CHAPTER 2

At the Chaotix Detective Agency, the group of detectives all stood around in the lobby with concerning looks on their faces after Nails had just informed them about what she had just encountered.

Charmy's pregnant girlfriend, Grace who was sitting behind the front desk was gently rubbing her hands over her large and round stomach while she was trying to calm her nerves. Her eyes slowly shifted away from her stomach and turned to Nails who was standing in front of the group with her arms folded across her chest. She slightly bit her lip and slowly shook her head before she spoke out. "I can't believe it. Rouge is...gone?"

Without saying a word and slightly pacing herself around in one spot, Nails made slow nods towards her as a reply.

Midnight shook his head as he couldn't believe what Nails had just informed them. "This doesn't make any sense! Why would Rouge go off with Infinite?"

Appex turned to the black wolf with a probable explanation, "Perhaps she was under some sort of mind control?"

"That can't be it", Ker spoke while he had his finger under his chin. "From what Nails said, she willingly went with him. There has to be something more to it than that."

Tikal who was standing next to Tonya held Spike securely in her arms and was slightly rocking him back and forth making the baby black hedgehog's eyes to become very heavy as if he was going to go to sleep at any moment. She looked away from the baby hedgehog and looked over at the female black bat who stood before the group. "But...she's still in danger."

Nails roughly stroked her hand through her black hair and sighed heavily in frustration. "She's lost it. She's fucking lost it. Probably because she's torn up over..." Her words trailed off when she heard the door to agency open and then shut behind her. She quickly spun around and turned to Espio who had Shadow and Nell following behind him while they all approached the group. "You're back..." Her eyes shifted over to Shadow who had casually walked past her to approach Tikal who had Spike in her arms. When she saw Tikal surrendering Spike over to him, she bitterly turned away from him and looked back over to Espio. "What happened?" She asked in a demanding tone.

While making a heavy sigh and rubbing his shoulder, Espio honestly didn't know what to exactly say to her and the rest of the group. His eyes shifted over to Shadow who was holding Spike in his arms close to him. He knew one thing for sure. He wasn't going to alarm everyone by telling them how Shadow acted earlier. He knew deep down that they all needed to know, but he had a feeling that Nell had indeed talked the sense back into him. He honestly felt that Shadow was no longer a threat now that he was reminded to be a good father figure for his son. He looked back over at Nails who looked like she was waiting for some answers from him, "Uh..." He began in a hesitant voice. "Long story short. We calmed Shad back down and Sonic left in one piece."

Nails placed her hands on her hips and made a slight sigh of relief, "Well that's one thing less to worry about, but now we have another problem..."

Espio took his hand away from his shoulder and slightly arched an eyebrow towards her, "...What problem?"

"It's Rouge", Midnight had spoke. "She's gone..."

Shadow had then directed his attention away from Spike and looked over to Nails wondering if what he just heard was true.

"Wha? Wait a minute..." Espio slightly shook his head as he couldn't believe what was just said as well. "What the hell do you mean gone?"

Nails folded her arms back over her chest and shifted her eyes from Espio who was standing in front of her while she started to explain, "I ran into her in an alleyway. She was talking with that Infinite guy..." She placed her hand on the side of her head while she looked down to the floor. "She said something about wanting to know some answers or something..." She looked away from the floor and turned back to Espio, "Anyway she went with him."

"Wha-what do you mean she went with him?"

"Like they just fucking disappeared in thin air went with him!" She tried to explain, "I-I don't know. It all happened so fast..." She said while putting her hand against her forehead.

"So the point being...", Tonya had spoke. "Rouge is in trouble! She's with that dream demon guy! We have to help her!" She looked over to Tikal who was standing beside her when she had spoke out.

"But how? We don't even know where they went?"

Appex had spun around to Ker who was standing next to him, "Ker, you're a demon. Can't you sense out Infinite?"

Ker had shook his head slowly at him, "I-I can't. The only demonic presence I can sense is Shadow's and that's because he's right here", he said while he pointed over to the black and red hedgehog. "Shadow and I can't detect any other demons unless their a certain distance from us."

