Every Rose Has Its Thorns
Disclaimer: I don't own them and you know this mane!
No real reason for my name change, just felt like, don' like it? Deal with it!
Chapter 4
Cold Winter Mountains (Eggman's Base Area)
She examined the ground closely, seeing small imprint land after the one before. She couldn't see him, but that's not what the exercise was about, using other senses, that's what it's about. The mountain was cold to her trainer, but it was perfect to her. The snow was very deep in some areas and about an inch or two in most other areas. He was moving at lighting speed, hopping around her.
She crouched on one knee, holding the black rod given to her by Espio, it was about a two and half feet long, and had a handle; giving a shape like a nightstick. She closed her eyes; listening carefully.
Step
Step
Step
Ste—slip!
She spiked her eyes open and launched the rod sideways towards the vague purple figure striking him in stomach, flipping him over once, landing him on his back. His head move side to side slightly as he groan, coming back from his breathless state he started yelling…again.
"Goddamn it Amy! Oh…man, that hurts!" Espio yelled clenching his stomach as he sat up. Amy only smirked as she stood up; she put a hand at her side.
"Told you, you're not that fast." She grinned, proud of herself.
They had been doing lots of speed exercises; Espio said she'll need it for when she goes after…Sonic…
Espio was having trouble going through with training her in the art of stealth to injure someone just because of a grudge. The black bag and sword remained on the side untouched since she looked at it.
"What now?" Amy asked in her recent cocky voice. Espio still recovering from his hit, stood up slowly, to a deep breath and made Amy seem like she was going to get a handful.
"I eat…you don't…" He said
"Say what? Why?" Her stomach rumbled and roared as she remembered food, sweet/spicy/tangy food. She fell down to her knees, her shins sliding outwards in the snow, she gripped her stomach showing her 'old' Amy side again as she whimpered.
"Oh man…I'm so hungry! I need something to eat! C'mon Espio, I need food, please?" She looked up at him with big shiny eyes.
'Stay strong, she's just messing with your head! Don't fall for it man! Don't do it, don't do it! No don't do it!' His brain kept pounding his insides, his non-emotional straight lips began to twitch…
'Goddamn it, why can't I say no? Just this one time…'
"But since it is your first day…I'll cut you some slack. C'mon, get up and follow me." He said holding his hand out to help her up. She giggled at him; he had a soft spot!
"Whats so funny?" He asked.
"Nothing…" She giggled once more.
With Sonic, Shadow, Knuckles, Rouge & Tails: City area; midday in public of the city.
"Will you stop yelling?" Knuckles shouted softly, Rouge wasn't too happy about the fact that they left her alone on Angel Island for almost half a day.
"No! How could you just abandon me like that?" She yelled attracting more attention than what Knuckles wanted. Sonic, Shadow and Tails snickered at the two, not even growls and threats from Knuckles could keep them quiet this time.
They may have gotten off track but this was too hilarious to ignore. It always was with Knuckles and Rouge, now that she wasn't dating anyone.
The three laughing hyenas fell down in laughter like never before when a guy in a black suit with a briefcase came up to Knuckles and Rouge gave them a card with a number for marriage counseling.
Sonic laughing his ass off managed to blurt out some words, "These people think you're married! You might as well be, you argue like an old couple!" with that said, Knuckles left the argument and spiked his opened hand at Sonic's throat; grabbing his throat and holding him up in the air with one hand. Sonic wheezing for breath finally got some help as Tails finally stepped into stop Knuckles.
"Chill Knuckles! It not that serious!" Tails said trying to calm him down.
The fox was not as young as he once was, fourteen and brave/stupid enough to take Knuckles on in a friendly/hard boxing match sometimes. He never won a match against Knuckles but he held his ground, rarely giving up, it took a couple of cuts or bruises on his face or someone had to step in to cut the match short, unless he backed down Knuckles kept going till he knocked him out which did happen most of times.
Knuckles flipped off Sonic, he was wearing gloves with individual fingers, not his usual united ones. It was weird seeing Knuckles with fingers but that's not the point!
"Woo! That was funny ha-ha but anyway! What are gonna do about our umm situation, we know she's missing that's a defiant but where the hell could she be?" Sonic began; Rouge was still eyeing Knuckles with beams of hate.
"Let's try searching for her, Sonic you take the ruins, Tails you do a general sky look out, Shadow you take the beach and the outer city, I'll look—" Knuckles was cut off by a pissed off bat.
"—oh no you don't! You're not getting off that easy! You owe me an explanation!" She grabbed one of his dreadlocks yanking on it very hard.
"Ow! Man, get off! Stop being such a bitch—" Well that little word got him a good smack across the face. Not only that but she kicked him in the shin with a steel tipped boot.
As he hopped around on one foot hold the other shin he growled at her, it didn't mean anything to her.
