Author's Note: New chapter, who dis? Once again, thank you to those of you that opt to leave me reviews with your thoughts and theories. I always enjoy reading your feedback! Thank you, RisingZero1984, IvyRonin, Carlata Jones, CrimsonLove16, guest, and Zayp321! Enjoy the chapter!
•~•
It had been a couple of weeks since Manic was released from prison. Knuckles and Manic were no longer charged with murder, and all other charges had been dropped. Things were finally beginning to go back to normal. Julie-Su's funeral was held, and both sides of the club showed up in support, and Knuckles eventually began acting like his old self again. However, he still felt unjustified for Julie's murder. As for the rest of the club, they continued business as usual but remained cautious around any deals knowing that Agent Blaze was still waiting to strike again on any screw-ups they pulled.
Amy sat in her bedroom diligently working on her schoolwork as she got closer to finishing her doctorate. It'd only be a matter of time before she'd finally be a doctor and be able to intern at a hospital. After another long day of business runs, Shadow walked into her bedroom as she sat in front of her laptop, typing away. Smiling at her sight, he strolled behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Giving her shoulders a few gentle squeezes, he massaged her tenderly. "Studying again?" he hummed as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
"You know it," she giggled.
"You aren't stressed? Every time I come into this room, all I see you doing is writing papers or studying medical articles," he noted while he continued to massage her backside.
Shadow and Amy had grown quite close over the past couple of weeks. Amy had to admit that it was nice to have a guy who doted on her, treated her correctly, and looked after her. It was the complete opposite of her relationship with Zonic.
Amy stopped typing and glanced up at him standing behind her. "Of course, I'm stressed, but I must get this done. I'm so close."
"Take a break for at least ten minutes and spend time with me," he suggested. "With my hectic work schedule, I haven't seen you all day."
Amy chuckled at him and stood up from her seat. "Okay, fine, but just for a few minutes." Shadow reached down and lifted her off her feet, carrying her bridal style, catching her off guard. "Hey!" Amy squealed as he rushed out of her room and down the hall into his bedroom with her in his possession. "Shadow!" she laughed.
He tossed her onto his bed and climbed over the top of her, pinning her gently to his mattress. Amy blushed as he leaned in and kissed her. He wasn't forceful but remained very soft and tender, kissing her as if it'd be his last time. Amy always felt like her breath was being taken away when Shadow made out with her. He was an excellent kisser, making her whole body feel like floating. Shadow released his hold on her wrists, and they instantly flew behind his neck, pulling him in closer. Shadow didn't want to admit it, but he was falling head over heels for her. Being with Amy reminded him so much of his high school romance back in the day. Everything just felt so natural with her. He could be himself around her and not fear being judged.
After making out for a minute straight, he pulled back and looked down at her in his bed as she cupped his face and looked up at him. Her lips felt swollen from their make-out session. "You must've missed me, huh?" she said breathlessly.
He nodded, lowering his eyelids sensually. "Of course, you're always on my mind when we're apart."
Amy watched as he rolled off on top of her and laid flat on his beside her. She heard him release a giant, exhausted sigh as he sunk into the mattress. She had started to pick up on Shadow's quirks and behavior over the past months. By his demeanor, she could tell his day must've been pretty difficult if he wanted to distract his thoughts by spending time with her. She turned over on her side and propped her head up on one hand while she stared at him. "So, how was work today?" she asked.
Shadow placed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling as his smile shifted into a frown. "Dangerous and difficult as always."
Amy frowned at his response. "That rough, huh?"
He nodded. "Pretty much."
"How are you and Mephiles doing? Are you finally back on good terms?" she questioned. Shadow hadn't told her much about their temporary fallout, but whatever caused it, it set a tone around the house when the two were in the same room. It was so palpable that there was tension between the two brothers.
"It's better, but I'm still disappointed in him." He sighed again as his eyes drifted elsewhere. "What he did…I'll never forget."
Amy analyzed his words carefully. She was still sitting on that conversation she had eavesdropped on a while ago at the party. She couldn't help but wonder if she was right—was Mephiles truly involved in Julie-Su's death?
Amy tilted her head curiously. "Has the trail gone cold for Julie-Su's case?"
His jaw clenched. "Sadly, it seems like it will be a cold case. It pisses me off, too, because she deserves to get justice."
•~•
Later that evening, Amy and Shadow wandered downstairs to grab dinner. When they walked into the kitchen, Amy spotted Locke sitting at the kitchen table eating some left-over meatloaf from the night before. "Hey, Locke," she smiled sweetly.
"Evening, lass," he said with a mouthful.
"I haven't seen you around in two weeks, old-timer. What have you been up to?" Shadow commented as he opened the fridge and rummaged around for something to eat.
Locke stabbed another piece of meatloaf on his plate with his fork. "Aye, well, you know how I've felt about your brother," he mumbled in annoyance with an eye roll. Locke still did not approve of the handling of Julie-Su's murder. He felt that Mephiles had not done enough to help Finitevus and the rest of his crew track down the true killer. He still held a grudge on how Mephiles treated his son when he and Rouge were captured by the A.T.F. "I've also been busy trying to clear out my old storage unit," he tagged on.
Shadow did not respond to Locke's initial comment about his brother but instead grabbed a beer in the fridge and shut the fridge door. However, his interest was piqued by his last comment. "Cleaning out a storage unit, huh? What for?"
Locke finished chewing another bite. "I've been in this club for over twenty years now. The rest of you know retirement is not too far away. I'm thinking of moving back to Angel Island and setting down there," he explained.
"Well, if you still need help cleaning out your storage unit, I could always lend a hand," Amy offered kindly. "I have some spare time here and there when I'm not doing schoolwork or mending wounds."
"Really, lass?" Locke said, surprised by the kind gesture. "You'd help out an old curmudgeon like me?" he laughed, poking fun at himself.