Nell who was taking notes in his notebook had looked away from what he was doing and looked back at the group of worried detectives. "So...we can't do anything to try to find her?"

Nails had then spun around to turn to Shadow who was slowly cradling Spike in his arms. She had then started to storm over to the dark hedgehog, "Shadow", she spoke in a serious tone when she approached him. "You're a demon and I know you can't sense Infinite's presence right now. But there has to be something you can do."

As he looked at her, he paused for a moment and then slowly took his eyes away from her. "...There's nothing I can do..."

Right off the bat, she didn't believe that there wasn't something he could do. "Wha? What the hell do you mean there's nothing you can do? There has to be something!" She waited for a reply from him but all she heard was silence. She couldn't believe it but he really showed that he didn't want to do anything to help find Rouge. Was he honestly that upset with her that he didn't care what happened to her? "Shadow, for God's sake! Rouge is your wife! She's in danger! Don't you care?"

"...Of course I care."

She saw how he still wasn't looking in her direction and judging by the bitter tone of his voice, she thought otherwise if he truly cared about Rouge. In annoyance, she placed her hands on her hips and angrily frowned at the hedgehog. "Really? Because it doesn't sound like it!"

Tikal bit her lip slightly as she witnessed the uprising tension that was happening between Nails and Shadow. "Um?" She spoke in a low yet timid tone. "Nails..."

Shadow had then looked back over to Nails with the same bitter and frustrated look as she had. "From what you said, she willingly went with him! If that's the case, then why should I go after her? She probably wants to screw him too..." His ears twitched slightly when he heard her shouting get even louder.

"That is not true and you know it!" Before she gave him a chance to speak again, she continued to angrily shout at him. "Shadow, you listen to me and you listen to me good! You and Rouge aren't on the best of terms with each other right now and I get it! But you two need to stop being childish and put your differences behind you! Rouge is at serious risk of being killed by this demon and you're going to let it happen? This is not the Shadow my sister married!"

Shadow froze and had looked down at Spike who was playfully tugging on his hoodie while he held him close to him.

"...Deep down I know you still love her." She noticed him looking at Spike and had hoped what she was saying to him was getting through to him. "Please, Shadow", she begged in a tearful voice. "Save my sister..." Before any tears could fall from her eyes, she saw Shadow then hold the baby black hedgehog out to her for her to hold in her arms. Once she held the baby black hedgehog securely in her arms, she saw him slowly stepping away from her. "...Um, Shadow?" She then saw him stopping in his tracks and spoke with his back still turned to her.

"...It won't be easy, but I think I have a plan where I can try to pin point Infinite's location."

Tikal gasped in an excited tone as she was relieved that Shadow was finally on board to save Rouge from Infinite. "R-Really?"

Shadow slightly turned his head to look over in Nails' direction, "But I will need your help to carry this out."

Nails had wondered what kind of plan he had in mind and what exactly he needed her for. Whatever it was, she'd do anything to make sure that Rouge was brought back safely. "...What do you need me to do?"


With her eyes shut, Rouge let out a heavy and deep sigh to relax herself while the mysterious male demon jackal had slowly paced around her while she sat in a black wooden chair that was in the middle of the large open area of the abandoned warehouse they were both in. She slowly opened her eyes when she felt his hand gently being placed on her shoulder as he paced around her.

"You've made a wise decision coming with me, my dear", the demon jackal had spoke.

Without turning her head, her eyes shifted to his hand that was still resting on her shoulder while she sat in the chair. "...I just came to get some answers, Infinite."

He had then took his hand away from her shoulder and stood in front of her to give her his full attention. "And what questions do you have for me, my flower?"

"First of all, who the hell exactly are you?" She held her hands out in a confusing gesture towards him. "You come out of nowhere and you stalk the hell out of me and my friends. What the hell's your deal?" She let out a small gasp when she saw him suddenly lean closer to her so she could get a better look at the silver metal mask he had wore over his head to conceal his face.

