Author's Note: Wow...I hadn't expected so many people to leave a review on my last chapter. Recently, I've gotten a significant spike in views and comments, and I genuinely appreciate your support! I've found it's been harder and harder to find decent Shadamy fanfics on here, which is why I've started writing stories I would like to read as a reader. The one thing I look forward to as a writer is reading your comments. So again, thank you so much, MustangsWildSpirit, 4lyssa4d4smol, Guest 1, IvyRonin, Ashes, Guest, ARavenRose, Zayp321, Risingzero1984, CrimsonLove16, Gray-Chan Fallen, Firegirl19, and one of my favorite writers, CrankshaftRabbit for leaving me your lovely and encouraging comments. I'm going to try to update more frequently. Enjoy the next chapter!
The following day, everyone went to work. Some of the boys were in the mechanic shop working on vehicles, while others went on missions for Mephiles. Rouge had gone out to the grocery store, which left Amy alone in the house. The pink hedgehog's shift at work was later that afternoon, so she had decided to sleep in for the morning.
Snuggled under her bedsheets, Amy continued to snooze away softly, even with the sun peeking through the curtains. However, her sleep was disturbed when she stirred from her sleep by an unusual sound coming from the bedroom down the hall. Amy's ears twitched as they focused on the sound of someone shuffling around down the hall. Sitting on the edge of her bed, Amy yawned and stretched her arms over her head. Tiredly, she stood up. She had to pee anyway. Amy slowly made her way out of her bedroom and walked towards the bathroom when she noticed Knuckles and Rouge's door in a jar. She stared at it for a moment until she saw a figure walk past the crack inside the room. The hair on the back of her neck rose when she realized it wasn't Rouge nor Knuckles.
Amy froze in place as she felt her heart sink. Was there a home invader in the house right now? Clenching her fists together, Amy quietly walked over to the cracked door and peered in. Inside the couple's bedroom was none other than Detective Espio. He seemed to be going through drawers in the couple's bedroom. She watched him with his back towards her as he rummaged through clothing and other miscellaneous items, clearly searching for something. Suddenly his phone rang, and he picked up. "Hello?" he answered in a calm voice.
He suddenly turned around, facing her direction, but Amy quickly moved away from peering inside. She kept her back firmly pressed against the wall and desperately stayed quiet, hoping not to alert him of her prying. Whoever, Espio was talking to, she couldn't hear their end of the conversation. "Yeah, I looked everywhere. It's clean. He doesn't have them," Espio continued. "I already did two sweeps and put everything back in its place," he explained. "All right, I'm out." He then hung up his call.
Amy quietly shuffled back over to her bedroom. She moved the door open, praying it wouldn't creak. She closed it almost all the way but left it open slightly so he wouldn't hear the door shut behind her. Amy crawled back into her bed, placed the sheets over her body, and pretended to be asleep. Whatever that detective was looking for—clearly, he didn't want Knuckles or Rouge to know he was sneaking around through their belongings. Who knows what would happen to her if he realized she had witnessed her going through their belongings? Espio quietly headed down the hall and noticed Amy's door was left a tiny bit open. He hadn't noticed any doors open as he had snuck up early. Cautiously, he approached her door and looked inside, only to see her body in bed under the sheets. It appeared like she was asleep, so he didn't think much of it.
Amy let out an internal sigh of relief when she heard his footsteps descending the stairs but opted to stay in bed for a bit longer until she knew the coast was clear.
•~•
Moments later, Espio entered the mechanic shop and headed straight for Mephiles' office. The dark M.C. president was sitting at his desk writing some checks when the chameleon entered the room. "Absolutely nothing?" he questioned when he looked up.
It was apparent that Mephiles was the one he had been talking to on the phone earlier.
Espio shook his head dismally. "Nothing. I looked under the bed, in the drawers, the closet, and even the floorboards. If he has it, he hid it damn well."
Mephiles stroked his chin. "Yes, well, perhaps he has no involvement after all."
"Who else is Locke close to?" Espio questioned. "There has to be someone he entrusts even more than his son."
"Most of his close comrades are good and dead," Mephiles replied. "He keeps to himself most of the time. He's a hermit."
"The fact that I couldn't locate any hint of evidence leads me to suspect that he's bluffing," Espio stated.
"Maybe you're right after all," Mephiles concurred. "Perhaps the old bastard is bold enough to lie."
"Keep me posted if you get any more inklings," Espio said as he walked towards the exit. However, he stopped in his tracks momentarily. "Oh, one more thing before I leave," he noted.
Mephiles picked up some paperwork and glanced at it. "What is it?"
"I thought you told me everyone would be out of the house for the time being."
Mephiles quirked one brow as he looked away from the paperwork. "They are."
Espio shook his head adamantly. "You're wrong. The doctor was still sleeping in her room when I was leaving. I had no idea she was even there."
Mephiles looked alarmed. "Chaos…she didn't hear you, did she?"
"I'm not sure. I peeked in on her and saw her asleep in her bed." He shrugged indifferently. "I doubt she heard me. Should we be worried about her?"
Mephiles mulled over the thought. He already had a scare with Amy, possibly overhearing him in his previous devious ministrations. Yet, nothing had come of that according to his knowledge. He shook his head. "No, we're fine for now," he replied.
