HELLO!
I hope everyone is staying safe out there! I live on the west coast of the Americas, and let me just say I miss seeing the blue skies and feeling the warmth of the sun.
As always, thanks to my beta Laineybug04, she has truly been such an amazing partner in all this, and my chapters would not be nearly as polished if it weren't for her. A HUGE hug and thank you to my friend Wolfsol who without I never would've started posting my little dribbles online.
Thanks to all my commenters, and reviewers! ThePurplePyroHedgie, Pirilaxa, Amefloza13, Abril378, TinyShinyy, TheOriginalAmy1, KSPForever1038, CherryTheRose, shad-amy01, Sweet Fantasy's Magic, Angel-kohai, TheSpectralWolf, ExplodinPonies, SonamyKitty, GeistK97, Lady Marina-chan. I feel like I did better this time in responding to reviews. But if I missed you please do not feel afraid to either call me out in a comment, or send me a PM!
Yeet: Thank you so much for everything! Your review was so detailed and filled with lovely observations and I really felt like you understood everything I was trying to do! I am so grateful that you spent your time to write such a lengthy comment, I am always so excited to read my reader's comments. I really look forward to hearing more from you! Especially since all your deductions were spot on.
Avery: You are totally fine for relating to Amy! And your deduction is right! I will reveal more very soon, so I look forward to hearing from you again! :)
Guest Review 1: I am soooooo glad you love the story and are reading multiple of mine! I look forward to hearing from you again!
Guest Review 2: Sorry for the long wait! I hope you like this chapter!
THIS CHAPTER: Sorry guys, Omega is still taking a bit of a back seat... but you know those organic lifeforms... they afre all too complicated lol. He will be playing a bigger role in the upcoming arch so watch out for that.
Sooooo... I think thats all for now... ENJOY!
Happy Reading!
EPISODE 9: Reading Between the Lines - Final
G.U.N. Station Square Headquarters
~ September 14, 16:25~
"So… I hear two of your subordinates are going to engage in a duel?"
Rouge froze as Chief Snow looked at her with a bemused expression. She'd been called to Chief Snow's office for a mid-month report on Team Dark's past work; what had been successful and what they needed to improve on for the rest of the month. Rouge was satisfied that the meeting had gone well, especially considering the mission in Knothole. She even had a small smile on her face, and was going to happily remove herself from the office when the Chief had decided to detonate that little bomb.
Rouge turned from the door with a nervous laugh to see Chief Snow staring steadily at her with her chin raised. Her mismatched eyes were sparkling with humor and curiosity, and her hands were folded neatly in front of her.
"I don't know what you're referring to…" Rouge weakly tried to feign innocence.
Chief Snow smirked, and tapped her fingers on her desk.
"Is that so? Because if it were true, I wouldn't stop it from happening. I would merely suggest that some boundaries are put in place to prevent destruction of G.U.N. property. And that includes the agents involved."
Rouge shut her eyes and sighed in defeat. Frustration at the two hot headed hedgehogs on her team started to make her face feel hot. However, just as quickly as the heat appeared, the chill of realization spread through her body and almost made her shiver. How had the Chief known about the fight in the first place? Rouge herself had only found out yesterday afternoon after forcing it out of the two hedgehogs. They both had been acting even more combative than usual. It was generally easy to ignore the glaring and passive aggressive comments, that was everyday nonsense. But the off-handed mentions of manslaughter, and the awkward silences had driven her to the point to use her interrogation tactics to hear what had them acting like two pouting children.
Rouge looked the Chief over and her gaze turned calculating. She'd had suspicions in the past that G.U.N. was somehow monitoring her team's every move, but she had never had proof before now. She smirked, and her large ears twitched as she pounded a stack of papers on the Chiefs desk to straighten them out.
"Well it's just so hard to manage those two, they just really don't get along." Rouge said with a small laugh.
"Yes, that's why I see this as an opportunity to have them let off some steam, and to show everyone exactly what type of agent Miss Amy Rose is."
Rouge nodded enthusiastically and tucked the papers beneath her arm.
"Right, right. And exactly what type of agent is she?"
Chief Snow smiled, her fangs glinting from a small gap in her lips, "A very capable one, and one that Agent Shadow would do well to be wary of. I'm surprised that you haven't figured this out yourself by now. Haven't you been watching her talents?"
Rouge smiled again, willing herself to bury her resentment at the implication that she was being negligent in her observations of Amy. She rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh, feigning exasperation.
"I wish you could tell him that, I have my hands full trying to juggle work, missions, and not to mention the crazy antics they pulled this weekend! I almost had to write an incident report, can you believe that?"
The smile on Chief Snow's face disappeared, and her eyes narrowed as she looked at the bat.
"There was another incident? That wasn't in -"
Her words froze in her muzzle as she realized her mistake. Rouge's fake expression melted off her face to be replaced with a satisfied smile, she had been in the business of intelligence extraction for almost a decade at this point. Getting her target to unconsciously admit to guilt was as easy as stealing gems at this point. Unfortunately, it wasn't anything solid that she could use as evidence to confront Snow about it - not yet, anyway. For now, she would be satisfied with the knowledge that her instincts were still alive and kicking.
"Well," Rouge graciously continued the conversation like the silent battle of intelligence agents had been a figment of the imagination, "since we both agree that this duel should happen, I would like to hear what boundaries you were thinking of."
Chief Snow blinked in mild interest at how easily Rouge dropped the subject of what happened over the weekend. They both knew that Rouge had caught Irina in a slip of tongue, and now there was a silent battle of wills on whether either of them would acknowledge the fact. However, when Rouge continued to maintain her neutral and excessively polite smile, the Chief cleared her throat, matching Rouge's contrived face with her own mask of authority.
"It should be carried out here on the premises in our combat training arena. Also it should be hand to hand combat, no weapons."
Rouge was nodding along as the Chief spoke her rules, all the while smiling from ear to ear.
"Sounds like a plan, Chief!" Rouge said enthusiastically, "If that's all, I'll go relay the information to my team now."
