Thanks for any reviews! Hope ya'll enjoy this chapter.
|chapter seven: the good, the bad, and the egotistical|
Sonic had only been pissed about five times in his life, which he thought was an accomplishment.
Once, when his brother destroyed his favorite video game when he was twelve. The second time was when his sister purposely threw his phone into the pool at a party when they were fifteen. The third time was during a track meet senior year of high school that he had lost. The fourth was when his first, long term girlfriend, decided that she just "didn't see them settling down with each other," said she was as distraught as he was about the sudden choice, and then proceeded to immediately date someone he knew about three days later. They were even engaged now, but that wasn't the worst time he'd felt anger.
No, the fifth time was probably the worst.
His professor had accused him of plagiarizing a term paper the year previously. He, naturally, claimed he hadn't. The professor threatened to fail him entirely and get him kicked out of Westwood. It had been a huge ordeal last fall - both of his parents had been involved, and thankfully, they had been on his side from the beginning. The whole thing lasted about two weeks as the college administration put Sonic up against a board of members to judge whether or not he should be kicked out. The professor had to show where exactly he'd plagiarized - a mere sentence. One that he had simply forgotten to cite, claimed the professor. Which was apparently a big enough issue to that professor that they made such a big thing about the whole event, trying to drag Sonic's family name to the ground. He had been on the brink of being kicked out of a college, his future career path destroyed, before by the good graces of Tikal, his best friend Tails had cleared up the issue. Sonic hadn't plagiarized the sentence, after all, and the evidence the professor had wasn't proof at all. The professor was now a laughing stock for students and other teachers. Sonic made note to never run across the professor in person for the following weeks after the administration waved the situation off and pardoned Sonic - he knew if he had, the professor would've been accusing him of assault.
It had made Sonic so bluntly angry - he didn't even know he could get that angry. He felt embarrassed at first, thinking he had done wrong. Then he had felt helpless, as the professor had refused to listen to reason or give Sonic a second chance. It was a whirlwind of emotions, and both Amy and Tails had practically sworn to never speak about Sonic's sudden outbursts of rage that turned quickly into frustrated tears. His family had tried to be the best support they could, but for once in his life, Sonic felt like he had lost control of his life. He thought for sure that he was going to be living with his parents, kicked out of college for the rest of the year, would be stuck finding a different college that would accept him, lose his scholarship, and lose his friends from college.
When all was said and done though, Sonic couldn't fathom how one person's actions, no matter how righteous they thought they were in the moment, could derail another person so badly.
So, this time, he couldn't rightly say that the situation was the same as the time with the professor.
But he was definitely still pissed off.
"We're going to the Copperhead campsites to check up on the campers there, see around," Blaze nonchalantly spoke. She had other plans, but they were for herself. "Do a simple sweep of the trails around, make sure nothing is out of the ordinary, and then you two can go home for the weekend."
"Really?" Amy walked quickly behind the cat, learning how to keep up with the long-legged Mobian. Sonic was slowly following behind them. "We get weekends off?"
"For right now," Blaze didn't want to say anything untrue. "Shadow wanted to give you two a break after your first week. You're still green, after all."
"Right!" Amy seemed excited at the thought of the weekend off. Well, at least sort of. They still had to work half a day that day, which was Saturday. But maybe that meant Shadow would be potentially free after five for a date in Westwood. She'd been holding onto hope, despite not being able to talk much with the ebony hedgehog since he drove her home. She almost wished Sonic could sabotage Manic's car again. "Are the rest of you working, too?"
Blaze's tail twitched as a smirk ran across her muzzle. Amy couldn't see that, however, as Blaze led the pack. She knew what Amy was truly asking, but as her smirk disappeared, she also knew that she would probably have to explain to both cadets that the rangers were more or less getting the two out of the area. For safety precautions and to also, as Shadow put it, 'get them out of their hair.' Blaze would agree with Shadow - that having the two cadets leave for the weekend, might clear everyone's heads and help them focus on the visiting creature and the tower restoration a little better.
Trying to teach and keep the two entertained was proving to be difficult. While Sonic was a quick learner and willing to work, he was stubborn and wanted to be involved in things that weren't his business as a volunteer. Amy had learning to do and stories to tell constantly. They were good people, and Blaze found good reason to keep in touch with the both of them, especially Amy, during their college season. After all, they all went to the same college - it would be rude not to at least have a dinner or two with them.
"Yes."
"Oh." Amy's hopes deflated. Shadow would be working after all. Well, naturally. She figured maybe with Silver back, though - "Is Shadow still going to be on 24 hour watch since Silver's back? Are you?"
"Yes."
