Author's Note: Thank you for your reviews, Yurika, IvyRonin, risingzero1984, CrimsonLove16, and Aliciathewolf45. I appreciate the few of you who bother to leave me a review. I'm not sure how often I'll continue to update this story regularly, as it appears it's beginning to lose some people's interest. Enjoy the chapter, I suppose.

Agent Blaze had been called back to headquarters in Soleanna by her superiors and was called off on tracking the Brothers of Chaos after months of no new leads or progress in disarming them. At the Mercia Police Station, Deputy Silver, Detective Vector, and Espio watched intently as Agent Blaze and the rest of her A.T.F. agents packed their belongings into white vans, trucks, and other automobiles. Vector and Espio found it incredibly satisfying to watch the agents pack their crap up and place it in their cars. They had felt like strangers in their workplace, and now they were finally getting their office back. Vector scoffed at the slight and shook his head. "Hmph, good riddance."

Espio kept his arms crossed over his chest as he continued to watch. "It's like a weight has been lifted."

Ignoring their comments, Officer Silver walked away from the two joyous detectives and approached Agent Blaze. He had noticed her struggling to get one final filing box into the back of her car. Silver walked up behind her and assisted in getting the last box shoved in. "So, this is it, huh?" he said casually as he closed the hood of her vehicle.

She stood off to the side, keeping her expression neutral. "Looks like it. I didn't think it would end like this. I figured I'd have the brothers stopped and arrested for their crimes by now. It appears they are a lot craftier than I thought…"

Silver dusted off his hands. "What's going to happen to you now?"

Blaze looked over to her assistant, Nicole. She was surveying some other agents on where files went in other cars. "Well, seeing as my supervisor is quite disappointed in my performance on this assignment, I'm sure I'll hear plenty from him. I may even be demoted from my position. This was an utter dumpster fire after all…."

"Can't say I blame him," he shrugged. "You took some very unorthodox routes to get what you wanted."

"I was under the impression that you had the same goal to take down the Brothers. Perhaps I was wrong about you all along."

He placed a hand on his chest. "I did want that—I mean, I still do, but not under the methods you engaged," he pointed.

"You realize you ruined the one chance we had to take them down when you warned Shadow. I would have had them all put away by now if it wasn't for your morals getting in the way." She frowned in annoyance, and her yellow eyes hardened on him.

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Sorry, I'd rather take them down the morally correct way and sleep better at night than do something cold and calculated. I care about the well-being of others, unlike you. They'll get what's coming to them, but I'll be the one who gets them in the end, not you," he stated confidently.

Her brows furrowed slightly towards him from his comment. "Kicking a cat when she's down doesn't seem like you, deputy. I thought I knew you better by now."

"Guess you're not as good at getting to know others as you thought."

"Clearly," she muttered. "You were a nice fuck from time to time, but that's the only positive thing I can truly say about you."

Silver refrained from giving her a reaction she'd revel in and instead kept a placid expression. "You know what, I'm going to be the better person and try to leave it on a positive note. It was nice meeting you, Agent Blaze. I wish we could have ended on better terms."

Blaze walked over to the driver's side and opened the door. She placed her sunglasses over her eyes and gave him one last look. "Goodbye, Deputy. Good luck taking down the brothers on your own. You'll need it."

•~•

It was the first day of her new internship at the hospital. Amy got up early, took a shower, got dressed, and headed downstairs to get a bite to eat before heading over to work. Once she got into the kitchen, she was surprised to see Shadow had beaten her to cooking, as he had already prepared her breakfast. On the kitchen table were a plate with scrambled eggs, two pieces of bacon, and some toast already buttered.

Amy placed a hand on her chest, evidently touched by his kind gesture. "You made me breakfast?" she questioned in surprise.

He turned from the sink as he wiped out the pan he had used to cook with. "I knew you needed to be at the hospital early for orientation, so I figured I give you a little breathing room."

Amy walked over to the table and sat down. "Thank you, Shadow. I truly appreciate it." She immediately began to dig into the food.

"Of course." Shadow placed the pan in the drying rack and walked to the coffee pot. He eyed the white lab coat she was wearing. "You excited about your first day?" He poured her a cup of coffee before placing it in front of her.

Amy continued to chew a bite before swallowing. "Yes, but I'm nervous about being new and making friends, but I'm also really excited, to be honest."

He sat down across from her at the table. "Don't worry too much. I'm sure you'll easily make friends, and I know you'll nail this."

"Thanks, Shadow." She took a sip of her coffee and smiled his way. "Oh, is there any chance you can have someone drop me off at the hospital? I know you have a busy schedule today."

"You think I'd miss your first day?" he chuckled. "Not a chance in hell."

•~•

After breakfast, Shadow took Amy to the Mercia Memorial as planned. His bike came to a halt right at the curb of the entrance, and he turned off his engine. Amy took off her helmet and shook her quills, trying her best to avoid helmet hair. She ran her hands through her quills quickly. "How do I look?" she asked as she dismounted the bike.

Shadow watched as she leaned over, looked in the small side-view mirror on one of his handlebars, and fixed her long high ponytail. "Gorgeous as always," he complimented.

Amy smiled at him. "Good to hear." She clutched the strap to her satchel bag, resting against her shoulder, and exhaled. "Well, this is it."

