Chapter 12 – Desperate Plan.

Tails watched helplessly as Seraph glided away, Nack dangling from his hands like a mouse being carried by a hawk. He briefly thought about giving chase but quickly realised that was a fool's errand; even if he could catch up, what then? If he interfered, all he'd be likely to do was knock Seraph into the ocean, which would probably drown both the assassin and his victim. He watched, wondering inwardly how the dark villain had been able to conceal his wings like that. Shaking his head and breathing deeply, the fox turned back the way he had come and plunged back into the interior of Angel Island – he had to tell the others what had happened and about Seraph's previously unknown gift of flight.

"Sonic wait", Amy laid a hand on the blue hedgehog's arm, trying to stop him taking off as soon as he'd finished reading Tails' note, "just hold on a sec and hold up for Knuckles and Rouge".

"There's no time", Sonic was nearly beside himself with anger at letting his guard down and fear for his little brother's safety, "he's gone off after this maniac on his own and, and I gotta make sure he's okay". Shadow stepped forwards from reading the note over Sonic's shoulder; typical Tails, it was concise and to the point; Seraph took Nack. Use this to find me – the 'this' referring to the strange device now held in Sonic's other hand. Taking a second to organise his argument, the black hedgehog began,

"Sonic, Tails is a smart kid; he's not likely to run in blindly against someone like this freak. Look at the note; I reckon Tails is just following Seraph to see what he's up to", a thought came him and he quickly gripped onto it, "and remember what Rouge and Nack said, Seraph won't hurt anyone who's not in the way".

"I don't care about that; as far as I'm concerned that freak is just a psycho and Tails is in danger. I'm getting him back". With a wrench, Sonic tore free of Amy but found the door blocked by Knuckles and, just behind him, Rouge as well. Though dishevelled and sore, the echidna still managed a smile,

"Rushing into things again hedgehog; remember where that got you last time?", he quickly cut off Sonic's protests by stating, "don't go alone".

"Shadow", there was no room for disagreement in Sonic's voice now; this was more than just fun and games, Seraph had messed with the hedgehog's extended family and that was inexcusable, "keep up and follow me". Biting back a retort, the former ultimate life-form activated his jet shoes and took off after the blue blur.

Somewhere over the ocean between Angel Island and Station Square, Seraph's wings beat a little to gain more altitude. Carefully and painfully bringing up a single, shackled arm, he tapped a spot on his mask that concealed the receiver bead for Knuckles' chip. His next step would depend on his target's reaction to the information he had been forced to disclose. Miles Prower had proved an intriguing foe on more than one count and it would be interesting to see what plans he could concoct next.

As Sonic tore through the plains of Angel Island he kept on eye on the tracer unit that was bleeping in his hand. From what he could tell, he was gaining on the small green blip on the screen and that had to be a good thing. Training his eyes forwards, Sonic put on an extra burst of speed, just outdistancing Shadow as he sped for the edge of Knuckle's domain. He'd already left a couple of sonic booms in his wake which would hopefully alert Tails to his coming; if the fox was still able to he'd head towards them.

Forcing his weary tails to lift him skywards once more, Tails hovered upwards as the trademark explosions reached his ears. His eyes scanned around to see the familiar trail of displaced air stripping leaves off trees and kicking up dust not too far ahead of him. Wetting his lips, Tails carefully inserted his fingers into his mouth and gave a sharp, piercing whistle.

The signal reached Sonic's ears and immediately his eyes flew skywards; that whistle meant Tails was sky bound and nearby. His heart filled with relief as he saw his beloved brother's helicopter impression not far on the right. Spinning on a dime with Shadow following suit, Sonic rearranged his path to reunite him with Tails. He must have been spotted by the fox's keen eyes as Tails descended to meet both himself and Shadow as they pulled up near enough under him. Sonic gave a sigh of relief as he quickly asserted Tails was unharmed and, if anything, eager to tell them something. The kit bounded up to them, concern on his face as his words spilled out in a torrent,

"He took Nack and flew off, the tracker won't follow him to Station Square but we could go in the Tornado and…"

"Whoa, cool it little guy", Shadow gently put a hand on the kit's head, calming the young fox down as he continued, "you're making less sense than Sonic on a sugar high. Take a breath and organise your thoughts". Sonic muscled in, carefully examining Tails before began speaking,

"Are you alright?" Tails nodded before Sonic added,

"He didn't hurt you?"

"No, but…" The hedgehog smiled again, relieved that some of his sheer dumb luck appeared to have rubbed off on Tails,

"That's my bro, but running off into danger's my job; next time at least wake me up first". Tails' mouth fell open in surprise,

"You can talk about running off – and anyway I couldn't have woken you; you were sleeping through Knuckles' snoring for crying out loud. Anyway, we need to get back; there's something we didn't know about before".

"What happened to Nack?" That question from Shadow burst the bubble and the kit felt guilt wash over him like cloying swamp water.

