Hi peeps, I think my chappies are gonna get longer from here on in, which is good right? You get a thumbs up if you can guess which special hedgie is coming in this chapter. Speaking of special, I think it's time to get Shmeeko and Quarmas back in the story now. I wonder what happened to them? Anywho, thakies to Prominince Flare for editing. Please Read and Reply.

Enjoy!

Claire's P.O.V.

Silence reached my ears as I flew towards the city lights. My ears were flared, and I kept my eyes wide open. I could feel my heart beating inside me, wishing to get out and away from the terror around me. I launched a blast of echolocation, though only the night sky came back. I could still hear the vampire's mocking taunts as I flew as fast as my crippled wings would allow. A soft chuckle reached my ears and I swear my heart skipped a beat. I froze, whipping my head around, trying to locate the sound of laugher. Something whizzed by my right; I spun to try and defend myself, but it had disappeared. It was then that I noticed the pressure of flying had reopened all my cuts and scratches, ad a newer, deeper gash had been cut into my arm. I moaned…my heart felt that it would tear through my ribs. I forced myself to become calm as I felt a presence lift itself behind me. I spun around, only in time to see the glitter of pearl-white fangs and a wicked sneer. Then, I was knocked out of the sky.

When I came to, the first sensation I felt was flying, but that quickly changed as air rushed by my wings. I wasn't flying, I was falling. I tried to spread my wings, but they were pressed together by the speed of my fall, and it burned to even try to move them.

Crunch

I hit the sand with a sickening thump, and another thump followed soon after. At first, I wondered why, but the fear-striking memory came back to me in a flash. The vampire. I felt a firm hand grip my neck, lifting me into the air. I could still breathe, but only barely. I looked down at the bat I had made the mistake to help. Migro grinned up at me with blood red eyes.

"Goodbye, sweetheart." he hissed, and he bared his fangs. I closed by eyes and held by breath as I felt the fangs poke my neck. Then, I was thrown away like a rag doll.

I didn't understand, he hadn't even pierced my skin! I opened my eyes to look at Migro, who was kneeling on the sand, holding his head, his eyes wide and pale blue.

"M-Migro?" I asked, shakily standing up and cautiously stepping towards the bat. He looked up, looking slightly more calm and collected. This was a good sign. "Are you okay?" I asked again. He stood up, closed his eyes and nodded.

"Um…I'm…" He seemed to choke on the words "Sorry. Sorry for attacking you…" He shuffled his feet and looked away. He'd obviously fought off the vampire, just in time to save me from the undead. I smiled; I was able to forgive him this time.

"Come on, let's get to the city." I said, changing the topic and lifting into the air. He followed, slowing himself down so that he flew beside me. I smiled at him. I swear I saw a smile back.

"Come on, kid." The hedgehog growled, turning his crimson eyes to the figure behind him. The hedgehog had forced the child to wear a cloak to hide his identity and species. But despite his efforts, the child's spiked tail still dragged out from behind him. The child was having difficulties moving through the bush. It wasn't very hard to imagine his struggles, as his tail must've weighed more than a very large tree. The ebony hedgehog continued walking beside the child, forcing himself to keep pace with the creature. The hedgehog muttered darkly to himself. It wasn't like him to pity children like this. But this particular creature had been through just as much at the hedgehog had, and deserved help through the current world

"W-Where are we going?" He asked, pulling his cloak tighter around him shivering in the cold of the rain. I grunted, pushing away from more brambles to reveal a large city, its glow illuminating the sky.

"Station Square."

"Tails?" Spike called, opening the door slowly. Tails was sitting at the table in the middle of the small, out-of town shack. He looked up and smiled when Spike and Kylo entered, but frowned at Kylo's vacant expression.

"Hi guys, what's wrong?" Kylo frowned and walked back outside, ignoring Spike's cry of protest. Spike sat down at the table and buried his head in his hands.

"He's gone." Spike said glumly, summing it all up in two words. Tails looked puzzled.

"Who?" He asked, quickly noting that Espio was not with them. Spike took a breath in and explained.

"Well, when you led Super Sonic away, we heard someone calling for help from inside the building," he began. "Espio went inside to see who it was. When we heard sounds of a struggle, Kylo and I went in. It turns out a red armadillo was posing as someone in trouble, and had laid a trap for Espio," he said. He was struggling to keep going; even though he hadn't liked the chameleon all too much, it hurt to see him die. "The armadillo threw a fit and brought the building down when we tried to help. Espio was dead before the building collapsed." Spike said. He lost it there, smacking his head against the table. "I shouldn't have let him go alone," the hedgehog scolded himself. Tails remained silent for a while, before staring at his hands and closing his eyes

"Mighty." He said sadly.

"What?"

"Mighty the Armadillo." Tails repeated, keeping his gaze fixed on the table.

"Mighty was once a member of the Chaotix. He'd always shared a rivalry with Espio, but was still his friend, kind of like Knuckles and Sonic, though Mighty disliked Espio a lot more. But they got along for the sake of the team. When Vector decided to open a detective agency here, Mighty quit." The fox turned his gaze to look at a picture hanging on the wall. "Mighty may not have liked Espio, but he would've never tried to kill him." He finished, folding his hands together and looking rather unenthusiastic. Spike tried to smile as a theory dawned on him, but it came out as a look of anger.

"Super Sonic must've done something to him. But anyway, we've got to find him," the hedgehog confirmed. He stood up in his seat, the chair behind him toppling over. "Well, let's start looking!" He yelled. Tails nodded, his eyes wide. Suddenly, a voice came from outside.

"Let me go you overgrown mole rat!" it shrieked. Both the fox and hedgehog registered the voice at the same time.

"Kylo!"

Several miles away, in the central square of the city, the rubble of a ruined building shifted. Rocks, toppled from the mountain of debris. If anyone were nearby, they would've heard a moan of pain and a gasp for breath.