Author's note: I like this chapter! I hope you do to!

Chapter Nine: The Dictator's Lair

"Ah!" I yelled as I threw my fist into a wall. The search for the fox was not going very well.Needless to say, Tails did not go after me. After I ran, we figured out that the fox went on a flight of his own. Where he went is a different story.

"Shadow, the wall didn't do anything," Mighty said. I had found he was very sarcastic at times, which got really annoying.

"Shadow, he is correct, the wall did not deserve punishment," Cream whispered. She was getting very edgy because she keeps saying that we shouldn't be out of here after dark.

"Leave me alone," I snapped. Mighty rolled his eyes and Cream sighed.

"AAHH!"

I looked up. "Did you hear that?" Cream asked. Mighty and I nodded. "Let's go!"

We ran towards the scream, not quite sure what we would find, or even if it was a trap, but why would the dictator let Cream live just to kill her later? Maybe he had a sick definition of fun. Whatever and whoever the scream was from, we ran towards it

"Shadow! Cream!" A voice yelled.

"Tails!" Cream and I yelled together.

The fox came running around the corner. His left tail was twisted in an awkward angle and blood poured from a wound in his head. I gulped. "RU N!" He yelled, limping away. I stared at Mighty and Cream, and we followed our orders. We ran.

I caught up with the wounded fox. "What happened?" I asked. He wasn't talking. His eyes were wide with fear.

I spun around and began a backwards run. Mighty was caring Cream, considering the rabbit wasn't that fast of a runner. Behind them was about five robots. Their design was one I'd never seen. They looked like the robots from I, Robot except they had what looked like jet packs on their backs. I looked at Tails. "And you led them to us!" I yelled. Tails nodded, but I didn't yell at him any more. We had to get away. "Mighty, get high!"

Mighty nodded. I grabbed Tails and jumped on a roof, after turning to run forward. The robots began to fly. I cursed angrily. "Might, split up!"

"Are you crazy!" Mighty yelled. "You want to split up? Shadow, we need to stay together!"

"NOW!" I yelled and turned right. Mighty growled and turned left. If Cream had anything to say, she didn't say it or I didn't hear her. Tails had his eyes glued to th people who were chasing us. "Come on!" I yelled, irritated.

Tails shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said.

"What happened?" I repeated.

"After you ran away, so did I. I knew Cream would stay and wait for you, so I decided to meet you guys back at the house, but I got lost."

"So you started yelling?"

Tails nodded. "And they found me and attacked. I think my tail is broken."

"Safe bet. Did any of them go after Mighty?"

Tails cocked his head. "Mighty's here?"

"Yes! Now, how many are chasing us?"

Tails looked over his shoulder. "Three."

I cursed and sped up, but I could tell those robots were fast. "Whose are they?" I asked.

Tails shrugged. "I've never seen that design before. But they're gaining!"

I kicked up the speed, but it was useless. "We have to stand and fight!" I yelled.

Tails shook his head. "NO! We'll never survive," he yelled, but I stopped. Tails whimpered, but jumped out of my arms and stood ready as well. The robots haltedThey seemed a bit confused that we had ended the chase.

"By order of your Dictator, you are under arrest," one of them said. They weren't monotone. They had expression in their voice.

"By what grounds?" I asked calmly.

"Out after dark, refusing to be questioned, attacking an officer, and disobeying direct orders to halt," the second robot said.

"Excuse me? You never told me to halt, you never said I needed to be questioned and I certainly didn't attack you! You attacked us, if anything! The only one we are guilty of is being out after dark, and we are on our way home."

The robot sighed. "Sir, you are under arrest."

I stood in a fighting stance. "Try and take me then!"

The robot nodded. "Very well. If that is what you want."

It was then that I realized that only two robots were. "MOVE!" I yelled. Tails jumped back and I spun just in time to see a white robotic hand come down in a karate chop on my neck.


When I woke up, my first worry was if the robot had broken my neck. I gently lifted my arm up. I didn't register that if I could move my arm, then my neck was most likely just very sore. I placed the hand on my neck and felt where I was hit. There was a huge bump, most likely a goose egg, though it felt more like an ostrich egg. It was a big one that extended the length of my neck. I winced as I moved my hand around the wound. Other than that, I seemed fine, except for a splitting head-ache, but that was understandable.