Amy smiled. "Of course, I'd help out. Besides, I could probably help you sort through some junk and organize. It is one of my specialties."
His bushy gray brows quirked upward. "You want to swing by tomorrow and help me out then?'
"Sure thing!"
•~•
The following day, another meeting was held for the club. Mephiles sat at the head of the table with Shadow to his left. Mighty, Locke, Knuckles, and Manic sat on either side of the table and stared down at their president, waiting for his announcement. In the meantime, Gadget stood in the corner of the room as he still was not an official member of the group yet.
"So, it's come to my attention that we have a member close to retiring," Mephiles began. Mephiles directed his reptilian eyes towards the elder echidna.
Locke stood up from his seat. "That's right. It's time I move on. I'll still be here for a couple more weeks to phase out, but it's time to pass the torch on to another contender."
Mephiles couldn't help but be slightly pleased with the idea of the old geezer leaving. He really couldn't stand him and his old-fashioned ideas. Not to mention, Locke was his most prominent critic in this club. "At any rate, we'll be down one club member because of this loss." His eyes shifted over to Gadget standing in the corner. "Which means we'll need to add on to our crew again," he foreshadowed.
Gadget perked up at the allusion, and the rest of the guys smiled as they stared in his direction. "Re-really?" he asked in disbelief. Gadget had worked for the club as a rookie for several months now. He honestly didn't know if he'd ever earn a spot.
Mephiles rose from his seat and pulled out a new patch that read 'Secretary' to add onto the front of his leather jacket in replacement for 'Rookie.' "Yes, and I'd like to officially make you our newest member and give you the position of secretary."
Gadget walked over and approached the table while the other members clapped at the admittance of their newest official member. "No more lackey duty for you, bro," Manic commented with a thumbs up.
Gadget shook Mephiles' hand and accepted the new patch. "Thank you so much, sir. I won't let you down," he said, bowing his head.
"Welcome to the club," he grinned.
Gadget looked down at his new badge proudly before another thought crossed his mind. "So, wait, who will be the new rookie then?" he questioned curiously.
"Don't sweat it," Mighty waved off. "My kid brother has been nagging me about joining for ages now. I think it's about time he joins. He'll be coming in and taking over as our new rookie from here on out."
"Yes, that's correct," Mephiles concurred. "Now, as we know, we have our new storage unit for our arsenal. We'll be moving and assembling all merchandise over there. I believe Shadow and Knuckles will be making the rounds of our next business exchange with the Raiju Clan."
Shadow nodded. "That's right. We'll be meeting them around 3 PM this afternoon for a deal."
"Very good. Well, that's all on the schedule today. Meeting adjourned." Mephiles smashed his gavel on the table, commencing the end of the meeting. Everyone stood up and made their exit.
A few moments later, Shadow and the rest of the club exited the dining room, where they always held their meetings. Everyone casually approached the front door, and Rouge was busy carrying laundry up from the basement when she spotted everyone gathered. "What is the schedule for today then, boys?" she asked. At that same time, Amy came downstairs as well.
"Shadow and I have a potential sale to make, so we'll be heading out," Knuckles answered.
"And you, old-timer?" Rouge smiled playfully at her father-in-law.
"The lass is coming over to help me clean out the old storage unit," Locke explained, glancing at the pink hedgehog.
All of a sudden, two rhythmic knocks sounded on the door. "Oh, that's probably my kid brother now," Mighty grinned. He walked over to the door and opened it up.
Standing on the front porch was a nineteen-year-old yellow squirrel with blue eyes and a tan muzzle. He also wore grey goggles and a blue scarf. He had two suitcases parked on either side of him but smiled wide when greeted by the black and red armadillo. "Mighty!"
Mighty grinned as Ray embraced him. "Ray, good to see ya, buddy!" Everyone inside stood in wait for the introduction. Mighty ushered him inside and closed the front door. "Guys, this is my kid brother, Ray," he introduced.
Ray looked around the room at all the new faces. "Hello, everyone," he waved timidly.
Manic smirked and placed a hand under his chin as he eyed him up and down. "So, you're our new rookie, huh?"
"Yes, that's right," he nodded nervously, carefully eying the green pierced hedgehog.
"Well, the name's Manic, and I'm warning you right now, little dude, you'll be doing a lot of errands to the pot shop for me," he gestured.
"No problem," he replied. "I won't let you down, sir."
Amy approached Ray and shook his hand politely. "Nice to meet you, Ray. My name is Amy Rose. I'm their medic," she introduced herself.
He shook her hand back and gave her a soft smile. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Amy."
She walked over to one of the hooks by the front door and reached for her purse. "I'm sorry I can't talk to you any longer. I'm afraid I'm off to help Locke with a few things," she apologized.
"No problem," he excused. "I'm sure most of you are busy right now."
"Yeah, you're right," Mighty placed a hand on Ray's shoulder. "Hey, why don't you head to my room upstairs and make yourself home. It's the third door on the left. All of us are about to head out to do a quick mission. I'll help you settle in when I get back, okay?"
"Sounds good," Ray smiled.
"Nice meeting you," Shadow acknowledged making his way past the timid yellow squirrel. "We'll all properly introduce ourselves when we get back."
"I'm sure you'll fit in quite well," Gadget said, patting him.
Locke looked over at Amy. "Let's get a move on. We've got lots of crap to sort through, lass."
Amy nodded politely toward the older echidna. "One moment, Locke," she excused before looking at Shadow. "Um, when will you be home tonight?"
Shadow shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure how long this job will take. Why?"
"I wanted to see if you wanted to catch a movie or something later. That is if you're not too exhausted."
Shadow nodded, intrigued at the idea. "Yeah, that sounds great. Just let me see how this goes first."
Amy smiled sweetly at him. "Great, well, good luck today, and stay safe." She quickly leaned up and pecked him on the cheek before hurrying out to catch up with Locke, impatiently waiting for her outside. Manic witnessed Amy's cute moment with Shadow and grinned boyishly at the two. Amy whizzed past him in a hurry, and he grinned teasingly and looked over to Shadow.