Sonic crossed his arms above his head, squinting at the sunlight coming through the tall pines on their trek. It was beginning to warm up, but he knew he would have been sweating up a storm by now if he was up at the fire lookout. It made his blood boil only a little. Just a tiny bit.
That morning, he'd practically been secluded to the waiting room as he watched Silver and Shadow discuss quietly over a map on the counter. He could only hear some things, but it sounded like he was being cast aside now that Silver was back. It didn't make it any better when Blaze kept Sarah in deep conversation, pointing at the computer screen every now and then - he couldn't even try and have a conversation with Sarah. Instead, he found himself waiting, tapping his foot, hoping that Shadow would tell him it was time to leave for the tower soon. But no, they left without him.
All he got was a simple, "You're staying with Blaze and Amy for the day. Sorry for the late notice."
Sorry for the late notice. Yeah, no biggie. I just showed up an hour earlier than Amy, so now I just have to sit here and wait.
And he had. He had waited for an entire hour, completely uninvited to Sarah and Blaze's murmured conversation. After Silver and Shadow had left, their talk got quieter - as if they purposefully didn't want Sonic to hear a single word of it. It made the morning all the more upsetting.
By the time they got out to the trail, he was fuming. And now, about thirty minutes into the hike, he was desperate for answers. He hadn't even been able to ask Shadow why he'd been cast aside. He didn't want to offend Amy or Blaze, but roaming around the park with no actual purpose (it seemed) wasn't as exciting as the tower restoration. He found himself enjoying it over the past week. He was beginning to see what Shadow saw in it, and he was trying to learn everything that Shadow was willing to offer and take it seriously. But now? He felt like the entire time, Shadow had simply been trying to get him to behave, as if he were a toddler. He wasn't someone Shadow was trying to teach - he was a nuisance. And that bothered Sonic to the core.
"Is everyone just on watch now?" Sonic asked as he wanted to roll his eyes.
"Pretty much," Blaze decided it was now or never. The ground started to slope upwards as they walked up a small hill of the mountainside.
"Wait, really?" Amy beat Sonic to it with her surprise, but even the blue hedgehog looked confused and curious. "Why?"
"Well, Shadow got word from his contact for the restoration, and due to storage issues, the schedule is slipping. So, he needs to quicken his pace with the tower - "
"So, why am I here?" Sonic couldn't help himself, but three workers on the tower seemed better than just two.
" - and he's decided to do the overnight with Silver. They'll be working all weekend on it. Sarah has joined me on the 24 hour watch for the nights," Blaze finished, completely ignoring Sonic because truthfully, she didn't know how to respond. She figured that Shadow had put Sonic with her and Amy because if Sonic had gotten word that the overnighter didn't involve him, he'd pester Shadow and Silver with so many questions that they'd give in and let him come - which was the last thing they wanted right now. Shadow wanted to focus on both the creature and the tower, and having Sonic around was a distraction. She didn't exactly know how to say all of that without offending Sonic.
"What?" Sonic stopped walking entirely.
It wasn't anger anymore. He felt his stomach drop. He was disappointed. Blaze turned slightly to take a look at him. He had his ears pinned back, his shoulders slumped down, and his head lowered - but his gaze caught hers with a desperate look. "Shadow's decision. Sorry, cadet."
"But-But, I've been helping," Sonic stood defiantly suddenly, pointing at his chest. "I'm a hard worker, I know the trail, I know the area around the tower now, I - "
"Sonic," Blaze spoke softly. She didn't want to resort to a harsh tone, as the hedgehog was visibly upset about the decision. "I know, Shadow might have got your hopes on camping at Half Point and working on the tower over the weekend, but is it really that important to you? We thought you would both enjoy a weekend off."
Oh, so Silver wasn't the better replacement - not necessarily. Sonic mulled it over and decided that maybe Shadow had thought that innocently and kindly, but something told him otherwise. He raised a challenging eyebrow as he put his hand on his hip. "Or is it about something else?"
Amy watched helplessly.
Blaze wasn't about to budge, though. She had dealt with disrespectful cadets before, and she knew that Sonic was all bark and no bite. Still, the bark would have to be reprimanded. She gave him a narrowed look. "I understand if you were expecting to be involved in the camping overnight for the restoration, but Shadow has ordered otherwise."
There was a stern silence that followed before Amy felt the need to intervene.
"A weekend sounds fun," she meekly said, looking back and forth between the two. She stopped at Sonic. "Right? We can go water skiing with your siblings later like they planned. Your parents are coming into town."
Blaze straightened her posture, making sure to stand taller despite being at a higher elevation than Sonic anyway. She wasn't to be pushed around. "Sounds like you have plans, then."