"Take a deep breath and relax," Shadow advised. "You've got this, babe," he winked with encouragement.

Typically, she hated being called "babe," but when Shadow said it, it sent shudders and chills of excitement down her spine. Amy leaned down and gave him a smooch on the lips. She pulled back and smiled at him. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Amy backed up and looked over her shoulder at the hospital behind her. "I need to get going now, or I'll be late."

Shadow nodded. "I'll try to come and pick you up later this evening." He began to put on his helmet. "If you can't reach me on my cell, call Mighty. He'll be available to swing by and pick you up if need be."

"Okay, good luck today. Stay safe," she waved as she headed inside.

•~•

Later that morning, after dropping Amy off, Mephiles asked Shadow to join him on a new business venture and watch his back while they dealt with some new customers. While the two waited in an empty junkyard meet point, Shadow and Mephiles stood silently as a probing thought crossed Shadow's mind. "So, who exactly are we dealing with today then?" the younger dark-striped hedgehog inquired curiously. Mephiles had explained on the way there that while Shadow and Amy had gone away for the weekend to Tech City, he had met some intriguing new clients.

"Don't worry about it," Mephiles replied while lowering his sunglasses over his eyes. "Just follow my lead, and it'll all go well," he advised.

Suddenly, a black S.U.V. pulled up and parked. A sophisticated and older suave red echidna in his 50s stepped out of the vehicle. He wore an elegant black and gold suit and even had a matching black cane with a 24k gold tip and handle to accompany it. Everything about this guy screamed elite business and someone you did not want to cross. Just who exactly was this guy anyway? "Wait…" Shadow began as confusion set in.

"—As I said," Mephiles cut off abruptly. "Follow my lead," Mephiles kept a hand cupped over his mouth to keep it private.

When the echidna approached the two brothers, a set of echidna bodyguards surrounded him. "Shadow and Mephiles, I suppose, correct?" the red echidna addressed cordially. He stuck his hand out to shake each of their hands formally. "The name is Enerjack. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Shadow shook the echidna's hand recognizing his firm and a strong handshake—notable by most echidnas. "Nice to meet you too, sir," he smiled pleasantly.

Enerjack also shook Mephiles' hand. "Same goes for you as well. I look forward to possibly starting a business deal with you two. I've heard nothing but good things about your line of business."

"That's wonderful to hear," Mephiles mused. "We do our best to make sure our clientele is pleased."

Enerjack rested both hands over the handle of his cane in front of him. "Yes, I'd like to see your supply for today."

Shadow turned on his heel leading the group over to a broken-down convertible. "Right here," he gestured. Shadow popped the hood where he had stashed their display for the time being. Inside were various types of high-rank arms.

Enerjack whistled, clearly impressed with what they had to offer on display.

"We've got AR-15s, SIG 551s, AKs, KG-9s, Glocks, FN-57s," Shadow pointed. "And we have two dozen of each local."

"As we discussed," Mephiles interrupted, looking at Enerjack. "Twenty percent off the street tag."

"Do you mind if my boys test out a couple?" Enerjack questioned.

"Not at all. Choose your pick," Shadow encouraged and took a step back.

Enerjack made a signal with his head, and two bodyguards walked over, each picking out a different weapon. One picked out an AR-15, while the other chose an FN-57. Once selected, the two aimed their guns at some piled-up cars in the distance in the junkyard. Shadow, Mephiles, and Enerjack watched as the two bodyguards shot a few rounds at the vehicles to test and feel for the guns. They seemed impressed and gave a subtle nod confirming they were legit. The two bodyguards returned the weapons to Shadow, who placed them back in the car's hood.

"What about ammo?" Enerjack asked.

"Our southside charter supplies that for us now," Mephiles answered.

"These are excellent," Enerjack complimented. "We'll take everything you have in stock. I'd also like to set up a shipment every two weeks."

Shadow smiled, seeing that today would be a good day for business. He eyed his brother, and the two nodded. "We can make that work."

"There's more," Enerjack continued. "I need much bigger."

Mephiles raised a brow. "How much bigger are we talking about, sir?"

"RPGs, .50-caliber machine guns, and long-range sniper rifles," the echidna listed on his fingers.

Mephiles stroked his chin in thought. "Well…I'll have to make a call, but I know we can get them for you."

"Excellent, so if my math is correct, that's seven hundred for your current stock." Shadow was handed over a massive bundle of bricks of cash. He had never seen so much money in his entire life. Enerjack continued. "Give me 100k mixed ammo. 500k should cover half plus your transport payment," he stated. One of Enerjack's men carried a brown bag loaded with even more cash and handed it over to Shadow.

"I'll arrange a schedule for your stock," Mephiles pointed.

Enerjack seemed satisfied. "Then this works out perfectly. Just send me the date and time, and I'll make sure my boys load the drugs onto the trucks." He suddenly snapped his fingers, and his guys began collecting the guns in the car's opened hood. "I'm glad you finally came on board with my new business offer."

Mephiles grinned eagerly. "Yes, we're very excited to start."

Shadow was still taken aback as he heard those words leave Enerjack's mouth. Why did his brother already seem to know what he was talking about? Was it true they were also getting involved in the drug business?

Mephiles bowed his head respectively. "Again, thank you for entrusting us with this line of business. We won't disappoint you, sir."