"Seraph took him, there was nothing I could do". Shadow put his hand on the fox's shoulder as Tails looked at the floor,

"You did the best you could Tails; we'll get Nack safe again and force Seraph to pay penance for his crimes". The black hedgehog's conviction was unwavering as Tails tried to draw strength from it. Sonic gave a thumbs up and smiled as he flattened his spikes,

"Okay, climb on and let's get back; sooner we talk about this the sooner we figure out what to do". Sonic crouched a little as he felt Tails grip onto his shoulders before winking at Shadow.

"See you at the cabin; I've got my handicap now so this should be a fair race".

"Really", Shadow had mastered the sceptical raised eyebrow, "you couldn't outrun me if I was carrying Eggman". Sonic shuddered and grimaced at the thought,

"Now there's an image I didn't need", he glanced at his wrist, whistling slightly, "well go on, I'm giving you a head-start".

"If you two don't get going you'll both get a handicap". Much as Tails appreciated the smart talking, this was neither the time nor the place. Hearing his tone, both hedgehogs shared a glance and then took off, racing back to the cabin.

Looking up from where Knuckles was catching his breath and slowly sipping a glass of cold water, Rouge smiled. Mentioning to Amy that she was going to keep watch for the two hedgehogs, she stepped outside just as a cloud of small debris announced the arrival of the Sonic, Shadow and, she squinted a bit and flushed with relief, Tails as well, the little fox detaching himself from Sonic as the blue hedgehog snorted at Shadow.

"See, even with Tails I can still stay level with ya".

"Oh, that was a race?" The black hedgehog looked mildly surprised, "I thought it was a stroll". Sonic scowled, but before he could come up with a decent comeback Rouge gripped his shoulder and motioned towards Tails,

"Fascinating as this is, we've got bigger fish to fry; come on in, Knucklehead's just about recovered; watch were you step Tails". Raising an eyebrow, Tails decided it was probably best not to ask. As he was about to voice one of the theories he'd come up with during his morning race he flinched at the sound of flesh impacting on flesh at high velocity.

"Owww, what was…?"

"You know very well what for Sonic Hedgehog", Rouge recocked her arm from the slap she'd just delivered to the blue hedgehog's cheek, "'Nice view' – one more comment like that and the only view you'll be getting is the sole of my boot". Again deciding silence was golden, Tails spoke up,

"Rouge, get Knucks and Amy out here – Seraph's not on the island any more but I don't think that cabin is safe to speak in" he said by way of explanation. Having some suspicions of her own, the female bat simply nodded and moved back inside as Shadow asked,

"What do you thinks' wrong with it?"

"Isn't it a bit suspicious that Seraph knew about our plans to set up traps, then to ambush him?" Tails craned his neck to see up onto the roof, almost seeing the flying menace placing a radio bug on the wooden roof, listening in on them as all seven, six now he bitterly reminded himself, plotted to stop him. "I reckon he bugged the place when he was disturbing us one night; he must have heard everything and come up with counter strikes".

"Hey Tails", Amy was perked up a little as she saw the young fox was unharmed. The kit returned the smile before looking seriously at Knuckles.

"We need to get somewhere else private" he remarked as Rouge affirmed his seemingly random words,

"Ever thought of working as a spy Tails; you've got the mind set for it".

"What, he's obsessed with jewels and insults everyone?" Knuckles remarked caustically.

"Better than being paranoid and thinking only with your fists", she retorted, smiling sweetly at the echidna as he decided to call that one even, "you think Seraph's rigged the place?"

"Yep", as always, Sonic was struck by his younger brother's maturity and ability to think outside the box as Tails continued, "we need to go somewhere else before we start devising any plans".

"What about the waterfall", Amy piped up, thinking hard as she twirled the hammer in her hands, "he couldn't have put anything there".

"Nice idea Ames" Knuckles commented as he realised that Seraph had probably never seen that place. Turning to the others he spoke up,

"Right, same path as before but, you're sure he's gone?"

"Yeah, I saw him take off".

"Okay, same path as before but a bit quicker".

The journey from Knuckles' log house to the waterfall where Nack and Rouge had briefly stayed was much shorter than the first leg due to the fact that the remaining party was moving at their full speed. Sonic and Shadow had vanished in a 'proper race' as Sonic had dubbed it as now both were carrying handicaps; Shadow had Amy curled around his shoulders while Sonic was carrying his brother again. Rouge had taken to the air as she taunted Knuckles that she'd get there before him, jetting off towards the running water as the echidna, determined not to be embarrassed by the bat on his home turf, scrambled over the rough terrain with an ease that spoke of decades of practise. As she soared aloft on the morning breeze, Rouge silently offered a heartfelt plea that, whatever Seraph had planned, Nack would somehow pull through and that by some miracle, she would be spared the weasels' fate.

"Dead heat", Rouge heard the gruff voice as soon as she touched earth, folding her wings around her as Knuckles clumped up behind her, breathing a little heavily but otherwise fine from his early morning exercise.

"I was going easy on you" she said without conviction, mind still on what might be happening to Nack as she absently pulled a few edible berries off a nearby bush.

