Chapter 4: A New Relationship
Manic and Bark run up a concrete staircase, still soaking wet after jumping into the ocean, and they drag two metal crates each full of Mazo's merchandise. Nina's red muscle car pulls up to the pickup spot right on cue and the trio escape the guarded property just seconds before it's flooded with security personnel and local police.
Luckily, the female hedgehog was smart enough to lay down some plastic wrap inside her car before letting her new associates get in.
The lane dividers look like blurs as Nina steps on the gas pedal and tears through the long winding streets at well over 150 miles an hour. The only two cop cars that were following have been left behind and the muscle car speeds onto the busy highway, ensuring their getaway.
Manic uses a white cloth to dry his face "...drop me on the edge of Mushroom Hill, I can take it from there"
"Why?" Nina asks while turning the steering wheel furiously to avoid other cars
"I don't know if you've done big jobs like this one before, but it's usually not a good idea for the suspects to all stick together, we'd easily get identified in a group"
"Yeah? Couldn't they ID you just as easily by yourself?"
"I know how to hide, so does my boy here-" Manic gives a friendly chest slap to Bark "...but sitting inside the getaway car wouldn't help. Especially since the getaway car is a bright red mustang"
The polar bear nods his head "I agree with him, Nina, we got'a split up!"
She growls quietly and pushes a black button on the side of the steering column. The plastic wrap is torn as the seat between Manic and Bark suddenly falls forward, revealing a tiny crawl space that leads to the trunk.
"Toss the crates down there, I wanna make sure you two aren't trying pulling a fast one on us"
The duo slide the 150 pound metal crates down into the crawl space and the seat is brought back up once more.
The ride lasts another 10 minutes before Nina pulls over near a wooded area to let the green hedgehog out.
"...that was really fun, Manic" She says with a smile
He slams the back door shut "Yeah, especially when all you had to do was drive us around while we did the actual work..."
Nina chuckles and puts the car in neutral, prompting Manic to shout WAIT!
"You still have my phone in your glove box, Herby, pass it over"
"I think I'll hang onto it for now just to make sure you come back to the clubhouse. Oh, and FYI, that movie was awesome"
Manic looks at Bark in the back seat and he can only shrug as the red mustang roars out of the gravel and back onto the highway road.
Clever girl. But that phone better not have a scratch on it when I take it back.
Manic walks a small distance before reaching what looks like a bus stop. Another minute passes before the on-rail streetcar arrives. He hops on, drops a coin into a chrome slot and stands near the back door as he waits for the streetcar to take him back downtown. He gets back within 5 minutes and he sees Farrell sitting at a park table, seated directly across from Mitzi, not wearing her uniform this time.
Hm, she must be off work. Kinda early though, eh?
He joins them "Hey, what's happening, you guys enjoying a game of chess?"
Mitzi's face lights up "Oh, hey Manny!"
Oh, guess she knows me enough to call me Manny. That damn old man...
"Yeah, I was just showing the nice young lady the in's and out's, incase she ever wanted to play competitively" Farrell says "What's up with you? Why're you all wet, son?"
"I just went for a swim, that's all. Hey Pops, can I have a word with you? It'll just be a second, then you two can get back to your in's and out's"
Farrell stands up and clears his throat "Excuse me a moment, Mitzi"
She waves "Take as long as you need"
The two hedgehog's walk over to a nearby oak tree before Manic begins
"Where's that card? I need it back NOW"
"Relax, it's right here" Farrell says as he pulls it from his pocket
Manic snatches it back "You gotta stop socializing with the locals, Pops, I mean it! We almost got made today, I don't need you drawing attention down here, too!"
"Now, hold on a second, we've been sitting here for 7 hours now, like hell I'm just gonna lay down in that damn motel room all day! The kids went out to find jobs, you and Bark go off with some local hustlers, but what do I get to do? Watch the shopping channel? I ain't an old man, yet!"
Manic interrupts "Yes, you are"
"Well, maybe to you kids, I am, but I don't feel old. Experienced, is all! Besides, being friendly won't hurt anyone, my boy-"
"In this particular instance, it will. I need you to understand the situation as a whole: We are on. The. Run. The last thing we need is a quirky girl knowing our names, our appearances and where we are staying! Do you understand? Please tell me you do, Farrell"
The older hedgehog steps back "You think Mitzi will go to the cops?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I think! It's a miracle nobody's recognized us so far! Why can't you see that? You're supposed to be the experienced guy!... (sigh) ...end your little chats with her, for the sake of our freedom, PLEASE"
"She's a nice girl, Manic. You know, she's been asking about you this whole time? 'When's Manny coming back? I'd like to get to know him better' She likes you, kid! God knows I never had a chance... She don't want no trouble, why can you see that? You don't come across girls like that very often, so I think you should give Mitzi a chance before you judge her-"
Manic stands closer "You know who else was a nice girl? Cassia. Guess where she ended up when I got involved - dead"
Farrell looks down "Yeah, I know"
"Well, then you know why I'm not exactly jumping at the chance to get involved with this girl. I'm trying to protect the group, Pops, not trying to find a girlfriend. That can wait. Out of everyone here, YOU should know better..."
