CHAPTER 3

REUNITING THE TEAM

The white bat took Spike away from Rouge when she was sitting on the sofa trying to take all of the mayhem in.

The white bat was cradling Spike, "Its been like this ever since."

"But why? Shadow, couldn't you stop him?" Rouge thought it wasn't like Shadow to lose against him so easily.

Shadow shook his head, "I couldn't, he took away all the Chaos Emeralds. Without them I'm powerless. I didn't stand a chance against him."

"He's lucky to be alive." The white bat could still imagine Shadow getting beaten by Dark.

"What about the others?"

"They're all fine except..." He was cut off by the lost of his best friend.

"What's wrong, Shadow?"

"Espio, he tried to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds from Dark's base, but he couldn't do it."

Rouge was left in suspense, "What happened to him?"

"Dark found him trying to get away with the emeralds so he killed him."

The white bat held Spike closer to her, "Ever since then, the Chaotix team just split up."

"Split up? Why?"

"Too many disagreements, lets just leave it at that."

Rouge couldn't believe none of this. "Why does the future have to be this way?" She began crying.

The white bat held her close, "Come on now, don't cry. At least you still have something to do about it. You need to get back to your own time."

Rouge calmed down a bit, "That's just it, I don't know how. Charmy built this toaster and something went wrong and the next thing I knew I was here."

"Then I'll get Charmy to solve your problem", Shadow said.

"Charmy? He's still okay?" Rouge could feel some hope.

"Yeah so is Vector and Tonya. They're at the Chaotix that place isn't any good anymore, they just stay there for the weaponry against Dark."

"Then we should go right now."

The white bat walked to up Shadow, "I'm coming too, you might need me."

"I don't know, I can't risk your life out there."

"I'll be fine, I can take care of myself." She seemed that she had everything under control.

"You never changed over the years have you?" Shadow had noticed.

Rouge also noticed that Shadow wasn't all that stubborn like he used to be. Maybe her future would turn out okay after all.

It was a couple of minutes later and they made it to the Chaotix without any of Dark's robots showing up.

Rouge studied the old building, "The old place is still holding up? That's a surprise." She followed Shadow and the white bat inside and as Rouge thought the outside practically looked just like the inside. Dust was everywhere, it could be seen so easily. "Looks like someone's been slacking on cleaning this place." Then she heard a distant voice.

"Shadow, Rouge, hi!" A green crocodile appeared from the back of the room with a cane in his hand walking with it. "So nice to see you guys again and you even brought along baby Spike."

A purple cat stood beside him studying the young white bat that looked just like the Rouge she knew.

Shadow greeted back, "Hey Vec, we need your help. Where's Charmy?"

"In the garage, he isn't busy." Then he started to stare at the young bat, "Who's that? She looks just like Rouge."

Rouge put her hands on her hips, "I am Rouge."

Shadow cut in, "It's a long story, we'll explain when we find Charmy."

When they got in the garage Shadow started to explain why Rouge was in their time and not in her own.

After when he explain Charmy got busy with making a machine that would send her back.

Rouge noticed how grown and serious Charmy was. He even ditched that helmet of his and began to show off his yellow and black hair which defined all of gravity. "Charmy, you look so...so..."

"Old?" Charmy said as he took his eyes away from the machine.

Rouge thought he was nowhere near old, "Not old, I'd say very young at an old age."

Charmy just blinked not understanding what she said. He shrugged and continued to work on the machine.

Rouge then looked at Vector, "Vector, you're the one with the cane."

"I've been in business a long time", he said trying to make a point.

Rouge looked at Tonya and smiled, "You still look okay for an old woman."

"Don't call me old, bat girl!" Tonya was always teased with by Rouge. Sometimes she enjoyed it and sometimes she didn't. Mostly she didn't.

Then it just came to Rouge's mind, "Vector, why did everyone argue so much that everyone just broke up." He looked at Shadow then back at Rouge, "Shadow he was mostly upset about Espio's death and he had major temper problems, so I fired him. He kept picking fights with everybody for no reason. I had no choice, but it wasn't just him all of us were cranky that day as well. We just went our separate ways."

Rouge looked down on the floor sad, "That's awful."

Then they were interrupted when they heard a group of robots outside of the Chaotix. They all went outside and saw a lot of robots surrounding them.

"What do they want?" Rouge asked backing away.

"Who knows", Shadow stood in a fighting stance.

The robots began to clear a path for their leader.

Their leader had sharp fangs, huge horns, transparent wings, claws, a long black tail along with his black fur, and red eyes. He was a demon.

Shadow had said under his breath, "Dark."