•~•
At a gas station, Manic and Ray were busy filling the truck with new guns for the cartel. Ray stood at the pump watching the meter run, and Manic rummaged through his leather jacket for a pack of cigarettes. He patted down his chest pockets and fished out an empty box. "Crap, those suckers are gone already?"
"Sir, is i-it really w-wise to be smoking at a gas station?" Ray questioned nervously.
The green hedgehog shot him an annoyed glare. "Yo, I'm not that dumb," Manic pointed. "I was hoping to smoke one on our way outta here." He scoffed and looked over at the gas station convenience store. "Be back in five. I'm going to buy another pack. Watch the truck, buddy," he commanded sternly.
Ray saluted. "Yes, sir!"
At another pump, two members of the Deadly Six watched Ray as he manually pumped gas. One of the members was Zazz, a tall pink Zeti, with purple and black striped horns. "What do you think they're carrying in that truck?" he asked curiously to his partner.
"Probably something quite valuable knowing them," Zeena replied. Zeena was a green Zeti with one pink and black horn on top of her head. She had long, flowing green locks and bright pink fingernails. She kept one of her hands on her hip while she looked at her fingernails in boredom.
"Let's jack the truck," Zazz suggested while rubbing his hands together eagerly. "We can surprise Zavok with whatever is inside. I'm sure he'll be pleased."
"We're really going to mess with the Brothers? You think that's a smart move?" Zeena challenged.
"Come on, we can take this pipsqueak," Zazz gestured to the oblivious yellow squirrel in the distance.
Zeena eyed the male squirrel, utterly unaware of their plotting and scheming. "If you take the lead, I'll follow you. You better have a good plan up your sleeve."
Zazz chuckled sinisterly. "Don't worry. I've got an idea."
Moments later, Ray pulled the gas pump out of the truck and placed it back in its holder. "Excuse me?" a female voice called nearby.
Ray looked to his left, where he spotted Zeena saunter over in his direction while she swayed her hips seductively. "U-uh, y-yes?" Ray stuttered nervously. He was not used to beautiful females approaching him out of the blue.
"I was just wondering if you had five dollars to spare for me to use at the pump? I lost my wallet at the last gas stop, and I need to get to Future City," she explained, batting her eyelashes sweetly at him.
"O-oh, well. I think I-I could spare five dollars," he smiled awkwardly. He patted down the pockets on his vest and pants to look for his wallet. While he was distracted, Zazz slunk up behind him and quietly peered inside the van window, noticing the keys were still left in the ignition. He opened the car door and hopped inside. "Let's go, Zeena!" he cackled maniacally from behind the squirrel.
Ray's ears perked in alarm. "Hey, what now?" He craned his head over his shoulder only to see Zazz stick his head out the driver's window and grin mischievously at him behind the wheel of their truck. "Thanks for the new ride, sucker!"
"Sorry, kid," Zeena apologized.
Ray turned his head back to look at the female-only to see her fist fly straight at his face. He felt her fist collide straight into his right eye, forcing him to land on his back. Zeena leaped over his body, ran for the truck's passenger side, and hopped inside.
At that moment, Manic came out of the gas station with his new pack of cigarettes in hand, along with a soda for the road. "These damn things keep going up in price every month. Stupid capitalism!" However, he became distracted from his complaining when he spotted their truck careening out of the station like a bat out of hell. "…What the fuck?"
Suddenly, he noticed Ray knocked out cold on the road next to the pump. His eyes enlarged with dread. "Ray!" he shouted as he ran towards him.
"Later, losers!" Zazz laughed as he drove off and flipped Manic by sticking his one hand out the window.
"Fuck!" Manic shouted as he watched the truck disappear down the road. Manic couldn't worry about that right now. He instead rushed over to the fallen rookie and knelt by his side. He cupped Ray's face in his hands. "Hey, buddy, you okay, man?"
Finally coming to, Ray lifted his head slightly as his vision adjusted. "The truck…" he mumbled.
Manic helped lift him into a sitting position. "Yeah, I know, it's gone, dude. You okay, though?"
"I-I'm sorry," he apologized, feeling tears prick his eyes. He felt a grave punishment coming his way from Mephiles and the others.
Manic gave him a weak smile. He was still just a young kid, after all. He didn't need to give him a hard time. "Don't sweat it, little dude. We'll get that truck back," he assured.
•~•
At the hospital, Amy walked into the official personnel section of the hospital to put away her personal belongings. She fiddled with her lock combination before it finally unlocked. Digging into her satchel, Amy placed the manila folder, journal, and other police work on the top shelf of her locker. Amy brought the letters and other paperwork to store at work after spotting Espio lurking around in search of it. It was no longer safe at home. Who knew when the chameleon detective would come sniffing around again? He would never suspect it to be hidden there if it were here at work.
Amy closed her locker door and gasped in startlement when she saw Tikal standing on the other side of the locker. She placed a hand on her chest. "Tikal, you surprised me.
"My apologies," she said politely. "Did you just arrive?"
Amy adjusted her white lab coat. "Yes, and you?"
She nodded politely. "I just got here a few minutes ago."