Farrell puts his hand on his son's shoulder "Well, then maybe you should've left us behind like you did so many times before, kiddo"
You know I couldn't...
Manic's father figure walks back to the table and shares a few words before Mitzi starts walking over to the green hedgehog.
Oh great, what's this?...
"Hey, Farrell said you wanted to speak to me before you left, again?"
Manic glares at Farrell before answering "Yeah, I just heard something about, uh - you'd like to get to know me better"
She blushes "Oh yeah, well, what I was talking about was-"
"Look, Mitzi, you're a really nice girl, I like you, and I like this town. You've been really great to my dad, but I gotta tell ya-"
Manic can see the girl's expression slowly change from happy to sad within seconds of him speaking. Suddenly, his blunt outburst stops mid-sentence because he knows it hurts. It hurts for Mitzi to hear, it hurts for him to continue, so tells a half-truth in order to ease the pain.
"I, I just got a job in the big city, about 3 hours ago, and I don't think I'll be around to see you once I start. I mean, I'd really like to chill with you, but you know how work is, right"
The tour guide nods her head in agreement "Oh, yeah, t-totally. I was um, you know, just wondering if you would ever get a chance to come back and talk. (laughs) now, I've got an answer..."
Ah, hell...
"Well, I've got an hour before I gotta go back, why don't we talk now? I mean, if you still want to"
Her smile returns "Yes, absolutely"
"Great, how about we get lunch, or just sit down for coffee. I just gotta change into some dry clothes, then you can ask me anything, I'm an open book"
"I'd like that"
Mitzi waves to Farrell and the older hedgehog watches his son walk through the park with her. He grins and heads back to the motel, happy at Manic's change of heart.
SOUTH EAST HILLTOP CITY
Stone lays his gear bag on a king sized mattress inside the motel room he's rented, and the rest of his gang sit around the room, clearly not excited to be here.
"How come you only got 1 room, douchebag? I'm not changing in front of you pervs!" Rosie exclaims
"There's only so much cash I'm allotted to spend, honey, so I'm working with what I've got" The Timberwolf replies
"Okay, wanna explain the sleeping situation, slick? We all just gonna curl up on this bed at night?" Predator Hawk asks
"You idiots should be glad I'm letting you stay indoors, I coulda just made you sleep outside, but I'm nice like that"
Nack yawns "Evidently, not too nice..."
Stone ignores this and zips up the large bag, then uses one finger to open the window blinds to get a view,
the sight of Agent Warwick nearly gives him a heart attack.
"The fuck..."
Rosie stands up "What?"
"This basket case don't give up, it appears"
"Cops?!" Hawk asks
"Yup"
"What're we gonna do, then?"
Without saying a word, Stone shoots out the front window, climbs out and races past the other motel rooms on this floor. The gunshot startles the police so they duck behind their cruisers for cover, only catching a glimpse of Stone carrying his gear bag as he runs away. He reaches the end of the hallway, steps onto the railing and jumps as far as he can away from the building. He lands on a parked car, smashes all the glass upon landing and runs away on foot, leaving his crew to deal with Warwick.
"You PUSSY!" Rosie shouts at her superior
Warwick, Casey and the local police department aim their guns at the motel room
"Drop your weapons and come out with your hands up! This is your only chance to walk out alive!"
Warwick puts the megaphone down and looks at his backup "Somebody go after the runner, please and thank you"
A uniformed officer chases after Stone, while everyone else stays locked on the motel room.
Rosie shakes her head, while Nack stays silent and heads for the door first. Hawk growls as he throws his sub machine gun on the bed and exits the room. Finally, Rosie puts her hands up and joins her friends as they are handcuffed by police.
"Hello, again. Didn't take you's long to screw up your terms of probation, I see" Warwick says
Hawk headbutts the G.U.N agent and Rosie uses both legs to kick him in the chest, knocking him on his back while the cop regain control over the trio.
