Authors note- For the pack Dimitri is Soto, Knuckles is Diego, Lien-Da, Kragok and Menniker are the others.
Shadow was building a small shelter out of logs and large rocks, he then looked to Marine who was creating a very small pile of sticks "That's gonna be your shelter?" he asked. Marine looked defensive "Hey, sorry I don't need the palace that you're constructing" "At least mine will actually cover me". Marine gave a condescending chuckle and pulled out a box of matches "Mabey, but I'll be warmer. With the help of these I shall create fire" she said pridefully.
It was now night-time, and it was pouring down with rain, Marine was sitting next to her stick pile looking absolutely miserable as she continued to strike the same match. Shadow was watching this from his now completed shelter "Hey, I think I saw a spark". Marine finally gave up "Any chance we can share your shelter, mate?" she said pleadingly, Shadow rolled his eyes and sighed "Isn't there someone else you can annoy? Friends, family, dangerous badniks maybe?". Marine walked up to the shelter "My family abandoned be. They probably hoped I'd be roboticized. Who need them anyway" she got in the shelter and fell asleep in front of Shadow. He stared blankly at her before picking her up and throwing her back outside, Marine seeming to be unfazed and looked at him "So how about you? You got a family?". Shadows face turned very sad before he quietly said chaos control and within a split second, he had placed another big rock in front of him, so his shelter now had no entrance. "Ok, you're tired. We'll talk more in the morning" Marine said before the rain suddenly turned into hail. "Ow, ow. Shadow. Shads. Please let me in?" there was no answer "Oh, come on nobody falls asleep that fast. SHADOW!". Marine looking even more miserable took out her box of matches and held it above her head for some kind of cover.
Back at the camp a spotter was looking out over the hills when he suddenly saw the group of echidnas running towards them "INTRUDERS!" he yelled and everyone including the crocodile ran out of their tents. One of the echidnas, Kragok lunged at him but the crocodile caught his fist and threw him to the ground. As they all fought, Knuckles sneaked around the battle and entered the tent of the baby rabbit. He saw it lying in a cradle asleep but before he moved it was suddenly picked up by its terrified mother. Knuckles advanced on her "Hand it over" but she grabbed a small bat and hit him over the head, and she ran outside "Vector!" she yelled. She saw the fight still going on and ran out the camp in the opposite direction. As Knuckles ran out and began to chase her, Vector saw them and tried to catch up "Vanilla!" but he was suddenly blocked by Dimitri and Lien-Da. The mother ran towards the waterfall, Knuckles was catching up and he tried to grab the baby, but he instead only got the necklace that was around her which he dropped to the ground. She kept running until she reached the edge of the waterfall, she turned around, but Knuckles had her cornered "I don't need you. Hand it over and you can go". She looked at her child and held her close, she closed her eyes and quickly jumped over the edge of the waterfall.
Knuckles was surprised and angry, he looked over, but he couldn't see her, so he headed back. The other echidnas were beginning to get overwhelmed, but Dimitri saw Knuckles over the hill "Fall back!" they all did but once they reached Knuckles Dimitri noticed something. "Where's the baby?" Knuckles looked disappointed in himself "I lost it over the falls" "You lost it!" they then realised the campers were running towards them. They retreated "We need that kid, Knuckles" "I'll get it" when they got enough distance they stopped. "You better. We only have a few day's till they reach Mobotropolis. We're going to the peak at Ice Cap! Meet us there and don't fail again" Knuckles could hear the threat in that. Dimitri then began running but Lien-Da stopped and looked mockingly at Knuckles "Can we trust you with that Knuckles?" she followed Dimitri as Knuckles went in a different direction. Vector found his daughters necklace that Knuckles dropped, and he realised what this must mean for his family "After them!" he yelled, and he and the others began chasing the group of Echidnas.
Marine was following Shadow through a small forest "So I'm hoping to have my own ship, right. And with it I'll sail the seven seas with my loyal crew and be the most famous captain in the world". Shadow looked dead inside "Anyone who follows you on a ship is an idiot. Now go away" "With an attitude like that you won't be my first mate anytime-" she suddenly hit the back of Shadow who wasn't walking anymore. "Shadow?" she went around him and saw that he was looking forward with a shocked expression on his face. She turned and saw Vanilla in a river holding onto a log with one hand, she looked like she didn't have long. She saw the two of them and she swam to the edge they were at, she put the baby on land, but it was about to roll back in. Shadow quickly kneeled down and stopped it. Vanilla looked at him and smiled "Her name is Cream" she said faintly. Shadow pulled Cream further into land were Marine looked at her "Aw, look at you. You're-" Marine then looked up to help Vanilla, but she suddenly wasn't there "She's gone" she said with slight shock in her voice.
Shadow stared blankly at the river before walking away to Marine's surprise "Uh, Shadow? Aren't you forgetting something?" "No". She picked up Cream "But you saved her" "Yeah well I'm still trying to get rid of the last thing I saved". "You can't just leave her here" she looked above the waterfall "Look smoke. That must be the camp she's from. We should return her". Shadow was suddenly right in front of her "Let's get something straight here, okay. There's no we. There never was a we. In fact, without me there wouldn't even be a you". Marine stared awkwardly at him "It's just up the hill" "Listen very carefully. I'm not going!". Marine looked angry and walked to the bottom of the cliff "Fine, be a jerk then. I'll take care of you, Cream. We don't need the grumpy hedgehog do we?". She then noticed how high the cliff was and Shadow was close behind her, he was curious how this would go. She started to climb with her free arm but as she got higher, she began to struggle "You're an embarrassment to nature. You know that!?" Shadow yelled to her. "No, I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm gonna die" she cried the last part to herself. As she got higher Cream slipped out of her blanket, Marine was just able to grab her but not for long "SHADOW!" she yelled. Cream being completely oblivious to what's happening smiles as Marine loses her grip and Cream begins falling back to the ground. Shadow was ready to catch her but before he could Knuckles suddenly jumped in from nowhere and caught her.
Shadow used chaos control to get Cream away from him safely and the two of them glared menacingly at each other. Knuckles stared surprised at the chaos emerald and very quickly changed his demeanour "Sorry, but that rabbit is mine" "Actually no, that rabbit belongs to us" Marine finally climbed back down. Knuckles tried to hold back laughing "Us? You two are a bit of an odd couple" Shadow looked angrily at Marine "There is no us!". "I see. So, are both trying to adopt the rabbit or what?" Marine backed away with Cream "And what are you doing here?" "I was trying to return the rabbit to its family". Marine scoffed "Oh yeah, nice try, mate" Knuckles got right in her face "Are you calling me a liar?" Marine got very scared "I didn't say that" "You were thinking it" Knuckles replied threateningly. Marine whispered to Shadow "I don't like this guy. He reads minds" Knuckles could obviously hear her, so he turned to Shadow "Names Knuckles, friend" "Shadow, and I'm not your friend". Knuckles was trying to sound passive "Fine, Shadow. If you're looking for her father you're too late. The whole camp left this morning" "Thanks for the advice. Now beat it". Shadow then turned to Marine "Alright, I'll help you return her but promise you'll leave me alone after that" "Alright fine. What's your problem?" "You're my problem". The two walked away "Well when you're ready to discuss your problems, I'll be here". Knuckles glared at Cream who was happily staring back at him