Chapter Six, yyyaaaayyyyyy!!! I finished this chapter in one sitting, and I
think it's better than some of the past chapters. Be aware- this chapter
has some swearing near the end. As always, thanks for the reviews and happy
reading ^_^
Chapter 6
"Sonic! Sonic, are you there? Well, if you are, come to the hospital quickly. Shadow's awake!" Amy's muffled voice played over the answering machine. Sonic popped the rest of his chilidog into his mouth and headed for the hospital.
He arrived to see the whole gang already there, complete with balloons, flowers, and food. They were gathered around Shadow's bed and chatting like crazy. When Sonic took his first step into the room, the group suddenly flocked around him and showered him with greetings, then went back to what they were doing before.
"Good, you finally made it!" Amy said happily. "I was afraid you were still out on one of your running sprees!"
Sonic made his way into the group to get a closer look at Shadow. The black and red hedgehog was exactly the same as he had always been. The only wounds to be seen were the cast on his right arm and bandages here and there.
Shadow's lips curled into a small smile when he caught sight of Sonic. "Long time, no see." He said in a raspy voice.
"Real long time. You were even in the same laboratory as me and I never knew it!" Shadow winced when Sonic mentioned the laboratory.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. How about we change the subject."
"No, it's okay. I don't mind, really. The laboratory was terrible." Everyone seemed to listen more closely.
"I tried to escape. But a worker caught me and. I don't remember anything after that. Just a lot of pain." Shadow paused, and then said "I can't believe I was brought down that easily. 'Ultimate Life Form', what a joke."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. Heck, you practically cheated death twice!" Knuckles added.
Amy decided to put her two cents in. "Whatever happened to Mr. Ego Trip? Not that we liked when you were like that or anything, but- OW! What did ya do that for, Knuckles?!"
"I had to shut you up SOMEHOW." Knuckles replied.
Shadow chuckled a little. "I did sound completely obsessed with myself, didn't I? I don't want to be like that again."
Cream put her hands over her heart and her eyes sparkled. "But it was out of friendship and in remembrance of Maria. Ah, it sounds like a story straight out of a novel!" she said dreamily.
"You've been reading far too many books lately." Rouge said. She faced the group and asked, "Would you mind if I had a word with Shadow and Sonic? Privately, of course."
"We don't mind at all, right?" Miles answered for everyone. They agreed and said their good byes, then Miles, Cream, Amy, and Knuckles left. But after the other three were on their way downstairs, Knuckles crouched down outside the doorway to Shadow's room and watched the so-called 'conversation.'
Rouge took out a black duffel bag and unzipped it. She carefully removed a syringe from it that was filled with a liquid that gave off a sort of glow.
"What did you want to talk about?" Sonic asked. Rouge shot a glare at him and gave him a fast kick in the stomach. Sonic sprawled across the floor helplessly.
"May as well do Shadow first." Rouge leapt into the air and plummeted down toward his body, rendering him unconscious before he could react. She then took the syringe and injected its contents into his body. Rouge got another syringe out and prepared to knock Sonic out as well.
Rouge leapt into the air just as last time. She kicked in a whirling spiral toward her target. But she never made it. Knuckles thrust a punch at her jaw, knocking her right off her course.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?!" Knuckles yelled. His face turned bright red with anger.
Rouge weakly got up while clutching her jaw. "Nothing that concerns you!" She raised up the syringe so Knuckles could see it. "This isn't meant for you, but I'll use it if I have to. Unless you are immune to this kind of energy, the tiniest amount can KILL you in an instant! So you better shut up and be a good echidna!"
"If it's so deadly, why did you inject it into Shadow?!"
"Because he and Sonic can handle it. I don't know the specifics, it's just my orders."
"Since when do you take orders from anyone, bat girl?"
"Since I've been offered a large sum of what I love more than anything else, jewels." Rouge took her hand off of her jaw and grabbed the duffel bag.
"Hmph, you didn't even break my jaw. Pathetic jackass." She shoved Knuckles aside and exited, a trail of blood in her path.
Knuckles stood there, paralyzed. This wasn't how everything was supposed to turn out. Rouge and Knuckles should have loved each other more than anything. Instead, both of their lives had been won over by jewels. Tears began to slowly trickle down his face. They landed silently into the drops of blood.
