Sonic Evolution

Unity Story

Chapter 2: Hedgehog Down

The roads in the countryside, for most of the time, are quiet. Only a truck, coming down slowly, could break it…

That and the occasional supersonic hedgehog.

Making sure to keep off the road, Sonic took a glance over at the mountains in the distance. It was an awe-inspiring sight. He loved beautiful scenery. He didn't care where he was, as long as the view was fantastic, he was in hedgehog heaven. He only head his footsteps and the occasional car, so when his stomach grumbled, he could well hear it.

Still running, he looked to his stomach, then back up and said to no one in particular, "Time to take a rest stop!"

Sonic ran down some ways more and eventually came to see a gas station restaurant in the distance. He grinned. Maybe he would down a few plates of chili, or whatever they had there, rest for a minute or two, then continue to blast through with sonic speed. He ran for the door, and then hit his heels dug into the ground, causing him to make a screeching noise and eventually come to a stop. From there he calmly walked into the door of the restaurant.

The restaurant was a bit fancier than some he had been to before, carpeted floors, pictures on the wall, rolled up curtains revealing the light through the window, and polished, clean tables. Nothing like eating fancy! Sonic walked into the restaurant and saw all the waiters and waitresses busy with other orders. Sonic wasn't one to wait, so he opted for a seat next to a television hanging from a wall. Agh, the news. Why the news? Sonic knew better than to switch the channel, so he propped his feet on the table and watched, bored before he heard the first word.

"This just in…" The anchorman said, taking some pieces of paper from a hand that stretched onscreen, "There has been a break-in at the Station Square museum, owned by the old millionaire Mr. Richmond."

Sonic's eye opened. Station Square? Oh well, what's done is done. He was too far away from Station Square to do anything, anyway. Heh, he thought, "Richmond…" Nice name.

"However, the break-in itself was not the most interesting thing about the scene…"

Sonic's other eye opened. It was probably going to be something anti-climactic, like nothing was stolen or something.

"… Two members of the alleged 'Sonic Heroes' were found at the scene, out cold and, after an hour, proclaimed to be in a comatose state."

Sonic's eyes came wide open as, with a swift motion, his feet were planted firmly on the ground, his hands on the table. He was listening intently.

"Can I take your order, sir?"

"No!" Sonic snapped at the waitress, pale, then looked to her shocked expression, "N-no… I'm still thinking."

The report continued, "The scene here, as this picture indicated, seemed to have classic signs of a struggle. The hardest impact seemed to be scored where this crater was. There is a blood trail leading from this and is currently being tested for any identity. The popular theory is that they were there to prevent the break-in from happening…"

Sonic looked and saw in the picture, Tails and Knuckles sprawled about the ground. They seemed more asleep than out cold. Knuckles had his usual borderline angry face and Tails looked so peaceful. Sonic assumed that before the perpetrator had left, Knuckles had slammed him into the ground hard enough to make that crater. At least he had a taste of the pain he so richly deserved. Seeing Tails and Knuckles on the ground… it made Sonic shake with fury. What heartless monster, or monsters, now that he thought of it, could have been instrumental in any way of this… this heinous act? Sonic's breathing was loud, his teeth bared and his eyes burning with an emerald fire of righteous fury.

Without even thinking about food a second time, Sonic ran, as the crow flies, out the door, causing the carpet to be ripped up and tables and chairs to fly helter-skelter. He had been chased by trucks and large wheels, he had outrun many explosions, he had escaped from a detonating island in eight minutes, he had even outrun a hedgehog faster than him to reach the end of the space colony ARK's cannon… in comparison to now, Sonic had never before run faster in his entire life.

-

Like a sonic boom, Sonic sped through the halls of the Station Square hospital, ending up at the "furry wing." Though offensive, he knew the sign indicated his friends were there. He ran into the room and rammed the door open, actually learning his manners in time and trying not to knock it off its hinges. Sonic walked to where Tails and Knuckles laid in separate beds and looked at them, the same as in the picture on the news report.