"If he's so behind on the project, why not have both Silver and I go with him?" Sonic questioned suddenly, catching the cat off guard yet again.
Oh, he was really butting heads.
She grit her teeth before sighing. "I don't know, Sonic. Shadow makes the calls, and he made this one. I guess he genuinely thought you'd enjoy a weekend off," she lied.
"Well, I'd be more than open to joining for this weekend," Sonic spoke before Amy could interrupt. He would get to see his parents later. Just what was Shadow hiding? What was Blaze hiding? Sonic didn't think he'd ever been amazing at reading people, but he knew at that moment that she wasn't speaking the truth.
Something about the way Shadow and Silver had huddled together at the map this morning. Something about the way Sarah and Blaze had blatantly tried to keep Sonic from eavesdropping on their own conversation, too. Shadow seemed tense this morning - similar to the first day at the tower. Like he had felt something was watching him, and he was caught off guard.
Something was bothering the rangers.
"That won't be necessary," Blaze continued to lie.
"You just said the project was behind."
"Sonic."
"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to make sense of the situation," Sonic put his hands up in defense.
He played the victim, and he played it well. It irked Blaze, as she was beginning to slip. She didn't know how to respond to the two cadets without worrying them about some creature - some creature that she wasn't even sure about anymore. Was it a wolf? Was it not a wolf? Was it bipedal? Was it not bipedal? Was it actually grinning at the camera on purpose? Why scratch above the door and not lower on the door itself? Why smell like a rotting carcass everywhere it went?
She couldn't answer those questions to console even herself, much less the two volunteers that knew nothing about what was going on.
"I don't make the calls," she repeated, "Shadow does. Bring it up with him, if a weekend off bothers you."
Sonic felt a little guilty.
Maybe he'd been overthinking. Maybe Shadow had been genuine about the thought of giving Amy and Sonic a weekend off. But there was still something in him that refused to believe that - he'd spent a whole week with the guy, and he didn't strike Sonic as being kind over being focused on the goal, which was staying on track to finishing the tower. Sonic didn't know Shadow well, but something in him told him that if Shadow was truly concerned about a slipping schedule, he would have asked for both Silver and Sonic.
So, maybe the schedule wasn't slipping. Maybe Shadow was just tired of Sonic and needed a break from the cadet. Sonic would give him that one - he knew he had been annoying at first, but it was all on purpose. However, the past two days, he'd been nothing but stellar - working hard and keeping conversations short and to the point - what more would Shadow want? No, something still wasn't adding up in the equation, but he knew he'd pressed enough of Blaze's buttons.
"Fine."
Blaze stared at him for a moment more before deciding that they were done talking about it. She turned on her heel and started onwards again, to Copperhead. Amy gave Sonic a look - possibly a glare more than a questioning glance. He shrugged it off, motioning her to continue walking.
She did so, but not without a little, "Good going," hiss.
Sonic held back a snort, but he did roll his eyes. Amy was the least of his worries, and he knew he was the last one on her mind. Sonic paused for a couple of seconds before following the pink hedgehog at a faster pace than when he started that morning.
He wasn't happy with the situation, but he certainly wasn't as angry as he'd ever been the five times he could remember actually feeling pure anger. Sonic hoped the hike and keeping somewhat busy would clear his mind, but he did want to talk to Shadow.
The blue Mobian didn't think for a second that Shadow was doing this out of the kindness of his heart. Something else was going on that he and Amy weren't aware of, but Blaze certainly was.
And maybe even Sarah.
Blaze had said Sarah joined the 24 hour watch now, too. But why?
Silver was the only ranger that actually had to do the 24 hour watch per his job description, according to what Sonic learned at their dinner at Jericho's. So, that meant one ranger could stay at the station at night.
Why did Sarah have to join Blaze at the station if Silver and Shadow were camping at Half Point?
The thought dawned upon him, and he wished he had asked Blaze about it before she started walking away. She was in a hurry to continue their hike, it seemed, or to distance herself from their talk they just had.
It only made Sonic more suspicious.
He wasn't sure if he'd be able to get anything out of Sarah about what was going on, but there was a possibility. That was that then - he'd talk with Shadow and Sarah once he got back to the station and clear the matter up. Maybe he could still participate in the overnighter, which in truth, he had been excited about. The thought of camping out there but with an actual purpose, it made him feel good. He felt like he was helping in some way - and he thrived off of helping others and doing work. Hell, he volunteered his time during college more often than he actually worked for money (that would be thanks to his parents and scholarship, though).
Now, he just felt rejected, and he didn't know why.
It bothered Sonic.
And so, a plan began to form in his head. A foolish, childish, stubborn one.