It all happened so fast that Shadow had barely gotten a chance to react. He placed a hand on his cheek and felt quite uncomfortable with all the eyes upon him. Usually, he'd reciprocate the gesture and even welcome it, but he wasn't prone to everyone watching their P.D.A.
"Oooh, Shadow's gotta girlfriend!" Manic sang mockingly and pointed with a haughty laugh. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G, ah-ah-ha!"
Shadow clenched his fist and bonked it on the top of the green-pierced hedgehog's head. "Ouch!" Manic bellowed and clutched at the top of his sore head, which he indeed believed had a bump.
"Stop being a juvenile, idiot!" Shadow berated.
"Bro, it was just a joke," Manic continued. "Leave the few brain cells I've got left alone," he whined.
"Aw, I think it's just precious," Rouge swooned, cupping her hands and sighing romantically. However, she straightened up and became more serious as a thought crossed her mind. She glared in Knuckle's direction. "How come you don't act all cutesy like that with me anymore, huh, Knucklehead?"
Knuckles put his hands up defensively. "Hey now, why do you always have to blame me?"
Rouge crossed her arms over her ample bust. "I miss when you used to be all romantic and cute with me when we first started dating."
"We just had a date night a few weeks ago!" he reminded, throwing his arms up. "I bought you roses, chocolate, and everything!"
She huffed and placed a hand on her hip. "Yeah, exactly, too long ago!"
Shadow rolled his eyes and shook his head at the bickering couple. Ray also found it quite entertaining to watch all the interactions with the club members on the sidelines. "I think this is our cue to get going," Shadow mumbled. He reached over, grabbed ahold of Knuckles by the arm, and led him out.
Everyone left, and the only two remaining were Ray and Rouge. "So, Ms. Amy and the black and red hedgehog are dating?" he surmised.
"That's right," she confirmed.
"And that big red echidna is your boyfriend?" he presumed.
"He's my husband," she corrected. "But yes, he's my guy, and his name is Knuckles. You'll quickly figure out all the dynamics around here," she winked.
•~•
As Knuckles and Shadow headed into the van after loading some of their merchandise in the back, Gadget rushed over and knocked on their window. Sitting in the passenger seat, Shadow rolled down his window. "What's up?"
"We've got some scouts hanging just outside the compound," he explained, gesturing with a head nod behind him. Shadow and Knuckle's eyes followed and spotted two white cars sitting on the street's curb with black-out windows.
"Shit…" Knuckles mumbled.
"Let me guess. Agent Blaze has her goons staking us out again?" Shadow fathomed dryly.
Gadget nodded. "Your brother said we'll need to make a diversion to get you guys out safely. Manic, Mighty, and I will follow you out and have them tag us instead of you guys," he explained.
Shadow nodded, comprehending. "Got it. We're ready whenever you are."
•~•
Inside one of those exact white cars lingering outside the compound were Agent Blaze's partner, Nicole, and another officer. By the looks of it, it appeared that all of them were heading out. The female brown lynx watched with a pair of binoculars as the other brothers rounded up and got on their motorcycles. She had already spotted Locke and Amy head out together but didn't think anything suspicious of their departure. However, the other boys looked up to no good from her vantage.
Nicole lowered her binoculars and reached for her walkie. "This is Nicole, over. The Brothers appear to be rounding up in preparation to leave, over."
Another female voice came over the walkie. "Agents, I want eyes on them at all times. Follow them to their location, over," Agent Blaze's voice was heard over the walkie.
"Understood, over," Nicole replied. She glanced at her driver. "Once these guys head out, keep in close range."
"Yes, ma'am," the driver nodded and placed his hands on the steering wheel.
Nicole radioed over to the other vehicle. "Vehicle two, do you understand our orders, over?"
"Yes, ma'am, over," a male voice replied over her radio. Now all they had to do was wait.
•~•
The fence to the compound opened, and Manic, Mighty, Gadget, and the white van holding Shadow and Knuckles tore out of the compound. Watching the group head down the road, Nicole watched them like a hawk. "Let's get moving," she ordered.
Nicole and her team's vehicles pulled away from the curb and followed the group down the road. Mighty led the charge while Manic was riding to his left and Gadget was riding to his right. Mighty glanced at his right-side view mirror and spotted the two white vehicles following them. "Looks like we got some groupies," he shouted over the roar of their motorcycle engines.
"Too bad we don't do autographs," Manic cracked loudly.
"Remember to stick to the plan, fellas," Gadget instructed.
An upcoming light turned green, and the boys took their speed off the gas, allowing Shadow's van to quickly maneuver around them and take the front lead. In the meantime, the three boys on bikes stayed in a horizontal line, preventing the white cars from getting around them to pursue Shadow and Knuckles.
•~•
Inside Nicole's car, she grumbled in annoyance, seeing what the bikers were up to. "They're trying to block us out!"
"What do you want me to do, ma'am?" the driver questioned.
"Try to get around them!" she ordered.
Obliging her orders, the driver steered into the oncoming traffic lane to gain speed and get around the M.C members bocking their path. However, another car turned on an upcoming corner, and the two vehicles were now careening towards a collision. "Watch out, Matthews!" Nicole shouted.
Her driver gripped his steering wheel and tried to weave out of the way but crashed into an electric pole. Manic took a glance over his shoulder and laughed at their mishap. "Sucks for you, fuzz!"
That left them with only one patrol car that quickly gained speed around Nicole's car, which had stalled and continued trailing the M.C.
"Don't celebrate yet. We still got one more to go!" Mighty shouted.
The boys watched as the white car caught up and cut them off, gaining a lead. It now pursued after Knuckles and Shadow in front of them. "Damn it," Manic mumbled as he saw them take off. "I got an idea, but it might be stupid," Manic shouted.
