EPISODE 3: Annie The Heartbreaker

TUESDAY

Tails ran down the hall, and woke up shadow.

"Shadow, Wake up! Amy's doing something in the graveyard. I don't know how, But I think she just brought Knuckles back to life!"

Sonic groaned in his sleep. Shadow bolted out of bed. They ran outside. The storm subsided instantly. The ground began to shake, The tree on the hill began to grow. Its dead figure started to grow more dead branches, its roots twist and turn and multiply, its trunk thicken. It became a massive imposing figure. Amy was dressed the way she had been on Halloween. Tails and shadow ran up the hill. Amy was standing over the grave. The grave looked like it had been torn up by the hand of a giant. And there, leaning against the base of the tree, looking very confused, was Knuckles. Amy pulled them aside.

"Don't tell him about…you know what.He didn't remember anything, now it's slowly coming back to him. Let him figure it out."

"How the hell did—"

"Tell you later, Tails."

Knuckles walked over to them. "Hey, Shadow, How's it going?"

"Fine."

"You know, it's the strangest thing. The last thing I remember was the clock on top of city hall chiming three, seeing the sliver of moon, then waking up in the graveyard. Weird, right?"

The others exchanged looks. They decided to head home. Knuckles crept into bed. Rouge had went to get A snack before bed. Amy stopped her, and told her that Knuckles wasn't dead, but not to Say anything of his death to him. Rouge went upstairs, and they, well, you know. Later, at lunch, Sonic started a fight.

"So, Knuckles, you don't remember anything from the past day? Nothing at all?"

"No. It's there. But I just can't seem to grasp it."

"I know, but if the others had their way, I'd take it to the grave."

Shadow glared at him.

"Wouldn't give it up on my deathbed."

The gazes of everyone fell upon him. he took this in stride. He thought, 'they don't matter. I must finish what I start.'

"It is a grave matter. Your memory wiped like a reset hard drive."

"Sonic…Stop it…" Shadow was losing his temper. Sonic is being a real jackass, His mind said.This isn't like him. Sonic saw the building rage and flew with it.

"I'll tell you what happened. You were shot to death. You spent the night in a coffin, six feet down. Somehow, someone brought you back to life and––"He couldn't finish his sentence, as Shadow leapt over the table and tackled him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Shadow yelled. Sonic thrashed, trying to get free.

"Get off of me, you bastard!" He slugged Shadow. They rolled around on the floor, hitting and fighting each other. Then Shadow slammed Sonic into the wall. They stopped. Sonic got up, helped Shadow up, and apologized.

"I'm sorry."

"No , I overreacted.I––­"

"Listen, I shouldn't have done that. I've been a real jerk. I sot of got carried away. I had a lot on my mind, I wasn't thinking about what I was doing. I really didn't mean it. Knuckles, will you forgive me?"

"Yes, I forgive you." He seemed to be in a state of small shock.
'Good,' Sonic was thinking, 'they believed me.'

LATER…

Shadow went out and started his motorcycle. He had not forgotten about his date with Tikal. He picked her up, and they went to a movie.

After the movie, Tikal wanted to tell shadow something.
"Shadow, thanks for the movie."

"Do you want to do it again sometime?"

"No, actually, I wanted to tell you, I don't really like you."

"WHAT?"

"I used the date as an excuse for a free movie. I am dating someone else, and we are happy together. I don't like you at all." Right then, a slick car pulled up. Shadow saw a buff-looking raccoon sitting in the driver's seat. Tikal got in, and they drove away. Shadow took the long way home.

"And She just used you?"Tails asked.

Amy Said, "Now THAT'S low."

"I really don't want to talk about it. I just want to go to bed.

WEDNESDAY

It was around noon, abouts, when the Lambourghini Diablo pulled into the driveway of the house next door. It had just been sold. Out of the Diablo stepped a lean, Tall, sexy husky. Shadow, Sonic, and Knuckles were all watching from the hall window.

"Hey fellas, have you heard the news? You know that Annie's back in town?

It won't take long just watch and see how the fellas lay their money down.

Her style is new but the face is the same as it was so long ago,

But from her eyes, a different smile like that of one who knows."

Amy Looked out the window. "Annie?"

"Is that? no way." Said Knuckles.

"Well, it's been ten years and maybe more since I first set eyes on you.

The best years of my life gone by, here I am alone and blue.

Some people cry and some people die by the wicked ways of love;

But I'll just keep on rollin' along with the grace of the Lord above."

"Man, she's hot." Shadow said.

"And tall!" Sonic said, "she's got to be at least 6 feet!"