"You alright?" The question was gentle and made Rouge pause uncharacteristically, unsure quite how to react to Knuckle's concern. She might have decided on honesty, but what she did was reinforce her traditional barriers of sassiness.

"You worried about me Knucklehead", she said in a cocky tone she didn't really feel, "someone's going a bit soft". She reached out to try and pinch his cheek but he swatted her hand aside contemptuously,

"Forget I asked", he was fuming at himself for even trying to show any feelings bar anger and spite towards her; she'd never understand, "the others are already here". He span on his heel and stalked away, leaving the bat cursing herself inwardly again for missing another opportunity because of her own stupid pride.

"Okay Tails, spill the beans", Amy remarked as the pair of treasure hunters came into earshot, though she didn't miss the looks on their faces or the pointed way they sat apart from each other, "what happened when we all went out?"

"Well firstly Knuckles landed on me", Tails began, watching as the echidna rolled his eyes and Sonic chortled – Strange, Rouge isn't laughing, must be because of Nack – he shook his head and carried on, "then I heard him outside the door. That stuff had knocked you all out, so I played dead and hoped he didn't look too closely. He came in and I froze; I heard him check round. There was some shuffling and creaking and I realised he must have picked Nack up because his footsteps were heavier on the way out. When he was gone, I wriggled free and used this to see where he was going". The fox produced the receiver unit for his tracker bugs as Rouge nodded appreciatively,

"Nice move foxboy; when'd you bug Nack?"

"Same time I put the bug on the sole of your left boot" Tails said mildly, inwardly celebrating as Rouge's face fell and she tried to check if the bug was actually there. Pulling her boot off, the bat felt her eyes widen; the tricky little beast had pulled a fast one to get that there. Sonic gave his little brother a thumbs-up,

"Nice one bro, but", he looked confused as he considered something, "why didn't you tell Nack, or Rouge for that matter?"

"Simple, I didn't want Seraph to know. Think about it; the less people know about that fact, the less likely Seraph was to find out", the fox's face fell as he admitted, "but it's not going to matter now; the bug's not strong enough to transmit from Station Square".

Fortunate. Miles Prower upgraded to extremely intelligent opponent. Check target for tracking devices upon arrival.

"I swear you should be a spy", Rouge commented as she put her boot back on, "you really are wasted as a mechanic".

"That's debatable, but anyway, I was going to use the receiver to trace Seraph's route to his transport, but I saw he was heading straight for the island edge".

"A pick up point?" Knuckles was instantly alert; Seraph could have told outside forces where to find Angel Island and that could be disastrous. Tails shared his concerns,

"That was what I thought so I followed straight away, leaving the note behind. It was a hard run and I was nearly too late, but I got there just in time", the fox had them all on the hook by now and decided to play up to it a bit, "I landed and just saw him inject Nack with something, I think it was another tranq, then he, he put handcuffs on Nack's wrists".

"Handcuffs?" Shadow appeared perplexed by this, "what good would that do?"

"I wasn't sure at first either", Tails admitted before continuing his story, "I thought he was going to jump, so I spoke out and tried to talk to him. Didn't work and then I realised why he'd gone to the island edge. He didn't need any transport; he'd got his own with him". The fox sat back as Amy managed to grasp the hidden meaning in that statement,

"You mean…"

"Yep, the angel can fly".

There was a minute of silence before everyone started talking at once; it was only by shouting above the throng that Knuckles managed to get them all to quieten down. Taking a breath, the echidna asked his question to Tails,

"Right, you're saying he took off and carried Nack with him?"

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes" Tails affirmed.

"Do you think he can get to Station Square?"

"He seems to think he can", Sonic chipped in, grinning before turning serious, "but I really don't think he'll be in a fit state to do much of anything when he lands; that sort of flight'll shatter anyone".

"Exactly", Knuckles considered for a second before speaking up again, "I don't think Seraph can fly there with Nack and then fly back here in the same day, so we've got a bit of breathing space. So here's what I suggest; we get some food, some rest and we get cleaned up while we can. Any objections?" He wasn't expecting any, but in his heart of hearts wasn't too surprised when Rouge raised a point,

"Yeah, one thing; what did his wings look like?"

Tails cursed himself for omitting that detail as he recalled the appearance of his enemy; every nuance of Seraph's true form coming back to him as he tried to answer the bat. Mistaking the silence for a lack of answers, Amy spoke encouragingly,

"Were they feathered?"

"No, no I definitely remember that; they were like yours Rouge, but they looked different". The bat scratched her chin as she pressed for answers, an idea beginning to form in her mind as she extended the wing closest to the fox.

"Different how; trace it for me". Slowly, Tails stood and carefully drew a finger across the thin skin of the bat's wing, speaking as he recalled the rough dimensions of the natural propellers,

"They were longer and less deep than yours, and more angular too; they looked a bit like the wings of a plane. He hid them too", finishing the tracing, Tails placed both his hands at the small of his back, raising them up slowly in the manner Seraph had extended his wings, "I didn't see them at first, they were hugging his back".

"Oh fantastic". Rouge groaned aloud; that had been the final bit of proof she needed to come to an unshakeable conclusion.