~.~
Silver would have to give credit where credit was due. "Sonic does good work," he noted as he looked at their surroundings.
The area around the tower was cleared almost entirely, minus the brush behind the tower to the north that went up into the escalating elevation and trees. Shadow hadn't found a reason to really clear out that area, so long as the contractor had room to work on the tower.
"Yeah," Shadow was mindlessly listening as he tested each support beam on the tower. It made Silver grit his teeth, waiting for the moment the entire tower came toppling onto Shadow. Thirty feet of wood just creaking and aching didn't exactly bring comfort to Silver. "Beams look good, all things considered."
"He'd probably be a good help for us, if you want to invite him on the overnighter," Silver mentioned as nonchalantly as possible. He saw Sonic's disappointed face as Shadow had told him that morning that he wasn't going to the tower today, and he hadn't given the cadet any time to speak. They had immediately left the station, as if Sonic would burst into flames and confront them if they weren't gone soon. Silver saw the confusion as more of a child-like look on Sonic's face.
After another 'hmhm' from Shadow, Silver's face dropped in boredom. "You aren't even listening, are you?"
"Not really no."
"Shadow," Silver walked over to him, at the base of the tower. "You didn't handle it exactly well."
"Silver, if you want to debate about whether or not Sonic should come to help us tomorrow, I'm going to do it by myself," Shadow stared upwards at the tower's underside, looking at each beam and its anchors. He was merely inspecting the tower itself. "I was hoping you'd come back when you did so I could take you instead. It's easily a two-man job, and I'd really rather not be annoyed by Sonic all weekend."
"Aw, I'm touched," Silver feigned fondness. "Little rude to Sonic, though. Is he really that bad?" Silver knew that on any good day he could also be annoying, so he didn't really see Shadow's point.
Shadow stopped whatever he was doing and looked at Silver. "No, not really. Not for the past two days, I guess. You're right, he's a good worker. But I feel it is safer to send them home for the weekend."
"What if we don't figure out what it is?"
"What?"
Silver gave him a look. "Don't pretend like we're doing this solely for the tower and keeping on schedule. You keep saying it's only for the weekend that the cadets are gone - like you're hell bent on solving the mystery of the visiting doggy."
"I hate the words you use sometimes."
"Too bad," Silver crossed his arms against his chest. "So?"
"So, what?"
"Stop avoiding the damn question, Shadow." Silver wanted to chuck Shadow off the side of a cliff. "What's the actual plan?"
Shadow leaned against one of the main beams going into the ground - something Silver wouldn't be caught dead doing. "I don't know. Blaze will hopefully get some information from the warden, or Sarah will. Whoever he calls and whoever answers."
"And what are you hoping to hear?" Silver questioned, aware of how their morning went and not imagining it would get any better from there.
Red eyes stared off into the trees around the tower. The mountain sloped down to the west, giving a good view of the horizon and the mountain range. It was a beautiful view, but what was out there? He knew even his mentor had mentioned unexplainable stories from hikers and his own fear of the deep woods - but Shadow had grown up on logical and methodical reasoning. There were animals out there because the woods were their homes, and the Mobians were more like tourists. A predator feeling invaded wasn't anything new, but it certainly was a new scenario Shadow hadn't quite ever dealt with. He almost felt tempted to call Richwells again for some guidance, but he didn't want to seem incapable of running the station and the park that he had for three years. That and Richwells wasn't always the best help.
So, what was his plan? What was there to expect?
He cleared his throat after a moment of looking at the view. Silver hadn't looked anywhere but Shadow, waiting patiently for answers. "I'm hoping to hear that some wolf was kicked out of a pack up north, in the northern park, and traveled south here. And that's what we're seeing and hearing and smelling - nothing out of the ordinary. We relocate it somewhere far from civilians so it doesn't rely on our food. End of story."
"And what if you don't hear that?" Silver always posed good questions - as he liked to play the Devil's advocate.
Shadow frowned. "Like?"
"Like, there are no wolves unaccounted for in the pack up north," Silver suggested the only other option. "That this wolf isn't from there. What then?"
"Then maybe it's from a different park - somewhere else."
Silver sighed heavily as he looked to the west, at the view provided. "You really convinced yourself that your theory is correct?" He turned to Shadow again. "And Blaze? She doesn't agree at this point."
"She has different views."
"And for good reason, Shadow. She's studied animal behavior - she's no expert, but she still probably knows more than you," Silver offered despite Shadow's hard look. "But maybe you're right," he put his hands up in defeat as he walked away.
Silence followed. Birds sang their songs as Shadow stared off into the trees to their right. Silver looked at the view, hands on his hips in thought.