Chief Snow seemed a little put off by Rouge's sudden eagerness to obey her orders. Her eyes were narrowed and they moved back and forth as she searched the bat's expression and body language. Rouge felt an internal satisfaction that it seemed as though she had successfully strung the female along. Finally, Snow sighed and nodded with her mouth slightly parted, and waved her hand towards the door.
"Yes, that'll be all Agent Rouge, you may leave."
Rouge widened her smile and turned to leave the office. Irina continued to study the female as she made her way across the office, but she eventually shook her head and looked down at her paperwork. However, when she heard the door open, a small sarcastic laugh tickled her ears. She looked up to see Rouge staring at her with a dangerous look in her seafoam eyes, and a smirk on her face that revealed her fangs.
"Oh, one last thing before I take my leave. I've had a feeling of being observed lately, and I worry that sensitive information about my team is being exposed. I surely do not want any of G.U.N.s secrets to be released to the wrong person. Just wanted to let you know I'll be investigating the leak and I'll report back to you if I find anything."
"Ah," Chief Snow's face remained untouched by nerves, but Rouge's sharp, espionage instincts picked up on the slightest flick of the tip of her tail, which was tucked almost unseen beneath the desk.
"Well, I expect a full and detailed report on any of your findings, Special Agent Rouge."
Rouge's lips curled in a mischievous smirk, "Of course Chief, I strive to please."
And with another small laugh, Rouge shut the door behind her, leaving Chief Snow with her thoughts.
G.U.N. Headquarters - Station Square
~ September 14, 16:58~
"You idiots really love to put me in awkward situations with our boss," Rouge burst loudly into Team Dark's shared workspace.
It had been a cold quiet before her arrival. Two hedgehogs staring at each other with freezing looks of threats as they waited for the clock to strike six. Marking the end of their day and the start of their battle. Omega had been sitting contentedly in the corner, reviewing his favorite battle recordings and humming electronically every now and then. He was quite comfortable with charged energy, in fact he prefered it to the usual boring, and mundane office atmosphere.
Rouge's sudden and aggressive arrival had caused Amy to jump slightly and Shadow to smirk at her like he had won some unspoken game. Amy's attention immediately shifted back to glaring at Shadow, and Rouge was left standing at the door with an irritated look on her face.
"If you get scared by something as simple as the opening of a door, then combat must be a real hellscape for you." Shadow sneered, while he leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed and one brow lifted smugly. Amy lifted the corner of her lip in a snarl, and she huffed.
"You know what Shadow? I'm getting sick of you holding everyone to your impossible standards. Not everyone is some freak of nature like you and can -"
"Enough!" Rouge exclaimed while slamming the stack of papers she held onto her desk. This time both hedgehogs jumped slightly, and turned their aggravated expressions in her direction.
"Can you two stop going for each other's throats for just one second, and listen to the bullshit you have dragged me, and the rest of the team, into?"
Amy flinched at her words, but her face relaxed with a tinge of guilt. Meanwhile Shadow continued to stare at her with a malicious and calculating glare. Rouge wanted to punch that look off his face, but she knew from experience that would get her nowhere. At least one of them seemed to be sane enough to listen with an ounce of humility.
"Rouge, what's going on?" Amy asked tentatively, and Rouge sighed while flopping into her chair. She was quiet for a moment, trying to come up with the words to relay her news without causing another war to break out.
"Spit it out, Bat, I don't have all day."
Rouge's head snapped in Shadow's direction and she again fought with the desire to smack that ungrateful asshole upside the head. Shadow was her oldest friend, and she was trying everything in her power to protect him from the forces that would rather see him locked up in a cage than roaming free. Unfortunately, this prideful hedgehog did not make that task easy. If she was to be honest, he was his own worst enemy at this point but she gritted her teeth and decided that it was just best to get this over with as soon as possible.
"Somehow the Chief has gotten wind of your little… pissing match. And she has required you two to follow some rules."
Shadow jumped up from his seat, and his ruby eyes burned with anger.
"How the hell did she find out?"
"I don -"
"It was you, wasn't it?" Shadow spoke over Rouge like he didn't even hear her. His finger came up to point at Amy accusingly. Amy sat still in shock for a moment, her big eyes blinking in confusion. Once she registered that the blame was being placed on her, her gaze narrowed to slits, and her nose wrinkled as she glared back at him.
"I didn't say anything." The young Agent replied softly, her voice controlled and her expression hard. Shadow scoffed and folded his arms.
"Sure. And I'm to believe you? An immature, whiney, little female? Hell will freeze over before that."
Amy felt her body shake in resentment and revolution at his unjustified accusation. She heard a ringing in her ears, her face alight with hot blood, her vision tunnelled, and a seething wrath bubbled up from her stomach. She didn't understand why his provoking words had affected her so much, but it was too late. She was drowning in fury, and there was no air for her to breathe. However, the small part of her that had maintained a semblance of sanity battled with the riptides of anger, and as a result she stayed silent.
Rouge was now watching the interaction with interest. She could see something brewing within the young female and she wondered how she would react. Shadow had a talent for bringing out the worst in everyone, and Rouge wanted another glimpse at Amy's dark side. She'd seen a little of it in that cafe and her car almost a week ago, and her hunger for information convinced her to let this play out for a bit longer.
Shadow scoffed as the girl remained silent, and he shook his head before a gruesome grin ripped across his face.
"Or is it that you were too scared to go up against the Ultimate Lifeform, so you had to tattle to the Chief. Poor, weak, little fangirl Amy Rose didn't have the guts to follow through. You get someone else to win your battle for you. Why am I not surprised?"
An electric silence filled the air as the charged words made its home in each listeners' ears. Shadow looked cocky, his grin unwavering and his stance wide and proud, while he looked down his nose at the shaking girl. Amy looked like she was going to cry, her head was lowered and her quills were vibrating with her body, and her eyes were covered by her bangs. Rouge felt slight disappointment at her response. She had expected the girl to have more fire, more grit than that. However, it wasn't uncommon for the pink female to be sent into a crying fit by a couple well placed insults. This was the Amy Rose afterall. Even if she had matured a bit, two years was not long enough for an entire change in attitude and personality.