Suddenly Ms. Vanilla walked into the room and spotted the two girls. "There you are," she smiled. "Ms. Rose, we've got appendicitis on floor three. I want you to shadow our doctors and watch the surgery progress."
"Got it." Ms. Vanilla watched as Amy rushed out of the room.
Tikal watched as she hurried out. "I'll save us a table at dinner," she called out to her retreating figure.
Amy stopped at the door momentarily to turn around and shoot her a smile. "Great, see you then!"
•~•
Back at the compound, news finally broke of the stolen merchandise. Shadow, Mephiles, Knuckles, Mighty, and Gadget stood around in the mechanic shop as Manic explained everything that happened. Ray sat on one of the oil barrels holding an ice pack up against his bruised eye. However, Mephiles was not pleased to hear the news. "On the phone, you said this was a slight setback…not that someone had stolen the whole supply," Mephiles spoke in disappointment.
"I didn't want to freak you guys out," Manic shrugged nonchalantly.
"The cartel is expecting all those guns within two days," Mephiles shouted irately.
Manic placed a hand on the back of his neck. "I understand, pres, but we'll get them back easy peasy."
Mephiles grabbed Manic by the collar of his jacket and hoisted him angrily off his feet. "No, you don't! How can you ensure we'll find them in time?" he scolded venomously.
"Hey, cut it out!" Shadow intervened, ripping the two apart from fighting.
Mephiles glared at the yellow squirrel innocently sitting on the barrel, watching the spectacle. "This is all his fault…" He pointed sharply.
"Whoa," Mighty interjected, raising a hand. "The kid is a rookie for a reason," he reminded. "Give him a break. He made one mistake."
"One majorly huge mistake," Mephiles muttered.
Mighty's brows furrowed. "He's my kid brother. He's still learning. All of us made stupid mistakes when we were all rookies once. Even you did, I'm sure," he gestured.
Mephiles slowly approached the armadillo. "Get the guns back by the end of today, or I'll send him to be dealt with by the cartel myself," he threatened.
Ray gulped nervously and used his sizeable bushy tail to hide part of his face. With that, Mephiles walked out of the mechanic shop and slithered his way back into his accounting office, leaving the rest of the brothers to devise a plan.
"We can't panic yet," Knuckles noted. "I doubt those idiots will hit the streets with them. They'll probably try to sell them first. We'll be golden if we interrupt them before they make the sale."
"Any ideas on where we can find the Deadly Six's location?" Shadow proposed.
Gadget raised a hand. "I may be of some assistance here," he offered. "I can always run through the police database and search common hangout spots where their criminal activity has been frequented."
"Then let's start there," Knuckles suggested.
•~•
Meanwhile, back at the hospital, it was dinner time. Most of the interns took their dinner break, and Tikal was one of them. She carried her dinner tray, holding a salad, potato soup, and a water bottle, to one of the tables and sat down. Running her fingers through her dreads, Tikal looked around the busy cafeteria to search for Amy. Amy had the same lunch break, so she figured she'd see her soon. Momentarily, Tikal spotted the pink hedgehog carrying a tray and searching the crowds for a familiar face.
Tikal stood up and waved a hand in her direction. "Oh, over here!"
Amy spotted her waving in her direction, smiled, and walked over. Tikal sat back down once Amy moved towards the table. "Boy, work has been crazy today, but in a good way. I feel like I've been all over the place," Amy stated as she took a seat.
"That busy, huh?" she questioned before taking a bite of her salad.
Amy nodded. "For sure. I've watched an appendectomy, a lung transplant, and a heart valve repair all before 5 PM," she listed before taking a bite of her food.
"My goodness, it sounds like it was quite busy," she observed.
Amy finished chewing a bite of her sandwich. "You can say that again, and the day is only half-finished!"
"My day was also pretty productive. I was helping two cancer patients in hospice, and I was with a kidney failure patient as well."
"How'd it go then?" Amy inquired.
Tikal shrugged solemnly. "The best it could go, I suppose. I made them as comfortable as possible," she smiled weakly.
Amy reached out and placed a hand over hers, feeling empathy for her position. She knew the line of business she was dealing with was no walk in the park. "I commend you for your line of work, Tikal. It's tough out there."
"Thanks, Amy," she smiled appreciatively. "Oh…" she segued. "I wanted to talk to you also about your boyfriend."
Amy's ears perked in intrigue. "You do? What about?"
"About his line of business," she worded carefully. "I assume you have some understanding of what he and his club partake in?"
Amy lowered her sandwich, suddenly feeling a little uneasy. "Well, yeah, of course I do."
"…And you're okay with it?" Tikal challenged carefully.
Amy sat up straighter in her seat. She didn't realize this conversation would turn into an interrogation. "I'm sorry. Is there something you know that I don't? This conversation is coming off a little judgmental here."
"I'm sorry, Amy, but I don't want to see you interact with the wrong people. That club—it's dangerous," she warned.
Amy crossed her arms over her chest. "How do you know so much about them exactly, anyway?"
"Because most of the males in my family, at some time or another, have been a part of the club. My older cousin is a member right now. I'm sure you must know him."