"I'm trying to keep us together, Silver. If we don't know where it came from or what it truly is, then how do we react to the situation? How can Blaze surely decide what it should do if she doesn't know what it is? We can't take that at face value."
"Doesn't mean there isn't room for serious concern there," Silver spoke with his back turned to Shadow. "If it's something we need to close the park over and get the authorities, then I'm sure the local sheriff would - "
"You want to call the police?" Shadow blinked at him with wide eyes, taken aback by the white hedgehog's words.
"Well, if it's serious - "
"No one has turned up missing," he waved his hands as if waving the situation away. At this point, Silver turned to look over his shoulder at the black hedgehog. "No one's dead. It's just roaming around the area, this isn't the police's concern."
Silver gave him a good look. "You're just saying that because if something does happen, this whole restoration option would shut down like that," he said as he snapped his fingers and walked back over to Shadow. "You're trying to do the right thing for two separate things, Shadow. It's apples and oranges - you can't say the tower's restoration is more important than a potential predator wandering around. That's not even morally right."
He had him there.
"Fine, you're correct there, but my point still stands - it hasn't actually harmed anyone," Shadow noted. "If anything, it's just curious."
"Really? Is that what your behavior this morning said about last night?" Silver tilted his ears a little, hands still on hips as he interrogated the male. "Or are you too tunnel-visioned on this tower project?"
Shadow stopped to think about his next words carefully. Again, Silver had got him. He couldn't contain his feelings this morning about what had happened in the night - he was still trying to piece it all together. Blaze couldn't even keep her emotions in check. Despite their tired exteriors, it all came out in their tone that they were concerned and frightened about what had happened.
"What really happened, Shadow? Word for word. Moment for moment."
"I…I don't know," Shadow turned away from him like a toddler getting caught doing something they shouldn't have been doing. "It happened so fast."
"Tell me. You and Blaze were on watch. What time was it?"
"Two-ish. I wanted to sleep, Blaze was still up. I figured if I didn't get her to at least lie down, she would never sleep."
"Reasonable. Continue." Silver figured he could get Shadow bit by bit to tell the story.
"She let up. We walked down the hallway, went to the cots, closed the door for the night," Shadow stared at the trees as if they were the most fascinating things in the world right then. "As soon as I laid down, I heard the scratching sound that I had heard the night I was on watch by myself. We got up quickly. Checked the cameras, there was nothing. I grabbed a flashlight and was about to go out the back door to check when Blaze stopped me - she didn't want me going out there. I decided to stay because of the fact that she was terrified," Shadow retold the encounter. "Then, we heard the scratching again, but it was clearly by the door. Closer, louder."
Silver listened intently, although he wasn't giving much detail. He figured that was to be expected since they hadn't really seen the creature - it kept just out of camera view or was too fast for the camera to catch apparently. Or, he thought, it had a long enough gait that it cleared the side of the building as quickly as it did.
"Then?"
"Then," Shadow's voice faltered for a split second, but it was enough for Silver to notice. Shadow played it off. "It gave this loud…growling huff."
"Growling huff?" Silver danced around the words. "What the hell does that mean? Replicate it."
"No." It was a quick response, and he didn't even try to tone down his fright this time. Shadow swallowed the lump in his throat, remembering the sound. "It was…guttural. Not like a complete growl, but like an animal sigh or something." He was trying to explain it to himself, not just Silver.
"Loud, though?"
"Yes. It was right behind the door, and I had almost stepped outside with it," Shadow had already come to that realization earlier, and for that, he was slightly grateful to Blaze. He wasn't sure if he would know how to react if he saw it in person anymore. He froze last night. He hadn't been of any help - all of his training flew out the window the moment the creature made a sound. "And we froze before it dawned on us. Blaze yelled to check the cameras, and I was already running towards the main room. She fell for a moment, and I stopped to help her up. In that time, I guess, it got out of view entirely from the back camera."
"That's when it went back around the dumpsters, out of view," Silver pieced together. "Okay. Then?"
"Cameras showed nothing. I got pissed that we just missed it. Blaze…Blaze made the back camera big," Shadow didn't know how to word it.
Silver raised an eyebrow. "What?" he tried not to laugh.
"Like, the screen on the computer - she made it only show the back camera," Shadow didn't like sounding like an idiot or old man, but he wasn't computer savvy.
"She maximized the screen for the back camera?" Silver asked, giving him an apologetic tone as he glared.
"Yes. That. So, the screen only showed the back camera, and that's when, while we were too busy looking at the screen, it ran by the side of the building. It blocked out some of the light for a split second, Blaze screamed, we both jumped, and then nothing. Everything got quiet again. And we went to bed. I wanted daylight to check, and we needed Sarah to replay camera footage. There was nothing we could do but wait."
