CHAPTER 2

I HATE THIS PLACE ALREADY

The bright white light dimmed and then Rouge could then see the officers. She could've sworn she saw Hao's robots. As she examined them close up, she was right. "Wait a minute, you rust buckets can't arrest me. I hate to ask, but aren't you summoned to kill me?"

There were two of them. One spoke, "Illogical, we only kill those who disobeys an order. You are under arrest."

Rouge backed away a little, "Why? What did I do?"

Then a black blur came from nowhere and stood in front of Rouge acting as though he was protecting her. "Don't worry Rouge, I'll straighten this out."

"Shadow, boy am I glad to see you."

"She didn't mean to roam around alone on the street. Just give her another chance."

The robots thought for a few seconds until they finally came up with their answer, "She will not be placed under arrest. If we see this girl out again, she will be placed under arrest."

Shadow took Rouge's hand, "All right, we got." Shadow led Rouge to a further distance away from the robots.

Once they were far away from them, they had some time to talk.

"Thanks for saving me, Shadow. Why are Hao's robots controlling the street?"

"Because they are under the control of Lord Dark remember?"

"Lord Dark? Don't you mean Dark? Dark is no lord."

"What happened to your memory? Did something hit you hard on your head?"

"What are you talking about? You're the one who's lost it." Rouge noticed how different Shadow looked. "Is it me or did you all of a sudden get a little...older?"

Shadow looked at her confused, "What do you mean? I've always been this way. You're the one who looks different. You look a lot younger than usual."

Rouge put her hands on her hips looking angry at him, "So you're calling me old?"

Shadow looked at her sorry, "No, I didn't mean it that way. You're beautiful no matter what age you are."

Rouge was surprised, 'Why did he say those nice things to me and did he just call me beautiful? What's up with him anyway?'

Shadow changed the subject, "Where's Spike?"

Rouge was confused, "Who?"

"Spike."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Spike, our son. Isn't he with you?"

"Son! I have no kid and if I did I sure wouldn't make one with you!"

Shadow was surprised that she didn't know what he was talking about, 'Why can't she remember Spike? Maybe she isn't Rouge. If she isn't why does she look so identical to her? She could be Nails.' He took out a gun from his belt and pointed the weapon at her head.

Rouge panicked, "What the hell are you doing, Shadow! Get that gun from my head!"

"You're not my wife. I demand to know who you are."

"My name is Rouge! Rouge the Bat!"

Shadow gave her a cold stare with his finger still on the trigger.

"You're my partner at the Chaotix Detective Agency. Remember? You hate me, I hate you. Please, why can't you remember me?"

"Rouge?" He took the gun away from her head seeing that she was no threat. "Where did you come from?"

"Here! Tech City! Where the hell else!"

Shadow walked ahead, "Follow me."

Rouge slowly followed behind him.

Later they came to Shadow's house that was the only thing Rouge saw that didn't change at all.

Once they got inside a white bat was sitting on the sofa feeding something in a white blanket milk. She looked away from it when she saw the black hedgehog come through the door. She quickly got from the sofa, ran towards him and hugged him, "Oh Shadow, I was so worried about you. I thought Dark's robots got a hold of you."

He kissed her, "Those robots will believe anything."

The white bat then eyed Rouge beside him. Her eyes widened, she looked closely at her, "Shadow, who is this girl? She looks like...me."

"That's what I'm trying to figure out."

Rouge couldn't take it anymore, "I don't get it damn it! What the hell's going on! I'm clueless here! Could someone fill me in on all this, please?"

Shadow and the white bat just stood there staring at her like she was crazy.

Then her confusing moment was interrupted when she heard a baby crying.

She saw the white bat cradling the white blanket in her arms, "It's all right, don't cry."

Rouge was curious so she walked over to the white bat slowly and looked what was in the white blanket. Once she saw what was in her arms all of her stress went away, "Oh my god", she said softly, "It's a baby hedgehog."

The baby hedgehog was black, he almost looked like Shadow except he was lacking his red quills, his eyes were big, green, and watery from his crying, and he had little bat wings. It was strange the baby stopped crying and started to smile when he eyed Rouge. He seemed to think that she was his mother. Even though Rouge had resembled the white bat in an uncanny way.

Rouge gently took the baby from his mother's arms and held him.

The white bat was surprised that her son adjusted to Rouge so quickly, "His name is Spike."

"Spike. What an adorable baby you have. He's so precious." Rouge then eyed the calendar that was on the wall. She walked up to it to examine it and there she saw the year. "What? This can't be right."

"What is it?" Shadow asked.

Rouge pointed to the year on the calendar, "According to the calendar it says that the year is 2031. Is it true?"

The black hedgehog and white bat nodded.

Rouge then had it all figured out, "If it's 2031 here, then that means this is the future and if the white bat is me and I'm kissing on Shadow and having kids with him then that means...we're...married?" Rouge felt faint she held her head for a few seconds feeling sick.

Shadow led her to the sofa and forced her to sit down. "Are you feeling all right?"

"This isn't right. The city...what happened to it?"

Shadow remained quiet for a moment until he finally spoke, "Dark, he-he reached his goal and conquered all of Mobius."

Rouge was then silent. She was definitely feeling sick now that she heard that.