Mighty eyed the green hedgehog with concern. "What are you going to do?" he shouted.
Manic didn't respond and instead reeved his handles and quickly caught up to the other one and sped in front of it before slamming on his breaks, knowing their car wouldn't be able to break in time. Their car slammed into the back of his bike, forcing him air-bound. Manic held onto their vehicle's hood as they screeched to a halt before flying off and landing with a thud on the road.
Gadget and Mighty skidded their bikes to a halt, fearing the worst for their comrade. "Manic!" they both screamed.
Manic remained on his back, lifted one arm, and gave a thumbs-up, signaling that he was okay. "It's okay; I'm okay!"
Mighty slapped a hand on his forehead. "What an idiot…."
•~•
After finally losing the agents, Shadow and Knuckles made their journey just outside of Mercia. With Knuckles driving the van, it had been quiet until he glanced over to the dark hedgehog staring out the window in a daydream. "Thinking about Amy?" he teased with a playful grin.
Shadow stiffened and scoffed at the quip. "Why is everyone being so immature about this whole thing? We're adults here, aren't we?"
Knuckles laughed playfully and did a quick elbow jab. "Relax, man. We're just teasing you because it's been a while since we've seen you like this."
Shadow raised one brow and crossed his arms over his chest. "Like what exactly?"
"You know, all lovey-dovey with a girl," he grinned. "It's been ages."
Shadow leaned his right arm along the car door windowsill. "I'm still the same person I've always been. I haven't changed," he assured.
"Suuuure," Knuckles dragged out sarcastically. "It's not like you've been more pleasant to be around, and you're smiling from time to time. You have a beautiful girl to come home to every night and smash," he winked.
Shadow covered his face with one hand. He had never been one to partake in male locker talk. "Stop," he groaned in embarrassment.
Knuckles kept his eyes on the road and chuckled. "Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that we're all pretty happy for you," he shrugged. "Amy is a great girl, and if she's making you happy, then the boys and I are happy for you, too."
Shadow felt a subtle warmth constrict his chest. It was nice to know the rest of the guys supported their relationship and feelings. "Thanks, man."
"Oh, and don't you go breaking that girl's heart, or I'll have to break your legs," Knuckles chuckled.
Shadow smirked to himself and shook his head. "I don't plan to."
"Good, because I'm not joking."
•~•
Meanwhile, Amy and Locke were now in the thick of it, going through all of Locke's belongings in his storage unit. Amy had already labeled most of the boxes. She had a pile of donations, a pile to throw away, and a pile of keepsakes. Locke was rather impressed with how fast and efficient Amy was with her organizational skills. While moving a few boxes around, Amy came across a box labeled "M.C President." She carefully opened the box and began rummaging through the items inside. Inside was a diary that looked worn and dated. "Hey Locke, I found some sort of diary or journal. Do you want to keep it?"
Locke looked relieved at the news. "You found it? Wonderful!" he proclaimed.
He hurried over and accepted the journal. "I've been looking for this everywhere!" She watched as he flipped through the journal and walked away a few feet.
Continuing her organization, she also found an old photo album inside the box filled with pictures of what she could only fathom to be Shadow and Mephiles' father. This hedgehog looked like the two boys. There were pictures of both boys in there with their father appearing much younger in age, a couple of images of Locke posing with the original M.C president, and photographs of other club members she did not recognize.
Locke hobbled over to the corner of the storage unit as he spotted Amy sitting on the floor gazing at the photo album. "Boy, those were the good old days," he reminisced.
Amy stopped her gawking and glanced over her shoulder at the older echidna. "You don't mind if I glance, do you? I was just so curious to see what Shadow's father looked like. He doesn't talk about him much."
"Not at all," he chuckled. "Go through the whole thing. I don't mind."
Amy smiled and continued to flip through the pages. She found a picture of a teenage Shadow posing with his deceased girlfriend Maria and his father in front of their home. "Wow, she sure was pretty. Even in his teen years, Shadow was also quite handsome," Amy noted.
Locke walked back over and stood behind Amy as she flipped pages. "Yeah, Shadow's always had plenty of girls to choose from. He got most of his looks from his father, as you see," he gestured, pointing to Shadow's father in the background.
"What did you say happened to him again?" Amy questioned, trying to recall the information. She remembered asking him when she had first moved in.
"He died in a motorcycle accident," Locke replied somewhat sarcastically, using air quotes. He scoffed at the idea before walking off again.
Just hearing his tone, Amy's ears perked in intrigue. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
Locke stopped walking and realized he had implied too much. "Nothing, lass…nothing."
Amy closed the photo album. "It kind of sounded like you were implying that it wasn't exactly an accident as you claim…."
Locke sighed, seeing Amy had caught on. "You're one of those inquisitive types, aren't you? You pick up on things quickly."
Amy smirked knowingly. "I guess you could say that, but back to my question. What did you mean?"
Heading back over in her direction, Locke moved one of the boxes and dragged it to use as a makeshift seat in front of Amy. He plopped down onto it carefully. "If I tell you this, you need to promise to keep it a secret, and when I say secret, I mean you can't even tell Shadow. Can I trust you, lass?"
"Of course, you can trust me," Amy promised. "I'm a nurse and doctor in training. I'm great at keeping things confidential."
Locke placed the journal in his lap and intertwined his fingers together. "I believe that Mephiles may have been behind his father's motorcycle accident. I think he staged the whole thing to get his old man out of the way."
Amy looked shocked at the idea. "You can't be serious, Locke. Why would he do such a thing?"
"Because his old man was the only thing standing in the way of changing the trajectory of going from an M.C that does charitable acts to selling illegal arms. His father was rather against selling guns to shady characters, and he was the current president at the time," he elaborated. "Mephiles was the vice president and had a completely different direction in where he wanted to take the club."
Amy blinked in surprise. "Wow, I had no idea…."