"six foot four." Knuckles added.

They gave him a look.

"People talkin' all around 'bout the way you left me flat,

I don't care what the people say, I know where their jive is at.

One thing I do have on my mind, if you can clarify please do,

It's the way you call me by another guy's name when I try to make love to you."

She glanced up towards the window, then went back to moving stuff out of the passenger seat of her car. White hair, sleek face, a long black jacket, A white shirt emblazened with the Canadian flag, olive-green cargo pants with lots of pockets, Shadow and Sonic couldn't help but stare.

"Work so hard I couldn't unwind, get some money saved;

Abuse my love a thousand times, however hard I tried.

Heartbreaker, your time has come, can't take your evil way;

Go away, Heartbreaker.

Heartbreaker.

Heartbreaker.

Heart—"

A moving van pulled up, and She went inside.

"Do you know her?" Shadow let the Question loose.

"yes. Let me explain.

"It was five years ago. I was a 19 year old trying to ditch a drinking habit. She was 14 at the time. Her name is Annie Dubois, a Canadian. No one knew why she was there, but there was a rumor she was addicted to aphrodisiacs. I knew her, but not too well. Amy has some connection to her. There's something fishy about it, but I can't really say I know anything about it."

Shadow watched all day, but the only people to come out of the house were the movers.

THURSDAY

Amy woke up with a headache. Today was Tails' birthday, and he was turning sixteen. Of course, she had a gift for him, as well as shadow, Whose party had been cancelled for the funeral. She had gotten Tails a Stephen King book, and for Shadow, A a revolver, like one a cowboy would have. Cold steel barrel, Oak handle, Six chambers, the whole nine yards. Sure, it was an odd present. But then, she thought, He's that kind of guy. Annie was back, which was a surprise. Amy wondered why she had moved here. She wondered if Annie still had that sword…

Shadow woke up in a dreamy state. He had had a dream about that girl next door. She was sexy, there was no way around it. He couldn't get his mind off of her. He thought it was Ironic, Even fate she appeared after Tikal had crushed him. Somewhere in the back of his head a little voice was saying things. "don't you think you're going oveboard? A little too infatuated?" He didn't listen. His party was today, and he had a sneaking suspicion she'd be there.

Sonic's mind was a fury that morning. You failed. You need to try again. 'But I don't want to.' You must. I can make you, but you hate that. I know you'd rather do it any day than have me do it. don't make me make you do it. 'Isn't there something you would rather have me do instead?' Well, now that you mention it…

Knuckles' and Rouge's minds were one that morning. The love between them had never been stronger. As they woke up, they embraced each other. Their love had literally withstood death, and they couldn't be happier. Knuckles thought about what he had to do that morning, in terms of work. He knew Rouge was happy that his smoking habit had disappeared after the incident. Rouge thought about how Knuckles had been so happy after he had come back, and how happy she'd been, too.

Tails took advantage of his birthday and didn't wake up until 1.

THE PARTY

The party was a great afternoon. 2 cakes, Tons of presents, and plenty of funny moments. Shadow was a bit stunned when he opened Amy's present. He liked it, but it was an unusual thing to get. "I really like it, Amy. It looks great. I just hope I never have to use it."

Sonic juggled eggs, and ended up covered in yolk. Tails and Amy Made out in the corner. Knuckles Gargled the national anthem in soda. Rouge tripped and fell face-first into Shadow's cake. Shadow swung from the chandelier in the Hall. It was a crazy party, and a relief for everyone. The past week had been a stressful one.

FRIDAY

They were about to start lunch when the doorbell rang. Rouge answered the door. It was Annie. She was wearing the same thing she had been when she had moved in.

"Hello. I'm Annie DuBois. I just moved in next door. Would you mind if I came in?"

"No, not at all. We were just having lunch. I'm sure no one would mind."

Annie walked in and took the seat at the head of the table, next to Shadow and across from Amy.

"Annie?"

"Well, if it isn't my cousin Tails. Been a long time, eh? How've you been?"

"Pretty good. I'm dating Amy, the one to my left. Have you met her?"

Annie laughed. "Met her? That 17 year-old you call your girlfriend is the person I worked closely with from the last three years. That is, until she disappeared in May. It's been three years since Chicago, hasn't it?"

"And almost seven months since New York. I left then for a reason. You'd know Tails is quite the character, if you're his cousin."Amy teplied.

"I know. And I still have it. I know that's on your mind." She turned to shadow. "And what's your name, sir?"

"Shadow. Pleased to meet you." They shook hands. "And this is my brother Sonic."

"yo."