Where I was was a harder thing to deal with. It was a small, dark room and it seemed like I was the only one in there. Where was Tails? And Mighty and Cream? Did they get away? "Guys!" I yelled, finding it hard to speak.

"Shadow?" A voice asked.

"Who's there?"

"All of us. Are you ok? We've been calling to you for at least three hours!"

"I was out that long?"

"Yeah." The voice sounded like Cream's

"Why am I alone?" I asked.

"I think the Dictator's been waiting for you," Mighty answered for her.

"Now how would you know, armadillo guy?" Tails asked. I chuckled a bit. That fox know how to annoy people.

"Just because I've been living..."

"You mean hiding," Tails snapped.

"In the Mystic Ruins doesn't mean that I don't know who the Dictator is!"

"I'd like to know who he is!" I yelled. "Where are you guys?"

"In the cell beside you, dipwawd!" Cream snapped

"You don't have to snap at me! This isn't my fault. It's Tails'!"

"HEY! Just because I got scared this makes it automatically my fault! You're the one who decided it would be a great idea to stand and fight."

"Well, you little mutant, if you hadn't have dragged me to Angel Island then NONE of this would have happened!"

"Mutant?" Tails screamed. "That is it! Come over here and say that to my face, you mentally confused beast!"

"Oh, you want to do that now, Tails? Alright, you two-tailed freak of a fox! Or maybe you aren't a fox, maybe you're a chicken!"

Tails growled and there was a loud thud as he punched the wall. Funny, not too long ago I was screaming over his death, now I was about to kill him.

Once again, I had a flash back to my dream. Maybe it was trying to tell me that I would kill him. Maybe it was warning me that we got so mad at each other, that we got into a fist fight and I killed him.

"Well, Shadow, we are getting personal, now aren't we? Here's mine, you sorry piece of rotting..."

"SILENCE!"

I looked up, glad Tails was cut off by the sudden yelled.

"Your arguing is no longer to my amusement. I should not have put you so close to each other."

I sat back down. That voice sounded so familiar.

"Tails, can you place that voice?"

"Sorry, Shadow."

"That would be the Dictator." Cream said.

"I said 'silence'! Do not make me repeat myself again!" The Dictator yelled.

"Some one woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Mighty growled.

"SILENCE!" The Dictator screamed.

"Make me!" Mighty yelled back.

There was a cold, hard laugh. "You dare challenge me! Guards!"

"Mighty..." Cream said quietly.

"Oh, so you get your robots to do your dirty work, huh? Too scared to fight me, Chanic!" Mighty yelled with a laugh.

"You dare speak my name! You will be punished! Guards, take him away!"

Where have I heard that voice before? And who is Chanic? There was a loud bang, followed by a scream. Who screamed, I'm not sure. I heard Mighty say a few choice words, and then there was the unmistakable sound of snapping bone.

"Mighty!" Tails yelled.

"Is he ok?" I asked. I hated not being able to see, let alone help.

"No, he's hurt, bad!" Cream yelled back.

"What did they break?"

"I think they snapped his shin bone."

I winced. That bone was not easily broken, and having it snapped would be a killer. "Is he out?"

"Yes," Tails answered.

"Are the guards gone?"

"Yes, but I'm sure they will be back soon."

"You see," the Dictator, or Chanic, said "don't ever challenge your leader!"

"Oh yeah! Come down here and say that to me face!" I yelled, unable to control myself any longer. I wanted to know who this Chanic guy was. "You, not your stupid guards!"

"Oh, don't worry Shadow, we will meet in due time."

Right there! I recognize the voice. But it couldn't be, could it? "Tails?"

"I heard it," he answered.

"Now! Meet me now! I know who you are, Chanic!"

"You do? Then tell me, Shadow, who am I?"

"You tell me!" I yelled. At that point, I was still bluffing. I was close to placing the face with the voice, but it was still eluding me.

A door opened behind me. It was then that I got it. "Wait! You're..." I spun around. There stood Chanic, or the Dictator.

There was a laugh, long laugh. "Very good, Shadow, very good."

"No..."

Author's note: I am SSOO mean! I'll get the next chapter up soon, but I'll leave you to ponder for atleast a week! Evil laughter