"I'll be in town for the next couple of days," Enerjack informed. "Call me if you need anything." With that said, Enerjack and his bodyguards loaded back into their S.U.V. and drove off.

Internalizing his frustration, Shadow walked with the money to the truck they had taken over to meet their clients. Mephiles watched as his younger brother stormed off toward their tow trucks. Groaning in annoyance because he knew he'd get an earful from him, Mephiles begrudgingly followed him. He found Shadow sitting in the driver's seat, brooding over what had happened in their meeting. Once he got to the car, he opened the passenger side door and climbed inside. There was prolonged silence before Shadow finally spoke while keeping his eyes straight ahead.

"…You lied to me," Shadow mumbled in disappointment.

"Not exactly. I didn't tell you all the information yet," Mephiles corrected.

With his arms firmly crossed across his chest and the money pushed to the side, Shadow's judgmental red eyes darted over to his brother. "So, we're selling drugs now?"

"No," he shook his head. "We're just muling as a trial run. We'd have to have the club vote on it first."

Shadow closed his eyes, shook his head, and pinched the skin between his eyes. "…Chaos, what are you fucking thinking?"

Mephiles grinned triumphantly. "We're moving on up, brother. This will be huge for our club and us."

He turned to look at his brother. "Who else knows about this?" Shadow questioned.

Mephiles leaned his arm along the windowsill of the car. "Nobody yet. That's why I brought you here with me today."

"Why? I'm completely against this whole thing. I thought we were only selling them guns—not helping them smuggle drugs. This is against everything we stand for!"

Mephiles glanced out the window. "They're powerful people; if we work with them, they'll help keep the A.T.F. off our backs. They have people in high places. Everyone in the club will benefit from this in the long haul."

"That's bullshit, and you know it," Shadow spat. "Don't go pulling the whole this is for the club, bullshit. This is about you wanting more," he pointed accusingly.

Mephiles rolled his eyes at his comment. "I need you for this upcoming vote. This vote will split the ranks. I need you to back me because it's the only way this thing passes. Whatever you want, I'll grant you if you back me," he swore.

"What about the Southside charter? What will they think of this new direction you're taking the club?" Shadow challenged.

Mephiles chuckled lowly. "Well, it seems they're already onboard for the idea. They voted on the idea two days ago. It all comes down to us now."

There was a long pause as Shadow contemplated the idea. He couldn't believe this was where it was coming to. All his life in the club, they had been opposed to bringing drugs into Mercia—having any connection to it. The club had changed A LOT in the past years. Yet, now they were here. Shadow sighed. "If I do this for you…then I'm out of here in the next six months."

Mephiles shot him an incredulous look as his eyes widened in alarm. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Shadow shook his head sadly. "I-I can't do this anymore."

"You're going to leave the club?" Mephiles inquired in disbelief. "What the hell are you going to do then?"

Shadow shrugged indifferently and shook his head solemnly. "It doesn't matter to me, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life running or tip-toeing around the law. I have an old lady again that I care about. I see a future with her and want to get out of Mercia—there are too many bad memories linked here," he explained. "I need to move on."

Mephiles tilted his head slightly in annoyance. "…This whole decision is based on Ms. Rose?" he asked incredulously. "You've only been dating her for a couple of months now," he scoffed. "Don't you suppose you're moving too fast here? Come on. You're just in your honeymoon phase right now."

"Look, I love her, Mephiles. Don't act like this is the first time I'm asking for your blessing on this matter," he reprimanded. "I wanted to do this years ago with Maria before she was taken away from me. Remember?"

He looked away again, hiding his annoyance. "…Of course, how could I forget?"

"I can't let an opportunity to be happy like this slip away again. You have to understand that," Shadow stressed.

Mephiles felt his stomach sink at the thought of him leaving the club—his only family. This was his brother—his blood. They worked together as a unit, and he couldn't imagine doing this without him. "Brother…you can't do this. I need you with me—eventually, you'll take my place as president."

Shadow shook his head again. "I'm sorry, but I can't. Please give me your word that if I do this one thing for you, you'll let me walk away. No recourse," he bargained.

"Who the hell is going to take your place then?" Mephiles challenged.

"Knuckles should be next in line for president, and Mighty can be V.P."

Mephiles sighed deeply. There'd be no way to talk Shadow out of this. He hadn't been able to the last time as well. Shadow had always been very stubborn. No chance in hell he'd allow Shadow to leave the club. He was family, and family always stuck together through thick or thin. Mephiles knew he'd have to figure out some way to keep Shadow in the club without realizing it. For now, he'd act like he accepted this decision. "…Very well then, it's a deal."

"Deal." Shadow stuck out his hand, and the two shook. "Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."

•~•

Meanwhile, at the same time, Amy and the other new residents finished doing a tour of the entire hospital. Ms. Vanilla Rabbit, one of the lead hospital administrators, led the group through the bustling halls. "And finally, here is the cafeteria, where I'll be ending our tour for the time being for a short break. In a little bit, I'll give you your assignments where you'll shadow other hospital doctors this week," she explained sweetly.

Amy went to an empty table and sat down just when another girl approached her table. "Mind if I have a seat with you?" she inquired.