Rouge stood, her large ears twitching in annoyance, I suppose I should put a stop to this. I don't want the Chief to have any more reason to criticize our treatment of her.
"Shadow, I think you went a little too far -"
"It's okay Rouge." Amy's voice came forth tranquil and calm. Her head lifted and her lips were parted in a graceful smile, but Rouge felt the spike of death shoot up her spine. The bat couldn't figure out why she felt that way from what, by any means, was a sweet smile on a cute girl, but then she realized. It was Amy's eyes. The usual soft glow of spring grass had left her irises to be replaced by a toxic, poison apple green. They were vengeful, hateful, dark, but worst of all… unforgiving. She had never seen such eyes on another Mobian before, not even Shadow had shown such raw emotional wrath.
Amy slowly stood, her arms planted on her desk, and her pointed ears twitched with the urge to fold back in hostility. She turned her gaze to Shadow, the expression not softening by even a degree.
"I won't even dignify your ridiculous accusation with an answer. I've dealt with your type almost everyday in the cadet program."
Shadow grunted, and his eyes rolled dramatically, "And what 'type' would that be?"
Amy felt pleasure twist in her stomach as he took her bait with vigor. Her hands came up from the desk and her left hand held her right elbow as her fingers curled to be examined by her closely. Rouge felt her eyebrow raise in surprise. This girl was matching Shadow's arrogance with her own poised, dignified air. She realized what she had mistaken before as trembling before tears, was in fact a burning passion.
"You're a wannabe alpha male, who has an ego the size of the sun. You feel the need to put everyone else beneath you, to humiliate others. All because you are afraid that if anyone was to challenge you, that you would be exposed for the pathetic, sniveling, small, coward that you are."
At first the only sound to be heard was the soft beeps and boops from Omega, while the two older agents took a moment to absorb the insults that had spilled from sweet, gentle Amy Rose. Rouge couldn't stop her mouth from curling into a wicked smirk. She hadn't realized what a genius the girl was with her words until now, and she made a mental note to get Amy to give her some tips. Shadow on the other hand was steadily getting more and more agitated, and the fact that he could actually feel the humor Rouge was getting from this, was not helping to calm down his nerves.
"You bitch. How dare you -"
"Alright, alright. Enough you two, save it for the mat," Rouge interjected, her shit eating grin still plastered on her face. She angled her face away from Shadow and gave Amy an approving wink.
"Shadow, I don't think it was Amy who told Chief Snow. Even before Amy was put on our team there were things the Chief knew about that would've been impossible without one of us telling her. I was able to confirm my suspicions when I caught her in a trap."
Shadow seemed to relax slightly as he mulled over the possibility of an unknown spy. He looked at Rouge, his anger with the young hedgehog forgotten.
"Are you positive that it's not her?"
Rouge looked at Shadow, then at Amy. Her eyes flicked back and forth between Amy's as she searched the girl for any fragment of deceit. But as she had thought, there was nothing there, except irritation at the Ultimate Lifeform reflected in her eyes, and the hurt from being accused of snitching. Rouge patted Amy's shoulder and looked back at Shadow.
"Yes. I'm positive."
Shadow held Rouge's gaze for a long moment, and an unvoiced conversation between the old partners ensued. This was something that neither of them realized that they did, after years of working together they had developed an unnamed language. One simple look could convey more than spoken words. Finally, Shadow blinked and broke the connection with a gruff grumble.
"Fine. But that means we have some… weeding to do when we get back to the living quarters."
Rouge laughed a little, and put her arm around Shadow's shoulder, "You know you can call it 'home' like a normal person, right?"
Shadow, who was slightly shorter than Rouge, looked up at her with disdain and shoved her away from him. Rouge merely laughed some more, before clapping her hands together.
"Right! Now that, that's sorted, we can get on to the fun!"
Her grin was wide and her gaze was crazily eager. Shadow and Amy both felt an unease enter their chests as they realized the bat had flipped from finding their impending fight a drag and nuisance, to getting pleasure at the idea of them beating each other to a pulp.
"So, what do you say about getting this over with, huh?"
G.U.N. Station Square Headquarters - Combat Training Grounds
~ September 14, 17:31~
The smell of sweat and wet towels filled the air like whipped cream in a can. Sounds of grunts and smacks filled the air like the claps of thunder. Mirrors lined most of the walls, and the miles long space was split into four arenas. The furthest to the right was a ring with beams of energy encompassing it. Within the space agents could fight simulated enemies created with the same energy used for the bars. Although there was no fear of severe injury from the simulation, the pain felt was very real.
In the furthest left corner was a target range where agents were busy throwing, shooting, and launching any conceivable weapon on Mobius at stationary or moving targets. To the left was environmental training, where a large glass orb was filled with different terrain and obstacles for the agents to practice survival in the worst conditions. And then finally, to the right was a classic fighting matt where agents could test their skills against fellow teammates and coworkers in hand to hand combat. Currently a ram mobian was roundhouse kicking a lizard in the face.
Standing off to the side was a group of agents who looked out of place and awkward within their setting. A pure white bat stood with her arms crossed and bored expression, but her foot tapped in an almost nervous manner. She wore a purple, pinstripe suit and her rhinestoned fingers played the piano on her arm. Next to her was a looming robot, a sight rarely seen in the mobian's training building. But the person that held the attention of most agents was the lily white feline. She stood - a good foot shorter than her companions - with a hand on her hip, head raised in poised grace, and slight smirk on her face. No one had ever seen the Chief of Staff in the training room since her transfer to their headquarters ten months prior.