"What's up Rouge; he's a bat like you?" Shadow enquired.

"Yes and no", the spy replied, smiling sadly as she tried to clear up the confusion of her cryptic answer, "he's probably a bat, the non-feathered wings gives that away, but if what Tails said is right he's nothing like me. He's a bloodsucker".

"A vampire?" Amy said aghast, causing Rouge to chuckle as the others swapped uneasy glances all around,

"Close; I think Seraph's a vampire bat".

Increase threat parameters of these individuals. Knowledge powerful – opponents may capitalise.

"Is there any way to prove that?" Sonic was looking a little pensive at this information; he'd never heard of vampire bats before and didn't like the sound of them.

"Only if you can get his mask off", Rouge chuckled at the look of panic on Sonic's face at that, "vampire bats have longer teeth than fruit bats do, but you have to get up close to see that kind of thing. Any volunteers?" Didn't think so, but I don't blame anyone.

"What do you know about vampire bats, and what differentiates them from, er, you?"

"You said the difference foxboy; the wings are a major giveaway. It's not possible for me to get my wings as close to my back as you said Seraph's were". As if to emphasise the point, Rouge half spun and tried to bring her wings in tight to her back. All five other Mobians could see the strain on her face as she tried but ultimately failed to touch her wingtips to the back of her thighs.

"Only vamps can do that naturally" she panted, glancing up as Knuckles' chin sank onto his fist,

"Right, what else do you know about them?" He's still angry – he never forgets a grudge, she shook herself slightly,

"Not much", she admitted, "vampire bats aren't common, but I'm told they've got better echolocation than my sort, and their eyes are said to be weak in sunlight".

"That would explain why he works at night, and his mask; he'd have a major advantage at night if he can see better than his prey" Shadow explained as Rouge agreed with her former team partner. Amy then raised a question tentatively,

"Umm, you know the name, I mean, do they really drink, er…"

"I've never asked", Rouge answered delicately before masking an evil grin, "but I'm a fruit bat and I eat fruit, so I don't see why he…" Amy squeaked and trembled as Tails laid a hand on her arm and glared at the spy. Standing up, Rouge held her hand out to the pink hedgehog, saying confidently,

"Don't worry Amy, he's not after you. Now you lot", she pointed to the remaining four Mobians, "clear off; we're going for a bath. Go get something to eat, and towels from that hut you call home" she said to Knuckles as he raised his eyebrows.

"And why should we do anything", Shadow stopped dead as Rouge began to unclip the back of her jumpsuit, "come on guys, food it is". All four vanished suddenly, Knuckles breathing out the corner of his mouth as he disappeared,

"You're shameless".

"Whatever works" the bat called after him; she wouldn't have really done anything but they didn't have to know that. Facing back to the waterfall again, Rouge felt herself get a hefty shove from Amy, the pink hedgehog smirking mischievously,

"Shame on you, scaring them like that". Rouge chuckled as she really did slip out of her garments, Amy following suit more slowly,

"Lesson number one, grasshopper; men are both fascinated and terrified by the female form. Use this to your advantage. Ohhh, that's cold" the bat exclaimed as she put a tentative toe into the water. That was followed by an all-out scream as Amy shoved again, sending Rouge tumbling right into the freezing depths. As the bat panted to try and get over the iciness of the water, Amy smirked again.

"And that's for trying to scare me – blood drinking vampire bats, for the love of ggaaahhh!" Rouge hadn't been lying; the water was icy, a fact Amy found out as the bat sent a small tidal wave lancing upwards at her. Giving a fearsome war cry, the pink hedgehog plunged right in, going on the offensive in an all out water war where no quarter was asked or given.

"I say we go back and steal their clothes".

"Nah, they'll think we're perverts", Sonic shook his head at that idea from Tails before smiling, "I say we put poison ivy on their clothes".

"That's just cruel", Shadow chipped in, checking with Knuckles that the grapes he'd found were ripe enough to be picked, "besides, that'd just hack them off and Amy's nasty when she's got that hammer. What do you think Knuckles?" All three looked as the echidna shook his head at the berries he'd been examining, deciding they weren't ripe enough to be edible. Realising they were looking for an answer, Knuckles simply shrugged,

"I think we should stop this conversation and think about getting something to eat" he stated shortly, turning back round before Sonic's arm on his shoulder stopped him,

"Hey man, what's with you, this was your idea remember?"

"Yeah Knucks, you've been in a bad mood since this morning". Tails backed up his brother as the echidna went on the defensive,

"Excuse me for thinking that just because Seraph's gone for now doesn't mean he's not going to come back. I want us ready to fight him and get rid of the trespassers on my island".

"Does that include us Knuckles?" Shadow was deadly serious; the echidna was coming close to a dangerous barrier and the black hedgehog tensed himself. Perhaps realising he'd put a foot wrong, the echidna tried to check himself,

"No, no way, I didn't mean you guys".

"So who did you mean then?" Tails was as wary as Shadow; Knuckles wasn't the friendliest Mobian ever but he'd been improving recently. That didn't mean he was immune to relapses though.