"Yes," Locke nodded. "Anyway, his father confided in me and many of the other veteran members about opposing the vote Mephiles brought up to sell guns for profit. A couple of weeks later, his father died right before the vote."
Amy covered her mouth in surprise hearing this shocking conspiracy theory. She had always gotten the creeps from Mephiles since living there. He always felt like he had a dangerous and bad aura when she was around him. Perhaps her intuitions were correct all along? "So, what ended up happening with the vote?"
"Mephiles moved up as president and held the vote. However, conveniently before the vote took place, a few of our original members departed the club for unforeseen circumstances. Some retired, and others left of their own free will. It left it open for the younger generation to come in and sweep the vote."
"This is much speculation, but what do you plan to do with all this information exactly?"
"Well, as you know, I'm retiring for obvious reasons. I don't trust the guy, and I've never liked him. We've always butted heads, and in the last couple of weeks, he did something that drew the last straw…."
Amy blinked in confusion. "What did he do?"
"Remember when you threw that surprise party for Rouge and Knuckles' anniversary?"
She nodded. "Yeah?"
He dragged a hand down his worn face. "When Julie-Su died that night, I believe whole-heartedly that was Mephiles' doing. I'm certain he put a hit out on my son and got Julie killed by mistake. He'll never own up to it, but with the current circumstances, it all adds up in my mind."
"You think he put a hit on Knuckles because he believed he was the one who betrayed the club and ratted out Manic?" Amy deduced.
"I was there at the meetings. Many people were skeptical about Knuckle's betrayal. However, Mephiles was the most adamant that Knuckles had gone rogue."
Amy's ears lowered sadly as she digested all this newfound information. "…I-I believe you."
Locke's eyes widened. "…You do?"
"That night at the party, I was heading upstairs when I overheard Mephiles talking to another guy from the other charter," she began. "He was telling him to go through with some sort of plan. Whatever it was, he wanted it done that night. When I heard about Julie's death…it made me suspicious," she admitted.
"Chaos," Locke breathed. "This is pivotal information, lass…."
Amy shrugged uncomfortably. "I wanted to mention it to Shadow, but he always tells me not to get involved with club business, so I didn't say anything."
"Well, I tried to tell my son, but I doubt he'd believe me. He's too loyal." Locke reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Shadow always looked up to Mephiles when he was a boy. I don't know if he could stomach these truths. Don't tell Shadow anything else, at least not until I get all the information to prove my case."
"Okay," Amy breathed. "But how are you going to get all this proof in the first place?"
"I'm documenting evidence. This journal you found," he mentioned, holding it up. "This will be huge in my case."
Amy tilted her head in confusion. "Huh, why?"
"Shadow's father wrote a lot. And he used to diary entries about his thoughts and opinions about the club and its direction. I recall some information about him not trusting Mephiles, but I'll have to re-read them again. It's been a while."
"How did you manage to get possession of this journal over his sons?" she questioned.
He looked down at it in his lap. "Their father promised it to me in his will. I was confused at first too, but he specifically left instructions not to allow Mephiles or Shadow to get ahold of it."
"What's going to happen once the rest of the club finds out about Mephiles if this all turns out to be true?" she probed.
"He'll be impeached as president, kicked out the club…possibly killed," he listed dully.
Amy quickly rose to her feet. "I-I don't know if I want to hear any more of this…."
"Lass, Mephiles is a danger to the rest of the club. If he keeps leading as he is, he will get other members hurt or worse," he warned. "We're expendable to him. I have to get him out of power. The time is now."
"Wouldn't that mean that Shadow would immediately become the new president of the M.C?"
Locke nodded. "Exactly, but I have more faith in Shadow's leadership than Mephiles."
Amy was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed carrying all this heavy information. "Shadow always tells me to stay out of club business, and I'm beginning to understand why now…."
Locke placed one hand on his chest and raised his other. "I promise you; I'll keep you out of this mess. Keep my secret safe, and no one will suspect you being involved."
•~•
Back with Shadow and Knuckles, the two finally arrived at their destination. They got out of their parked cars on the city's outskirts. They walked up a steep hill to an abandoned ranch where they were to meet their associates. "I hope this doesn't take long," Knuckles groaned. "Her highness is always particular with our weaponry…."
"Put on your best sales face and get over it, Knux," Shadow scolded before stopping in his tracks.
Knuckles mimicked Shadow's motion but seemed confused about why they had stopped. "Hey, what gives?"
Shadow's ears twitched. "…It's too quiet," he noted.
Knuckles scratched his head. "This is supposed to be on the down-low. What do you expect?"
Feeling a weird intuition, Shadow withdrew his Glock and extended it outward cautiously while he took the lead. Knuckles copied his actions and drew his gun and aimed it out as he followed. The two got closer to the top of the hill, where they spotted a tan male ox slumped over in a camping chair just outside the ranch. Flies were buzzing around his body, and as they got closer, they could see a pool of blood dripping down behind his chair.
"Shit, isn't that Jun one of Storm's guys?" Knuckles whispered.
Still keeping his gun outward, Shadow looked over the deceased Mobian. It appeared he had been shot in the face. "Looks like it…" he confirmed.
Suddenly, a group of Suppression members emerged from either side of the ranch with their guns drawn. They aimed their automatic rifles in Knuckles and Shadow's direction and began shooting. "Fuck!" Knuckles exclaimed.
The two made their way behind the nearest shields they could find. Shadow's guard of choice happened to be a thick oak tree he had managed to dodge behind. He kept his back against it as he felt the vibrations of the bullets hit the other side of the tree.
Knuckles, on the other hand, ducked behind a tractor and stayed low to the floor. Knuckles looked over to Shadow. "Was this whole thing a trap?" he yelled.
Shadow peeked around from his tree in Knuckle's direction. "Not sure, more like a retaliation."
