Disclaimer: I don't own Sega, Budweiser, or anything except Beat, Alice, and anyone that you've never heard of.
Chapter 6
5 years later
It has been 5 years since the sudden departure of Beat the hedgehog and many things have changed (naturally). Knuckles and Rouge have been married for 4 years and have a three year old daughter. Sonic and Amy have been dating for five years and Sonic is to shy to propose to Amy and is the only one who doesn't realize that she would say yes. Cream and Tails have begun dating and Tails has graduated from college at 11.
A hedgehog in faded jeans and a t-shirt and a glove on his right hand that extended to his elbow walked up to the Station Square info booth and asked something to the attendant. The attendant shook her head. He turned around and walked toward Sonic's house keeping his sweatshirt hood up.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXSonic's HouseXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Amy was cuddling with Sonic at his house watching tv when there was a knock on the door. "I got it." Sonic said a hint of irritation in his voice. It was a hedgehog with a hood covering his face but Sonic recognized him vaguely. "Beat?" He asked.
He took his hood off to reveal a weather-worn face but still recognizable. "Hi." He said " I think that you are still dating Amy. Am I right?"
"Yeah. Amy come here!"
"Yes. Beat!" Amy yelled and hugged Beat. He hugged her back with his left hand but kept his right hand away from her.
"I've quit my jobs and decided that I'm gonna live here. For good."
"Beat that's wonderful!"
"Yeah, I gotta go. Wait before I go here are the directions to my house. Bye." He ran off before they could say anything. Sonic shrugged and then walked back inside. Amy followed.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXGilligan's PubXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Shadow sat at the counter of the bar waiting for the bartender to notice him.
"Hey, what can I get for ya?" The bartender asked.
"Get me a bottle of Budweiser." Shadow almost whispered. The bartender walked to the backroom. While he waited Shadow watched the dancers at the other end of the bar. The 5 were dancing in sync with each other. They were almost like they were the same person.
"Here ya go. $3.00." Shadow paid him and left. He went to one of the tables outside across the street.
"Hiya handsome." A voice said from behind him. He turned around to see a squirrel.
"Princess Sally?" Shadow asked recognizing her from Sonic's description.
"Don't call me that, I'm just Sally now. Wanna go to my house?"
"Stay away slut." Shadow coldly said.
"Hmph." Sally walked toward the bar and as she was crossing the street a car hit her and killed her. It stopped and out came Beat.
"Oh my god!" He said then glanced at his gloved right hand. He reached for a cell phone but heard a voice.
"Leave her." Shadow said walking away.
"Huh. So, is this a good bar?"
Shadow glanced at the deceased princess then walked away saying "Is now."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXKnuckles and Rouge's houseXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Beat walked up the path towards the house and saw Rouge with a young white bat with hair styled like dread locks. They were playing catch with some jewels. Rouge saw Beat then yelled something to the house. Knuckles walked out saw Beat then saw his glove and said
"What's with the glove?"
"Knuckles be polite!"
"Coming from a thief. Now tell me what's with the glove."
"I keep my secrets you keep yours."
"What's new Beat? Excuse Knuckles, he's setting a horrible example for his daughter." Rouge said scoldingly.
"Not much is new but it's still good."
"You're gonna kill us all."
"Knuckles!" Rouge said and did a vicious roundhouse kick getting Knuckles on the ground.
"Here are the directions to my house, come over when your not uhh occupied. Bye" Beat said and ran off.
"Idiot, you rudely ask questions when you shouldn't." Rouge scolded. Knuckles grumbled in response and walked inside.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXBeat's ApartmentXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Amy took the elevator to the 8th floor and went to where Beat's room was. The door was opened a crack. Amy peaked inside and saw Beat sitting on his bed his glove next to him oiling his...hand? She tried to see it but couldn't.
"This machine, This damn machine! You killed someone today when you went haywire. If it weren't for that damn target 5 years ago I wouldn't have you with me. But I guess I need you." Beat said to what was in front of him.
"Killed someone?" Amy whispered to herself then ran home.
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"Sonikku! Sonikku!" Amy gasped as she ran in the house. "Sonic, Beat is still evil! He killed someone!"
"What! Wait Amy, Beat just moved here he didn't kill anyone."
"Yes he di–" Amy was interrupted by the door opening and Beat coming in. "What? Uhh Beat hi. We were just talking about you. And your hand"
"Crap." Amy heard him mutter. "What about it?"
"It killed someone!"
"This is a good time to run." Beat morphed into Sonic And ran at a speed Sonic could never run at.
"Wow he's a better me than me." Sonic said in amazement.
"What are you waiting for? get him!" Amy yelled.
"Fine." Sonic ran and then stopped. "I forgot there are three trillion nooks and crannies in Station Square and Beat can find them all." Then suddenly there was a flash of light. "There!" He ran to the flash to find Knuckles. "Stop Beat!"
"What?" Knuckles yelled and ran but knocked into Sonic. He looked behind him and saw Sonic.
"Beat!"
"Awkward." Beat said in Sonic form and ran. Sonic chased after him and then stopped. Beat was standing there looking ahead. "Don't move Sonic." Beat motioned to Sonic to stay. In front of Beat was an echidna.
"What the...?" Sonic asked in surprise. Suddenly Beat pulled his glove off and in a blur of copper the echidna disappeared.
"Samuel, you rat-bastard next time that'll be your head!" He yelled while putting his glove back on. He hesitated and turned around to Sonic. "I've confessed everything 5 years ago. But now circumstances have changed. I'll tell you one thing. This is the controversy." He pointed to his hand.
"So...your hand caused this?" Sonic asked seeing some copper under the glove.
"No. My hand is probably burning in a fire somewhere. It was cut off 5 years ago. Now I have this mechanical arm." Beat pulled off his glove to reveal a copper arm.
"Oh my...uh...It looks okay."
"You're horrible at bluffing. If your gonna get married you need to know how to bluff."
"Married!"
"Like you are never gonna marry Amy."
"No! I mean yes! I mean...shit."
"Here." Beat threw Sonic a box. "I'll be at the wedding. But as security only."
"Security?"
"Samuel's gonna come back to kill you and when he does I'll kill him." Beat said. Suddenly in a flash of blue light, he was gone.
"Kill?" Sonic asked to himself. He walked back to his house, not noticing the blonde echidna following from the rooftops.
To Be Continued...
Next Chapter: A Wedding...And A Funeral.