"I, er I meant, umm", who did I mean – could I throw any of them off, even her? For the first time in a long time, Knuckles was in doubt of his abilities as a Guardian; he was supposed to defend the island against all trespassers, especially those who had evil designs on the Master Emerald. But he couldn't get rid of any of these people; he couldn't be alone any more, not after his eyes had been opened by the events previously. Lowering both guard and voice, the echidna resigned himself to defeat,

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that".

"Don't sweat it Knucks", as always, Sonic was always willing to forgive and forget, clapping a hand on the echidna's shoulder, the same shoulder that had recently been drenched by Rouge's tears, "and you're right, we need to get ready. I'll get the towels, bear with me a minute". With a burst of speed Sonic took off, racing to Knuckles' cabin for the backpacks that Amy, Shadow, Tails and himself had brought from home. Shadow sensed an opportunity and motioned to Tails,

"Look, up there, sweetberries. Can you…"

"Gone". Tails had followed the extended finger and taken off; he loved the juicy sweetberries almost as much as Rouge did and that bunch looked particularly ripe and large. When he was gone, Shadow smiled a small, wicked smile and moved closer to Knuckles.

"She cares, you know".

With Station Square less than two miles distant, the gliding Seraph closed his eyes momentarily; the estimate he had heard earlier was correct. He had extended himself by this flight and would be unable to return to Angel Island today. His arms were growing heavy from carrying the unconscious form of Nack, but again his single overriding factor was completion of his mission. The information now was useful but largely irrelevant as kidnapping innocents as bait was outlawed for him. The tracer he used was waterproof, so even if the echidna did go for a swim, he'd be unlikely to damage or dislodge the tracer. The information was going to be crucial as the final target planned to escape his revenge.

"Huh?"

"Rouge, I mean", Shadow continued nonchalantly, popping a berry into his mouth as he went on, "under the surface, she gives a damn just like you do".

"You always were too observant – what's the old saying, never trust the quiet ones", Knuckles gave a gruff hint of gallows humour as Shadow was put on the back foot momentarily.

"What, no denials, no pleas that you hate her with every bone in your body? You surprise me". Knuckles gave the black hedgehog a sideways look and a crooked smile,

"I'm not a lot of things Shadow, but I am honest, even with myself". The echidna soldiered on through the bushes, looking for more berries as the black hedgehog asked casually,

"So why don't you ask her?"

"Why doesn't Sonic ask Amy?"

"Touché", Shadow considered for a second before deciding that wasn't enough, "but that's not all really is it, honestly?"

"No", Knuckles wasn't going to argue, it was pretty much pointless anyway, "but look Shadow, what have I got to offer, besides the Master Emerald" he said quickly to deter improper thoughts from the hedgehog. Shadow looked pensive for a little while before answering slowly,

"You've got a bit of a confidence problem; what's the worst she can say?"

"I don't think I'd stand it if she said no".

"I don't think she would", Shadow said encouragingly before smiling, "but it's in your own time Knucks".

"Good, I hate to rush things and speaking of rushing, here comes Sonic" he remarked as a boom reached his ears. Sure enough, just a few scant seconds later the blue blur pulled up besides them, clutching onto a quartet of clean linen. Noticing the furtive whispering, Sonic asked,

"What are you two conniving about?" Swapping a singing glance, Knuckles answered for the pair,

"We were discussing if termites or ants would be better for inside Rouge's jumpsuit". Sonic cringed.

"Hey, towels". The disembodied shout reached Rouge's ears as she relaxed under the waterfall itself, the coldness of the water lessened by exposure. Motioning Amy to sink down, the bat arranged herself so only her head was above water before shouting a response.

"Okay, leave them on the bank".

"Ahh, poor Tails" Amy remarked, chuckling as the fox emerged from the tree line, carrying the towels and walking with eyes tightly shut.

"Forwards a bit", the pink hedgehog tried to guide her friend, "little more, stop there. Okay, that'll do; leave them there and vamoose, and don't let me catch you peeking or else". The foxboy yipped, span on his heel and took off at Amy's words, doubtless imagining her wielding her almighty hammer to pound him if he did anything untoward.

"And they say I'm cruel". Rouge looked a little shocked at this new side of Amy as she sloshed forwards to get a towel. She regretted the words as a wave of water splashed over her back and she recommenced hostilities with her younger antagonist.

"Never again", Tails panted as his blush began to slowly recede and he stabbed daggers with his eyes at his sniggering friends, "never, ever again".

"Someday Tails, we'll all look back on this and laugh" Sonic assured him, trying not to make someday become today. Tails, however, became more serious as he remembered the actions of earlier,

"Nack might not". The humour fled away as the words ushered in a level of seriousness and all four male Mobians carefully picked up the food they'd been able to find and headed slowly back to the waterfall. As soon as they were within earshot, Sonic shouted,

"You two decent yet?"

"Two minutes" was the faint reply; Amy by the sound of it. After waiting the required time, the gatherers quickly approached the waterfall and the two girls. Unsurprisingly, both were fully reclothed and, from the looks of things, absolutely famished.