Amy blinked in surprise as the realization sunk in. "Knuckles is your cousin?" she said in startlement.
Tikal nodded slowly. "Yes."
"Wait, so that means that Locke is your…"
"—Uncle," she cut off and finished her thought. "As I said, many family members have been linked to the club. My father was a member as well before his untimely death…"
She suddenly felt sympathetic. "Tikal, I had no idea…"
Tikal bowed her head. "I just had to warn you before something bad happened to you."
"I appreciate looking out for me, but honestly, I feel quite safe within the club," she explained. "Shadow has never made me feel threatened or afraid. Honestly, the club is like my family. They look out for me, and I do the same for them."
"Your boyfriend seemed quite nice based on my small interaction with him yesterday. However, it's not him I'm worried about. You see, it's complicated to leave once you're a member. My father was completely loyal to the club and died for them… He left a broken family to pick up the pieces, and they used their members like chess pieces. Everyone is expendable to some degree, and if you cross the wrong person higher in the ranks, you're as good as dead," she warned.
Although this felt quite preachy, Amy couldn't help but agree with a few points Tikal had made. Mephiles epitomized someone you did not want to cross. However, she believed Shadow would never allow harm to come to her, even if she did happen to make him angry. From this conversation alone, Amy lost her appetite. She picked up her tray and stood up. "Where are you going?" the orange echidna inquired nervously.
"I'm not feeling too hungry anymore," she said passively. "You know, this isn't the first time someone has warned me about my relationship. I'm getting tired of hearing the same argument over and over again. I appreciate the concern, but this is my life and my decision." Amy turned on her heel and walked off.
Tikal watched her walk away and dump her food into the garbage on her way out. "Amy, wait! Please don't go." Amy ignored her as other doctors and nurses looked in Tikal's direction as she had desperately called out to her friend to no avail.
•~•
That evening, the group continued driving around town. They hit many alleged hangouts spots the Deadly Six were known to frequent. Sadly, most of them were dead ends. The group stopped at a stop light and continued to their next stop.
"These fuckers sure know how to play hide and seek," Mighty noted as he leaned on the handlebars of his bike.
"We have to come across one of them eventually," Knuckles opined.
Manic glanced down the right street at the four-way intersection they were stopped at. He spotted the familiar truck he and Ray had earlier that day. His eyes widened, and he sat up straighter on his bike. "Shit, that's them!" he pointed. Everyone looked in the direction where the green hedgehog gestured.
"Let's roll," Knuckled barked. The red echidna reeved one of his bike handles. The squad of motorcyclists ripped down the street and followed the two Zetis.
Still behind the wheel, Zazz looked in his left-side view mirror and could see the faint silhouettes of the bikes in the far distance. Zeena turned around in her seat and looked out the window only to see them approaching. "We've got company. Faster, Zazz!"
Zazz put his foot down harder on the gas. "I'm trying!"
Coming to a four-way stop, Zazz opted not to stop at the stop sign and drove straight through it, turning left. Two cars that had already made their temporary stop laid on their horns as they nearly collided with their truck but instead collided with each other, trying to avoid the large speeding truck.
The motorcycle squad swerved around the car collision and continued their pursuit of the truck. Suddenly, the truck sped past an officer just getting into their car. The police officer watched as the truck took a sharp right turn up ahead, and he quickly got into his vehicle and ran the lights.
Shadow spotted the officer racing after the truck as well. "Shit!"
"Now what?" Mighty yelled over the loud engines of their motorcycles.
"We can't let the police search that truck if they get pulled over," Knuckled yelled. "Otherwise, we're fucked!"
The group stopped at the corner and looked down the street, where they saw the police had already pulled over the truck for a speeding violation. "Fuck!" Mighty exclaimed.
Manic observed the truck and saw the officer get out of his car with a pad of paper and a pen. An idea suddenly struck him—one that could be risky. "I've got an idea," he proclaimed.
Knuckles eyed the green hedgehog. "What do you have in mind?"
Manic quickly took off his leather jacket. He chucked it at Mighty, who caught it. "I'll drive that officer away, and you guys corner the two assholes," he explained. "Let me borrow your hoodie quick, Might."
Mighty obliged, took off his hoodie, and handed it over in confusion. "Just how are you going to drive off the police?"
Manic finished zipping up Mighty's hoodie along with placing the hood over his head to shroud his identity. "Just watch me." The group of males watched as Manic zipped off and quickly approached the stopped truck with the police officer.
As he got closer, Manic reached behind him with one arm and fished into the back of his pants, pulling out a Glock 22 and shot twice at the back of the policeman's car. The glass in the back window shattered and startled the officer, who was just about to ask the truck driver to roll down his window.
The officer watched as the hooded figure on the bike ripped off down the street and took a left. He radioed in something over his walkie, ran back towards his car, opened the door, and hopped inside before chasing after Manic. The speeding ticket would have to wait for the other two.
Inside the truck, the two Zetis sighed a loud sigh of relief when the officer had opted to go after a new target. Zazz sat upright and prepared to turn the car back on just when he heard motorcycle engines encroaching. Zeena turned around and noticed the Brothers of Chaos squad completely encircling them.