Suddenly, the two of them were ambushed as the Suppression Squad guys surrounded both Knuckles and Shadow from behind with their guns drawn. Shadow and Knuckles glanced at each other before dropping their weapons simultaneously and raising their hands in surrender. This was not looking good.
•~•
A little bit later, Locke dropped Amy off at the compound. Amy hopped out of the passenger seat of his car and felt a little nervous facing Mephiles with all this newfound knowledge. Locke could sense her jitters as he remained in the driver's seat. "Amy, don't worry. Just act normal, and he won't know any better. He has no inclination I'm onto him," he assured.
She kept her arms wrapped around herself. "It just feels so weird…"
"As I said, it'd all fall back on me if anything were to happen. However, if you stumble upon any other information, let me know. I'm trying to compile everything before I accuse him of his crimes."
Suddenly, she heard motorcycle engines approaching the compound. She turned and looked as she spotted Mighty, Manic, and Gadget coming back. The two-spotted Manic riding on the back of Mighty's bike with a sling around his arm.
"Oh boy, looks like you'll be busy for the next hour," Locke observed from Manic's new injury.
"All right, well, I'll see you around," Amy said as she backed up.
"Later, lass," he waved before heading out.
•~•
Back with Shadow and Knuckles, with their hands secured behind his back with zip ties, the two were taken back to the ranch house, where they were to meet Storm and her guys. However, as they were led back up the hill to the ranch where it was evident that there had been some rather large shoot-out between Storm and her guys, Shadow looked on either side of the dirt road leading up to the ranch and spotted numerous dead bodies that the Suppression Squad members had killed. Pools of blood collected around the bodies as the blood slowly absorbed into the dirt around them. He could only fathom what Storm's fate may have been. "Where's Storm?" Shadow questioned one of their capturers.
"Good and dead. Serves the bitch, right…." the one guy holding Shadow replied. Shadow wasn't necessarily the biggest fan of the girl, but she was a loyal customer of theirs. Not to mention, he never believed in any violence against females. Finally, the gang members led Shadow and Knuckles into the ranch and shoved them forward, allowing both to land smack their chests against the wooden floors.
Shadow grunted and glared up as he heard footsteps approaching him from the other room. He saw a pair of black boots stop before him and glared up only to spot the president of the Suppression Squad, Scourge the Hedgehog standing before him. Behind him were two of his other top members—his second in command, Sleuth Dog, a large brown canine, and Simian, a sizeable brown gorilla. Scrouge was wearing a black leather jacket with flames up the sides of both sleeves and bared his muscular chest, boring his notorious scar. He lifted his red brimmed shades and rested them on top of his head as an arrogant smirk crossed his muzzle. "Stripes, it's been a while, huh, buddy? Last I heard, you were in critical condition from that nasty hit and run we pulled off," he chuckled. "Shame you're not dead, though."
"Fuck off," Shadow growled.
Scourge walked over and kicked him hard in his side, causing Shadow to wheeze. Scourge bent down and glared at the darker hedgehog, seeing his enemy winded. "Aye, is that any way to talk to someone you haven't seen in a while?" he snapped.
Knuckles narrowed his brows at the lime green president. "Hey, stop it!"
Scourge's icy blue eyes landed on the red echidna. "Oh, guess I forgot to address you, eh…what's your name again? Is it Fists?" he scratched his head, genuinely lost on his name.
"It's Knuckles, asshole," the echidna barked.
Scourge snapped his fingers as he was reminded. "Ah, that's right. What a dumb name," he laughed. "Well, since it's been a while since we've talked, tell me something. Is your old man dead yet?"
Knuckles felt his blood boil at the question. "What the hell did you just say?" he shouted.
Still wincing from Scourge's powerful kick to his side, Shadow glanced up at the hedgehog. He hated seeing him try to get Knuckles all wound up, especially when mentioning his father. After all, Scourge did have beef with him. "What the hell do you want, Scourge?" he grumbled.
Scourge directed his attention back to the vice president. "Easy, we want your guns. The whole stock, in fact," he declared.
Shadow scoffed. "You've got to be kidding…."
Scourge shook his head. "Not a chance in hell, Stripes. This has been a long time coming. You fucked up our warehouse and snatched our supply, then some of my boys ran into you guys on the road awhile back, and they said you ran them off. It's long overdue for payback time. We've been patient enough," he said, cracking his knuckles.
"What makes you think we'll willingly hand them all over to you like this?" Shadow questioned.
"I've gotta feeling your brother won't want to see any harm come to his little brother," Scourge surmised.
Shadow rolled his eyes. "Okay, sure, but it's not like we exactly have all our supplies nearby. It would take time to get it to you."
"Guess your brother will have to work fast then," Scrouge smirked.
•~•
Back at the compound, Mephiles was busy working on balancing budgets in his office. However, he was interrupted when Gadget burst into his office. "Sir, I've got Shadow on the phone."
Mephiles sighed, glanced back down at his paperwork, and continued to jot down numbers. "Can't it wait? I'm rather busy," he mumbled.
Gadget shook his head adamantly. "No, sir, it can't. He said it's important."
Mephiles followed Gadget back into the house, where the phone was still off the hook. The red wolf rushed over, grabbed the phone, and brought it to his ear. "I've got him now, Shadow. I'm sorry for the wait," he apologized.
Mephiles grabbed the phone as the red wolf offered it out to him and placed it to his ear. "What is it?"
"For starters, Scourge and his guys are still pretty pissed off with us for stealing their guns several months ago," Shadow began.
Mephiles' eyes widened in alarm. "Excuse me?"
Suddenly, another voice came on the line. "Hey, dark and creepy, I've got Shadow and Knuckles here. I'll return them unharmed once you and the rest of your jerk-offs bring the rest of your entire stock out here," he demanded.
"Our entire stock..?" Mephiles' eyebrows narrowed in anger. "You piece of shit, I swear to Chaos, if you hurt them, I'll-"
"—Yeah, yeah," Scourge interrupted. "I get the idea, yada, yada. Anyway, I'm giving you a timeframe to get this shit to us, or they're dead."