Irina Kotka Snow watched the two training agents with pride, and hardly seemed to notice the looks of surprise, anxiety, and wonder of those around them. The agents in the ring finished their sparring match, laughed good naturedly and patted each other on the back before they laid eyes on their audience. Immediately their smiles melted into serious lines, and both of them stood at attention and greeted the Chief in loud voices.
"Good Evening Chief Snow!"
The feline chuckled with warm humor and her hand waved lightly in the air before her as her fluffy tail swished in the opposite direction.
"At ease boys! You're both looking good out there."
The two agents looked at each other in bewilderment. They had not expected such words of praise from their supposed tough chief. "Uh thanks Chief," the ram's deep voice replied, his hand scratching at the back of his neck. Snow's large ears flicked towards them and her whiskers twitched slightly as she studied them.
"Of course Agent Bogs. However, I would make sure you keep up with a balanced workout regimen. Your left side's reaction time is slow, and as a result you overcompensate with your right hand swing, leaving an opening for your enemy to strike."
Her voice came forward in a calm tone, and her mismatched eyes although firm, were warm with mentorship. The two agents' eyes widened, surprised that she knew their names, and then Agent Bogs' ears dropped slightly as he nodded.
"Yes ma'am."
The lizard smirked a little, and gave his buddy a nudge, but then the Chief clicked her tongue,
"And as for you, Agent Scale, your observation skills are lacking. Despite Bogs' weakness in his left side, you did not utilize it to your advantage, and were in fact losing. This is not good for your training nor for Bogs' as he will not realize his failings unless you show him in combat."
Both agents were now blushing, but neither one felt jilted. The Chief had not only given them good advice, but she had been fair in her assessment of both agents and did it in a way that wasn't insulting. Bogs and Scale nodded in appreciation and left the mats to return to the locker rooms.
Rouge's mouth was crooked, and her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she stared at Irina's back. Before this week, her interactions with the Chief had been mostly one on one and clinical. Seeing the Chief interact with other agents, and remembering their names without help from name tags or files, made a small bloom of respect grow within Rouge. Maybe she isn't so bad afterall.
"Now where are your two trouble making agents, Special Agent Rouge? I would hate for them to have disregarded my command, and wasted my time."
Chief Snow turned her head to look at Rouge from over her shoulder, and the bat gulped. Nevermind… still a cold hearted bitch. Rouge smiled as reassuringly as she could, and replied, "I'm sure they will be here in a moment…"
Snow's ice blue eye stared at Rouge for a long moment, before she turned to tell a few agents to get off the mats to keep them clear for the upcoming spar. Rouge sighed and looked at her watch, it was about five minutes past the promised time, and neither hedgehog had shown their face. She was considering going to track them down when she heard Shadow's classic grumble from behind her. She turned to see the dark agent approaching the mat with a scowl. His right hand was tightening some white binding over padded gloves, and his inhibitor bracelets were hanging a little looser on his wrists without the usual thick gloves he normally wore.
"So, the princess hasn't shown up yet," He scoffed as he arrived, and noticed Amy wasn't standing with the group of agents. He looked around and quickly spotted Chief Snow. She was standing a few feet away, her attention focused on some agents walking towards the bio-dome. His eyes widened, and he grabbed Rouge's collar and pulled her close. His lips curled back in a snarl.
"What is she doing here? You said nothing about her watching!"
Rouge rolled her eyes and smacked Shadow's hand away. She took her time to answer as she brushed at her collar and straightened it out. She always got annoyed with this dominating behavior of her partner. Leaving him hanging was a small form of punishment and a way to re-establish her own control. He stood with his arms crossed, and his ears flicked irately in impatience as he watched her straighten out her blazer.
"How am I to know the mind of our great and fearless leader?" Rouge drawled sarcastically, her voice low enough to avoid being overheard. She leaned in and spoke through her teeth, making sure to give her voice a tone of warning,
"Just be grateful she didn't have your ass written up for harassment of a junior agent."
Shadow gritted his teeth, and Rouge felt satisfied that he had nothing to say back. Shadow looked back at the Chief, and if he was the type to be nervous this would've been one of those moments. Even more so than before, the pressure to beat Amy to a pulp was high. His pride would not allow him to lose in front of his boss.
"Sorry I'm late!" The voice made both agents turn to see Amy rushing towards them, the skin beneath her peach furred muzzle was glowing pink with effort.
"I had to get an outfit since we are doing this at headquarters instead of - Oh! Chief Snow!"
Amy's eyes went wide as she skidded to a halt in front of the white cat. She immediately straightened her back and saluted, her face serious and her chin raised. She was wearing a grey, G.U.N. issued sports tank and short shorts, and her hands, too, bore padded gloves and binding. Chief Snow looked at her, and then the strangest thing happened, she smiled. Rouge could barely believe her eyes, rarely had she seen the coldhearted Chief curl her lips upwards, and never in the warm expression that now occupied her face. It was always smirks or calculating curls of her lip. Just what made Amy Rose so damn special?
"Hello Agent Rose. You may relax, I'm merely here to observe," the Chief chuckled softly as she watched the young girl hold back a sigh of relief and put a hand behind her neck.
"It's been a while since I last saw you, what was it? About a month ago during interviews?"
Amy laughed a little, and she shrugged, "I guess so. Wouldn't have been so long if you hadn't insisted on that leave of absence, ma'am."
The feline smirked good naturedly and patted the young girl's shoulder. As Rouge watched with amazement, she noticed a small change in the Chief's behavior. The cat's mismatched eyes softened, and her hand tightened slightly on Amy's shoulder. What was that expression? If I didn't know any better I would've said it was 'concern'… but there's just no way.
"You and I both know you needed that break."
Amy stiffened, and her expression darkened just a moment before she covered it with a bright smile.
"I suppose so… guess I should thank you then, Chief."
The Chief smiled at her for a moment, and looked like she was about to say something else, when suddenly an annoyed voice broke through the warm mentor and mentee conversation like a needle in a thumb.
"Are we going to do this? Or are we just going to braid each other's hair?"