"Would you really like to know, my dear?"

She bit her lip slightly and had wondered what exactly did this demon have planned for her? Was he really planning on just killing her? She was dragged out of her thoughts when she felt her wrist being grabbed by the jackal and then felt him pulling her entire body out of the chair she was sitting in. "Wha-what?" She felt his hand holding her behind her back to push her body close to his making him hold her securely in his embrace. She had then watched him take his other hand to hold hers as if he was ready to dance with her. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw him gently taking the lead while he began to gently spin her body around with his so could begin to dance with her. "What the hell are you..." Her words trailed off when she heard him suddenly speak.

"You dance so gracefully, my flower."

She had then remained silent as she was confused at what he was even talking about anymore. It was like he was trying to avoid her questions until she heard him talking out once again.

The jackal turned away from her and looked out of one of the windows that exposed the bright full moon in the night sky. He seemed lost in thought while he had danced with her in his arms. "...It was a night just like this. Cold, dark, eerie..."

She slowly looked back up at him while he continued to look out of the window.

He continued, "A night where just about anything could be fatal to an innocent child after being abandoned by its parents."

Her mouth slightly hung open as she thought that maybe he was referring to himself in the story he was beginning to tell.

"A defenseless newborn baby left deep in the woods..." He made a slight sigh as he slowly looked away from the window above them and then shifted his head to make sure he didn't make eye contact with Rouge. "I never knew the reason why they didn't want me. Perhaps it was because I was born slightly...different..."

"...Different?" She repeated in a low tone that was almost enough to be a whisper.

He had continued, "The night was cruel. Either I would freeze to death or let the creatures of the night determine my real fate. Unfortunately blood thirsty beasts had first dibs on me..."

Rouge could feel his grip around her hand tighten. She figured while he talked about his past, it had began to bring up some hurtful memories. "You mean..." She then saw him making a slight nod while still not looking in her direction.

"Demons. Low ranking almas attacked me..."

She saw that he was obviously disturbed by telling his story but she did want to know what had happened to him. "...They attacked you? Wha-what happened?"

"Fortunately the demons didn't kill me right away. But they roughed me up enough so that I would last for a few more moments before I would bleed to death."

"...You...died?" She saw him shake his head and then finally look back in her direction.

"Before I could, someone came to save me..."

She anxiously but silently waited to hear him say who had saved him from dying.

"It was another monster, but this monster was different. It walked like a mortal, talked like a mortal, it commanded the other mindless demons to stay away from me before they finished me off. I swear this monster looked as though he was king of them all..."

She had made a loud gasp and then shifted her eyes away from him when she figured who he was talking about, "...Dark Demon..."

He made a nod towards her, "Before I could die in his arms, he had me drink his demonic and immortal blood. Which not only allowed me to gather the strength to live but to give me another gift as well."

"He...he made you a demon..." Her entire body froze when she realized that he had stopped dancing with her. She watched him slip his hand away from hers and released her body from his as he took a step away from her.

"Not just any demon, my dear..."

She had then watched him slowly raise his hands up towards the metal mask he had wore over his head and placed his hands on it. Her jaw practically dropped when she saw him beginning to slowly take off the mask. Her body couldn't help but to slightly tremble as she was finally about to witness the demon's true face for the first time. Once she saw him slipping the mask away from his head, she saw him sift down the white messy hair he had back and then look over to her. With a loud gasp escaping her, she clenched her fist up to her chest and took a small step back away from him. Her eyes were locked onto his. His right eye was a red color with a scar across it and his left eye was a yellow color.

"That's right..." He dropped his mask to the floor and flashed his eyes over at the shocked bat woman while showing off his sharp fangs as he spoke. "...A half demon..."

In The Next Chapter...

Nell: Are you sure this is going to work?

Nails: It has to work...

Shadow: Let's do it...

Rouge: Devil?

Devil: You're really playing with fire. Don't you know, Zero?