CHAPTER 5

A half hour later Sonic was knocking on the door of the house of Amy Rose. When she finally answered it her face showed surprise then she smiled. "Hello, Sonic," she said closing her eyes halfway flirtiously. "What brings you here?"

Knuckles stepped forward before anything unneeded happened. "We need help," he said.

Amy looked at the echidna. She noticed he was holding Shadow. She also noticed how bad the black hedgehog looked. He was dirty and covered in blood.

Amy gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. "What happened to him?" she asked pointing.

"We'll explain after you let us inside," Sopnic spoke up.

"Oh, Yes! Of course!" Amy exclaimed, half in joy and half in worry. She flung her front door wide open. "Come on in!"

The two guys and Shadow were inside in an instant. Amy slammed the door shut behind them.

"Take him upstairs," she instructed Knuckles. "I have an extra bedroom he can use."

Knuckles followed her instructions and went up the stairs. Sonic lingered behind. He looked nervously at Amy but she didn't seem to notice him at the moment. Her face was creased with worry.

When she did glance his way he said haltingly. "Uh,... Thanks Amy."

"You know I'd do anything to help someone," she said, not meeting his eyes. "Though I'd do anything for you."

Sonic knew that was true. He leaned forward. Amy closed her eyes.

Knuckles clammered down the stairs and broke the moment. "Hey, c'mon guys," he exclaimed. "Get up there! Shadow needs help!"

"We're coming," Sonic said a bit adggitated. He turned to Amy. "Come on."

She nodded.

The followed the red echidna up the stairs.

When Amy came into the room she knelt down by the bed Knuckles had set the unconcious Shadow and examined the wound. "It looks like he was impailed by spikes! What happened to him?" she asked, as she pulled out bandages.

"We're not sure," Sonic answered. "I think Metal Sonic is responsible for it, though."

Amy seemed upset about the news that Metal Sonic was still around. "It looks like Metal Sonic tried to kill Shadow using his finger claws," she said. "Luckily he wasn't able to get them very deep."

"Do you think he'll live?" Knuckles asked refering to Shadow.

"I'm sure he will," Amy said. "Remember. Shadow is always bragging that he is the ultimate life form. He can't and won't die."

The two guys nodded. They knew she was right.

"Maybe we should ask him what happened," Sonic suggested.

Amy finished bandaging Shadow. She turned to the blue hedgehog. "Let him rest first," she advised. "Shadow could be down for awhile. When he does wake up I think it would be best if you don't ask him what happened right away. He may not be up to telling anything."

"I agree with Amy," Knuckles said. "Asking him right away could be too tramatic. He may not want to relive what happened immeadiatly."

Sonic was out numbered and he knew it. He didn't push the situation farther. He nodded. "Okay," he said. "We won't ask him right away."

His friends looked relieved.

"We'd better go," Amy said, ushering the two guys out of Shadow's room. "Shadow needs his rest."

They stepped outside. Amy quietly shut the door behind them.

Amy stopped Sonic on the stairs. "Sonic, what was Metal Sonic doing in Station Square anyway?" she asked.

Sonic knew it wouldn't hurt to tell her. "I think he's after these," he said pulling out one of the gray Chaos Emeralds.

Amy stared at it. "What is it?" she asked.

"A Chaos Emerald."

She gasped. "A Chaos Emerald!" she exclaimed. "What happened to it?"

Sonic closed his eyes. "It was sucked dry," he explained. "Sucked dry by Metal Sonic's new power lust."

Amy took the Emerald from him and examined it. She noticed the puncture marks. "Metal Sonic did this!" she asked. "But it's sucked dry. How could he? How could he be able to hold all that power without exploding?"

Sonic wasn't sure. "I don't know," he said. "But he did. He's done it to three so far as well as the Master Emerald."

Now Amy was shocked. "The Master Emerald!" she implured.

"Let Knuckles tell you," Sonic advised.

Amy cast a look toward the bedroom where Shadow was resting. "But why did he go after Shadow?"

Sonic didn't know. He shrugged. "I don't know nor do I understand it either," he said. "Shadow's not a Chaos Emerald or a full robot. From what Tails told me he's a living breathing flesh and bone android. Only his skeleton is metal."

"Shadow's an organic robot, right?" Amy finished. "An organic robot with the ability to use the Chaos Emeralds."

"But Metal Sonic has that ability too," Sonic reminded her. "There's no way that's the reason Metal Sonic went after Shadow."

"Maybe it's because he's the ultimate life form," Amy suggested.

Sonic thought about that. "That could be the reason," he agreed.

"But we won't be able to find out the real reason," she pointed out.

"Well not now anyway," he admitted. "But maybe we can ask Shadow later. When he's awake and less tramatized by what had happened."

Amy thought that was a good idea. "Now," she said with a half smile. "Since it's obvious you and Knuckles will be staying here awhile how about I make us some lunch?"

Sonic smiled. "All right!"

While Sonic and Knuckles waited in the dining room Amy went into the kitchen and began to prepare lunch. Her mind was pre-occupied by what Sonic told her, though, and she didn't pay much attention to what she was doing. "Why is Metal Sonic after the Chaos Emeralds anyway? Why is he draining them? Is this a new plan of Dr. Eggman's?" she asked herself as she put slices of ham and cheese between pieces of bread. "I'll have to ask Sonic," she decided. "and Knuckles. I really need to know about his encounter with Metal Sonic. Why would that robot steal energy from the Master Emerald then go after the Chaos Emeralds?"

She pondered over that as she finished the sandwiches then began to fill some glasses with lemonade. Then it came to her and she gasped dropping a glass. "I think I know!" she exclaimed. She grabbed the tray. "I have to tell Sonic!"

She ran into the diningroom. "SONIC! KNUCKLES!" she exclaimed dropping the tray on the table.

A glass spilled. Knuckles jumped out of his chair. "Ahh!" he screeched, grabbing a towel to sop up the mess. "Be careful, Amy! What's the matter with you?"

"I figured it out!" she yelled excitedly.

"Figured what out?' Sonic asked, grinning with amusment as he watched Knuckles clean up the spilled juice.

"Why Metal Sonic stole the Master Emerald's power!"

"Why?" Now Sonic's attenton was fixed on her.

"Because if he had the power of the Master Emerald, which as we all know has the power to neutralize the other Emeralds, he could use its power to create a sort of ability so that the Chaos Emeralds won't make him overload."

Sonic stared at her in disbelieve. "What?"

"Since he has the power of the Master Emerald inside him he can use its power to protect himself from the negative effect of the Chaos Emeralds. That's why he can steal their power and not blow up!"

Sonic was speechless. How could a Tails like conclusion come out of Amy Rose's mouth?

"Maybe she's right," Knuckles said nodding. "Why didn't we think of that before?"

"Man, Metal Sonic's smarted then he looks," Sonic commented.

Amy put in. "Well he was modeled after you!"

Sonic felt himself beginning to blush.

"If she's right," Knuckles cut in. "He'll go after all the Chaos Emeralds."

"But Shadow isn't a Chaos Emerald," Sonic pointed out. "He doesn't even look like one. Why would Metal Sonic go after him?'

"Like you said, Sonic," Amy finished up the conversatiopn. "That's just something we'll have to ask him."

The three began to eat. Not much was said during the meal. They had too much to think about. Namely, how were they going to stop Metal Sonic?