Warwick's partner Casey smirks at him
"You're quite popular, Cal" she says
Warwick wipes the blood from his nose "Yeah, you wouldn't believe how many fans I have running around..."
The uniformed officer he ran after Stone radio's in
"Suspect fled on foot, no sign of him"
Warwick stands up and sighs "Alright, no big deal. We'll just have to go look for him, now... let's check out Marble, it's the closest shithole from here"
Casey looks at him "What if you're wrong?"
"Well, then we'll have to go through each and every town in this Zone, now won't we? ...move it, rookie"
Out by the intersection that goes out of town, Stone uses tall oak trees as cover when police cruisers speed past him. He knows they saw him leave with the gear bag, so now he has to carry as much stuff as he can and ditch the bag. He sits in the woods stuffing gun clips in the many pockets of his black cargo pants, and concealing machine guns in the three holsters on his shoulders, hips and ankles. He pockets $20 000 in cash and makes a run for the city limits.
A tall sign tells him Ice Cap City and Mushroom Hill are the two closest cities on this side of the coast, so he chooses the small town as his next stop.
The streetcar stops just across the street from the Timberwolf so he quickly jumps on.
"Oh, wow, perfect timing"
Manic and Mitzi have been sitting inside a local coffee shop for about 30 minutes now, and the green hedgehog's view of the girl has changed significantly in that time.
However, he knows he can't reveal anything to her or he risks being pointed out, so he keeps his guard up.
Manic finishes his coffee "...so, what's up with the uniform, if you don't mind me asking?"
Mitzi blows on her beverage before answering "Oh, it's just a thing I saw in the paper when I first got here. The locals used to wear certain uniforms to distinguish themselves amongst each other. This was back during the coal mining era, where no other job paid as much as that. Well, I thought I'd bring that festivity back, you know"
"Interesting... I was thinking about gettin' some tattoos this summer. I've always liked that type of stuff"
"What do you do for a living, Manic?"
"I'm a drummer. Well, I also clean toilets as part of the gig, but honestly, it's probably all I was ever cut out to do"
"You should think about applying down here, there's always new jobs available, usually part time, but they pay the bills, as they say"
Before he answers, Manic looks out the front window and spots Nina's red mustang in the distance. And she is not alone.
What is this, next?
Mitzi looks him in the eyes "Manic?"
He turns back to her "Sorry, got lost in my train of thought. Yeah, I'll definitely think about looking for a better job here, it's just that right now, I seemed to have landed one so I might as well try it out-"
Mitzi hesitates for a moment "Can I ask you a personal question?"
"Yeah, anything"
"I noticed you had some friends when you came into town, and now they've all just disappeared except for your father..."
Don't go there, girl...
"...are you a criminal?"
Manic takes a moment to compose himself before thinking of something to say
"We're just escaping a bad situation. We couldn't stay where we were so I used whatever money I had to get a ride across the border. That's all"
A slight smile returns to Mitzi's face, although the authenticity of it is questionable.
Manic decides it time to head back, so he leaves a decent tip for the waitress and puts his coat on.
"Listen, Mitzi, I'm going away for a little bit, so I wanted to ask if you could look out for my father while I'm away. You're a really nice girl, and it was nice to meet you"
"...is that a goodbye?"
"For now. But I'll be back for another tour, soon"
Manic smiles before leaving the shop and returning to his criminal life. He signals for Nina to drive towards him as he walks through the park,
until he stands face to face with Stone.
"You didn't really think you could hide from me, did ya?"
Manic's fists start to tremble "...where's the rest of the gang?"
"Warwick's checking passports, but I'm exempt"
Manic says nothing as the tall Timberwolf lifts his index finger and waves it back and forth, telling him not to make a move. The razor sharp claw gets his attention, telling him Stone means business.
"...I heard you had some new action. Take me"
Before Manic starts walking, Mitzi comes out of the coffee shop and wraps her arms around the green hedgehog for a hug.
"I didn't want our goodbye to be silent, Manny" she says before noticing Stone "Oh, hi there! You must be one of Manic's friends, I'm Mitzi-"
"Get lost honey" the Timberwolf says while grinning
"Oh-"
Manic lightly grasps her shoulders to comfort her "Sorry, I really have to go, Mitzi. I'll talk to you when I get back"
"I didn't mean to upset your friend-"
"It's not you, it's (sigh) ...the company I keep. I'll see you next time"
Manic quickly sends the girl on her way, making sure to keep her far from Stone's grasp. He signals for the Timberwolf to follow close and stay on him.
As they walk, Nina talks to Bark inside her mustang and they follow, knowing something is wrong.