Knuckles stood on Zeena's side of the car, pointing a gun in her direction. Mighty stood directly in front of the truck aiming his weapon at the two. Suddenly, Zazz heard a tapping on his window and turned his head only to see Shadow pointing his Glock in his direction. "License and registration, please."
•~•
Standing on the curb of the hospital, Amy waited patiently to be picked up from work. She glanced at her phone and noticed that Shadow was about ten minutes late to pick her up. Eventually, a car pulled up, and she watched as it stopped directly in front of her. She spotted Locke in the driver's seat as he rolled down the window. "Evening."
"Locke?" Amy said in surprise as she approached the car. She reached for the car door handle. "I didn't expect you to be picking me up tonight. What happened to Shadow?"
He watched as she climbed inside the passenger seat and shut the car door. "Shadow and the others are a bit tied up with work, so he sent me to pick you up since I was in the area," he explained.
Amy put on her seatbelt and buckled in. "Is everything all right? Shadow and the others aren't in trouble, are they?"
Locke began driving them out of the parking lot. "No, they're all fine—except you may have to check in on Ray when you get home. The boy received a nasty shiner from some encounter today," he shrugged.
Amy turned to look at the echidna. "Ray got punched?"
"Yeah, there was a bit of a mix-up with a shipment, and it sent the rest of the boys out on some wild hunt. They've obtained the goods, so they're all set."
Amy turned and looked straight ahead. "I see…"
Locke continued steering the wheel as they drove down the street. "I saw you tried to call me earlier. I'm afraid I was busy moving some stuff and didn't catch the phone ringing. Was the call important?"
Amy's eyes widened as she was reminded. "Oh, yeah! Thanks for reminding me. Something weird happened earlier this morning back at the compound."
Locke kept his eyes on the road but took a few glances in her direction. "What happened, lass?"
"I woke up this morning and saw Detective Espio lurking around Knuckles' and Rouge's bedroom. He was looking for something, and he was on the phone. Someone was giving him orders," she explained.
Locke looked grave in expression when he heard her story. His stomach sunk, and he felt an ominous vibe sweep over him. "He didn't see you, did he?" he asked with concern.
Amy shook her head. "I snuck back to my room and pretended to be asleep when he left," she replied. "I got a weird feeling he was looking for that information you have on Mephiles. That's why I took everything you gave me, brought it to work, and hid it in my locker. I figured he'd never find it there if he snooped around again."
"Chaos," Lock sighed in relief.
The car stopped at a stoplight. "My only question is, why is Detective Espio involved in all this?" Amy pondered. "Isn't he one of the good guys?"
The light turned green, and Locke put his foot on the gas. "Not exactly, lass," he frowned. "Both Detective Espio and Vector are corrupt officers who work closely with Mephiles and the club. They usually help clear evidence we leave behind and point the blame in other people's direction," he elaborated. "That's why the club has been able to avoid the law for so long. We have people in law enforcement that work on our side to keep us out of prison or charges."
Amy crossed her arms over her chest in disappointment. "Well, that explains a lot…"
"Espio was probably there because Mephiles ordered him to go hunting for proof of my tangible threats. They probably assume that Knuckles is involved because he's my son—too bad they're way off," he grinned victoriously.
"And you're sure they haven't hit your place for clues?" Amy challenged with a raised brow.
He shook his head. "There's no way. I would know."
Amy's ears lowered. "Well, double-check when you get home tonight. If they hit Knuckles and Rouge's room, they will snoop through your belongings next if they haven't already."
"Will do, lass."
"And one more thing," Amy segued. "I-I met your niece today at work…"
Locke turned to look at her briefly in confusion before putting his eyes back on the road. "Tikal?"
Amy nodded. "Yeah, she warned me about the club and the dangers of dating members."
Locke picked up the tone in which she expressed it. He could fathom that she wasn't entirely happy with how Tikal had probably presented this warning. "She's right, you know. You may not like hearing it so bluntly put, but this lifestyle doesn't fair well for many."
She shot him a skeptical look. "So, are you saying you agree that I shouldn't be dating Shadow?"
Locke shrugged nonchalantly. "I'll never tell you what to do, but you should know that this relationship can put you in danger. My niece lost her dad to this club—another one of Mephiles' doing, but that's another story completely," he droned, shaking his head in pity. "You do what your heart desires; if it's being with Shadow and he's making you happy, then stick with it," he advised. "I know he loves you dearly, and clearly, you feel the same way."
Amy mulled over his words and stared out the window as they continued to drive. "Thanks, Locke."
•~•
Finally returning home, Amy and Locke entered the house and spotted Ray sitting on the couch with a large black eye still forming. Rouge sat on the other side reading a magazine while Mephiles sat in one of the chairs watching T.V. The pink hedgehog hung her purse on the hook by the front door and walked into the living room. "Hey guys," she greeted.
"Hey," Rouge smiled, glancing at the pink hedgehog.
Amy turned to look at the yellow squirrel. "I heard about your incident earlier today. How are you feeling?"
He turned his head to look at her. He could barely open the eye that had been hit due to the swelling. "Not too bad, I guess," he smiled weakly. "My eye is still throbbing like crazy, though."