"C'mon, guys! Get up!" Sonic shouted, nudging Tails, and then Knuckles. He didn't care if they got angry. He would have loved to be worried sick for no reason. He would be grateful that they were just alive. However, they did not awake, or seem to make any effort to. Sonic's shaking them became very violent and he started to contemplate other means of waking them up when a calm voice came from behind him.

"We've tried everything, Sonic. They won't budge."

Sonic turned around to see a doctor looking very solemn, understanding that Sonic was in a very hard time.

"We were expecting you… sit down."

"No, thanks. I'm more the standing kind of guy."

The doctor sighed, "We don't know what's wrong with them, Sonic. We tested them and they have no exterior wounds. We can only assume some supernatural force is at work, here."

Sonic looked from the doctor, to Tails and Knuckles, then back to the doctor, then repeated the process many, many times. This was obviously taking its toll on the blue hedgehog.

"Who…" Sonic gasped, breathing very hard, the rage in his eyes renewed, "Who… who… who…"

"… Did this?" The doctor finished.

Sonic nodded gingerly.

"We may know shortly." The doctor said, "You heard there was blood at the sight. We may not know, but it may be the blood of whoever was else was at the break-in. It's a long shot, but it also may be who did this to those two."

Sonic nodded once again, looking back at his friends. His mind raced. Nothing of this sort had ever happened before. He never thought it would happen. Maybe to other people, but the popular saying goes that "you are 'other people' to other people."

Another doctor walked into the room with a folder. He handed it to the first doctor, and after a "thank you" was given, the second doctor left. Sonic watched as the remaining doctor opened the folder, then furrowed his brow. He looked to Sonic, and then gently held the folder out. They both knew what it contained.

Sonic breathed in and out slowly, trying to contain himself. He then took the folder. He opened the folder.

Rouge the bat.

Sonic stared in disbelief. Less out of that she would do such a thing, but more doubting she had the capability to. Then again, she would do anything for those jewels of hers. Sonic clutched the folder. Rouge would pay, maybe with her life. He didn't know for sure yet. All he knew that Rouge would soon know what it meant to mess with his friends.

"Thank you, doctor." He said frailly, and then gave the folder back. As soon as the doctor took the folder, Sonic dashed out of the room, taking no care for what he ran into or ripped from its hinges or ripped from the floor.

-

Amy Rose sat on her bed, reading a magazine when a loud and impatient knock echoed throughout her room. She looked up with a start, putting the magazine down. Who could that be? She got up off the bed while the knock persisted.

"I'm coming!" She tried to shout over the knock.

She put her hand over on the doorknob, paused as the knocking stopped, then opened the door. For a second, she was alarmed. Sonic stood there, looking as if ready to murder her. She eventually came to her senses and realized that her idol and future husband had come to HER, for a change.

"Sonic!" She squealed happily, "What a pleasant surprise!"

"I'm not staying long." Sonic said quickly and with a monotone.

Amy was taken back by this. She watched as he walked into the center of her room and stood there, looking at her.

"You've heard about Tails and Knuckles in the news, right?" Sonic said way too calmly.

"Oh…" Amy muttered, slightly disappointed that he did not come to ask her out, rather to discuss other matters, but her face fell more due to the unfortunate circumstances that befell Tails and Knuckles. She lifted a hand to her mouth and looked truthfully sorry, "It truly is awful… what happened to them."

"Yeah, and the tests for the blood found at the scene have come in. It was Rouge's."

"Rouge? You mean that thieving bat?" Amy pounded a fist into her palm, "Then I say it's time to pay her a visit!"

"I've tried," Sonic muttered, "she wasn't in 'Club Rouge' or anywhere in Night Babylon. Since you were closest, I thought I'd ask you if you saw Rouge recently."

"Ahh, no. Can't say I have."

"Okay, then. See ya."

Sonic made to leave when Amy shouted, "Wait!"

"Yeah?" Sonic grunted, looking back.

"I think we ought to go out for a while."

"AMY THIS IS NOT THE TIME!" Sonic shouted.