"...I was starting to miss you, punk" Stone says as he follows "I still have to cut ya for what you did to me back in Metropolis, so I'm looking forward to that-"
Suddenly, Nina and Bark each put a gun to the sides of Stone's head, stopping him mid-sentence, and dead in his tracks.
Manic leans against the red mustang "...yeah, I've been doing a whole lot better since I saw you in that parking garage. I've made some new friends, some new connections. I think you should come check them out"
Bark starts taking the machine guns away, causing Stone to flinch, but he knows he wouldn't have enough time to disarm both him and Nina before getting shot.
Manic lifts his index finger and waves it back and forth so his enemy understands.
"Let's go for a ride"
Manic and Bark count up the cash they just stole from Stone, while the Timberwolf leans against a metal table, in the center of this old warehouse. Both his wrists have been fastened down, and Nina removes his razor sharp claws one at a time. The evil enforcer can't hold back his howls of pain as blood spills from his fingertips.
Mazo enters the warehouse and nods at Manic & Bark as they both hand him a large cut of the stolen money, as well as the guns.
"You two are definitely our guys" Mazo says "I was wrong to doubt your abilities. Good work"
Nina rips out the final claw and throws it in a rusty metal bucket
"There we go, no more bag lady nails for you!" she says
Stone groans as his fingers bleed, unable to form a coherent sentence because of the pain he's in.
"I like the pedicure" Manic says sarcastically
Nina smiles "Some of my best work"
Mazo pats her on the shoulder and then stands in front of the defeated Timberwolf.
"So, Mr. Stone. You see to it that you're out of my city within the hour, or next time it won't just be your claws we take. Understood?"
Stone mumbles curse words at the boss, so Manic punches him in the liver from behind.
"Okay! I understand..."
"Good. Now, get this coward piece of shit out of my sight, we've got money to spend!"
Nina drives the gang back to the clubhouse and Mazo sends Lucky & Jamie out to pick up their liquor for the party he's throwing. The boss spared no expense as he celebrates his new business relationship with Manic and Bark, while Nina tries to get her friends to cheer up.
Lucky makes it clear he's not a fan of either one of them, but Jamie chooses not to make a scene during the party.
About a couple hours into the night, Manic steps outside to make a phone call, and to get some fresh air.
Two straight hours of drinking tends to stuff up any room.
Manic dials a number and B.B answers
"Hello?"
"Beni, put Pops on"
"He's sleeping, he just got back from work"
"What're you talking about?"
"Yeah, he got a job today. We all did. Wanna say hi to everyone?"
"Well, I actually just need to speak to-"
B.B puts him on speaker phone "Everybody, it's Manic!"
"Hey!" Mickie shouts "I'm working at Christmas village!"
"That's great, but-"
"Tom's at Halloween Town, too"
"Yeah, I'm one of the ghouls who greets everyone at the door inside this haunted house"
"Cool, look, can you put-"
"And I'm with Farrell at Retro Plaza. There's a new theme every week"
Manic sighs "I'm happy for all of you, but I really need to speak to Farrell!"
There's a silence on B.B's end, prompting Manic to call out to his friend once more.
"Hey? What's wrong?"
"...you didn't hear, did you?"
"Hear what?"
Beni takes him off speaker phone "Warwick came a couple hours ago-"
Manic's eyes widen "What did he do?"
"Nothing. He showed your picture to the locals, and Mitzi told him you weren't here. He asked if any of your associates were here and she said no. Said she's never seen anybody in the photos he had... Warwick told her who you were and that you were wanted. And asked if she wanted to change her answer. She said no. Warwick believed her and his crew left..."
Manic curses under breath "...so, you're all okay?"
"Yeah. Farrell tried to talk to Mitzi but she just walked home. Said she's all shook up, now"
"Beni, put Pops on the phone"
"Sorry, man, but he said he doesn't wanna talk unless it's in person... we kinda need you down here, too"
"God damnit... just hang tight, I can't come back just yet-"
"Why not?"
"Dude, me and Bark JUST got something going up in Springyard, I'm talking lots of money, enough to get us somewhere safer-"
"Oh, the scheme you didn't want me to be apart of. I see"
"B.B, you know it's not like that. Look, it's dangerous work and I didn't want you to get hurt 'cause of something dumb I agreed to... I'll call you before I come back, man-"
"You know, you still never told us why you got each of us involved in your bullshit, in the first place..."
"I'll explain everything when I come back, alright? I promise. Just, do me a favor, tell Farrell to keep Mitzi on our side, she can either make or break us, at this point. I told that old man not to get involved but he did it anyway... just, keep her happy, so she doesn't change her mind and serve us up to Warwick. Okay?"