The dark president's fist tightened around the phone held to his ear. "Fine, but it'll take a couple of hours to get there in time."
"Too bad! You've got two hours." With that, Scourge hung up Shadow's cellphone and then threw it with great force against one of the walls, causing it to shatter into pieces.
Back with Gadget and Mephiles, the president lowered their house phone back into its base. "Shit…" he breathed.
Gadget looked anxious, seeing how stressed his superior looked. "Sir, what just happened?
"…They've got my brother and Knuckles," he replied.
"What do we do now?" Gadget inquired.
Mephiles mulled over his options before he eyed Gadget. "Round up our supply. We'll head over there with the rest of the boys. Time is of the essence."
•~•
Meanwhile, Manic sat on the examination table in Amy's office as Amy looked at his injuries. Amy wafted a cloud of smoke that lingered in the air near her. "You really shouldn't be smoking that in here, you know," she coughed.
Manic took another drag of his blunt and blew out the smoke from the corner of his mouth. "It's my pain relief," he shrugged.
Rouge leaned her shoulder in the doorway as she watched Amy clean any other scratches the paramedics had missed. "I can't believe you were idiotic enough to pull that move," the white bat scolded. "You could've been killed."
"She's right," Amy concurred. "A sprained wrist and a few cuts and bruises were extremely lucky."
"Well, I am a green hedgehog, and I'm pretty sure that automatically gives me good luck," Manic shrugged.
Rouge shot him a deadpan expression. "I don't think that's how the universe works, sweetheart."
Suddenly, Mighty popped in, looking urgent in expression. "Hey, you think you're still able to hold and shoot an automatic in your current state?" he asked Manic.
Manic looked down at his injured arm in his sling before glancing at the blunt in his other hand. He flicked the butt end of his joint out the open window. "Hell yes."
"Good then, we need to get going," he stated firmly.
"What's going on?" Amy inquired, sensing an issue. She took off her gloves and discarded them.
Mighty hesitated for a moment. "The Suppression Squad captured Shadow and Knuckles. They're being held hostage for our merchandise."
"What?" Rouge gawked.
"I don't have time to explain everything, but I'm going to have Ray stay with you two while the rest of us go on the recovery mission."
"…Shadow," Amy whispered with dread.
Mighty placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, kid. We're going to bring them both back safe and sound."
"Mighty, Manic," Mephiles shouted. "Let's go!"
Mighty and Manic rushed out. "Keep your spirits high, girls!" Mighty shouted with a wave.
•~•
An hour and fifty-five minutes later, both Shadow and Knuckles were still firmly face down against the wooden floor of the ranch with their arms secured behind their back. Their heads were turned facing one another as they heard Scourge's guys rustling around in the background preparing for Mephiles' arrival with the guns.
Knowing how long it had taken them to get to their current location, Shadow wasn't feeling optimistic about their prompt, timed arrival. Scourge had been very strict with the timeframe, and they were coming up to the second hour quickly.
"They're never going to get here in time," Knuckles mumbled pessimistically.
"…I know," Shadow agreed solemnly.
"I should've stayed in bed with Rouge this morning," Knuckles bemoaned. "She almost gave me head, but I told her I'd take a raincheck because I had to get moving in time for this. What a bummer."
The two exchanged a chuckle together before Shadow's mind wandered elsewhere. He sighed. "It's a shame; I wish I could have spent more time with Amy. We haven't been dating that long."
"Shit, that's right," Knuckles replied. "You and her…have you told her you love her yet?"
There was a long pause before he answered. "No…I-I mean, I don't know if our relationship is quite there yet. However, I do enjoy spending time with her."
Knuckles suddenly grew bold at the idea of their life being cut short. He felt a spike of adrenaline course through him. "I refuse to let us die here—especially you. We're getting ourselves out of this mess," he promised. "Maybe I could cause a diversion enough for you to get away and—"
"—Hell no," Shadow snapped quietly. "I'm not leaving you behind. If we get out of this, we do it together and both make it out alive."
Knuckles went to open his mouth when suddenly they heard engines roaring in the distance. Sleuth ran into the room they were detained in and went towards one of the windows. He parted it with his gun to the lookout. "They're here!" he called.
Scourge came out of one of the other rooms dusting off his hands. "Looks like it's showtime, boys," he laughed.
Two of Scourge's other lackeys grabbed Knuckles and Shadow off the floor and stood them upright. Then they escorted them towards the front door and led them out. Both Shadow and Knuckles had a gun pressed against their temples as they were led just outside the door.
•~•
Outside, Mephiles, Mighty, Gadget, and Manic stood, appearing unarmed as they waited for Mephiles' signal. The four males stood around a parked white van with black tinted windows. Scourge stepped outside the house on the ranch with his arms crossed. "It's about time."
Mephiles was in no mood to be civil. "We've got what you want. Now release them," he demanded, cutting straight to the chase.
Scourge put two of his fingers to his mouth and whistled. Suddenly, Simon and Sleuth dragged Shadow and Knuckles to the front. Both Sleuth and Simon held each of them with one hand and had a pistol to their temples to keep them from doing anything daring. "Here they are, but I ain't letting them go until I see the goods."
Mephiles turned and signaled to Mighty. The armadillo walked over and opened the back doors of the van. Mighty then stepped back so Scourge could get a good look. Scourge could see a large display of guns laid out on the van's floor from his vantage point. "That's all of them?" he asked in surprise. He had expected a lot more.
Mephiles nodded. "That's our entire stash," he replied. "This is all we have left this month."
Scourge scoffed at the measly sight of perhaps twenty different automatic guns. "That's it? That's shit!"
Mephiles looked peeved by his entitled attitude. "You have the other half, I assume, from Shadow and Knuckles. What else do you want?"
"More guns, clearly!" Scourge bellowed in annoyance at the ridiculous question.