"Knuckles! How are you faring? Still dry? Still smoking?"

"Five years to the day, and no. I stopped smoking after…something happened."

They ate lunch in an awkward silence. The minutes dragged like hours. Like a web, eveyone was connected to someone else in onee way or another. Each person ate, not wanting to say a word. The meal lasted at least an hour, but no one could bring themselves to look at the clock. Finally, after the meal was done, Shadow broke the ice.

"Can I show you around the mansion?"

"That would be wonderful."

He showed her everything. The last thing they went into was the library. Amy and tails were waiting for them.

Amy was still dressed as she had been in the gaveyard, and Tails had a feeling she was staying that way. Amy Smiled.

"I see you to are warming up to each other. No surprise. I could tell from the moment you looked at him you really liked him. Now, there's something that we should tell you guys.

"tails, two years before I started dating you, I Got invovled with A strange organization. At the time, I was in Chicago on vacation. Annie grabbed me off the street right before a massive gunfight started. She then told me that I had seen too much, and must join them, or someone might try to kill me. For obvious reasons, I followed her. She showed me something that would seem to come straight out of the matrix. A digital universe that is a mirror of ours. We have a counterpart in that world who mirror our actions. We can never meet them, as the minute we cross into the digital universe, we are melded with that counterpart. Those who have melded become the hackers. We can hack the digital universe, and therefore, the real one,too, and operate things similar to a computer.

"You don't believe me? Let me prove it to you."

She closed her eyes, and held out her hand. Shadow and Tails watched as numbers coursed in green, forming a chair. The numbers solidified into a chair.

"Of course, there are people trying to dispose of people like me and Annie. Calling us heretics or the evil ones. Be it religion, or simply, anything beyond what is considered possible, they are trying to kill us. So, we have guns and such. There's lots of fighting. Those who have banded against us have sworn to kill anyone who isn't their kind. They have killed many an innocent person. We were the resistance. We were destroying them for the evils they have done."

"Amy and I were the best of our league. With her help, I forged a sword of mythical properties. It can, in essence, delete someone. But even more amazing than its power to destroy is its power to create. I can create things never conceived before. It can even raise the dead and create life."

"That's cool." Tails said. "Now about the guns…do I get some?"

"Yes."

He asked, "Why did you move here, Annie?"

"I was leaving the fight to my friends and looking to spice up my life."

A smile crossed Shadow's face.

"May I walk you home, mademoiselle?"

Ooh la la, He speaks french! Oui, Merci."

They walked away, laughing and speaking swiftly in fluent french.

"They're gonna do it." Amy said flatly.

"Hell yeah." Tails said.

They did it.

SATURDAY

8 A.M.

Shadow staggered in the door, then collapsed on the couch.

"that was the most amazing night of my life."

Sonic was sitting at his desk, his mind in that same tornado I had been in Thursday morning.

You said you would rather do it. 'Do I have to?' one or the other. And be weary of those two girls, Your friend, and your brother. When you do it, you must not screw up this time. I think one may know. About last time, I mean. 'Who?' I can't be sure. Do you think you are ready now? 'I've always been ready.' Good. Very good. Let's get started, shall we? 'yes. Let's.'

2 P.M.

Shadow, Amy, Tails, and Annie dropped in on Vincent and Dr. Linily. Shadow introudced Annie. Vincent made some tea. The six of them had tea and cookies.

"Out of curiosity, doctor, where is Mr. Irving?" Tails inquired.

"Well," Vincent answered, "He went back to his own house around eight this morning."

5 P.M.

As the four strolled through the woods where the paintball incident had been, They came across a bloody scene. Mr. Irving was laying there on the ground, bleeding and most likely dying. There was an axe propped up against a tree. Tails ran over to him, and Irving suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Sonic," He groaned, "Sonic, he…" then he kicked the bucket.

"THAT"S IT!" Tails shouted as he stood up. "It was him all along!"

"Very good, boy," they turned to see Sonic standing in a tree, his eyes glowing red, as he said, "But too slow, We'll get away. Won't we sonic?"

A different voice, his own voice, said, "Of course we will. The deed's been done, but more fun's to come, so hang around, I'll be coming around!" He laughed a villainous, insane laugh. He jumped down from the tree.

"hehehe! Can't catch me!"

he laughed again as he streaked off into the Dark Woods.

Afternote: The song lyrics earlier in this chapter were from the Led Zeppelin song, Heartbreaker.
the song was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, and it first appeared on the album
Led Zeppelin III, Released in 1969. the lyrics have not been modified to fit the story in any way, shape or form.
---the Author.