Amy reeled back a bit, but then leaned forward again, "YOU LOWER YOUR VOICE, MISTER!" She howled, making Sonic shrink back this time, "I GRACIOUSLY ACCEPT YOU INTO MY HOME AND ALL YOU DO IS TREAT ME RUDELY AND SHOUT AT ME! I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO TAILS AND KNUCKLES IS HORRIBLE, BUT THE WAY YOU ARE GOING AT THINGS NOW, YOU'LL NEVER GET ANYTHING DONE!"

There was an awkward silence in which both hedgehogs stood there, facing each other, panting. It seemed to last for hours until finally Sonic sat down and put his face in his hands.

"Sonic?" Amy asked, her voice slightly hoarse from all that yelling.

"I'm sorry, Amy." Sonic said softly, "I've just never taken such a loss before. I just keep thinking about how if I were there, things would have ended up differently."

"What happened, happened, Sonic. I'm sorry to tell you that, but it's the truth."

Sonic sighed, and then nodded.

"Besides…" Amy said, with her arms folded and head tilted to the side, "I wasn't asking you out on a date. You looked really stressed and maybe if you just went out, had something to eat, and talked to somebody like a civilized person, you'll feel better, because this isn't the Sonic I know and love."

Sonic looked to Amy and didn't know if she was using the common saying, or expressing her fondness. For the sake of the moment, he decided on the former. At that moment, he stomach growled something fierce. He had completely forgotten that he hadn't anything to eat, yet.

"I guess I'll take up on that offer." Sonic said, smiling with resignation, feeling things coming back to normal.

"Great!" Amy chirped, dashing off toward her dresser, "Let me just get a few things together!"

Yup, back to normal, all right.

-

The two hedgehogs had crossed over a slight way to Emerald Town, where they found a burger place and sat to eat. Surprisingly enough, Amy wasn't constantly making advances and begging Sonic to marry her. He actually found himself quite comfortable around her. Was he really that much of a wreck? Now back to the classic attitude, he wondered how he had allowed himself to get so worked up before. He only thanked his lucky stars that Amy had been so quick to anger herself.

"Feeling better, Sonic?" Amy asked after putting her menu down.

"Yeah, much… Thanks, Amy." Sonic said, having already figured out what he was going to order.

"Aww, don't mention it!" Amy said, only out of courtesy. She secretly wished she could harbor this favor over his head until they were wed.

After ordering and eating for a bit, they had started up the conversation again.

"Where do you think Rouge could be?" Sonic had asked.

Amy looked up, slightly disappointed that he'd discuss business, "I don't know. I bet she went into hiding or something, knowing you'd come after her."

"Maybe…" Sonic said, then after thinking, "or maybe she just went to any old place where she could be safe. She was bleeding, after all."

Amy giggled, "This sounds more like a job for a detective than a pair of hedgehogs!"

That made Sonic's face snap up, "Of course! Amy, you're a genius!"

"I am?" My asked, then adopted a pose, "Of course! It's an aspect you look for in a wife, right?"

Sonic gave her a look that told her that she just knocked herself down a peg.

"I meant that we CAN have detectives on our side. More specifically the Chaotix detective agency! Maybe they'd do us a favor as friends."

"Oh, those guys!" Amy said, finally getting it.

-

"I think this is where they live." Sonic said after he and Amy trekked over to an apartment complex.

Sonic walked over to the door of the agency and knocked. There was no answer. He and Amy exchanged glances, and then Sonic knocked on the door again. He was about to try a third time when Amy gasped.

"Sonic, look!"

She bent over to pick up a paper that apparently had fallen from the door.

"What is it?"

"It's…" Amy started, then scanned the paper and gasped again, "an eviction notice!"

"Eviction…! Team Chaotix was evicted!"

"I guess so." Amy muttered, "I thought those three would always be able to at least scrape by with enough to pay the rent!"

"Wow… that's too bad! I wonder where they are now."

"I have no idea…"

-

Sonic and Amy found themselves at Emerald Beach trying to come up with a plan of some sort.

