CHAPTER 2

ENGAGED

It was another beautiful day and Rouge just got from cross guard duty. She showed up at the Chaotix on time and this time for a good cause. She came through the doors blurting out the good news. "Vector, Espio, guys, I have great news!"

The Chaotix were in the main lobby looking at the reports of the murder from yesterday. They took their eyes off of the papers and focused on Rouge.

"What's up Rouge?" Vector asked.

"I'm getting engaged." She said while blushing.

"What!" They all said in shock.

"Is it really true, Rouge? Are you really getting married?" Charmy asked with excitement.

Rouge nodded, "Sure is."

"Cool."

"I'm happy for you Rouge." Tonya wished that happened to her.

"Way to go, bat girl." Espio winked at her.

Shadow slowly walked towards her, "It's true? Knuckles finally proposed to you?"

Rouge nodded, "Yes."

Shadow somehow wasn't as thrilled as the rest. He thought they shouldn't get married. That feeling was deep inside of his heart.

Later the Chaotix decided to go back to Angel Island to investigate more about the murder. Shadow didn't want to see Rouge all over Knuckles so he decided to stay with Espio.

Shadow was sitting in Tonya's front desk thinking about what he should do about the whole marriage.

Espio noticed how deep in thought he was, so he walked over to him, "What are you thinking about?"

Shadow looked up at Espio, "Nothing."

"Come on you can tell me anything. We're best friends remember? Tell me I'll keep it secret, I promise."

"Well..." He was about to tell the reason why, but a certain red echidna came through the door.

Knuckles came up to the front desk, "Hey Espio...and Shadow." He said looking at Shadow then Espio.

"Hey Knuckles, I heard the great news. Way to go man." Espio gave him a thumbs up.

"Thanks, have you seen Rouge?"

"Sorry, you just missed her. She went back to Angel Island with the others to do some more investigating."

"I'll catch her back here then. You know it's a long ways to Angel Island and back here. As soon as I get to Angel Island I'll still miss her."

Espio understood, "I believe that."

"Why don't you go back and guard that precious emerald of yours." Shadow didn't want him around any longer,

"I can't, I gotta talk to Rouge."

"So Rouge is more important than the Master Emerald? At first I thought you were going to marry that emerald."

"Keep smart talking and I'll knock your head clear off."

Shadow stood from the desk and stood in front of Knuckles with a face letting him know he wanted to fight him. "Go ahead and try."

Espio stopped the fight and pulled them apart, "Come on guys. Enough is enough. You shouldn't be acting this way not with Rouge so happy."

Knuckles headed towards the door, "I'm gonna need some fresh air when Rouge returns."

When he left Espio turned to Shadow confused, "Shadow, what was that?"

Shadow turned away from him and walked to his office.

Late that evening when the others returned they had found no more clues than from the other day.

Espio walked up to Vector, "Did you find the killer?"

Vector shook his head, "No."

Knuckles and Rouge were making arrangements for their wedding.

"Well Rouge, first of all we need a best man." Knuckles said taking out the ring box.

"I know the perfect guy. Shadow, come here."

Shadow ran up to her.

Knuckles knew where she was going, "Rouge, no."

"Don't worry Knuckles, if I know responsible it's Shadow." She took the ring box from Knuckles and handed it to Shadow. "Here you go. You're going to be our best man. Can you do that?"

Shadow looked at the little box, he never wanted to take part in anything of their wedding. "I suppose..."

Rouge hugged Shadow, "Thanks Shadow."

Shadow blushed as she did it.

Knuckles noticed his blushing, he separated them. "Don't try anything on my wife, got it."

"I wasn't trying to."

"Knuckles, leave Shadow alone." Rouge thought they'd never get along.

"I can't help to think you're making a bad decision. I mean handing over the ring to him? What if he drops it and loses it or sells it on the internet." Knuckles just didn't want Shadow to take part in the wedding.

"Shadow is a lot more responsible than that, besides he's one of my closest friends. I trust him." She smiled at him.

Knuckles sighed, "You may trust him, but I don't. I don't trust filthy Street Punks."

Shadow couldn't believe what Knuckles just said to him he called him by his second appearance, the part of him that he had left behind, yet people still treat him wrong. "What the hell did you call me?"

"You heard. A Street Punk. That's what you are right?"

Shadow clinched his fists ready to punch him, "That was a long time ago!" He quicky punched him in the jaw.

Knuckles held his cheek, "You'll pay for that, punk." Knuckles started to hit him back.

Before everyone knew it they were both fighting.

Rouge stood between them, "Stop it, that's enough!"

Knuckles and Shadow stood away from each other with Rouge in the middle holding them back. They were panting heavily.

"Knuckles, Shadow, what has gotten into you two?" Rouge sure didn't have the slightest idea.

"Stay away from Rouge or die. She doesn't love you so you might as well give up. She's marrying me not some filthy punk like you."

Instead of Shadow being mad he was depressed. He turned away from the group and walked out of the Chaotix.

Everyone faced Knuckles once he left.

Knuckles stood there dumbfounded, "What?"

"Knuckles, how could you say those things to him?" Rouge felt bad for Shadow at the time.

"It was for the best. That's for sure." Knuckles really didn't care right now and he never would.

Later Shadow was at the lake looking at the engagement ring that he was suppose to give to Knuckles to carry out the marriage. Just thinking about that made him sick like the time he saw that corpse on Angel Island. He took the ring out of the box and threw it into the lake with anger. He walked away muttering curse words under his breath.

When Shadow had gotten home it was already dark. He was in his room standing on his balcony looking at the bright full moon. He then heard a meow. He looked over to his right and saw a black cat with huge pointy ears and red eyes. The cat walked over to him rubbing against his chest. 'What a weird cat.' He thought. He picked up the cat and started to pet it. He noticed the cat had no collar, he figured the cat was a stray. "I hate Knuckles so bad. I-I wish he was dead. I wish he'd die by coughing up his organs. He would die instantly, but with a lot of pain. That's what I want. Then I could have Rouge all to myself, without that echidna ruining everything. Then I could finally tell her how I feel about her. I want to be more than just her friend."

The cat looked up at Shadow. Shadow didn't realize it, but the cat's red eyes started glowing red. After that it meowed.

After when Shadow had made that shocking wish he went to bed hoping that his wish would come true, but he really didn't want to hurt anyone. All he wanted was Rouge to love him.

Back at Angel Island Knuckles and Julie-Su were sitting on the shrine of the Master Emerald protecting it together. They were silent until Knuckles broke the silence while coughing.

At first she ignored him, but as his cough got worse she finally got concerned, "Knuckles, are you all right?"

Knuckles nodded to her while holding his mouth coughing.

"The cough sounds pretty bad, do you need water?"

As Knuckles stopped coughing for a few seconds he took his hand away from his mouth and saw blood all on his hands.

Her eyes widened, "Oh my god, Knuckles! We gotta get you to a doctor!" Before she moved anywhere Knuckles ran down to the ground and fell and throwing up afterwards.

She ran to him and studied his vomit. She saw blood and a couple of his intestines in his vomit. "Knuckles!" She had some tears in her eyes thinking he was on the verge of dying.

Knuckles then stopped vomiting and passed out on the nice cut grass.

She shook him trying to wake him, "Knuckles! Knuckles! Knuckles, please wake up!" As she calmed down she took his wrist and tried to feel for a pulse, but she felt nothing. She dropped his wrist down on the ground. Her tears were running down her cheeks uncontrollably, "No, Knuckles! You can't die!" She shouted, but nothing was helped. Knuckles was dead and that was a fact.