* * *
Pretty short, I know. But the problem it starting to reveal slowly. So tune in next time, for Chapter Seven of The Future Chaos!
Chapter 6
"Sonic! Sonic, are you there? Well, if you are, come to the hospital quickly. Shadow's awake!" Amy's muffled voice played over the answering machine. Sonic popped the rest of his chilidog into his mouth and headed for the hospital.
He arrived to see the whole gang already there, complete with balloons, flowers, and food. They were gathered around Shadow's bed and chatting like crazy. When Sonic took his first step into the room, the group suddenly flocked around him and showered him with greetings, then went back to what they were doing before.
"Good, you finally made it!" Amy said happily. "I was afraid you were still out on one of your running sprees!"
Sonic made his way into the group to get a closer look at Shadow. The black and red hedgehog was exactly the same as he had always been. The only wounds to be seen were the cast on his right arm and bandages here and there.
Shadow's lips curled into a small smile when he caught sight of Sonic. "Long time, no see." He said in a raspy voice.
"Real long time. You were even in the same laboratory as me and I never knew it!" Shadow winced when Sonic mentioned the laboratory.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. How about we change the subject."
"No, it's okay. I don't mind, really. The laboratory was terrible." Everyone seemed to listen more closely.
"I tried to escape. But a worker caught me and. I don't remember anything after that. Just a lot of pain." Shadow paused, and then said "I can't believe I was brought down that easily. 'Ultimate Life Form', what a joke."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. Heck, you practically cheated death twice!" Knuckles added.
Amy decided to put her two cents in. "Whatever happened to Mr. Ego Trip? Not that we liked when you were like that or anything, but- OW! What did ya do that for, Knuckles?!"
"I had to shut you up SOMEHOW." Knuckles replied.
Shadow chuckled a little. "I did sound completely obsessed with myself, didn't I? I don't want to be like that again."
Cream put her hands over her heart and her eyes sparkled. "But it was out of friendship and in remembrance of Maria. Ah, it sounds like a story straight out of a novel!" she said dreamily.
"You've been reading far too many books lately." Rouge said. She faced the group and asked, "Would you mind if I had a word with Shadow and Sonic? Privately, of course."
"We don't mind at all, right?" Miles answered for everyone. They agreed and said their good byes, then Miles, Cream, Amy, and Knuckles left. But after the other three were on their way downstairs, Knuckles crouched down outside the doorway to Shadow's room and watched the so-called 'conversation.'
Rouge took out a black duffel bag and unzipped it. She carefully removed a syringe from it that was filled with a liquid that gave off a sort of glow.
"What did you want to talk about?" Sonic asked. Rouge shot a glare at him and gave him a fast kick in the stomach. Sonic sprawled across the floor helplessly.
"May as well do Shadow first." Rouge leapt into the air and plummeted down toward his body, rendering him unconscious before he could react. She then took the syringe and injected its contents into his body. Rouge got another syringe out and prepared to knock Sonic out as well.
Rouge leapt into the air just as last time. She kicked in a whirling spiral toward her target. But she never made it. Knuckles thrust a punch at her jaw, knocking her right off her course.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?!" Knuckles yelled. His face turned bright red with anger.
Rouge weakly got up while clutching her jaw. "Nothing that concerns you!" She raised up the syringe so Knuckles could see it. "This isn't meant for you, but I'll use it if I have to. Unless you are immune to this kind of energy, the tiniest amount can KILL you in an instant! So you better shut up and be a good echidna!"
"If it's so deadly, why did you inject it into Shadow?!"
"Because he and Sonic can handle it. I don't know the specifics, it's just my orders."
"Since when do you take orders from anyone, bat girl?"
"Since I've been offered a large sum of what I love more than anything else, jewels." Rouge took her hand off of her jaw and grabbed the duffel bag.
"Hmph, you didn't even break my jaw. Pathetic jackass." She shoved Knuckles aside and exited, a trail of blood in her path.
Knuckles stood there, paralyzed. This wasn't how everything was supposed to turn out. Rouge and Knuckles should have loved each other more than anything. Instead, both of their lives had been won over by jewels. Tears began to slowly trickle down his face. They landed silently into the drops of blood.
* * *
Pretty short, I know. But the problem it starting to reveal slowly. So tune in next time, for Chapter Seven of The Future Chaos!