All the females present snapped their heads in the direction of the voice, and Omega made a whirring sound with his processors. Shadow glared pointedly at each one of them before landing his gaze on Amy. Chief Snow's face hardened, and no trace of her earlier softness remained. Rouge inwardly screamed in irritation at Shadow's apparent inability to socialize like a normal person. The boy had no sense of etiquette.
"I was unaware that you had somewhere to be and were in such a rush, Agent Shadow. Especially considering you were late in getting here," Snow purred slowly, her tone prickly and warning.
Rouge's head snapped in the Chief's direction and she felt a sudden annoyance at her behavior. Wasn't it just a few minutes ago that the cat was ragging on Rouge about how her time was being wasted? And yet she dared to call out Shadow when it was her conversation with Amy that continued to delay the duel?
"Chief Snow, don't you think you are being a little unfair?" Rouge butted in before Shadow could dig himself a deeper hole. The Chief froze, and then her head slowly turned to stare at Rouge with a guarded stare. This did nothing to deter the bat from making her point, and her hand came up to her hip as she cocked her head and continued,
"You insisted on forcing my team to adhere to your rules. You also gave praise to other agents, but now you are criticizing my partner for asking to start the duel that you just pointed out was running late? And it wasn't just Shadow who showed up late, so why is he reprimanded while Agent Rose is not? This is not the fair and just Chief I have come to know."
An awkward silence enveloped the group, and all other sounds in the training room seemed to dissipate and become meaningless in the shadow of their quiet atmosphere. Shadow looked surprised that Rouge had so quickly jumped to his defense. He and the bat didn't have a bad relationship, but didn't think that they were very close either. Of course there was a commadary from entering battle together and looking out for each other. However, it was odd that in such a socially sensitive situation, Rouge would stick her neck out for him.
Amy was staring back and forth between the two female Mobians. Both were people she looked up to and held in high regard, and she dreaded the fact that she was partially responsible for their animosity. She could feel a nervous sweat tickling her behind her ears, and she felt cold. She gulped and plastered a smile on her face as she inserted herself between the glaring ladies.
"Chief Snow, my apologies for being late and causing such an issue. Since we are all here now, can we begin the match?"
Chief Snow looked at the young anxious agent, and although her hard expression did not change, she did nod.
"Alright, however Agent Rouge, I would like to speak with you privately afterwards."
Amy sighed and looked over her shoulder at Rouge, she gave her a smile, but the bat ignored her and instead went over to Shadow to whisper something in his ear. The ebony hedgehog flicked his long pointed ear as he listened, and both them were angled away from Amy.
Amy sighed, and felt her stomach sink into her pelvis. This was not going to plan. She had only just managed to gain some rapport with Rouge, and now it looked like she'd lost it. She turned and tried to wash her worries away as she entered the sparring mat. Having her mind on anything else besides the coming match would simply spell disaster for her. As she stretched, she caught a glimpse of Rouge patting Shadow on the back as he turned and walked towards the mat. Shadow wasn't smiling, but it seemed like his anger from a few minutes ago had lessened greatly, and his brow was no longer furrowed. When will I - no. Rather will I ever have a relationship like that? One built on trust and respect?
Amy envied their closeness, she hated her own inability to connect, and most of all she despised being the outsider. Why was she always the outsider? Was there something wrong with her? Something that made people hate her? Just what in Chaos name am I doing wrong…?
Shadow stood before her, and he looked at her as she finished her stretches. Her face was unreadable, and her focus was away from him. He had no need to stretch, being the Ultimate Lifeform meant he was always ready to jump into battle at a moment's notice. He never had to exercise either, his body was immortal and self regenerated. Boundless and infinite energy was constantly flowing through the very fiber of his being. And so he just stood there, watching this weakling's pathetic attempts at getting ready. This was going to be easy.
"Okay I'm ready. Shadow, aren't you going to stretch?"
Her voice seemed shallow to his ears, and he scoffed, his arms folding across his chest, and his nose turning into the air.
"I am not some weak mortal that needs to push blood through my soft flesh. I am the Ultimate Lifeform, and I don't need something as -"
"Pff-hahaha!"
Shadow was startled into silence from the unexpected sound. Amy was bracing herself on her knees and her muzzle was split as she laughed. Shadow felt a weird tingling sensation in his cheeks, and a heat like nothing he had felt before, burn his skin. What was with this reaction? Whenever he reminded people of his superiority they would either cower in fear or nervously avoid him. He had never had this reaction before. And most importantly, what was that feeling that was making his stomach turn?
"Wow... " Amy managed to calm her laughter as she wiped a tear from her eye with a finger, "I have truly, never in my life, met someone so spectacularly arrogant as you! You even make Sonic look humble, and I once saw that boy run at full speed and punch a rock just to prove to Knuckles that he wasn't a chicken!"
Shadow felt as though he had been punched in the abdomen at the comparison to his rival. It was then that he put a name to the emotion that choked him and stopped words from leaving his mouth. Embarrassment. This girl was trying to humiliate him in front of others, and it had worked. He had never in his life been embarrassed. He hated it. His arms fell to his sides, and his hands balled into fists. Anger. This he could work with.
A crackling of yellow energy swirled around him, and its appearance was enough to cause Amy to stop her mocking. A fist smashed into her face, and she flew backwards. The force of her flight was so strong that she felt the rubber strings meant to keep fighters within the confines of the mat tear and snap around her. They left angry red welts on her back, and she fell to the ground. Her breath was knocked from her chest, and she gasped desperately. Once she had a little air, she looked up to see Shadow standing in the spot she had just occupied. It had all happened in less than a second. One moment he was ten feet away, and the next he was standing in her place. The fight was over before it had even begun.
She saw Rouge and the Chief lurch towards her, but she held up her hand firmly and shook her head. Both the older females hesitated to listen, worry on both their faces, but Amy shakily braced herself on her knees, and lifted herself up. She rose like an injured warrior and she forced her back to straighten, ignoring the pain and stinging her brain assaulted her with, in order to make her stop. Amy Rose would not back down.