"Hm," the white hedgehog gave him in response.
"That's it? Hm?"
"Well, it's something," Silver shrugged. He wasn't sure. "A curious wolf - creepy, lanky, starving looking - just came visiting the station this summer. So, what are we going to do about it?"
"I'm-I'm not sure," Shadow admitted. He glanced at the trees again, wondering for a split second if he'd catch a glimpse of the wolf. His imagination was kicking in but it had to be somewhere out there right now. "I wanted to stay focused on the tower, let Blaze handle the wolf, but then she just got so terrified that I figured I had to step in. But we both froze last night, Silver. We couldn't even react quickly enough - we forgot everything we were ever taught in that moment."
"That's natural though, when shock sets in," Silver tried to reassure him. "You didn't fail anyone, Shadow." He knew the hedgehog took his job seriously. When a young child had gone missing in the park, Shadow had made it his utmost priority to find the kid. He was almost distraught when the sun started to sink and there was no sign of the kid - Silver almost wondered if he had to console the ranger. But then, the kid was found by some stroke of luck, and he watched Shadow return to his reserved and stoic self. He didn't like the idea that it was all happening again - that Shadow felt like he hadn't done his job and protected someone, that person being Blaze of all possibilities. "It's okay."
"I know…" He sighed as he blinked himself back to reality. Shadow walked around to Silver's side of the tower and stared at the dilapidated steps. One would have to make an impressive jump to get to the first step that would be considered reliable, but even Shadow wouldn't risk it. "It's just not normal coming from her that I guess it threw me off balance. If anyone was going to handle this situation best, I thought it would be the two of us - her and I. But if we both froze after just hearing it…how are we supposed to help anyone if we see it?"
Silver's hand clasped his shoulder suddenly, making Shadow sway a little. "Ya got me, now. I'll admit, the image is spooky, but let's be logical about this. It's a wolf - and probably just curious. If it hasn't harmed anyone yet, then maybe it's not as starving as we think. I would assume a starving wolf would've already done something to a camper by now. We can leave earlier tonight before the sun sets and scope out the area around the station and to Half Point. Set up camp and scout some more - what do you say? Anything to ease your mind?"
"I guess that will do." Shadow stared at the stairs, at the wood of the tower. He found himself looking down, where he settled his backpack down every day. And just like on the first day with Sonic, he saw the marks at the bottom of the tower.
Was it due to rotting? Due to bugs? Or were those marks made by the same claws that scratched the top of the door to the station?
A shiver ran through him as the wind picked up.
Silver stepped away, enjoying the cool breeze as he had worked up a sweat from clearing away their debris into piles that could easily be discarded or burned in a controlled fire - all before their little chat. He enjoyed the way the wind whistled against the mountains, but he noticed something.
The birds had stopped singing.
"Silver?" Shadow quietly asked, just to make sure he was still there, behind him.
"Yeah?" Silver waited - waited for a bird to tweet. Finally, one did, and he felt himself relax as the windy breeze died down as quick as it came. It was time to get back to work before they'd walk down back to the station.
It was silent, and the white hedgehog twitched his ear to Shadow, who hadn't responded. "Shadow?"
In all seriousness and in the quiet as the single bird singing stopped once more, Shadow spoke, "I'm bringing my firearms."
~.~
"Well, he didn't handle that one well," Silver said as he watched Sonic leave - storming out into the parking lot.
They had just gotten back, surprised to see Sonic still at the station. Amy had left for her early start to the weekend. Sarah had told them that Blaze had come back earlier, as well, and was asleep - wanting to stay up all night this time for certain. Shadow didn't argue with her.
He did argue with Sonic, however.
The blue hedgehog hadn't gotten a peep out of Sarah, no matter how much flirting he'd done. He had gotten frustrated with her and decided to wait for Shadow and Silver in the waiting room area, which wasn't far from Sarah. She didn't seem happy about Sonic's frustrations towards her, as she found it disrespectful of him to be butting his nose into things that weren't his business - which only led Sonic to believe more that he wasn't allowed on the trip because of other things no one was telling him.
And boy, oh, boy, did he get his answer when Shadow arrived.
Shadow had thought of Sonic as a competent worker with a bright future ahead of him. Sure, he was a little annoying at times, but he was a good guy. Now? Shadow found himself fuming at the fact that Sonic had festered in the armchair, rehearsing everything he was going to say to Shadow. He wanted to be invited, he wanted to go on the trip, and he didn't like how he was immediately pushed out of the trip just because Silver showed up.
Silver had remained quiet, despite the slight digs that Sonic made during the start of their conversation. Sarah gave Silver an apologetic look, but Silver had merely given her one that said, 'Oh, you think he's going to make it out of this one alive?'