"Ah great, let's eat".

"Hold it", Shadow's voice stopped them all from tucking in, "we eat, then we decide what to do next, cool?" There was a general agreement from all present and all thought as they devoured the sweet fruits in front of them.

Landing on a deserted stretch of the peer, Seraph hustled his unconscious charge into the shadow of a nearby warehouse. Quickly unclipping the handcuffs, he stowed them away on his belt, locating the tracer Tails had been talking about and throwing it into the water as he checked the time. It wasn't yet midday; he required rest and to store away his target. His efficiency had been decreased as a result of little sleep for a few nights and the long flight he had just endured, complete with comatose passenger. The bat looked upward; he disliked the sunlight; it increased his chances of being discovered. He needed to get back to his lair with an unconscious weasel in broad daylight without being discovered – a challenge, but as his darkened eyes fell on a nearby liquor store, it was one he was quickly able to solve.

Whew! The dingo was used to getting his fair share of tipsy passengers, but as he pulled up to this odd couple he realised this was more potent than most; he couldn't just smell the booze on them, he could practically taste it. The fact that the one flagging him down seemed to be in fancy dress didn't help dissuade his caution, nor did the fact that he seemed to be holding the other one up. The cabbie rolled his window down a smidgen,

"Er yeah mate; where you headed to?" The leather wearer seemed to continue flagging for a minute before looking down at the stationary vehicle as though he was sure it had just dropped from space. He seemed to shake his head before reaching down clumsily, the purple weasel on his arm slouching over drunkenly. Wondering quite what he was getting himself into, the taxi driver waited nervously as a small piece of paper was thrust forwards; the loopy, spidery writing took a bit of deciphering, but eventually the dingo managed to make sense of an address on the other side of town.

"Right, hop in". Checking in his rear view mirror, the cabbie heard and saw one of the rear doors pop open and the weasel, still apparently sound asleep, was thrown in. Arranging his friend and clipping on his seatbelt after a few false starts, his fare waved a hand forwards and drunkenly sat back, silently continuing his play act of sleep as he ran down a list of objectives in his head.

"Here you go mate". Seraph had seen the building he'd requisitioned as his base loom up in the distance as the taxi approached. As his ride pulled to a halt, the vampire bat skilfully mimicked having just been drunkenly jerked awake by the driver's shout. Flopping to open the door, he carefully supported himself on the taxi's sleek black exterior to open Nack's door and drag the weasel outside. Handing the cabbie enough to cover the bill and a hefty tip, he waited until the taxi was in the distance before dropping the act; seizing Nack over his shoulder, the assassin leapt agilely towards his base. The sedative he'd used had been powerful but would wear off soon; he had determined the logical course of action was to listen for any plans from his remaining target and wait until the weasel awoke before beginning the surgery, if it could be called that. The smell of the alcohol he'd poured on himself and Nack would also have to be removed; it could warn future targets if he got too close to them.

As it had been nearly three days since their last proper meal, rather than eating in fits and starts, every one of them made the most of it. All the berries, fruits and remaining supplies brought in by Sonic and co. were devoured mercilessly in a silent feast that lasted at least half an hour. Finally, when cramping stomachs could hold no more, Amy rolled onto her back and groaned,

"Now that was worth the wait".

"What do you mean wait?" Sonic was mildly indignant at this statement, "all you two did was wash while we went and collected everything for you. We climbed trees, risked thorn bushes and even had to restrain Knuckles". Everyone's heads snapped round at that comment, especially Knuckles; he noticed the gleam in Sonic's eye and took a fortifying breath – this was probably going to be embarrassing. Of course, Rouge had to be the one to ask, keeping half her attention on Knuckles as she smirked.

"Restraining the Knucklehead? Tell me more".

"Oh yeah; he heard the two minute warning at that was it – he was champing at the bit to get here". The echidna shot to his feet; Sonic had often teased him about Rouge just as he teased Sonic about Amy but this was going too far.

"You're toast hedgehog!" Knuckles was about to introduce Sonic to Mr. Fist and his close friend Madam Blackeye when Shadow and Amy leapt up to restrain him as Tails stopped chuckling and acted as the voice of serenity,

"Knuckles, stop it; Sonic's only joking", the fox shook his head at his immature elder brother, "a typically crass and childish joke, but a joke nonetheless".

"Yeah Knucks", Shadow grunted as he grappled one of the echidna's arms, "be grateful, I have to live with this". Knuckles eventually calmed down and Amy turned to Sonic and admonished the blue hedgehog.

"Apologise for that comment Sonic".

"Aw why do I have to; we needed a joke and besides it was true" the blue blur chuckled as Knuckles made a second attempt to break free. That was enough for Amy; Sonic had stepped over the line and it was time to get out the big guns to reinforce the boundaries.

"Do it with good grace or", she leaned in close and grinned like a gremlin, "I'll tell him what the M means".

Sonic went pale, all thoughts of joshing around flown straight out of his head as the impact of that threat struck him harder than any punch Knuckles could have thrown.

"You, you wouldn't…?"