Sonic sighed, "Could you excuse me for one second? I have to blow off some steam."

"Oh… go ahead." Amy nodded.

Sonic leapt into the body of the beach, running, jumping, performing homing attacks into the air, grinding handlebars, and even practicing his hand-to-hand skills. Amy watched him, entranced. THIS was the type of stuff that drove her wild for the blue hedgehog, all his skills that help him in saving the world time and time again.

"Well, if it isn't Sonic the Hedgehog…" Said a voice from behind Amy. A female voice. Amy turned around to see who had said that.

An approaching figure was apparently a leopard. She was yellow with black spots, first of all. The fur on the top of her head was made so it looked like she had long hair. Her eyes were a complimentary yellow with feline slits for irises, topped by eyelids adorned in red eye shadow. She wore a low-neck white t-shirt, covering up a busty chest, and short jeans. Her shoes were red with white spots, reminiscent of the pattern all over her body. A long leopard tail swished back and forth in constant interest.

This figure walked parallel with Amy, still looking at Sonic as he, unawares, kept training. Amy looked at how she looked with as much adoration as she had, and walked over.

"Don't get too attached, he's MY future husband."

"Hmm?" Leopard looked to Amy, and then gave a short chuckle, "Miss Rose, don't think I can tell the ins and outs of the relationship you have with Sonic… or rather the lack thereof."

They'd been on the news plenty of times; of course she'd know their names. However, Amy was a bit confused by her "lack thereof" comment.

"Just what do you mean by that?"

"Oh come now!" The leopard said, sweeping her arms, "I suppose you are as blind as your devotion! I know it's nice when men play 'hard-to-get,' but don't you think Sonic's been 'playing' for entirely too long now?"

"He wants to take it slow!" Amy responded, her usual rationale.

"When has 'slow' ever been Sonic's style?"

Amy was caught off-guard by that. Sure, Sonic can be unpredictable, but one thing he was not was slow. Then why was he holding back his love for her… unless there was no love to hold back?

Amy shook her head, "Wait a second! I know what you are doing! You are trying to mess me up so YOU can move in on my hedgehog! Just who do you think you are!"

"Sheena. Sheena the Leopard. And I'm not trying to 'move in' on anybody, I'm merely stating the facts you so desperately elude."

"The only fact is that you're about to get a face-full of my hammer!" Amy shouted as she took off in a sprint.

"Uh-oh." Sheena muttered, then dashed away from Amy.

Amy watched where Sheena ran and made chase. Sheena was fast. Well of course… she was a leopard. Speed was a defining characteristic. Still, nothing can outperform a woman hedgehog scorned. Amy tried her hardest to keep up.

Sure enough, the gap between them started to close. Maybe Sheena slowed down or Amy sped up, but soon they would be parallel. Amy got ready to whip out her Piko Piko hammer at that time.

Suddenly Sheena stopped running. Amy didn't know why, but wouldn't waste this opportunity. She leapt and swung her hammer toward where Sheena stood. "Stood" in the past tense, for now Sheena was a couple feet to the right.

"You can dodge!" Amy cried in surprise, her exclamation meaning she recognized that Sheena could dodge WELL.

"That's because I don't want to fight you!" Sheena insisted.

"Well, it's the only way you're going to get close to Sonic, for he'll never fall for you when you dress like some kind of desperate person!"

Sheena's eyes widened, "Just what do you mean by that?"

Amy smirked, "Come ON. You don't think that you dress a bit… lightly?"

"I dress in what's comfortable!"

"Sure you do."

"You… you're treading on thin ice, sister!"

"Well, then. It's about time I shattered that ice and fell through… you floozy."

"F-FLOOZY!" Sheena shouted back, completely taken back by that.

"That's right. You insult what's sacred to me, I insult right back."

"Fine, then! But only because you insisted so much!" Sheena walked toward Amy a bit, then stopped as she bore her claws, making them extend out.