Amy looked up and noticed she was a pale orange female echidna. She looked relatively close to her age and had a lovely face and a kind aura. "Not at all. Take a seat," she gestured sweetly.

The female echidna graciously sat down next to Amy. "My name is Tikal," she introduced, sticking out her hand politely for Amy to shake.

Amy reciprocated the action. "I'm Amy," she introduced herself.

Tikal smiled warmly. "I couldn't help but notice that we're the only two female residents here. It seems predominantly male, so I figured we girls should stick together."

Amy hadn't even realized the discrepancy. She had been so focused on absorbing all the new information and memorizing the hospital's layout and everyone's name that she hadn't learned the lack of female representation. She eyed the other tables where the other male residents were sitting, already conversing. "I guess you're right."

"So, what do you wish to specialize in?" Tikal inquired.

"Emergency medical services," Amy answered. "And you?"

"Wow, that's quite impressive," she replied. "As for me, hospice and palliative medicine."

"Your specialty is just as impressive," she commended.

"How do you feel on your first day so far?" Tikal inquired.

"It's not as bad as I thought. I was nervous coming in, but it's not too bad!"

"Yeah, I felt the same way."

Suddenly, Ms. Vanilla approached their table with a clipboard in hand. "There you two are. I hope I'm not interrupting any introductions, but I have both of your intern assignments today, ladies."

Tikal cupped her hands together. "Oh my, I can't wait."

She glanced down at her clipboard. "Ms. Rose, we just got a car accident victim in the E.R. They have a spinal injury that I'd like you to oversee." Her finger moved further down the list. "Oh, and Ms. Echidna, I've got a cancer patient in room 203 in the hospice part of the hospital that I want you to oversee. If you'll both follow me," she instructed.

The two girls stood from their seats in unison and followed the rabbit out of the cafeteria.

•~•

Later that afternoon, the bikers met to vote on muling drugs or sticking to the arms trade. Mephiles sat at the head of the table while Shadow sat to his left. Knuckles, Locke, Mighty, Manic, and Gadget sat on either side of the table, listening to Mephiles' plea. So far, it wasn't looking very promising.

"The Brothers of Chaos have never been in the drug trade," Mighty noted warily.

"—And we never will," Locke interjected.

"This is only a short-term thing, we work, and then we cash out," Mephiles argued. "The contract would be for six months."

"This is a cartel—there is no short-term!" Locke bellowed at the naivety of the comment.

"I think it's worth the risk," Shadow added, backing his brother. He stood up, holding a brown paper bag, and began to unload the money they had been given earlier today. He dramatically slammed thick stacks of cash that none had seen before. He laid down ten blocks of money on the table. Manic's mouth dropped in surprise, seeing so much dough. "And this is just a down payment for their first order," Shadow mentioned, trying to entice them.

"Dude…" Manic gasped.

Gadget adjusted his glasses up the brim of his nose as he stared at the amount of money sitting before him. "Wow…that sure is a lot of money."

"Yeah, sure it is, but aren't we going to be spreading ourselves too thin?" Mighty questioned.

"We can handle the workload," Shadow opined.

Mephiles looked around the table, glancing at each member to feel the room's vibe. "We should all think about this. We'll vote later this evening." Mephiles banged his gavel. "Meeting adjourned."

Everyone got up and began to disperse from the room. Shadow and Knuckles exited first, leaving the rest behind. Locke got up slowly, feeling stiff from sitting too long, but he headed out and shook his head in disgust. Gadget collected the money off the table and carried it to the safe in the other room to put it away for safekeeping.

"So much money, man. The things I could do with that cash." Manic mumbled under his breath while he rubbed his hands together greedily.

Mighty stood in the background, uncomfortable with joining this drug business. He watched as Mephiles slithered his way over to Manic.

Mephiles stopped the green hedgehog momentarily. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I want this too. Do I have your vote?" he asked quietly.

Manic stared at Mephiles for a moment before his eyes drifted to Mighty, who shot him a discouraging head shake. Manic gulped nervously. "I'm leaning it towards it, but we'll see, boss…" he answered with a lazy grin.

Mephiles grinned and patted him on the back. "Good to hear."

"Hey, Meph, you mind if I have a word with you for a moment?" Mighty asked from behind.

The president turned to look at the armadillo. "Of course."

Mighty walked toward him. "Look, I love this club a lot, but I think if we do this, it destroys the club permanently, and I don't want to see that happen. Besides, Manic has had a substance problem in the past—I don't think it's good for him to be involved in this line of business. I don't want to see him relapse."

"I understand your concern, but you do what you feel is right," he advised. "At the end of the day, this is up to the club's vote. Majority rules."

Mighty nodded. "Trust me. I will."

"—And as for Manic," Mephiles added. "That decision is up to him too. If he has the willpower to stay away from drugs, he'll commit to that." Mighty watched as the president exited the room, looking confident in his stride.

•~•

Meanwhile, out in the mechanic shop, Knuckles hadn't said one word to Shadow since the meeting had ended. "You have nothing to say then?" he asked, breaking the silence. The red-striped hedgehog eyed the echidna as he returned to working on his bike.

"Not really," Knuckles mumbled passively. "I don't know who the hell I'm talking to at this point anymore."

Shadow scoffed and looked offended at the notion. "Really, Knuckles?"

