Being Free – Chapter 4

Designed by Airo Smickor

I don't own any characters used here, none! I OWN NOTHING! ...Hang on, what
am I writing with? 0-0

Chapter 4 - Orders

"Agenda - Something to be done, especially an item on a program or list."

"Hello, is this the number forflight information?"
"Only as far as you are willing to travel."
"I have an extension number – 362 75G"
"Please wait a moment while we confirm..."

"... The line is secure, password accepted, we can talk normally now."
"Gezz, what's up with all these protocols? You can't even walk outside without giving some sort of secret handshake!"
"Now agent Bat, you know its part of our security system. We can't be too careful, after what happened after the ARK, and since G.U.N. was denounced, we need to watch out own backs now. You never know who could be listening in."
"Let's get to it, what's the deal? Is Eggman planning another attack already?"
"Negative. Surveillance reports indicate he's building up more troops at the moment, and from his history in mechanics, it will take a good few months before he's in any shape to try anything new."
"Then what does the President want now? You know I'm not in a good mood to play games anymore, not since..."

"We've all heard your side, we read your reports. We know how you feel, so now I'll cut to the chase. While the ARK battle was going on, we installed bugs into the telephone lines of the homes of Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles Prower, Amy Rose, and we've been keeping an eye on the Floating Island. They know about what happened up there, just as much as you do. But since they always seem to come into conflict with Eggman, they should somehow be able to give us information on any tricks he might try, or information about the Chaos Emeralds, or..."

"Let me guess, you don't believe that they'd willingly talk to government agents, am I right?"
"Affirmative. We weren't expecting anything major for a good while, but earlier, we received this message recorded from Prower's home to the Hedgehog's. Listen to this."

"Hello? Who is it?"
"Hey Sonic! It's me Tails!"
"Hey buddy! How's things?"
"They're great Sonic! You won't believe what I've just found today!"

"Really? Is it a Chaos Emerald? I remember when you found one before, you didn't think the energy would cause your plane to crash again did you?"
"Sonic... you know I'm more careful now..."
"Ha-ha! Don't worry man, I'm just kidding! You were telling about what you'd..."

"Oh yeah! It's about the... um... I guess you could say that it concerns the Space Colony ARK..."
"ARK! No way!"
"Yeah! The ARK! I couldn't believe my eyes either, but..."
"This I gotta see! I'll be right over man, & I'll try and get Knuckles to come along as well, but you know what he's like..."

"Great, I've already talked to Amy, and she says she'll..."
"Oh man! Don't do this to me! Not HER!"
"Sonic, you've got to trust me on this, it's very important that only is everyone who was on ARK is here to see this, but that you all see it at the same time. Okay Sonic?"
"Wow Tails, don't be going all serious on me know buddy!"

"Sonic, please!"
"Okay, okay, I'll do it, but you're gonna owe me big time for making me go along with Amy. Wait... oh man, you don't mean I'll have to go by train with her do you?"
"It's the best way for you ALL to get here! Don't worry, I heard Amy say that she'll bring Cream and Cheese with her to visit my place, which might calm her down a bit. Besides, I think that when you see my surprise, you'll forgive me for anything that happens!"

"Boy, you must really have something about ARK to make you so sure... okay then, I'll get Knuckles, and meet up with the girls. I'll catch you up when I get there, I mean WE get there"
"That's great! Okay, I'll see you here then! Bye Sonic!"
"Bye buddy"

"...That's the whole call, we decided to spare you the details of the call to Rose, she was more interested in meeting up with Sonic than the 'surprise'. Some of the guys at HQ are thinking of sending in a drugs squad to her house, she sounds like she's getting high a lot of the time."
"Huh, it's only because Sonic is her drug..."
"Well agent, what do you make of that call."
"It sure sounds like this is something, that fox was very sure they ALL had to see it at the same time, but he didn't say what it was, it could be files, videotapes, anything!"

"Exactly. That's why you must find out what it is. You are to go to the home of Miles Prower, locate the ARK 'surprise', take photographic evidence, or likewise proof of it, and, if it possible and would not hold up you mission, bring it back for examination to us. You will bring what you have collected to the secret meeting point in Station Square, you do remember it?"
"How could I forget? I'm not just any ordinary agent!"
"That's what we're worried about. After you nearly got killed in a bomb explosion, forgot your mission to go grab those damn Chaos Emeralds, and was partly responsible for the blowing-up of the moon, we have been giving serious thought to revoking your agent status."