"Try me".

"Okay, okay. Knuckles, I apologise wholeheartedly and unreservedly for any insult I just spoke".

"Err, all right, apology accepted", the echidna was curious at this new power Amy was exhibiting and tried to find out more about it, "the M?"

"Sonic M Hedgehog", Tails answered before shrugging, "Sonic's got a weird middle name and he won't tell it to anyone. Don't know why, it's not like it could be worse than Miles".

"Trust me it can. I'll die before I tell anyone what the M stands for". Sonic was as serious as Sonic could get as he said that.

"So how does Amy know it?" Rouge was curious to know this as it appeared Amy had uncovered something Sonic had kept hidden from even his closest friends. The pink hedgehog struck her victory pose as she answered,

"I saw it in his passport, and don't look at me like that", she told the glowering Sonic, "I was only trying to find your birthday". Rouge chuckled,

"Well, it's not like that statement could have been true anyway". Shadow just knew he was going to regret this but,

"And why not?"

"Oh come on, this is Knuckles – one hint of flesh and he'd probably keel over. He's got morals too good to pry on unsuspecting ladies". Knuckles was unsure whether to take the comment as a hit at his solitary background or a compliment to his moral code. In a few minutes it was irrelevant anyway as Amy clapped her hands and shouted,

"Anyway, this name malarkey can stop right now; we've got to come up with a plan to try and get Rouge safe and hopefully rescue Nack into the bargain".

Interesting ideas. Miles Prower again showing intelligence. Most impractical. Noise from holding area. Target conscious. Prepare implantation procedure.

The light, the light was spinning into his wobbling eyes, he reluctantly forced them shut and tried to bring his arms up to cover his vulnerable optics. Stupid blanket, it had snared up his arms something chronic. Kicking out, Nack realised that this blanket had done a professional job; he couldn't even kick it off his legs. In fact, despite the discomfort it caused, he forced his eyes open again and tried to focus on his arms. As his sight cleared and some logic slowly percolated into his mind, he was jolted fully awake by the image that he was confronted with. It wasn't a blanket that was covering him; he was basically in leg irons; it was impossible to move his wrists or ankles apart and moving his legs forced himself to bring his arms down. As the looked around, he swiftly realised this wasn't the log cabin he'd been in last; this place was old and seemed to be mostly made of metal, old, rusting metal at that.

What was going on – the weasel fought down the initial stab of panic that threatened to destroy his ability to think clearly and remembered. The last thing he could clearly remember was that mark, he'd ran away as he'd panicked at the sight of it, then, oh no. Nack grimaced, stomach slowly filling with cold swirling water as he remembered that he'd told them everything, including the fact that for seven years he'd considered himself a murderer. It was after that things went hazy; he remembered looking up and seeing something falling, but there was nothing past that. He was tempted to pass it off as a drunken dream, certainly he smelt alcohol on his clothing and fur, but tempting as it sounded was forced to discount that theory; he didn't drink much as a rule and Knuckles hadn't had much of a mini bar from what he could tell. Nack's ears caught the sound of footsteps approaching and he shuffled upwards, sitting up as much as was possible for someone restrained as he was. His eyes widened as he saw the devil of his past approaching.

It wasn't a surprise; he was smart enough to figure out the most likely explanation for the change of scenery had been abduction, but what did shock him was the lack of fear he felt. It was like he'd gone too far to be afraid and was able to casually observe as Seraph approached his basically helpless form. He saw the strange device held in the black angel's left hand, smiled resignedly and composed himself to deal with a lot of pain.

"Torture, Seraph?" Nack even managed a snort of laughter, "doesn't seem like your thing – you seemed like the type to kill outright; you've had practice at that remember". The former guild member and team mate slowed his approach as he heard these words and Nack gave a gallows smile.

"What's up, don't talk any more? No, not like you'd have much interesting to say on topics that didn't involve murder". Seraph remained silent and Nack, realising he had precious little time left before it started, asked a question that had plagued him since the night he'd terminated their friendship, so to speak.

"Do I get a last request?" The weasel continued before his captor could even consider answering, "How'd ya do it Seraph? That was a killing shot, how'd you manage to survive it and then escape?" The question didn't even appear to slow him down and Nack bowed his head slightly as Seraph came within reach, muttering the name of his sister and hoping that, once he was done with him, Seraph would leave the others alone. There was a sudden jerk on the chain connecting his wrists and ankles and Nack yelped as he was brought forwards. He looked up and saw straight into Seraph's ever passive camouflage.

"I didn't".

There was an almost inaudible 'phush' and the taste of camphor on his tongue as Nack tried to register his disbelief of this fact. The aerosolised sedatives took almost immediate effects and the last thing Nack remembered was the feeling of his hat being taken off.

Implantation successful; programming accepted with no flaw. Decision being made by target.

"So here's what we think so far", Sonic was summarising, "we can't let Rouge stay here because Seraph knows about her location. Therefore, she's got to move off".

"Yep; we've seen what Seraph can do even against a group of us; I've got a better chance of hiding than we have of outfighting or outthinking him".