Knuckles continued to tighten a bolt on his bike. "I can't believe you're even considering this, man. You're normally the one with the stable head on your shoulders. What gives?"

"You're right, I normally am, but lately, I've been changing," he worded carefully. "All I've been thinking about is how I want to be able to take care of Amy. I want to be able to provide for the both of us."

The echidna raised a skeptical brow. "So, pushing drugs is your solution?" he countered.

"No, earning big is," he replied, even though that was a lie.

Knuckles shook his head at the idea. "I can't commit to this. I don't want to go behind bars and leave my old lady. I can't do that to her again."

"We're not going to go away. This guy Enerjak is protected—he's got politicians and law enforcement on his side. We'll be fine," he assured.

"It kind of sounds like you're trying to convince yourself as much as me," Knuckles noted.

Shadow clasped his hands together. "Just promise me you'll think about it," he pleaded.

Knuckles sighed and walked away. "I can't, man. I'm sorry."

Shadow watched as he retreated and felt his fist tighten by his side in frustration. "Shit…"

•~•

Right after his conversation with Shadow, the red echidna searched for Mephiles. He found the president in the kitchen eating some leftovers from the fridge. The dark hedgehog sat at the kitchen table alone but glanced to the entryway when he saw the echidna. "I need to talk to you," Knuckles spoke.

Mephiles finished chewing his bite and swallowed. "Of course, have a seat," he offered.

Knuckles obliged and pulled out a seat at the table, and sat down. "What do you wish to talk about?"

"Your brother," Knuckles specified. "The way he's talking right now is not normal. He's pushing this cartel thing a little too hard—that's not his style. What did you say to him to convince him this was a good idea?"

"All right, you want the truth?" Mephiles sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He was not surprised Knuckles, of all people, had picked up on that.

"Obviously, I do," he countered.

Mephiles' reptilian eyes glanced around the room, looking for any eavesdroppers before he continued. "Keep this information just between you and me…" Knuckles nodded as he leaned in closer. "My brother wants out of the club for good. He's done with this life."

Knuckles blinked in surprise. "…What?"

"He wants you to be next in line for president," Mephiles explained. "He figures you'll have the best idea for the direction to take this club."

"I-I don't understand. Why does he want to leave?"

"He's got Ms. Rose, whom he's in love with. He wants to start a new chapter of his life," Mephiles elaborated. "I promised him that if he got your vote, I'd allow him to walk away from the club for good after six months."

Knuckles' expression softened as he pondered over the idea. His purple eyes drifted towards the table as he zoned out for a moment. "…So, it all comes down to me?"

Mephiles studied Knuckles' vulnerable state as a Cheshire cat grin crossed his muzzle for a quick moment. He quickly brushed the expression away and went to a more neutral and indifferent expression. "Yes, you're his best friend after all," he emphasized. "This is all he wants in his life to be truly happy. Don't you think Shadow would do the same for you?"

"He would…He'd do the same."

Mephiles rose from his seat, collected his dirty dishes, and walked over to the sink. "At the end of the day, this is your vote. Vote the way your heart desires," he encouraged. "This cartel business will only be temporary, I assure you," he pledged.

"I'll think about it," Knuckles mumbled, feeling conflicted.

Mephiles placed his dirty dishes in the dishwasher, then walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "At the end of the day, I know you'll do the right thing. Oh, and remember. Keep this information just between you and me."

Knuckles nodded. "I promise I will."

•~•

The day had finally come to an end, and Amy and Tikal made their way toward the entrance of the hospital. It had been a long day for both, but both girls felt they had learned much on their first day. Amy and Tikal caught each other up on what they had learned while waiting for their rides home.

"Sounds like it was quite the lesson," Tikal noted after hearing Amy's finished story.

"It was, but Doctor Lucas and Doctor Thomas taught me much. I can't wait to learn even more."

Tikal smiled. "I know how you feel. It's always been a dream of mine to be a doctor. It's not been a common practice in my family. I'll be the first one in my family."

"What line of business does your family go into?" Amy questioned curiously.

Suddenly, Tikal looked hesitant to answer as she paused to think about how to respond. "Well…"

Thankfully, the roar of Shadow's motorcycle drew both females' attention away. Amy smiled as she spotted Shadow rolling up to the entrance curb. "Oh, there's my boyfriend now."

Tikal blinked a few times in alarm as she caught sight of the handsome dark hedgehog. She studied him carefully, observing the infamous Brothers of Chaos motorcycle club jacket. One she was all too familiar with. "…That's your boyfriend?"

Amy nodded as she hurried over to him. "Yeah, come and say hi. I'll introduce you to him."

Hesitantly, Tikal walked over to the dark hedgehog, who was temporarily taking off his helmet. Shadow straddled his bike and pecked Amy on the cheek as she approached him. "Hey, how was it? Save any lives today?" he inquired.

Amy smiled warmly at him and linked one of her arms with his. "It was great. I'll tell you all about it at home. Right now, I want you to meet my new friend."

Shadow raised a brow. "Oh?"

She nodded before looking over at Tikal standing on the sidewalk. "This is my new friend Tikal. She's an intern just like me," she gestured. "We met today during orientation."

Shadow looked at Tikal and shot her a respectful smile. "Nice to meet you, Tikal," he said, sticking out his hand for her to shake.