"Poor thing." Amy put one of her hands under his chin and lifted it back to get a better look. "Have you been icing it?" she inquired.
"I did a little while ago, but I stopped," he admitted.
"I told him he needed to keep the ice pack on his eye longer," Rouge chimed in as she continued to read.
"She's right," Amy agreed. "Don't worry, though. I'll get you a fresh ice pack," she assured him before heading toward the kitchen.
As she walked towards the kitchen, she passed Mephiles in his chair, who hadn't even bothered to look or acknowledge Amy or Locke. "Evening, Mephiles," Amy stated as she passed him.
"Good evening, Ms. Rose," he said, fixing his eyes on the television as he flipped channels aimlessly.
Locke walked further into the house but suddenly felt a strange dizzy spell overcome him. He stood in the entryway between the living room and leaned on one of the walls with his shoulder as he looked at the three. He considered sitting down, but the only available seat was next to Mephiles, and he'd rather not sit near him right now. "The boys still haven't gotten back yet?" he noted, trying to fill the silent void.
"Evidently not," Mephiles responded passive-aggressively.
"Hey, you don't have to be so rude," Rouge noted, hearing Mephiles' condescending tone.
"How else am I to respond? He must be blind if he can't see the others aren't back. Did he not see any motorcycles parked in front? What an idiotic question!" he rebuked, throwing up an arm in frustration.
"What the hell is your problem?" Rouge snapped, lowering her magazine into her lap. "Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something today?"
"He's always in a despicable mood, Rouge," Locke interjected as he rubbed at his right arm, suddenly feeling like pins and needles. "Don't mind him."
Mephiles finally glared in Locke's direction. "Just who the hell do you think you're talking to, you stupid, old geezer?" he listed, rising from his seat.
Locke smirked confidently, seeing he had wound up Mephiles. He pounded his two giant fists together. "Looks like I hit a nerve."
Ray sat uncomfortably between the three feuding adults, feeling very awkward and unsure of what to do. He cautiously hopped up from his seat and moved towards the kitchen to stay with Amy for the time being.
Rouge quickly sprung to her feet, feeling the tension building. "Hey, knock it off, you two. This is not the place nor time!"
Meanwhile, Amy finished collecting ice into an icepack in the kitchen and turned around, only to spot Ray standing directly behind her. "Oh, there you are." She handed him the ice pack. "You'll need to keep icing your eye for the next few days to help the swelling go down. Then we'll switch to warm compacts later," she advised.
Ray accepted the ice pack. "Thank you, Ms. Amy."
"Is this your first time getting hit?" she inquired curiously.
He shook his head. "No, I've been jumped in the past and been hurt a lot worse. Thankfully though, I avoided a lot of other confrontations thanks to my big brother."
Amy smiled as she envisioned Mighty standing up to a group of bullies, quickly taking them all by himself. "That sounds like Mighty, all right." Suddenly, Amy's ear's perked when she heard Mephiles, Locke, and Rouge's voices getting louder and louder from the other room. "Hey, what's going on in there?"
"It's why I came in here. They're all arguing, but it's mostly between Locke and Mephiles," Ray explained. "I didn't feel comfortable hanging around them."
Seconds later, Amy heard Rouge scream in terror. Amy and Ray immediately rushed back into the living room only to spot Mephiles standing menacingly over Locke, lying unconscious on his back. Amy glared at Mephiles, assuming the worst. Her brows knitted together in anger as she got between Locke's body and the president. "What did you do to him?" she shouted.
He glared at the female, first surprised to see her standing up to him and secondly because of the accusation. "I didn't do anything!"
"No, he's right," Rouge concurred. "The two were bickering back and forth, but then Locke clutched his chest and collapsed."
Ignoring Mephiles' glowering, Amy knelt on her knees and pressed her left ear to his chest to listen for a heartbeat. She couldn't hear one and quickly reached for his wrist to feel for a pulse—nothing.
Mephiles studied Amy as she checked on the older echidna's vitals and scoffed. He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "How pathetic, faking an illness to get out of a fight. What a pussy…"
Amy glared over her shoulder at Mephiles in disgust. "He's not faking this." She turned to look at the white bat with seriousness. "Rouge, call 911 now," she instructed urgently.
Rouge immediately rushed into the other room for her phone. In the meantime, Ray watched as Amy began compressing Locke's chest. "What's going on?" he asked nervously, feeling the severity rise in the situation.
Amy continued to pump up and down onto his chest with the palms of her hands. "He's having a heart attack," she explained while remaining focused on compressions.
"Is h-he going to be all right?" Ray stammered nervously.
Amy kept up the compressions, not letting up for one moment. She was entirely too focused on keeping his heart beating. "I'm not going to let you die. This can't happen—not now," she promised as she stared down at him. "Hold on, Locke…"
Mephiles tilted his head as he watched Amy desperately try to keep the old echidna alive. He hadn't realized until then that Amy had grown closer to the old man. Mephiles couldn't help but hope for the worst possible outcome. Perhaps, Locke would die, and his threats would die off with him. He could only hope.