"Is that what I am now? Huh? Well you know what? I-I-I…" Her voice finally broke, that really hurt…he was harsh at times but that was just too much. They all watch as her eyes water up as she turned around sprinting for a few yards and flying off with her face in her hands. Everyone could have sworn they heard her sob.
Knuckles glared in their direction, Sonic only whistled silently to himself tapping his shoe calmly trying to act coolly as he looked away to the ground and to the side.
"Umm you know what? I think I'll start up that patrol right now." Tails said right before flying off away in the opposite direction of Rouge's. Shadow was left standing there, unmoved, unfazed. Knuckles glared at him expecting a criticizing comment.
Knuckles continued his glare, Shadow stared back coldly.
"What are you looking at?" Knuckles snarled; Shadow only stared back him.
"I'm looking at the world's biggest jack-ass. Why do you have to act like that? Every time you're around her you always have to put up that act don't you?" Shadow said spiking him in the gut emotionally.
Knuckles let out a growl remaining in his throat; Sonic opened one eye and watched the two exchange kill faces curiously.
"It's not an act." Knuckles growled, Sonic observing saw that this could get serious so he took three giant leaps to the left.
"Man you wanna cut the bullshit now? It's been more than four years!"
"The fuck you talking about?" Knuckles asked confused about what he was talking about.
"I am this far away from kicking your ass!" He let an aggravated sigh as he made the visual of about quarter of an inch with his index finger and thumb.
"Oh yeah? Let's see what you're made of! You wanna talk all this bull, then lets do it right here and now!" Knuckles began removing his gloves, revealing his hands; something no one has ever seen.
He threw the gloves to the side, flexing his fingers. His knuckle barbs were bare bone, he had become used to the high pain that occurred with hard and heavy contact directly to them. They had slightly visible starch marks, the back of his hand had red fur, so did his palm, other than the bare bone; his hands were like any other echidnas.
Shadow did not move, not even at how serious Knuckles seemed. He kept that stare going, it kept punching at Knuckles's emotions brutally; the stare, it made him nervous when it didn't stop…
Looking away from the cold stare, Knuckles notice that he had also had attracted a lot of attention…everyone, literality everyone in the near by areas building entrances, sidewalks, bus stops and a few parking lots were staring at him and the group. He focused back on Shadow, still staring.
Glaring at Shadow one more time, he picked upped his gloves and walked away. Sonic stare at the fading echidna in confusion;
'What the hell just happened? He was just about to whoop his ass! What happened?'
Shadow let out a sigh, "Public embarrassment…always works." He also hid a small grin.
"What? Public embarrassment? What the hell are you talking about?"
"He went to talk to Rouge."
"How would you know?"
"Public embarrassment, it always gets to him. Why do think he acts like that around her when he's in front of us?"
"Knux? Na, that's just him he's hardheaded n' stubborn."
"Wanna put money on it? Bet you 400 he did." Shadow said holding his hand out
"You're on!" Sonic yelled smacking his hands together and rubbing them with a huge grin across his face. "Hello new sound system!"
"It's not a bet unless you shake on it moron."
"Huh? Oh…fine here! (Sigh) Always gotta be mister perfect!" Sonic shook his hand still grinning.
With Amy and Espio in the hanger; noon, eating for the first time in a while
Amy sat on the hanger's floor with her back to the wall. She chewed silently as she ate her steamy meal; rice and cut up fish in a bowl, that's all; least that's what Espio said that all they could get to eat up there.
She looked at the huge hanger, wondering why it was empty. All this space, belonged to Eggman she expected it to be full of attack bots and patrolling mechs.
Nothing…just a huge dark and cold area.
"I'll be back." Espio said quietly as he disappeared.
"Hey wait! Where are you—" She started but he was gone already. Letting out an aggravated sigh she crossed her arms.
She notice something as she put down the rest of her food, she heard metal clanks hit the ground; like steps. She stood up slowly and went towards the other side of the hanger, she could a see dim glow in the dark air, two of them; they looked like sleek half circles flat side up in a diagonal direction, they were yellow colored.
The clanks stopped as she came close enough to see a vague shape, four long, metallic, smoothly bent tentacles that held up a main body, it was a simple figure; like a smooth edged three dimensional trapezoid. On the body it had two equally long tentacles. She walked closer with curiosity and with a bit of fear.
When she got with in a few yards of it, the thing spiked a bladed claw just in front of her feet; puncturing the concrete floor. It moved each of its legs one by one slowly, coming closer; she wanted to run but she couldn't.
Amy stood there frozen with fear; Espio watched from above, crouched down on a long steel beam…maybe she couldn't handle this.
With Rouge; on top of a skyscraper
(P.S. Don't bitch about the oxygen level up here okay? She's up high, deal with it!)