"Fair enough", Tails nodded at the bat's reasoning, "but I don't think it's safe to go alone".

"Yeah, if he found you alone, chances are you couldn't fight him off", Knuckles backed up the kit's concerns, "I don't think you should go back alone". Rouge raised an eyebrow; thinking as part of a team wasn't usually Knuckle's forte.

"Good idea Knuckles; you volunteering?" Oh hell, that was dumb; for a second she'd forgotten that the echidna's life revolved around the green rock at the centre of the island. Wait, did I just call the Master Emerald a green rock!

"It would be a little difficult to guard the Master from Station Square", the echidna gave an ironic smile, "I can glide but I can't fly". That wasn't too bad; she'd been expecting a more sarcastic comment than that.

"I know", Amy's exclamation caught them all a little unprepared, "take Sonic and Shadow; they've got an apartment in Station Square and you could stay there. Seraph shouldn't attack Knuckles, Tails and me, because we're all innocent".

"Nice plan, I like it". Rouge gave the pink hedgehog an appreciative smile as she examined the plan from all the angles she could think of and found it proof against all of them. Checking her two future roomies, she was pleasantly surprised to not hear a single murmur of protest. Instead, Shadow raised an interesting point,

"Should we get the police involved?" All eyes turned to Rouge; though all five believed and in some cases voiced, the belief that this was an excellent idea, all respected that as this was ultimately her problem, it was ultimately her choice. The bat closed her eyes as several factors collided violently; Nack had wanted it to remain a guild matter, but look where that had got him – captured, possibly hurt or even… That was the thought that tipped the scales as she smiled grimly.

"Yeah, we'll go to them tomorrow, first thing".

"Good idea; when are you thinking of leaving?"

"You that desperate to get rid of me Knucklehead?" Rouge was only half-serious; she realised and accepted that she was possibly the single most determined threat Knuckles had encountered to the safety of his beloved gem – nearly a week of her must have been driving him up the walls and along the ceiling. For his part, the echidna gave a tight smile,

"No, I'm just thinking that you're probably all still tired, but at the same time the longer we leave it, the more time Seraph has to recover. It's going to be a balancing act, and a fine one at that".

"He's right as well". Shadow emphasised the point by failing to hold back a monumental yawn as everyone realised that the echidna's words did indeed ring true. After considering for a few minutes Tails gave a nod.

"I think you should go at dusk; that'll give you enough time to rest and hopefully the darkness'll give you a bit of concealment. Are you sure the 'copter will fit three?"

"It'll be a bit of a squeeze but yes, we could all fit", Rouge blessed Sonic and Shadow with a devilish smile, "better figure out who's sitting on who's lap boys".

"No way!"

"It's either that or the gear stick". Both hedgehogs simmered away nicely as the rest stifled giggles and Rouge spoke again,

"Oh, and get a bath the pair of you; I have to fly with you I don't need to smell you as well". Knuckles heeded a sudden urge and shifted his place silently and almost unnoticeably. Sonic looked at the waterfall uncomfortably; despite several lessons and some improvement, his swimming skills were less adept than he would have liked and that water looked rather chilly.

"Er, sure, I'll catch forty winks firsaye!" Something seized the hedgehog by the scruff of his neck and at the base of his tail, stopping him from moving. Catching a glance as he fought for his freedom, Sonic realised his captor was none other than Knuckles. A lead weight settled in his stomach and he redoubled his efforts as the echidna spoke,

"Actually Sonic, I think you'll be catching a bath first". As he was stronger than the hedgehog, Knuckles was able to rush him to the lake edge and give a great heave, the so-called hero's panicked shout warming the cockles of the echidna's heart as Sonic landed with a great spladoom. The shout was followed by a second shriek.

"Ahh, the water's freezing!"

"Don't embarrass me on my island Sonic, it'll only end in tears".

"Knuckles watch out". The echidna threw himself to the side, grateful to Rouge's warning as something pink flashed through the spot he'd recently vacated. Amy swung again as Knuckles decided discretion was the much better part of valour, especially when dirty great hammers and his skull were involved.

"How dare you pick on my sweet Sonikku!" Knuckles disappeared, shouting something about the Master Emerald as Shadow lowered himself into the water, the small flames from his jet shoes heating the water. He noticed the shivering Sonic and smiled,

"Ah, how thoughtful, you're warming the water up for me; another few minutes with those cheeks and we'll be toasty". The black hedgehog's chuckles were short-lived as the enraged Sonic dunked him until he pleaded for mercy.

Once he was perfectly sure Amy had been left a long way behind, Knuckles slowed down and headed for the Master Emerald shrine. He needed to check up on it though he was certain Seraph hadn't touched it; he'd have sensed it if something as foul as the assassin had set foot in the Hidden Palace. He had decided when Rouge had decided that flight was the best option that, even if he couldn't go with her, he could still help indirectly. He just hoped it wouldn't come to a fight, and if it did, his offer would help tip the balance in his friend's favour.

The targets are approaching position by air. Rest and intercept. If executed correctly, only the final target will remain before morning dawns.