Tikal accepted his extended hand and shook it politely. "Likewise," she replied. "I've heard a lot about you today. Amy has said nothing but wonderful things." The two released on their handshake.

"I'm sure we'll speak again and get to know each other better in the future." "That's good to hear," he chuckled. He turned and picked up the spare helmet, handing it to Amy.

Tikal watched as Amy placed her helmet on and climbed on the back of Shadow's bike. "Oh, yes, of course," she replied. "It's getting late, and my ride should be here any minute now. Have a wonderful rest of your evening."

"Same to you," Shadow responded before putting his helmet back on.

Amy waved at her friend. "See you later, Tikal!"

Tikal waved back as Amy and Shadow sped out of the parking lot and down the street. Her smile dropped the moment they were out of sight. It was concerning that Amy was linked to a dangerous biker gang—one even she had connections to.

•~•

After picking up Amy from work, the two grabbed dinner at a simple burger joint in town. Shadow decided he would announce his news to Amy while they had dinner together. The two sat outside at a table under an umbrella while they ate their burgers and fries. Shadow caught Amy up on everything that happened, other than leaving out the club business. "You plan to leave the club?" Amy asked, alarmed. Not even she had seen this announcement coming.

He kept his hands around his soda cup while staring at the table. "Yes, I'm tired of living this lifestyle. I want to slowly ween out of it."

Amy popped a French fry into her mouth and chewed before swallowing. "What brought all this on so suddenly, might I ask?"

His eyes softened as he looked at her across the table. "Well, being with you," he answered honestly. "When we spent the weekend in Tech City just doing normal routine couple things, I wasn't even thinking about the club. I realized then how happy I felt, and I want to feel that type of freedom all the time." He reached out and laid a hand on top of hers softly. "I want to start a life of normalcy with you."

Amy looked touched that she had inspired him to make this move. "Shadow, I-I don't know what else to say other than I support your decision fully. However, how does your brother feel about this? Does he even know?"

"He knows, and he's not pleased with the idea," he admitted. "Thankfully, I made a deal with him that will allow me to leave the club with no strings attached as long as I helped him in our newest business venture."

"Let me guess, something I shouldn't know about, right?" she surmised dryly with an eye roll.

He chuckled slightly. "Pretty much."

"How much longer will you be tied into the club?"

"Another six months at most—after that, I'm done," he pledged.

She squeezed his hands reassuringly. "I'm in this with you for the long haul, okay?" she smiled. "I support you in whatever decision you make. I want you to be as happy as you want the same for me."

He leaned forward, and the two pecked on the lips. "Thank you, Rose. I appreciate it."

•~•

When Amy and Shadow arrived home, the other guys were hanging out in the living room, waiting for the meeting to begin. Amy hung up her purse by the front door as Shadow headed into the living room to meet with the other boys. "I'll see you in a bit," he said while walking away.

"I'll be upstairs," she replied and saw him smile before disappearing around the corner. In the meantime, Amy moved towards the staircase to head upstairs and get undressed for the night. However, Locke noticed a pivotal moment in making his move. He hoisted his satchel bag, got up discreetly from the couch while the others weren't watching, and followed Amy.

Once she was upstairs, Amy heard someone trying to signal her. "Psst," someone whispered from behind.

She turned around and spotted the older echidna as she stopped at her bedroom door. "…Locke?"

The elder red echidna looked nervous and on edge as he looked behind him in paranoia. "Mind if I have a quick word with you, lass?" he said in a hushed voice.

Amy shrugged indifferently. "Uh, sure, what's up?"

"It needs to be in private," he stressed.

Amy opened her bedroom door and allowed him inside. She followed him into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. "What's going on? You're acting kind of weird right now."

Locke dug inside his satchel and handed her the journal. "I need you to keep this somewhere safe where no one else can find it. Do you understand?"

Amy accepted the journal and looked down at it for a moment. "Um…why, what's happening?"

"A big decision is potentially about to be made within the club. If this move occurs, the club's direction is about to become a LOT more dangerous," he emphasized. "This is the only power play I have up my sleeve if I wish to stop it."

Amy blinked a few times in confusion. "Okay, so why can't you hold onto it? Why me?"

"Because when it affects Mephiles, he's going to come sniffing around my place first to look for it," he explained. "He'd never expect you to have any involvement—I want you to hold onto it for now. You know—in case anything happened to me," he suggested ominously.

Amy looked at him with concern. She didn't exactly want to be involved in this anyway. "…I-I don't like where this is going, Locke. Just what the hell is going on?"

Locke bowed his head regrettably. "I-I can't tell you right now, I'm afraid, lass. Please, I beg of you," he pleaded with clasped hands. "You're the only one I can trust right now."

"Not even your son?" she debated.

He frowned. "I'm afraid not. He wouldn't understand this. He's too loyal to this club and Mephiles."

Amy sighed in defeat. "All right, I'll hold onto it for you." She walked over to her closet, pulled out an old shoe box, and placed the journal.

"Oh, here, take these as well." He held out his hand with a manila folder with some paperwork inside. "I did some digging on the death report on Shadow and Mephiles' old man. I want that in there as well. I've made copies of everything, including the journal entries, but I'll let you hold onto the originals."

