Creamed

This story is set after my Sonic Adventure 2 adaptation, which you ought to read first as it's completely different from the story in the game. All characters are copyright to whoever . Prologue: Wanted Dead or Alive

It was around about midnight. The Emerald Hill Zone was mostly silent, as was the former Freedom Fighters' base. Knuckles the Echidna was staying in a small spare room on the ground floor, until he got his Floating Island working again. He was just on the point of drifting off to sleep with the rest of the world.
There was a volley of frantic taps on his window. He started, and got up slowly, grumbling. Since he met Sonic, there was only one thing any event like this could lead to: a long and dangerous adventure, in which his Emeralds were scattered all around the planet, his sacred home attacked and desecrated and everything falling apart just as he had been about to fix it again.
The knocks came again, impatiently. Knuckles opened his door and looked out. There was a blur and the door slammed as someone shot inside the room. Knuckles spun around, ready for attack, but the person just took a step backwards and collapsed onto his bed in exhaustion. It was Rouge the Bat. As far as Knuckles could make out.
Her clothes were ripped and torn. They were black already, so they didn't show the scorch marks they had, but Rouge's pure white fur was another matter. As well as charcoal, it was covered in mud, water, grime and blood. She pulled herself up to her feet, and stood, swaying slightly.
"What the heck happened to you?" Knuckles asked.
Her voice was a collection of gasps, and her breathing was heavy. "I have just been stabbed in the back, seven times in one night."
"Oh." Knuckles pulled over his chair for Rouge, and sat on the end of the bed. He wasn't sure whether to be kind or suspicious. Rouge was, after all, a thief who'd sworn to take his most prized possessions. But they'd parted, two weeks ago, on more or less good terms. Rouge had actually vanished away as soon as they landed while everyone else kept their eyes on Robotnik, and no one had heard of her since then.
"G.U.N. have been hunting me solidly ever since I quit." Rouge elaborated. "All my old contacts instantly produced a legion of robots as I arrived at the door. They've chased me halfway round Mobius by now."
"Why do you get all the special attention?"
"I was supposed to be their spy, remember? I read all their top secret files."
"But. I thought you were a criminal and they forced you to be a spy. They couldn't trust you that much."
"They never trust anyone. When I was caught, they fitted me with one of those bombs that could be remotely detonated at any time. No one ever left G.U.N. before." Knuckles' eyes widened in horror. "Why haven't they just used that?" he asked.
"I got your canary friend to diffuse it for me on the way down from the space station. Then I reported back to the boss and told I quit," Rouge grinned, "in purely four letter words."
"Ah."
"Then the boss made me a top priority case."
"And so now you're on the run?"
"Yes."
"So why have you come here?"
"Because you would never betray anyone. You've got too many morals."
Knuckles noticed Rouge open her mouth to add something, then close it again. "And. ?"
Rouge looked as if she didn't dare to be hopeful. "Does your Floating Island actually exist?"
"Yes." said Knuckles, guardedly.
"G.U.N. don't know about it. If I could stay up there for just a short time, I'd be perfectly safe."
Knuckles leaned back. "That Island is full of priceless treasures. You're the best thief in the business. I'm not an idiot." "I promise I won't take anything. I haven't had time to do any stealing at all; I've been on the run the whole time. Look, even if I did take your Emerald, where could I go? The only safe place on Mobius is this Island, and if I try to hide on that I'll get completely lost."
Knuckles was uncertain. "Let me think about it. I'll tell you tomorrow morning."
"Thank you." Rouge pulled her blackened bag off her back and took out a red Chaos Emerald. Its glow outlined Knuckles' expression. "I took it on the ARK," she said, hurriedly. "I heard you say you didn't need it to make your Island work. Here, you can have it."
Knuckles had no idea what to say to that. He gave up. "Um. thanks. I'll go and get you some new clothes. You can sleep in the bed. I'll take the floor."
He left and Rouge heard him tiptoeing up a flight of stairs. He clumped and creaked around for a while, then crept back down again. He opened the door with a loud clunk.
Rouge winced. "Take my advice: never try housebreaking."
Knuckles, who to anyone moved without a sound, grinned. "Okay." He handed her a set of clothes, and some pyjamas. They were blue and had orange aeroplanes on them. "They're Tails'." said Knuckles.
"I suppose you think this is funny?"
"Yep."

Rouge awoke early out of habit, but the bed was so comfortable that she didn't get up until about six. She pulled on the clothes she'd been given and cautiously stepped outside. Knuckles was standing some way away with Porker Lewis. They were discussing something and looking toward the coast. Rouge looked and saw what must be the Floating Island. It was much larger than she'd expected, and it was floating on the surface of the water. Looking harder, Rouge saw it had been tethered with hundreds of chains to stop it floating away. She did not interrupt them and crept away- G.U.N. would probably come looking for her soon.
If she couldn't hide, she'd have to fight.