Rouge sat on her knees on the ground, still crying, near the edge of the building, the ledge was elevated enough for her not to fall over and still be able to be on her knees and look down at the flowing traffic below. This was her spot, up far and away from anyone and everyone. It was simple rooftop, just one door that leads into the office building's insides; no one ever had ever come up through there when she was here.
She sighed as she wiped her tears. She looked out into the blue skies, all clear nothing but blue, such a beautiful day and she still felt like shit. A light breeze made her cheeks feel cold from her continuing tears, she couldn't help it. She usually could take comments like that and shrug it off but from Knuckles? He wasn't usually like that, he was mean to her – yes, but to the extent of calling her a bitch or anything like that…that wasn't him or at least she thought.
She fought back whimpers but couldn't help but continue tearing.
"How could I ever have fallen in love with such jerk?" She said quietly beginning to whimper a bit. "I'm such an idiot."
"No…you're…not!" She turned around and saw two hands grip the ledge, white gloves, knuckle barbs – Knuckles…
He pulled his upper body over the ledge and leaned forward flipping on to the ground bringing to rest of him along. He panted as he sat up, she had her back to him. He could hear her whimper, he really hurt her with what he said.
"Rouge…look I'm—"
"—just shut the fuck up okay?" She shot, cutting him off.
Knuckles sighed, he really messed up didn't he? Rouge rarely cussed and certainly not at him. Knuckles stood up and walked slowly towards her. He knelt down beside her, she huffed and looked away hiding some of her tears.
"What do you want?" She asked coldly, Knuckles put his hand on her shoulder; she shook it off.
"Look…(Sigh) I'm really sorry, I—" He couldn't finish, last time Knuckles had sorry to anyone was Cream and the was over eight years ago when he made her cry by telling her the chupacabra was a real thing that looked like a little demon and was going to get her at night. And even that took a couple of smacks from Vanilla to make him say it.
"Why are you here?" She said softly fighting a cracking voice. He could see her hands reach up to her face and wipe her eyes.
"I wanted to apologize for what I said to you…I didn't mean it." There, he finally did it! He felt some relief in saying that but he had a gut churn as he waited for a response from her.
"…just…leave me alone…" She said softly as she used her wings to cover her body.
"Rouge—" he voice filled with concern, true concern for her for once.
"—just…go away…" Her wings hugged her shoulders more.
With Sonic, Tails & Shadow; inner city: Parking lot
"Well that's it, we've checked everywhere! She's nowhere to be found!" Tails yelled floating down.
"What now?" Asked Sonic, scratching his head as he leaned back against a car.
"I don't know…we check her usual spot and her rare spots. I don't know what else to do! Where the fuck could she be?" Shadow began to yell then punch a car leaving a big dent in the blue paint.
Luckily no saw it at the time. Shadow continued to ponder the question, where was Amy?
"Should we call the cops?" Tails asked sitting on the hood of same car Sonic was leaning on. Shadow finally took a knee in front of them both.
"If we couldn't find her then what chance do they stand of finding her?" Shadow sighed as he stared at the ground; coincidently there was a cracked egg on the ground. Sonic looked in the direction Shadow was when he noticed it too.
"Hey what if—
Amy & Espio; after the fight with the seeker bot (thing she saw earlier)
"I could kick you ass right now! What the hell was that for?" Amy continued yelling as she loosened her grip on Espio's neck. She had defeated the thing but she was pissed that not only did Espio just watch but he didn't even warn her that it would try to kill her; that the kind of information you give out because it's kind of umm…important, is it?
"Let go! Jesus Christ, you've big anger issues! I needed to know if you were up to destroying something! If couldn't take this thing on, than there's no way you could take anything else on!"
"Well you could have at least warned me! Arrgh, the suit is messed up now, look!" She yelled angrily as she stretched out her arm, showing a long slash across it. She also gave him a good smack/whip at his head with her mask.
He took her hand and held her arm still, the slash was deep but not enough to cut through to her skin, he could see flexible circuit wiring and he saw small bits of movement in the circuitry. He moved his finger closer to the slash and for he knew it the slash mark sealed up before his eyes! He stood silent in confusion as to what he saw, he looked up; noticing he still held her hand, too awed by the view of her face he saw.
"Will you let go of my hand!" Amy snapped as she took her hand back. Espio backed away and tried to play it off; he notice both her eyes were a slightly shady red.
"Umm…c'mon lets continued. We have to go outside again so let's go." He had a nervous tone, she didn't seem to notice.
"Whatever, lets get this over with!" She had her attitude back…again. She walked ahead of him.
Espio walked slowly behind her, stare at her hips swinging side to side. After getting a good mental smack from his brain he wiped his drool;
'Man! What the fuck is happening to me? Amy, ewww! Not ew but ewww, man if this keeps up…ugh…Amy? Ewww'
Before you review:
First of all, you have some idea were I'm probably heading with this but at the same time,you have no idea, so think about that when you're reviewing.
Keep it short, simple.
Peace bitches