•~•
After hauling off Zeena and Zazz, the brothers took the Zetis into a back alley with the truck. Manic had lost the officer. He had distracted and re-joined the others. Zeena, who was restrained, watched in horror as both Manic and Knuckles beat the absolute shit out of Zazz. The pink Zeti's face lurched left and right with blood spewing all over the alleyway. His body collapsed on his side as he panted hard and spat up some more blood.
"Please, stop it!" Zeena cried out, unable to watch his beating go on any longer. She thrashed in Shadow's firm grasp, but he refrained from letting her go.
"He's taking on two punishments for the both of you. It's almost over," Knuckles explained.
Manic did one final kick, hitting him in the abdomen and severely winding him. "That's for trying to fuck us over today, asshole!"
Zazz felt his stomach buckle from impact and wheezed on his side. "Zee-na," he croaked.
Gadget hopped out of the back of the truck with a clipboard and pen. "Well, everything seems to still be in place. I guess these two didn't sell anything off yet as promised."
Zeena glared over at the red wolf. "I told you we didn't sell anything yet. We planned to meet with Zavok to surprise him with our haul."
"You don't cross our club, or you settle for a beatdown," Manic warned, pointing a finger in her direction.
Knuckles' finished cracking his knuckles. "You're lucky we didn't kill you both. However, we narrowly avoided the A.T.F. We don't need any more red flags in our direction. Take this as a warning, and fuck off, the two of you."
Shadow released his hold of Zeena, allowing her to stagger forward. She rushed over and helped lift Zazz to his feet. The pink Zeti placed one arm over the top of her back and used her as a crutch as the two limped off. Suddenly, Mighty's cell phone rang, and he looked at the person calling him: Ray. He picked up the line and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?" he answered, walking off to talk privately.
Knuckles looked at Shadow and walked in his direction. "If we can handle bullshit like this, maybe we can handle the cartel after all," Knuckles surmised.
"Hopefully," Shadow agreed. "By the way, I noticed excellent leadership skills from you today."
Knuckles looked surprised. "Did you?"
Shadow nodded. "I took the back seat and let you lead the directive. You did well, you know."
Knuckles perked up, pleased to hear the compliment. "Really? Well, thanks, man."
Mighty rushed over to the two, looking concerned and urgent in expression. "Guys, my kid brother just called me. We need to get to the hospital immediately."
Shadow felt his heart sink. "Why, what happened?"
Mighty looked at Knuckles gravely and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your father just had a heart attack."
•~•
Now back at the hospital, the entire crew of bikers showed up in the emergency room. Knuckles rushed over to the front desk and got in line. In the meantime, Shadow and the others spotted Amy, Mephiles, Rouge, and Ray sitting in some chairs in the waiting room.
"Amy…" Shadow flocked over to Amy, who immediately stood up when she spotted him. He extended his arms, and she instantly flew into them, encapsulating her in a hug.
"Shadow, it all happened so fast," she buried her face and breathed into his chest. "I did everything I could…"
Shadow kept her wrapped in his embrace as he consoled her. "I know you did, princess. We have to remain optimistic here."
Rouge approached her husband as he waited at the front desk to be serviced. He was still in shock and hadn't even seen her sitting in the waiting room when he rushed in. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, startling him. "Honey…"
Knuckles turned and embraced his wife when he saw her. "Oh, chaos, Rouge, my dad…Is he going to be okay?"
She pulled away from his embrace. "I-I'm not sure, sweetheart. The doctor hasn't told us anything since we're not related. They'll only deal with next of kin."
Finally, the two got to the front of the line, and a sweet-looking female kangaroo nurse glanced up from her computer when the red echidna came over. "Can I help you, sir?"
"My father, he was brought in here twenty to thirty minutes ago due to a heart attack," Knuckles explained. "Is he in a room? Is he okay?"
"What is his name, sir?" she asked calmly.
"His name is Locke," Knuckled answered.
The nurse typed away at her computer. "Ah, yes, he's in room 203," she located. "Are you his next of kin?"
Knuckles nodded. "Yes, I'm his son, and this is my wife," he gestured to Rouge.
The nurse flagged over another nurse behind her in the cubicle. "Do you mind escorting them to room 203 to talk with the doctor?"
The other nurse nodded politely. "Of course, come with me," she gestured. Knuckles reached out and took Rouge's hand in his, and the two walked alongside the nurse as she ushered them off down the hall.
Mighty, Manic, and Gadget circled Shadow and Amy. They all wanted to know what had happened to their comrade and brother. "So, what exactly happened, Ames?" the red and black armadillo inquired.
"I was tending to Ray's injuries in the kitchen when I heard yelling in the other room," she began to explain. "When I got there, Locke was on the ground unconscious, and his heart wasn't beating. I performed C.P.R. on him until the ambulance arrived."
"Wait, yelling?" Manic repeated. "Who was yelling?"
Amy frowned and turned around, looking at Mephiles, who sat in the corner of the E.R. with his arms crossed tightly across his chest. The rest of their eyes followed Amy's direction and stared at the dark, brooding president. Mephiles eyed them and scowled at their judgmental glares. "Don't give me that look. I wasn't the only one yelling in this scenario. I didn't do anything to the old man."
"Why were you two yelling at each other in the first place?" Shadow pressed.