Amy gulped. This cat had claws. With a cross between a battle cry and a light leopard roar, Sheena pounced toward Amy. Amy yelped and rolled out of the way. She then reclaimed her hammer and swung away. Sheena back flipped into a wall, landed on it with her feet, then propelled herself at Amy in a homing attack. She rammed Amy with her shoulder and Amy flew slightly, landing on her back.

"When could you do THAT?" Amy asked, picking herself up.

"I could always do that. Beginning to realize that you've bitten off more than you can chew? We can just stop right now, as equals, with no hard feelings."

"No way! I think I just might have some fun here!"

Sheena laughed softly, "All right!"

Sheena ran at Amy and Amy readied herself. At the last second, Amy jumped over Sheena and performed her own homing attack. Sheena tried to stop in time, but got Amy's homing attack in the back. Sheena fell on her stomach, but got right back up again. She brushed her hair back and came again. Amy waited, but Sheena had jumped up first. Amy had to perform a homing attack just to keep from getting hit. They both landed on the ground.

Sheena then dashed off. Amy called to wait up, and then ran after. She saw Sheena jump onto a handrail and grind down. It was most certainly a challenge. Amy took the opposite handrail. The rail went down quite a way and at the end the rails formed two half-circles that, at the end, would make them both end up meeting. They raced down the rails, Amy actually catching up with Sheena, and then they came to the ends of the rails and prepared to jump off. Amy got her hammer ready while Sheena bore her claws. They came to the ends of their rails and leapt, ready to strike.

"HOLD IT!"

Suddenly, none other than Sonic leapt up between them, shoving his gloved hands into the girls' faces. The three of them landed abruptly.

"What's going on here!"

"She started it!" Both girls shouted, pointed past Sonic to the other.

"It doesn't matter who started it. What happened?"

Amy spoke up first, "She was insulting me, Sonic!"

"Yeah!" Sheena said with doubt, "I merely told her that you weren't interested in her and she went berserk on me!"

Sonic sighed, "Well, I'm sorry for what happened."

"You don't need to apologize!" Amy said.

"He was talking to me." Sheena stated, which was true. Sonic was facing Sheena, "Oh, we haven't been introduced. I am Sheena the Leopard."

"Nice to meet you, Sheena." Sonic said, "I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."

"I'm sure there's not a soul on the planet who hasn't heard that name already." Sheena said with a smirk.

"I guess you're right on that account."

"Sonic?" Amy asked, her eyes pleading. Sonic looked to her, "It's not true, is it? That you don't like me at all… that I'm only an annoyance."

Sonic's head reeled. Normally he would have just agreed, but he looked into her eyes and saw that she already suspected the worse. Sonic started thinking that no way did he LOVE her, but DISLIKE her? Maybe she got annoying some times, but not all of the time. Plus, she had been good recently. He wondered what to say when Amy's eyes suddenly went wide with fear.

"SONIC, LOOK OUT!"

Amy ran forward and shoved Sonic on to the ground. Sonic was about to demand an explanation when he saw the explanation play out before him. A white wind, more like a concentrated tornado, came from a direction and headed to where Sonic used to be and where Amy now was. Time seemed to slow down as the wind came, then swept over Amy. Sheena gasped deeply, her hand flew over her heart. Sonic could only stare, wide-eyed and mouth hanging open, as the wind faded and Amy flew into the air and fell.

"NO!" Sonic shouted and ran. He stopped where Amy would have fallen and caught her.

"Sonic…" Amy muttered, a sad smile on her lips, "Please don't get angry again."

Amy then shuddered and lost consciousness.

"Amy…! AMY!" Sonic shouted, but it was no use. She had been taken away just like Tails and Knuckles had and the way to get all of them back was uncertain.

"There!" Sheena shouted and pointed in a direction.

There, in the air, was a hawk. He kept in the air by constantly flapping his wings, which were not the same as his arms, which were both held out after launching that wind. His body, arms, wings, and head were covered in brown feathers. White feathers made up a crest on his chest. His legs were yellow and ended in red shoes. His eyes were a striking purple with the piercing gaze of a normal hawk. He looked as if he had the typical muzzle, but at the nose, the color turns to yellow and it is hard and hooked, like a beak.