Shadow had been quite satisfied with the result of his punch, and he was about to turn away and leave her to grovel, when he saw something change in her eyes. The girl looked battered, and her quills had actually managed to burst from their metal ring-tie. As she rose she never broke eye contact with him, and he found even though he wanted to, he could not look away.
He was no longer angry at her, his utter domination had finally been able to alleviate his pent up rage. It was simply a nuisance now that she refused to give up, she was doing something futile and unnecessary. He looked around and saw that they had attracted a crowd and he was inspired with an idea. Fine, if she wants me to knock her out, then I will. Maybe then she will be so humiliated she'll leave the team on her own.
This time there was no need to teleport, she was too injured to do anything to him let alone react to defend herself against his next attack. He walked towards her, his stride steady and deliberate. She closed her eyes as he approached, and he smirked. I have to hand it to her, this girl has pride. His fist raised and he swung, and her eyes snapped open to follow the fist through the air. However, instead of flesh, Shadow's fist flew harmlessly through empty space. He lost his balance from the unexpected absence of his target, but he righted himself quickly. Where…
He heard it before he felt it, a foot whizzing through the air, a sound that was unnatural for the movement of flesh. Then when it made connection with his spine it was with the force of a semi truck going over sixty miles an hour. His back bent backwards, and it was his turn to go flying through the air. This time since they were already outside of the fighting ring, he ended up soaring through the air across the training room. As he was in flight, his mind tried to catch up with the events of the past few seconds. Where had Amy gone?
His head turned and looking behind him he could not see her anywhere, not even at the place where she should have been standing from her attack on him. He closed his eyes, and forced down all emotional responses that he had to this situation. He needed a clear head, and calmness despite battle. He looked towards where he was headed and saw that it was the large glass dome. This was promising, he could twist and turn on his rocket shoes in order to use his momentum to run across the side of the dome and bring himself to a slower stop.
He counted down to impact, and when he was a couple feet from the glass he twisted and tapped his heels together to manually activate his shoes. Everything was going to plan. Although the heat and flames of the small rockets in his shoes shattered some glass he was able to push off from the metal frame of the dome and run along the side. A spiderweb of cracks and the tinkling of broken glass, followed him until he was once more on the ground.
As he ran, he snapped his head around trying to locate his target, but she was nowhere to be seen. His speed increased to just over half of his top speed, and to those who watched (which by now was the entire training ground) he was no more than a blurry after image zipping throughout the building. He scoured the entire arena, which was a couple miles long, but he could not find her anywhere.
Perplexed, he slowed his pace until he stopped, and he was now standing in the holographic fighting circle. The agents that had occupied it quickly retreated a safe distance away, their faces a mixture of fascination and fear, but Shadow didn't even notice. All of his instincts were on edge, his fur tingled, and his quills tried to bristle, everything in him told him he was in danger. He never allowed himself to feel fear, nor allowed his body to even unconsciously show anxiety, but there was something that didn't feel right. He couldn't quite figure it out, and he kept turning and looking around for her. He could actually feel her eyes on him, but he could not see them.
"Looking for me?"
The voice was the whisper of breeze in his left ear, and he almost snarled in surprise. He immediately turned his entire body to the direction of the voice, but again he was met with empty air. What in Chaos' name? Then he heard the whizzing again, but this time he was prepared. His hand struck out like a viper, and clasped with all his strength. He heard a grunt, and then he pulled the solid air downwards. A thump resounded, and he knew she was on the ground. He punched towards the sound, but he was met with floor.
"Impressive. No one has been able to judge where my foot would land. I guess the title 'Ultimate Lifeform' isn't all bullshit."
She sounded different now, harder, detached and yet all knowing, like a warrior goddess. And still he could not see her. He growled in frustration and punched blindly where he'd heard her voice just a moment before. He heard a chuckle as he failed to connect once more.
"Still... I dunno about 'Ultimate Lifeform.' Sounds like hot air from a puffed up idiot to me. It looks like your senses have their limit. Shall I show you my secret?"
Shadow's rage was steadily rising, and now he could feel the blood within him singing in response to her taunting. Never had he faced someone that had been able to turn his insides like she could. He was losing control. Suddenly, a very dim pink aura bubbled like sea foam before his eyes, and when it disappeared it was replaced with Amy. She no longer looked like the girl he had knocked to the floor. She still had a bleeding scrape on her forehead, and her cheek was swelling up, but her eyes were crystal clear, and her stance was straight and powerful.
He lunged at her, and this time he saw it. Her lips curled ever so slightly into a smirk, and a delightful green flame burned in her eyes. The edges of her image blurred with a pink glow, and his eyes could no longer focus on her. It was disorienting, but the worst was that when the pink cleared, she'd completely vanished from view. She can manipulate chaos energy? This realization came too late for the dark agent, and once more he felt her use the force of his attack against him. He was a little more prepared this time, and he was able to keep his feet planted on the ground. He slid into the electricity barriers of the circle, and felt the uncomfortable tingling of manufactured pain.
He gritted his teeth, and was about to push off when his fur rose along his arms, and his quills twitched. He blinked and quickly realized what this reaction actually was. It was all his senses notifying him of an incoming attack, and so he decided to do something he had never had to do before in battle. He succumbed to his instincts. He ducked and felt his now fully bristled quills stab into flesh. Once blood had left her body, he could see it splash onto the floor below him. But Amy did not waste a moment to register her pain.
Her leg had been scratched, but her arm swung along with her body and she leaned backward in her spin in order to lower her punch. It connected solidly with his stomach, and a horrible sizzling sound enveloped the area as his fur burned against electricity. Shadow's breath was knocked from his chest, and she saw him crumple to the ground. She felt powerful elation flow through her limbs into her head. Her brain literally buzzed with adrenaline and endorphins. She could no longer feel any of her wounds.