Mephiles huffed. "It's not important, but he's a pain in the ass. The old buzzard hates me and always criticizes everything I do. He came in wanting to get into an argument."
Mighty narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the president. "Well, whatever you did, brought on a heart attack. You two must've really been going at it."
Mephiles' fists tightened as he refrained from letting loose on them in a public setting. "How dare you blame me for his lack of good health," he hissed.
Shadow could see his older brother getting pushed further and further into exploding. He put up a hand to Mighty, signaling him to stop. "Cut it out," he ordered. "At this point, what's done is done. We all need to hope and pray the best for Locke. That's all we can do for right now."
•~•
Locke lay in bed in his hospital room with an oxygen mask over his muzzle. He had all sorts of wires and other tubes connected to different parts of his body. Rouge and Knuckles stood by his bedside as the faint sound of monitors beeped in the background.
Knuckles held his dad's hand as he watched him breathe slowly and remain asleep. "Dad…"
"He's going to pull through, hon," Rouge assured. "Remember, he's one tough son of a bitch."
Suddenly, the door opened, and a male grey-wolf doctor in a white lab coat walked in with a clipboard. "Evening," he addressed, his blue eyes scanning the two. "I'm Dr. Husky."
"I'm Knuckles, his son," the echidna introduced. "And this is my wife, Rouge."
"Hello," she waved.
"Nice to meet you both," Dr. Husky nodded politely.
"Are you the one who treated my father-in-law?" Rouge inquired.
"That's correct, ma'am," he confirmed. "I'm here now to discuss Mr. Locke's diagnosis."
Knuckles gulped nervously, afraid to hear of the outcome. "How's it looking then?"
"Your father suffered a major heart attack. However, the only reason he's still alive is thanks to one of our hospital interns who was with him during his attack. He probably wouldn't be alive now if it weren't for her performing C.P.R. on him." Knuckles and Rouge looked at each other, noting they'd have to thank Amy once they got the chance. "Now, he'll recover fully as long as he follows the protocols."
Rouge blinked a few times. "What are they?"
"He needs to limit his alcohol intake and focus on a healthier diet. His cholesterol was a bit high, along with his liver enzymes. Not to mention, his blood pressure was pretty high as well," the doctor explained. "Other than that, nothing too strenuous for him for the next couple of weeks and plenty of rest."
"Does that mean he's going to be all right?" Knuckles questioned.
"Yes, as long as he follows the doctor's orders," Doctor Husky addressed. "We'll keep him here an extra day for observation."
Knuckles breathed a sigh of relief, pleased and relieved to hear the news. "I'll make sure he sees to it, doc. Thank you for everything."
Dr. Husky smiled warmly at him. "Of course, my pleasure."
•~•
In the E.R. waiting room, Shadow and Amy opted to stay behind to wait to hear the results while the rest of the boys went home. Both Amy and Shadow had fallen asleep together. Sitting in the chair with his arms crossed and his head pressed firmly against the wall behind him, Shadow kept his eyes closed in a light sleep. Next to him, Amy had her legs up to her chest and had her head leaning on his shoulder while she slept lightly.
Eventually, Rouge and Knuckles came back to the waiting room hand-in-hand. The couple spotted Shadow and Amy still waiting in the room's far corner. Rouge pointed in their direction, and the two smiled at the other couple before making their way back over.
Knuckles placed his hand on Shadow's available shoulder and shook him lightly, causing him and Amy to stir simultaneously. Shadow's eyes peeked open, and he saw Knuckles towering over him. "Knuckles," he stated tiredly, trying to wake up more. "What happened? Is Locke okay?" he asked tiredly.
Amy rubbed at her eyes as she sat up. "Please tell me it's good news."
"Yes." Knuckles gave the two of them a smile. "The doctor said he's going to be okay."
Shadow and Amy also looked relieved to hear the good news. "Thank Chaos," Amy breathed, placing a hand on her heart. However, Amy was surprised when Knuckles suddenly leaned down, bringing her into a tight but heartfelt embrace. "Oh…"
Shadow stared at Knuckles' kind gesture, also confused at first.
"Thank you, Amy. They told us you saved my father's life. There's no way I can repay you enough." Knuckles finally released her from his embrace and bowed his head. Shadow smiled, feeling quite proud of Amy's heroic effort.
"You're welcome, Knuckles. You know, Locke is like a father figure to me. I would never let anything bad happen to him."
"I realize that now," he replied. "My father probably wouldn't be alive if it weren't for your quick thinking and medical training, so again, thank you."
"When will he be able to return home?" Shadow inquired.
"Not for at least a day or so," Rouge answered. "The doctor wants to keep him overnight for observation."
Shadow nodded. "Well, that's a relief. I say we all get home. It's been a long day for all of us, and we have a long journey tomorrow. We'll need to get some rest."
"Agreed," Knuckles chuckled.
"I'll make sure to swing by tomorrow morning and pay him a visit, hon," Rouge offered.
"Great," Knuckles replied. "I'll want someone to update me on his health."
"I can also drop by and check in on him tomorrow," Amy suggested. "I do have a shift tomorrow after all."
With that said, the two couples slowly began to make their way out of the E.R.
AN: Remember to leave a review, comment, prediction, etc!