"...you're a real son of a bitch, sometimes, Manic. And you're really ramping it up now more than ever"
B.B hangs up and the green hedgehog stomps off angrily.
One thing after another...
He opens the front doors of the clubhouse and stops abruptly when he sees Nina holding two drinks in the doorway.
"...who's Mitzi?" she asks
Not done kicking me while I'm down, eh...
Manic inhales sharply "What, are you listening to my phone calls, next?"
"You're a cop, aren't you?"
"That's the dumbest thing - do I look like a god damn-"
Nina drops the shot glasses and draws her pistol "DON'T FUCKING LIE TO ME!"
Manic steps back "Okay, Jesus!... Look, Nina-"
"Stay right there or I swear I'll end you!"
What is it with these girls, today? ...fuck it, here comes another lie.
"Fine. You want the truth? Okay! I married her so I could get entry into the Zone!"
Nina lowers her gun as she thinks about this "What?"
"I couldn't get in but Bark could, so I handed over a couple thousand and got a green card out of it! It's sleazy, but it worked for me!"
"Bullshit-"
"Go ahead, ask Bark. He'll laugh. He doesn't know. Next to NOBODY knows! But you do, now"
The blonde/red haired hedgehog pulls Manic inside the clubhouse and slams the doors shut. She pushes him against the wall and keeps her gun trained on his jaw as she speaks.
"You'd better think twice about lying to me, asshole, because I'm not letting an undercover snitch into my gang!"
"What makes you think I'm undercover? Seriously?"
"I saw you with some old man and some chick in the park earlier-"
"You followed me in Mushroom Hill?" Manic asks
"Of course I did! Mazo needed to find out who you two really are, so he told me to keep a close eye on things. And I think I've seen enough-"
"Yeah, you're gonna take me to the boss because of a girl I used to get inside the Zone? Sounds logical"
"You're a rat!" Nina shouts
"If I was a rat, why would I risk my ass to make your boss nearly a million dollars today? Huh? That doesn't make sense! Think for a second!"
"Don't you tell me what to do, I see through your whole big city boy act! ...if you're not a rat, you're clearly up to something. You've got no problem using everyone you come across to get what you want"
Manic exhales "...You think I like living like this? I hate it! But I have to do it in order to survive. Believe it or not, I actually care about somebody other than myself. I have a family I'm trying to help, okay? And I definitely don't need your shit while I make you and your boss thousands of dollars in the process"
Nina puts the gun down "...all the stories I heard about you. You're Sonic's brother, but - you really are a son of a bitch, Manic"
"Just tell me right now, are you gonna sell me out to Mazo? Ruin everything we have going over some hard feelings?"
The female hedgehog hesitates before answering "...I should, but I need this just as much as you do..."
"Look, however you feel about me, I just want you to know Bark had nothing to do with any of my other business. He'll tell you I got him involved and that is the truth. If you don't believe me, then fine, shoot me down right now"
Nina thinks about taking him up on that offer, but something tells her to believe this.
"...you're a scumbag, Manic"
"Whatever you wanna call me is your choice. I won't try to change your mind. I can only do what I do best. Make money"
The female hedgehog holsters her weapon and turns her back on the green hedgehog.
"From now on, you are nothing to me. Just do your job and leave me alone"
"I'm only gonna ask one thing of you, Nina. Look out for Bark, I don't think I can watch both our backs with all the problems I have to deal with"
Nina says nothing as she leaves Manic in the lobby. She makes her way back down into the lounge and sits at the bar, watching Bark finish a bottle of Vodka by himself.
Mazo drunkenly leans on the bar stand "Now THAT is impressive - (burp) ...I think I'm gonna lay down to avoid further damage. You kids behave now"
Nina stays quiet as her boss leaves the lounge, while Jamie and Lucky are already passed out sitting on beanbag chairs.
Manic walks through the doors, which causes Nina to look away in disgust, and she slides up next to the large polar bear.
"...your friend Manic is a real piece of work..." she says
Bark opens a fresh bottle of Vodka "Yeah? When did'ya notice?"
Nina chuckles "...seriously, how do you work with someone like that?"
"Took years 'n years of practise, and A LOT 'a patience... but when you work well wit somebody, you tend to overlook their flaws. At least, I try to"
"Yeah, but Manic? How can you overlook his flaws?"
"Well, because he overlooked mine way before, but that's a story for 'nother time"
Nina takes a big drink of Bark's Vodka "I kinda want to hear it, big boy..."