Shadow coughed, and when he stood once more his muzzle was split into a vicious grin. Nevermind underestimating this girl, this is actually becoming interesting. He closed his eyes, and focused on each of his twitching muscles. There was no point in having his eyes open if he could not see his opponent, in fact it would only serve to hinder him as he would put too much effort into trying to identify where she was. Instead he focused on his other senses. He could smell her scent, an intoxicating floral perfume that mixed with bitter sweat, and the metallic iron of blood. He could hear her breathing, and movement as she once again came in for another punch, and he could feel his body's response to the threat.
He parried her arm and countered her kick; she stopped his fist and dodge his blow. The two of them quickly fell into an impossibly fast and rhythmic dance, a deadly show of grace. He would jump backward and his mind would see her jump forward. She would step to the side and he would mirror her movement with his own. To viewers it looked like Shadow was performing a crazy one person reenactment of a fighting sequence, making him look insane.
Chief Snow, Rouge, and Omega had all migrated to the second fighting ring, and were standing in silence as they watched the fight. Omega was recording it, adding notes and information to his internal database of both Amy and Shadow, his drivers and gears spinning and buzzing with what one could only assume was excitement. Rouge was watching with wide eyes, shocked that it looked like both hedgehogs were evenly and matched. She had hoped it would be a quick battle, Shadow knocking Amy to the ground had convinced her of that. She knew the girl's pride would be hurt, but at least she would be put in her place. But now Rouge did not know what to think of the battle.
When Amy had first disappeared she had actually gasped in shock and amazement, and her head had snapped to look at the Chief like 'did you see that?' But the Chief was merely following Shadow's trajectory through the air, a small knowing smile on her face. Rouge had blinked in confusion at the expression, realizing quickly that the Chief was not in the least bit surprised. And when Shadow had run across the room, she had clapped her hands together, and looked at Rouge with bright eyes.
"Come, let's follow them."
Rouge didn't move at first, her mind not registering that there had been an ace hiding in Amy's sleeve that she had not known about - had never even dreamt would be possible. The Chief stared at her with patient understanding as Rouge's mind caught up. Finally the bat shook her head, and narrowed her eyes on the Chief.
"You knew… that's why you didn't stop this fight from happening. What else are you hiding?"
The Chief chuckled, a sound that seemed foreign coming from the cold feline. In fact if Rouge didn't know better she would've sworn it was a giggle. But then her face hardened, and her green and blue eyes stared at Rouge with cold, fierce authority.
"Agent Rouge, again, you have disappointed me. Have I not told you before that Amy Rose graduated top of her class? Do you think G.U.N. is such a weak organization that this fact means nothing? I would hope an agent of your caliber would know how to think and investigate for themselves, and not automatically believe the first scenario that pops in their head."
The white cat put her hands behind her back and started walking. Omega had already made his way over to the other mat, and Rouge could see Shadow whipping his head back in forth in the center. He looked just as confused and caught off guard as she felt, and she hurried to catch up to the Chief.
As they stood there and continued to watch, Rouge again glanced at Chief Snow. The feline's face was the closest Rouge had seen to her being happy, and she wondered again just what was the relationship between her and Agent Rose. She cleared her throat. Now that she was over her initial shock, she had regained her composure and tried again.
"Chief, I understand the confidentiality between you and agents, but was this something you really should have kept from us?" Rouge huffed irately, and turned to look at the Chief. The only sign the cat was listening was the angle of her ears, as the rest of her body was still facing the duel. When she didn't respond, Rouge prodded once more,
"As Team Dark's leader at least I should have the right to know my partners abilities, and capabilities. Why did you not give me a personnel file on her? If you had then maybe -"
"Maybe what, Agent Rouge?" The question was firm, and although she did not turn, her blue eye moved to stare coldly at the bat.
"Maybe you would've accepted her? Treated her better? Not protested?" Irina scoffed, her long tail flicked in irritation, "I do not think so. Tell me, was there anything I could have told you about Field Agent Amy Rose that would've made you, or your incredibly arrogant partner accept her into your Team?"
Rouge felt the desire to respond, but found she couldn't say anything in her own defense. The Chief was right. The moment they had seen it was Amy, none of them had even given her a chance. They immediately refused her, and tried everything in their power to get rid of her.
"You say that I kept information from you, but you also never looked for it. I told you much about her, that she was top of her class, highly recommended and nothing like her past self. However, you were content and insistent on relying on outdated information about the girl to make your judgement of her. Do you think if you had asked for her personnel file I wouldn't have given it to you?"
Rouge's jaw clenched, and she turned away. She couldn't say anything in defense. Everything the Chief said was true. Rouge hadn't been interested in Amy in the least. Mildly curious, sure, but not invested, not in her capabilities, nor her achievements, she had simply been interested in finding a way to take her down. She had allowed her prejudice of the girl to get in her way and cloud her mind. And she was watching the result. She felt the hot burn of her pride melting, and she knew it was unfair, but in that moment she resented Amy. Why had this girl come into their life? Why was she ruining everything?
"If she is so damn perfect, why did you put her on our team? You've heard the rumors about us, you know how we operate. You said it was because you wanted her to improve us, but aren't we doing just fine?"
She hadn't meant to say all of that, but before she could stop, it had spilled through her mouth. Chief Snow had an odd effect on her that no one else had, the feline was always able to break down her composure, and Rouge had lashed out in defense.
"It's true, your team doesn't need help. You have managed to survive this long and that is no easy feat with you and your teammates' track record. But know this Special Agent," this time the Chief turned and focused her entire attention to the angry bat. Her voice came low, and there was a dark warning in her tone as she continued,
"There are cold winds blowing in G.U.N. and there will be a time when you need the 'perfect' Agent Rose to weather some storms. Besides," she turned back to look at the hedgehogs again, "Why do you think I only did this to benefit your team?"
That odd, somber sparkle when she'd been speaking to Amy earlier, had returned to the cat's eyes. No. Rouge realized it was sadness. What… what exactly happened that would make this unfeeling female hold sympathy for that girl? And what does she mean about storms? She would've continued to investigate, if Chief Snow had not grunted and nodded towards the fighting ring.