Amy accepted the folder and placed that inside the box as well. She then put it on the top shelf in the back of her closet. She moved a few purses in front of the box to hide its contents further. "This sounds like it's getting pretty serious."

"It is," he replied.

She shut her closet door. "And you're sure he'll never suspect me?"

"He'll never find out," he pledged. "And remember, keep this thing just between you and me. Don't even let Shadow in on it," he reminded.

She nodded with determination. "I won't, I promise."

He glanced down at his wristwatch, noticing the time. "Chaos, the meeting is about to start. I need to head back downstairs. See you around, lass," he said as he quickly left her room.

Amy watched as Locke headed downstairs to join the others. She worried for him—anyone going up against Mephiles was bound to face trouble.

•~•

Downstairs, everyone gathered around the dining table to vote on the decision to mule drugs for Enerjack and his cartel. Mephiles had given everyone time to think, and now it was time for a decision. Locke strode into the dining room, walked to the only available chair, and sat down.

"It's about time, old-timer," Mephiles noted. "We almost thought you'd opt to be excluded from the vote."

"Not a chance in hell," Locke replied. "Let's get this vote over with."

"Very well…" Standing at the head of the table, the dark president kept his hand together. "We've all had time to think, so I implore you to vote with your heart. Do what you think is best. I will only vote if we need a tiebreaker," he advised. "All in favor of muling, say aye," he began. His eyes glanced over to Gadget.

The red wolf sat more upright in his seat. "Aye," he voted.

"Mighty?" Mephiles inquired.

The black and red armadillo shook his head and leaned back in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest. "Nay."

Mephiles refrained from showing dissatisfaction and instead continued to go down the line. "Manic?"

Manic stayed silent for a moment before finally answering. "…Aye." In his peripheral vision, Mighty looked utterly disappointed in his vote, but he refused to acknowledge him. He kept his eyes looking forward instead.

"So far, so good," Mephiles thought to himself. His reptilian eyes glanced to the next in line—Shadow. "Brother?"

"Aye," Shadow confirmed without hesitation.

Now it was Locke's turn to vote. "Nay," Locke proclaimed loudly. Mephiles already knew what was going to come out of his mouth.

Finally, it was Knuckle's decision. "Knuckles, your vote."

The echidna's purple eyes darted to the other end of the table, where he stared at Shadow, who pleadingly glanced back at him, hoping to have his vote. Knuckles sighed deeply. "Aye…" Shadow closed his eyes and felt an internal sigh of relief.

Locke did a double-take, glaring at his son. He hadn't expected him to vote that way. "What?" he gawked.

Mephiles ignored Locke's confusion and slammed his gavel down. "With a vote of four to two, we'll officially be in the drug muling business. Meeting adjourned.

Mighty looked very disappointed with how the vote went. He got up from his seat and looked at Manic. "You just made a huge mistake," he whispered before storming off.

"Might…" Manic mumbled. He hated seeing his best friend so angry at him. The green hedgehog dolefully got out of his seat and strolled out of the room with his head hung. A few moments later, Gadget walked out and headed upstairs.

At that same time, Knuckles and Shadow walked together and headed for the front porch. "I did this for you, Shadow. This better not be a mistake on my part."

"It won't be," Shadow assured. "Thank you for your vote."

The last two remaining in the dining room were Locke and Mephiles. "I need to talk to you privately," Locke demanded. The elder echidna sat across the table from the president, looking indignant.

"Of course," he replied, trying to act unfazed. However, he knew he was about to get an earful.

"What do you wish to talk about?" Mephiles slid the door to the kitchen entrance closed before he walked over and closed the French glass doors leading to the living room. They had some privacy for now.

"I don't know what the hell you did to convince these guys to vote with you, but I know whatever you promised them will never happen."

"I didn't promise them anything," he lied.

"Your father would have never touched drugs," Locke began.

"He was a good businessman, and he would have seen the value in this," he countered.

"Perhaps, but your father knew that anything that brought too much heat into Mercia was bad for the club," he reminded. "That's why he changed his mind about dealing guns. Remember?"

"Yes, of course. He talked about getting us out of the business…"

"No, he did more than talk. He reached out to Mogul and set a meeting with him to end their deal."

Mephiles fingertips drummed along the tabletop as he stared back at him. "Sounds like you've been talking to ghosts, old man. Maybe your time is closer than you think…"

Locke smirked in amusement at his comment. "Not exactly…I stumbled across your father's journal."

Mephiles' right brow quirked upward. "My father didn't own a journal," he scoffed.

"He did. Everything inside is written in your father's handwriting with proof that he wanted out of this business. There's also proof that he feared you'd do something to stop him." Locke noticed that Mephiles remained relatively quiet as he went on with his explanation. Was he sweating right now? "However," Locke continued. "Your father was murdered before any of his hopes and dreams could ever happen, and the letters paint a vivid picture of who did it…"

"A semi-truck hit my father. It was an accident," Mephiles replied calmly as he looked away.

"We'll never know," Locke shrugged. "However, the only person who ever worked on his bike disappeared the week before his death. That's rather convenient if you ask me."

Mephiles rose from his seat and relaxed; however, you could see the anger slowly starting to brew beneath the surface. "Just what exactly do you get out of this?" he inquired.

"It's not about me," Locke replied as he stood up. "You kill this drug-muling crap, or I'll tell the rest of the club about the journal," he threatened.