The white hedgehog wasn't going to be one of those people that acted too proudly - he had been in Sonic's shoes nearly two years ago when he started. He didn't want to do office work, and he felt that was a receptionist's job - who at the time, and still was, was Sarah. Shadow didn't particularly like the rudeness that Silver had confronted him with, and it was about a whole week after until Silver felt like he could speak to Shadow again. The man worked full time, year-round at the station and park unlike Richwells,, and due to lack of staffing in Glace, he made it abundantly clear that everyone would pitch in with anything. Even he did paperwork every now and then despite not knowing exactly how a copier worked.
So, now? Silver knew what to expect out of the trap Sonic had gotten himself into.
He was rather surprised at the patience Shadow had, though, he would admit. He expected Shadow to set Sonic straight sooner, but he let the blue hedgehog get all of his thoughts and feelings out.
Sonic demanded to know why he wasn't invited anymore, and what sense it made to not have all three of them go if Shadow was so far behind schedule anyway - as Blaze had apparently told him earlier. He even pointed to Sarah at one point in the monologue to state that it had to be due to something else because even she was joining the 24 hour watch when Blaze could easily do it herself.
Silver was beginning to notice a pattern in ones that confronted Shadow. There was himself two years ago, Sonic now, that one lady who yelled at Sarah for another person who hit her car in the parking lot, and the fire department guy who criticized Sarah's setup at her computer. It hadn't even been because of fire hazards, which he was inspecting for, he was just making fun of their old computers. And Silver knew in all of those moments who came around each time to show why he was in charge: Shadow. He was tempted to tell the next hiker who asked, "Who's in charge here?" to just "Confront the receptionist and you'll figure it out." Although, Silver was sure that Shadow would come to any of their aid.
But at that moment, it was Sarah's as Sonic called it out.
Shadow's outburst wasn't as nearly as loud as Sonic's per se, but it was all the more terrifying. Sonic had lurched back as he had realized his mistake - he hadn't handled the situation as delicately as he had hoped, and he knew it was his fault. Now, he had Shadow yelling at him about respecting the roles each of them had, and that he was a new volunteer. No experience. With that, Shadow had told Sonic to use the weekend to think about why he thought he was entitled to make any calls - as he wasn't exactly being a team player.
Thus, Sonic stormed out. More upset with himself than with Shadow, but upset nonetheless.
"Hmph," Shadow responded to Silver's snide comment. "He let his ego get the better of him, and you know it."
"Sure, I know it. I've been in his shoes before," Silver recalled as he watched Sonic drive off in a huff. "You okay, Sarah?"
"Sure, he just pouted in the chair for like three hours," Sarah rolled her eyes, getting ready to leave. "I've got to grab some stuff at home. You guys going back up or?"
"I've got to pack too," Shadow rubbed the back of his head. "I'm going to check in on my house sitters. Tikal knows what they'd been up to."
"Oh, Tikal knows," Silver said blankly. "It's Rouge and Knuckles - we know what they do. Why would you let them in your house to do the things they do?"
"I don't need this," Shadow rubbed his temple. "I just yelled at our cadet, it'll be a miracle if he's back on Monday. I need to call him later," he turned to Sarah. "You have his number on file?"
"Sure," she scrolled through her phone.
…
"Uh, Sarah?" Silver said he leaned against the counter.
"Hm?"
"That's not a file."
"Oh," Sarah looked up at the white hedgehog. "We forgot to mention amongst all the chaos here but Sonic and I went on a date a couple days ago. Amy's got one with Shadow - "
"How did you hear about that?!" Shadow's quills shook as he gripped the counter. He'd been walking away towards the front door, figuring Sarah would just text him Sonic's number. Now he had a bigger issue on his hands.
"Amy. She talks a lot."
"Wow," Silver blinked, staring back and forth between them. "I leave for a week, and you guys become a sugar daddy and a gold digger overnight?"
"Sonic and I are one year apart," Sarah droned. "If anything, Amy's definitely the gold digger."
"I have no money," Shadow snorted as he was handed a Post-It note from Sarah with Sonic's number. He didn't know why she couldn't just text him it. "You can't just text me the number?"
"Oh, I thought you'd like a note - old fashioned for an old man."
Silver smiled a little at the two, enjoying the usual banter now that he was back. Granted, he didn't know how it was while he was away - this was probably the most lighthearted moment Sarah and Shadow had shared in a while. He liked to pat himself on the back.
Shadow flipped Sarah off as he left. "You're the one dating an egotistical college student."
"We're not dating-dating," Sarah called after him. He left and she glanced over at Silver. "Blaze is sleeping in the back. I've got like…a forty-minute drive maybe. Maybe fifty."