"What could you possibly mean? I did my job didn't I?"
"Yes, but at what cost! Sure you brought us all the information from Professor Robotnik's computers, and the information about Project Shadow, but you haven't been the same since, and what's more, you STILL haven't handed over that piece of 'evidence' that you have from..."

"I told you! You can't have it! It's all I have to remind me of him!"
"That's another problem agent, for years you've carried out our missions with no problems, but along comes one homicidal hedgehog who..."
"HE'S A HERO DAMN IT! YOU'D ALL BE DEAD IF IT WASN'T FOR HIM!"

"...Okay agent, I know that this is case you feel very close about, and it's only been 2 weeks, but he is dead. You heard from Sonic yourself. You need to let go, and perhaps maybe this wasn't the best case in the world to put you on, but you know more about what happened there than anyone in here. Even the President doesn't know much about it. But we're willing to forget all the 'problems' that happened in your last case if you take this one. Are you in?"
"..."
"Agent, I need an answer."
"...Alright, I'll do it. But depending on what I find, this maybe the last case I ever do for you guys."
"...Understood. Be careful agent, we need to know what Prower has got ASAP. Over and Out."
"Roger... Over and Out."

Rouge slammed the phone down, and backhanded it off her desk, so that is slid across it, taking out some papers she had piled up earlier. She didn't care. Barely two weeks after the whole incident, and this is how the government repays her?
'This is just typical' Rouge thought, 'Typical of them. They don't care about how one person feels, only the good of the whole country. Damn it Rouge! What have you just gotten into? Why can't you just go off and grab another jewel like old times? And why... why can't you forget...'

Rouge felt the golden glove ring she had on a chain around her neck. The only memento she had of him. He, the self-proclaimed Ultimate Life-Form. Not even she really knew why she wore it like this, but somehow she held it as a lucky charm. There was a protecting quality about it. Rouge gripped the ring tight in her hand, closed her eyes and remembered him.

She looked back to when she was first introduced to him; how his look was different from that of anyone else she'd met before. He had a sort of... darkness around him, which made him stand out for the wrong reasons, as sometimes she did. Rouge had remembered how she had radioed Shadow about how she was trapped, not really expecting anything, and how he had appeared and saved her with Chaos Control. How he had denied that he'd saved her, only the emeralds, how he had responded to her sly winks and only slight flirting – she had enjoyed seeing him not know how to react to it, since it was kind of cute. She remembered when only Sonic returned, and handed her his glove band. How it was better than any treasure in the world...

Rouge opened her eyes, looking at what was the last remaining relic of Project Shadow. She sighed. How could this be happening to her? What was wrong with her? She was Rouge, professional treasure hunter, master jewel thief, and part-time spy. How could, after all these years, someone suddenly come along and have such an effect on her? Sure, Knuckles had been somewhat different, but he was caught up in guarding his 'Master Emerald', plus he had one heck of an ego and attitude problem to her liking.

But with Shadow, there was something different.

He never referred to her as 'bat- girl' like so many of the others had done. He'd always been a gentleman around her. Around his quest for revenge against those who'd destroyed his life, he never seemed to forget his manners, a sort of calm amongst the storm. Shadow was just too different to anything that she'd seen before, was it because that he'd been created? Was it because he was a weepon?

The thing that hurt Rouge the most about this whole situation was that she would never truly know about Shadow. He was gone forever, living in the afterlife, probably living with Maria, who he always talked about so much. Rouge looked at the clock, it had been quite late when she'd been called up, Rouge only now really took in how much time she'd spent thinking. In the morning, she'd get up early, and finish this mission quickly.

'The less time spent thinking about ARK, the better.' Rouge reasoned, 'That should keep the man off me for at least a little while... But what is it? What do you have, young Miles Prower, what is it that is so important? Well, I guess you wouldn't know how to use it anyway, so it won't hurt if I take it off your hands' Rouge laughed to herself, thinking that dealing with young Miles wouldn't be a problem, but if Sonic was still there, then that could be a problem. Or even that Echidna. Still, tomorrow will be a new day of discovery. Rouge only hoped what she found would not make her feel worse, or make her find out more about him.

Author notes: Well, well! The plot, much like the gravy, begins to thicken! You guys know the score by now(or if you are new to this story, hello and welcome!) - give me your feedback and reviews, visit my website, and all the usual stuff! Some of you may have noticed that the 'non fan-fic' parts of my chapters have become a little weird. Don't worry, it's planned. Just makes if more friendly and stuff, you know.

Edited 25-03-05 for paragraphing