Mephiles narrowed his eyes at the old echidna suspiciously. "You don't have shit against me."

Locke made his way toward the living room and glanced over his shoulder at Mephiles. "Okay then. It doesn't matter to me what you think. I'll get what I want in the end."

The dark hedgehog crossed his arms over his chest, irritated by his threats. "These guys we're working with are bigger than us. We just voted it in. We can't just walk away from this deal!" he argued.

Locke stopped at the entrance to the living room and turned around to look at him. "Sure, you can. You'll find a way and have a week to figure it out." Locke reached for his keys on the coffee table by the front door. "Oh, and if you're thinking about killing me, I wouldn't," he warned. "I've got contingencies in place." With that endnote, Locke left the compound leaving much for Mephiles to think over.

•~•

Later that night, Mephiles met up with Vector and Espio at the local diner in town. The three sat in a booth in the far corner, away from prying ears. Vector and Espio sat across from the dark president as he sat across from them on the other side of the booth. "So, what's the purpose of this visit then?" Vector questioned.

"It's about Locke," he began. "He claims he knows I was responsible for killing my father, and he's threatened to tell the club."

Vector raised his eyebrows, alarmed. "Are you serious? There's no way he could know…."

"Yes, surely he must be bluffing," Espio added.

"Only you two and I know the truth," Mephiles reminded. "He alleged he's found some journal of my father that lays out everything."

Vector rubbed a hand behind the back of his neck and leaned back. "Well, shit, what do you need us to do?"

"He says he's got contingencies in place, which means he has someone else to blow the whistle on us," he explained.

"Perhaps Knuckles?" Espio deduced.

"I doubt it. It's too obvious," Mephiles answered. "If Knuckles had that type of information, he wouldn't be able to sit on it and wait for the right moment. He was in on the vote tonight. It would make more sense if he opposed it like his old man."

"Regardless, we'll still have to clear him," Vector suggested. "Rouge too."

Mephiles sighed deeply. "Whoever else knows this information is hazardous. They can take all three of us down. If Shadow finds out about all this, I'm as good as dead."

"We need to find those letters first," Espio deduced. "For all we know, Locke is stirring up rumors to spook you. He might not even have anything concrete."

Mephiles shook his head, denying that idea. "No…the things he said were things only my father and I knew about at the time." His grip tightened on his coffee mug. "He has some sort of legitimate dirt on me."

"Maybe the best action plan is to have you go in Esp, and do some digging," Vector suggested.

"Perhaps that is the best idea," Mephiles concurred. "I'll need you to sneak in and search Locke's cabin."

Espio closed his eyes calmly. "Very well."

•~•

Later that night, Espio visited Locke's cabin as requested. After picking the lock to his home, the chameleon slithered inside. The interior of his cabin gave off major old-people vibes. There was clutter all over the place. The kitchen table had dirty dishes left on the table. There was a reclining chair with a T.V. tray table to the side with old newspapers stacked upon magazines and mail. As Espio crept further into the darkened room, he was greeted with the smell of cigarette smoke that still lingered in the air.

In the one-bedroom, Espio could hear the loud snoring from Locke himself. He had to thank the higher beings that Locke was a deep sleeper. It would take something drastic to stir him from his sleep, giving Espio plenty of time to rummage around his cabin. Once he was out—he was out like a light.

Espio quickly glanced at the elder echidna and heard his booming snoring from the doorway. Shaking his head, he reached his gloved hand and slowly closed the door, almost nearly shut, just to prevent any noise he might make from coming into his room.

Now able to entirely focus, Espio turned on the headlight on his forehead and began his search. After an hour of searching meticulously throughout the cabin, Espio finally stumbled across something noteworthy. He moved a picture of Locke and the O.G. Brothers of Chaos off the wall and noticed a hole in the wall. Inside the hollowed-out part of the wall was a manila folder with a thick stack of papers. Espio grabbed it and opened the file flipping through its contents. "This is…" As his eyes scanned the document, he saw dates back to when Mephiles' father was alive.

•~•

An hour later, Mephiles, Vector, and Espio met in Mephiles' office in the mechanic shop. It was at least 4 AM at this point. Vector leaned up against a filing cabinet while Mephiles sat at his desk after having read everything inside the file that Espio had stolen. The dark president had meticulously gone over every entry and document to absorb its contents. Mephiles seemed grave in expression after reading the last entry.

The crocodile yawned, clearly exhausted. "How bad is it then?" Vector questioned.

"…Bad," Mephiles responded.

"He's got police reports on the accident that killed his old man," Espio added. "There are entries that suggest his father knew Mephiles wanted him killed."

"Geez," Vector groaned. "I guess Locke wasn't joking around then after all."

"There's even admittance that he wanted out of the gun business," Mephiles noted.

"What now, then?" Espio questioned.

"These are only copies," Mephiles noted, holding up a few of the papers. "The real journal and police reports are still out there. Someone has them…We need to locate and destroy them."

"And you really think Knuckles or Rouge has this shit?" Vector challenged.

"We can't be sure. It must be done," Mephiles stated firmly.

"Keep everyone busy tomorrow morning, and I'll sneak in and sweep through his room," Espio suggested.

"Very well," Mephiles agreed.

•~•

AN: Please remember to leave a review!