"These are high-quality guns," Manic interjected. "They're top quality!"
Sneering at the mention, Scourge groaned. "Sleuth, Simian," he commanded. "Go check out the merchandise. Trade-off your positions with the rookies."
Sleuth and Simian looked at each other and nodded. A rookie chimpanzee and coyote came over and restrained both Shadow and Knuckles in their place so they could investigate if the guns were even worthy of their claim. However, just as the two made their way towards the van, something whizzed in the air and shot the chimpanzee rookie straight between the eyes, killing him instantaneously. The same thing happened only seconds later to the rookie coyote keeping Knuckles restrained. Blood splattered onto the walls directly behind both dead gang members, and they slumped down against the wall.
Scourge looked all over the place, baffled at who had just shot and killed his two guys. He glanced back over to the Brothers, and none of them were armed. Who the heck was shooting at them? "Over there, sir!" Sleuth pointed to a higher vantage point in the distance.
Scourge squinted a spotted an armed and disguised person over on a hill in the distance with a sniper. "Scatter!" he yelled. He whipped out his pistol and took a few shots at Mephiles and the others near the van. Thankfully, Mephiles was prepared and leaped behind the truck, whipping out his hidden gun and taking aim at Scourge. Sleuth Dog and Simian ran back for cover as they took a few shots at Manic and Mighty, who had also grabbed their weapons and positioned themselves behind the van to shoot back.
With all the chaos between the shootout, Shadow and Knuckles ran through the turmoil as bullets whizzed all around them. "I've got you guys!" Manic shouted as he spotted the two of them running towards them, still with their arms locked behind their backs. Manic aimed his gun with his good arm and shot at the other Suppression members trying to take out Shadow and Knuckles as they fled the scene. Bullets hit the dirt near their feet as they got closer and closer to the van.
Mighty pulled out a rocket launcher and aimed it toward the ranch. "Time to pull out the big fella," he smirked before releasing a rocket. They watched as it whizzed forward before hitting the house and exploding it. When the smoke began to clear, the Brothers watched as a group of bikers whizzed away from the engulfed ranch and into the distance. They also noticed amongst the fleeing bikers Scourge himself. He glared at the group over his shoulder before getting out of there.
Once it was safe, Mephiles dropped his gun and ran over and embraced Shadow. "Brother…"
"I'm okay," Shadow assured. "Thanks for coming for us."
Manic cut the zip ties restraining Knuckles and Shadow's wrists. "We showed them. Pussies…"
Knuckles rubbed at his sore wrists. "For now, but I'm sure those fuckers will be back again."
Shadow nodded in agreement. "Yeah, they will like always." His red eyes shifted to the left as another thought crossed his mind. "Wait a second, who was your sniper?"
"That would be me," another male voice chimed in. Knuckles and Shadow turned only to spot Espio walking over carrying his gear.
"Espio…you saved us back there?" Knuckles breathed.
He wiped his sweaty brow. "Yeah, I did. Watch yourself better next time. I can't always sneak away from work to save your sorry asses."
Shadow placed a hand on his injured side. "Trust me. We'll be more careful next time."
•~•
Finally returning home, the boys pulled up into the compound. Both Rouge and Amy patiently waited on the front porch in a desperate search for their boyfriends. Mighty and Manic were first to park and take off their helmets. Manic shook out his quills, disembarked his bike, and made his way back towards the house. The girls watched the truck come into the compound last and park near the fence. Both doors to the car opened simultaneously, and both Knuckles and Shadow emerged from the vehicle.
Amy felt relief fill her as she spotted Shadow walking toward the house. He looked a little rough and worn, but he was all alive. Amy rushed down the front porch steps and sprinted towards him. He glanced up only to spot her rushing toward him with his hands casually in his pockets. It all happened so fast that he grunted in response when she leaped into his arms. Amy wrapped her arms around his neck and hooked her legs around his waist as she buried her face into the side of his neck. Shadow grunted but held her upright, wrapping his arms around her as he felt her shake. "Rose…I."
"I-I was so scared I'd never see you again," she stammered. "Are you hurt?"
Shadow smiled weakly. "I'm fine, Rose. I'm just a little banged up," he assured.
She pulled her face away from the side of his neck to look him in the eye sternly but lovingly. Her left hand cupped the side of his bruised left cheek. "Please don't scare me like that again, okay?" She leaned in, closed her eyes, and kissed him deeply. Shadow returned the gesture feeling as if his soul had left his body. It was honestly incredible to have someone care so deeply about his well-being. It made him feel like he had a purpose for living again.
Eventually, their kiss ended, and Amy parted her lips from his. Shadow slowly lowered her down onto her feet. "I promise…"
Amy nodded with a weak smile herself. "Good, now let's get you inside, and I'll tend to your injuries." She grabbed his hand, and the two walked back into the house. Mephiles' reptilian eyes watched as Amy and Shadow departed the scene and headed back indoors. The two had become quite loved-up, which continued to worry Mephiles, especially when it came down to Shadow's loyalty. Was it to the club or Amy?
At that same time, Rouge had also booked it straight for Knuckles. Rouge had no time to exchange words with him and had gone directly into her other love language—making out. Rouge pressed her body against Knuckles as they leaned against the truck and made out. Knuckles kept his hands on Rouge's waist as she passionately kissed him. It was always the way Rouge showed that she deeply cared for him. She had never felt good with her words but had other ways to show she deeply cared.
Knuckles pulled away from kissing her. His purple eyes glanced down at her. "Rouge…sorry I scared you like that."
"Don't do it again. You scared the shit out of me today…."
"I know," he concurred. "But if it makes you feel better, I had you on my mind the whole time," he admitted.
She batted her eyelashes at him seductively. "Really now?"
He gave her an uneasy smile. "Yeah."
She took his hand in hers and led him back towards the house. "Can I deposit that raincheck now?"
He laughed. "I'd love to."