"Shadow's got way less than that, if he doesn't strangle Knuckles and Rouge that is," Silver noted. "I gotta get clothes, too, but we can't just leave Blaze here by herself."
"Do you leave her alone at your house sleeping?"
…
"Good point. Bye, Blaze! Be back soon!" Silver hollered as usual to his girlfriend while he walked Sarah out of the station. He locked the door. "Hey, Sarah?"
"Yeah?" She blocked the sun out of her eye with her hand.
"You think Sonic's going to be okay? I mean, I get it - I've been there in that state of jealousy. But, what if he doesn't come back? Will Amy?"
"Amy will," Sarah snorted and rolled her eyes. "You know Shadow. He can't leave a conversation on a bad note, he'll call Sonic later and sort it out. He likes the guy - Sonic's a good worker. He'd make a good addition to the team, although I'm rather surprised it took this long for Shadow and Sonic to butt heads."
"What makes you say that?" Silver tossed his keys in his hands as Sarah unlocked her own car door. They always parked near each other, typically on either side of Shadow's vehicle in order to see how close each one could park by his truck. They once had gotten close enough that Shadow had to enter through the back window in the truck bed. They had gotten a good scolding for that one. "I mean, I guess they both have leadership qualities about them. Sonic sure wants to be in the loop with everything. I don't see what the big deal is - we could've used his help this weekend, but Shadow's not that far behind schedule. I know - "
"Amy would also be dating an egotistical guy."
Silver forgot for a moment that he was talking to the simple-minded Sarah. He cracked a smirk at her, leaning against the hood of his car. His smirked vanished quickly as he had a serious gaze. "Do you think it's mostly because of the wolf? Or because Shadow actually wanted some peace and quiet for the weekend?"
Sarah faltered for a minute. She was about to tell Silver all that she truly thought of the manner, but she decided against it. Even if Silver was the one most likely to believe in what she wanted to say, she didn't say it. It would only make him more confused, and he had just waltzed into the situation. "I don't know. I know it's got Shadow and Blaze worried."
"Did the warden call today?"
"Yeah. He left a message for Shadow actually," she'd nearly forgotten. Stupid short memory.
"And?"
"No missing wolves from the packs up north. The nearest other pack is west of here and the whole pack hasn't been spotted for at least two months."
"Really?" Silver stood up straight. Was that a shiver running down his spine or was it just the wind?
"Yeah." Sarah didn't like the news either when she got it.
The warden had been adamant with her despite all of her questioning. No missing nearby wolves. He had demanded to see the image that Shadow had told him about in an email, just to see what it was all about. Sarah had sent him the original image, but not before darkening it a little - so one wouldn't be able to really even see the creature. She had a feeling - a scared one - that if the warden saw the image, he would call authorities or Richwells. Situations like these, she knew, were covered up by the government all of the time, and she was convinced that some of the people involved in covering things up were game wardens and other park rangers themselves. But those with little experience like their whole station? They wouldn't even assume such things like the wolf-like creature existed unless they knew of the supernatural world. Sarah didn't want to sound crazy, and she didn't want authorities coming in. She had made an executive decision, although a poor one, to send the darkened image. All she got back from the warden over email was that it looked like a possible bear if it wasn't one of the missing wolves from a pack west of Glace.
Sarah knew deep down that it was neither.
"Well, I'll let Shadow know then. Thanks. Is the warden still showing up?"
"Two weeks from Monday," Sarah nodded, gripping her car handle as she stared down at the seat. She thought about grabbing some of her spooky stories on the cryptids to maybe talk Blaze into the idea, but it was a short-lasting thought.
"Okay. Hey, you good?" Silver was scarily good at reading people. It made him charismatic enough with the hikers and campers, though. His co-workers were another challenge.
"Yeah."
"Sonic didn't yell at you earlier, did he?" Silver seriously wondered in worry.
"No." Sarah shook her head with a slight smile as she glanced at Silver. The wind picked up - it looked like it was going to be a windy night. "I went on a date with an egotistical college student that worried when I tripped up some stairs, not an asshole that took his frustration out on me."
"Good. Let me know if you hear anything from him," Silver decided as he opened his car door. "Jericho's?"
Sarah nodded to both of his requests, offering him a bigger smile automatically, although her mind raced to what was happening. Just what were they getting into tonight? Would Silver and Shadow be safe camping out there? Would she and Blaze be safe in the station? Would they catch it on camera again?
She didn't know any of the answers, and the uncertainty made her scared - a different scared than what her co-workers were probably feeling, as all of their thoughts were based on logic. Hers were beginning to wander.
"Jericho's."