"Well, darn. I missed." He said to himself.

"HEY! Just who are you and what did you do that for!" Sonic shouted upward

The hawk looked down, "I am Talon the Hawk… and you ought to be knocked out right now. I guess she'll do." Talon took out a beeping communicator, put it to his ear, hidden under the feathers, then put the communicator away, "It's your lucky day… I must return to where I've come from. You will be dealt with another day, Sonic." At that, Talon started to fly away

"Get back here!" Sonic shouted, then looked about ready to give chase when Sheena's hand kept Sonic's holding Amy.

"You take her to the hospital… I'll go after him."

"But-!"

"Look, when Amy wakes up, I think she'll find it more comforting that you took care of her in the end."

Sonic looked down at Amy, at her troubled expression, the last she wore before being hit. He had caused that expression on her. He felt obliged to at least take her to the hospital for causing that.

"Okay…"

"All right! Get moving!"

Sheena took off to where Talon had flown off. Sonic watched the retreating form before rushing off to the Station Square hospital where Amy could be with Tails and Knuckles. Sonic ran into the same room where his other friends were and laid Amy down into a bed, and then put the covers over her. He couldn't help but to think about her last words: "Please don't be angry." He sighed in a stressed-out way. Now he was back to square one.

-

Sonic beat a path back to Emerald Beach, his mind swimming. Now Amy was gone. How many more did he have to lose before this madness would end? He started to think about many things, but stuck when he thought about Sheena. How did she know that the white wind would put Amy in a comatose state? She must have known, for taking Amy to the hospital was her idea. If nothing were wrong with Amy, surely they just would have put her in a safe place and wait for her to come to. Before Sonic could continue on this train of thought, he saw Sheena herself, her fur ruffled up, her hair a mess, and some rips in her clothing.

"Woah, Sheena!" Sonic exclaimed upon seeing her, "You look like you had a run-in with a blender!"

"Worse…" Sheena grinned, "I had a run-in with Talon. As you can see, he did quite a number on me before getting away."

"That's too bad… but you did your best."

"Nothing broken, though." Sheena muttered as she sat down on one of the large, flat rocks that dotted the beach.

Finally, the idea that Amy was now gone caught up with Sonic. He exhaled heavily and sat next to Sheena.

"I blew it… AGAIN!" The final shout was when Sonic buried his face in his hands again. He would have gone furious again, but he wanted to respect Amy's final wishes.

"It's not your fault." Sheena said simply, not knowing any other way to put it.

"Yes it is!" Sonic said, "I could have ran out of way myself…. Pulled Amy out of the way… SOMEthing… .ANYthing would have done nicely besides sitting by and watching it happen! What's WRONG with me!"

Sheena bit her lip, not really knowing what to say. She only observed Sonic as he stared at the sand and breathed heavily with emotion and fatigue.

"Sonic…" Sheena said softly, and then put a hand on his shoulder. She let it rest there for a bit, then attempted a bold move as she pulled Sonic closer. Eventually she had him pulled into a comforting hug. While hugging him, she could have sworn she felt rhythmic shudders… like crying. She couldn't tell for sure.

She really couldn't blame him. All his life, he's had reason to be confident. All of a sudden, circumstances from out of his control cause everything to fall apart. She probably would have reacted in the same way.

Sonic's intense emotions had subsided… so why was he still in the embrace? He had to admit… Sheena was pretty soft and warm. Maybe it was part of being a leopard. Sheena didn't exactly hate it either. For having a wiry frame, Sonic was pretty strong. They both realized their own thoughts and seemed to fall back at the same time, blushing a bit.

"I'm… going to go now… Maybe I can find something that would help." Sheena muttered quickly.

"Uh… yeah… you go and do that." Sonic said in the same manner. Ever since that moment, he didn't trust himself with her.

When Sheena had vanished, Sonic turned toward and ran to the center of the beach. He had A LOT more steam to blow off.