while others uttered enthustiatic cheers, they crowded around the lamp post as if by simply being close to him would somehow keep them safe. But their momentary consolation was short-lived, for suddenly came a massive fleeing horde of people running from every street leading onto their square. Some bearing fresh burn marks as well as bleeding wounds. The utter panic in their eyes spread like wildfire, railing up everyone anew. In the same instant, Sonic knew he needed to take charge of the situation again and raised his voice even higher to be heard above the raging chaos. "Everyone! Everyone, please, listen to me! Try to keep calm - you need to get yourselves straight to the train station! We will all be fine if just stick together and-"

"Sonic the Hedgehog..!" A familiar voice boomed out over the entire city, completely drowning out all other sounds. Dropping everyone's hearts. Freezing them in fear just as an enormous shadow fell upon the street and the deafening engine of an equally enormous airship hovered into view above them - the infamous Egg Carrier.

It was the unmistakeable voice of Doctor Ivo Robotnik that spoke—

"My deepest apologies for robbing you of such a pleasent afternoon as this, but it's crucial that we may speak. I also apologize for arriving sooner than I first intended. I know it is most rude of me. And regarding the bomb - I was simply forced to make you understand the direness of your and everyone else's current situation. In exact ten minutes I'll drop another bomb. Although, if you cooperate I'll naturally refrain from doing such a thing. Let's say - join me on my fleet for a little meeting or else every last building of your precious Station Square will be obliterated into tiny little bits."

A laughter.

Twisted and wicked beyond any form of sanity.

"I look forward to your arrival with tremensous eager, O' great hero of Mobius. Tick-tock..!"

Robotnik's voice voice off.

The following moment was nothing but an intense silence, so pressing that no one dared to utter a mere breath or move a single muscle.

And then...

—All hell broke loose.

The previous turmoil riled up once again as people now fled for their lives, screaming on top of their lungs. Children's cries echoing. Families trying to hold onto their loved ones. Pushing. Yelling. G.U.N. soldiers having been completely forgotten along with their once organized groups. Now no one even paid them as much as a second glance.

Meanwhile, Sonic still clung to the lamp post as if it was all that left, his eyes sternly locked onto the airship above. Robotnik's words echoing inside his head, reapeating themselves in ultra-rapid.

It's all my fault...

A bomb would drop within mere minutes unless he willingly surrendered himself...

And he had less than ten minutes to do so.

Suddenly, a powerful rush of adrenaline shot through his veins and within a mere second his feet were moving on their own. He pushed through the horde of fleeing people, his eyes dead set on Tails and Amy who had pressed themselves up against the window of the café as not to get trampled. Their hands intertwined in a steel like grip.

"Tails! Amy!"

"Sonic!" They both responded in unison - relief washing over their faces. But Sonic didn't have any time to waste, so he hastily grabbed a hold of each of their hands and told them to hold on as hard as they could. Then he set off towards Emerald Coast where he prayed the Tornado would still be left unscathed. And fortunately enough, once they reached the beach - there it was, perfectly intact.

Tails and Amy both felt a bit winded from the intense and sudden rush, but neither of them got the chance to catch their breaths, none the less utter a single word before Sonic had practically shoved them inside the plane.

"Get her out of here, Tails - now!" He ordered. Any trace left of composure or warmth completely gone from his voice.

It was this voice that made Tails immediately comply, without any protests or questions asked, as he got into the pilot's seat and started up the engine. Amy, however, stood her ground. "Wait, we can't just leave you!" She shouted at Sonic, clinging to his arm as if her very life depended on it. "And what about everyone else?! All those people! We can't abandon them, not like this! I won't! Please, we can help you - right, Tails—"

Without listening to a single word of what his fiancée spouted, Sonic heedlessly interrupted her by grabbing her by the shoulders and looking her straight in the eyes.

"Listen to me, Amy, I've only got a few minutes to stop Robotnik before he drops another bomb over the city and I don't want you or Tails anywhere near this place if that happens! Do you understand me?" But he didn't wait for an answer as he abruptly scooped Amy off her feet and lifted her into the Tornado, putting her in the passanger's seat. With swift hands he tightened the seat belt securely around her shaking frame, but then he did the mistake of letting his eyes linger on her a second too long.

"Please, I beg you, let us help you." Her sweet, sweet jade orbs gazed at him with such sheer anguish that Sonic's heart began to ache painfully in his chest. Gently, Amy placed her hands above his, causing them to turn stiff around the belt. For what seemed like forever, but what's in reality is merely a couple of seconds, they stared at each other. The sound of the Tornado's engine blending with the distant, chaotic noises coming from within the city.

A tiny shred of doubt then entered Sonic's mind - was he truly doing the right thing?

They'll be safe... A tiny voice reminded him, and that's all he need to snap out of it.

"I'm sorry, Amy. Please forgive me..."

"Sonic..-" Amy whispered, but he'd already left before she could finish the sentence.