"Rouge take a look, the fight seems to be close to over."
The bat turned to see that Amy was no longer invisible, and her movements had slowed considerably. She was still keeping up with Shadow, but it was obvious between the two which was losing stamina.
Amy Rose could feel cold sweat dripping from every fiber of fur on her body, but the liquid did little to cool the heat of battle from her skin. She was grunting louder with each impact, and the pain from her bruises and cuts were finally breaking through her wall of adrenaline. Her earlier confidence and calm was now a memory, and she was beginning to feel the exhaustion and frustration from what she now knew was a losing battle. She could tell with one look at the ebony male before her.
Shadow still had his eyes closed, not knowing that she was no longer spending energy to keep herself invisible. His face was relaxed, almost as though he had fallen asleep, and his movements were still smooth and controlled. But the most irritating part of it all was the small smirk on his face. She'd taken the time to research his abilities, mainly by spending nights studying with Omega. Shadow's strength was not on par with hers, but his experience in battle was longer and much harsher than hers, and his stamina was higher than hers. Despite the odds, she had honestly thought she could beat him, if not with strength at least with surprise at her abilities. But she had not expected him to be so adaptable, and flexible in a fight. She had always viewed the male as thick headed and arrogant, but she was quickly realizing there was more to him then that.
Shadow was in another world. His body reacting and moving almost on its own. He had never felt such exhilaration before, never been challenged like this by an opponent. It was an odd feeling for him, part of him was actually feeling something close to joy, while the other part of him was embittered. How could Amy Rose actually think that she had a chance against him? And how dare she humiliate and mock him? She continued to find ways to worm her way into his mind, and bring forth unwanted thoughts and situations. His need to redeem his honor fueled his movements and lit a fire in his belly.
His foot swung outward as he braced himself on the ground, and finally he felt her fall to the ground. The thud that ensued hardly concerned him, and he opened his eyes to see her laying flat on her back. He would not let this opportunity slip away. He quickly bolted on top of her, and straddled her. Her arms instinctively thrust upward, but in her weakened state he easily pinned them above her head and held them in place with one hand. His other came forth and firmly planted itself on her neck. She struggled for a moment, her fangs barred, and her eyes alight with fight, but as he tightened his grip, she stiffened and grew still.
He leaned down, and brought his muzzle close to her ear, her sweat and blood filled his nose, and it should have been disgusting, but something burned with excitement in him at the scent. He inhaled it deeply, registering the undertones of flowers, before his mouth opened he whispered in a cruel tone,
"I won, princess."
He pulled back, his muzzle still in a sneer, but when he made eye contact with her, he felt his elation from his victory lessen. He had expected her to be crying, had expected her expression to be submissive and dull, but what he found sparked him to curiosity. Her peridot eyes were hard with an unreadable emotion, making them look dark like the impenetrable depths of a thick forest. Her brow and lips were lowered into a firm line, and she held his gaze with more determination than he had ever seen in another living creature's eyes. She wanted to fight. He could tell. But her body had failed her. Who is this girl?
"I yield."
Her voice shattered the blank scape of confusion in Shadow's mind, and he grunted before lifting himself off her. He stood aside as she slowly lifted herself from the ground. Her body was tie-dyed with purple, green and blue bruises, that her fur did nothing to hide. Blood was flowing heavily from her left leg, and the rest of her body was matted with blood from multiple scrapes and scratches. In contrast Shadow looked like he had never been in an altercation, he did not have any bruises, no scratches, and the only thing that showed his battle was his gloves, now stained with her blood.
There was silence around them, and he realized for the first time that they had attracted a crowd. Agents of all ranks and departments were looking at the scene with mixtures of shock, disgust, and fear. Shadow felt his stomach drop, his heart already knowing what was to come next. It would normally not bother him, but during the battle he had let go of his usual self control in order to contend with his opponent, he hated to admit it, but she'd earned that small modicum of respect from him. It was clear no one else saw it that way. As he suspected murmurs began as quietly as the dripping of sprinkling rain, but quickly filled the room like that of a monsoon.
"How scary, did you see how he mercilessly pinned her to the ground?"
"He doesn't have a single scratch on him, demon."
"How vile, disgusting…"
"What an asshole…"
"What a monster…"
Monster.
There it was. That word he would never escape. The word when asked he would deny its weight. Deny that it made his chest twist in anger. Deny that it affects him in any way. His fist clenched at his sides, and he growled, intending to smack the closest person, but then he saw a bare peach and pink fur hand reach out in front of his vision. He looked up to see Amy staring at him with her arm extended. Her gaze was softer than before, but still held firmness. She stood tall, and she waited patiently for him to respond. The only indicator that she was in pain was the small trembling of her lower lip.
"You are a worthy and strong opponent, Shadow. It was an honor to spar with someone as talented as you. I learned a lot."
The murmuring around them ceased as people couldn't believe what they were seeing. None of them had ever had the courage to duel with Shadow, and certainly none of them thought it was an honor. Shadow felt his cheeks grow hot, and an uncomfortable prickling climb up his back. He may have won the fight, but why did he feel like he lost?
He smacked her hand away with a growl, and turned away from her, striding away with his eyes planted firmly in front of him. As he left the training room, he knew for certain deep down in his chest, that he did not like Amy Rose. She may be different from what he had once thought, but different did not mean his dislike for her lessened. If anything she was worse now than in the past. He yelled in anger and smashed his fist into the lockers beside him. The metal door crumbled like paper, clothing and pictures began to spill onto the ground.
How dare she pity me. How dare she humiliate me. His ruby eyes burned with fury and his fur crackled with yellow energy.
I will not let her get away with this.
LONG chapter! Hope you enjoyed! Please don't forget to drop by my Tumblr nothing-fancy94 dot tumblr dot com. One of my bests friends loneypalmtree has done what I am calling an official picture of Chief Irina Kotka Snow. Please take a look! I have re-blogged it and I also post a lot of other things on there as well!