QAN: Hey guys, sorry I haven't uploaded in a while. School has become really tough, so I won't be online that much. Anyways, hope y'all enjoy Chapter 33! :)

Chapter 33: The Chase

(Meanwhile, with the Sub Zero Heroes...)

M-S

"Keep an eye out for anything we can use!"

"I hope the man doesn't attack us again. What if he's after the kids?!"

"Shira, they got the queen and hedgehog with them, so I wouldn't worry too much."

"Wouldn't worry? ... Right."

Several minutes had passed since we left the orphanage, and most of us were already growing worried for Peaches, Louis and Megan. I didn't want to leave them behind, not like how we left our young human friend back in Silent Hill. She seemed very confident, so much that I had no idea how she managed to come this far and not break down due to everything that occured up until now.

"Hey guys!" Sid shouted, drawing our attention to him. "I think I found something!"

"Brilliant!" Ellie cheered, smiling brightly. "What is it?"

"Come take a look!"

We all then followed the sloth and took a good look at what he discovered. A set of ... watches? Yes, watches, were sitting on the darkish green grass. I didn't know what they were for, but faint static and distorted voices happened to be blurring out of them.

"...L..Look...t...im...go!"

"...I...an't...keep...up!"

"Hey...onic,...ind...slowing...down?!"

"...sorry guys...I'll...top...and...wait."

As soon as we recognised the voices, some of us froze instantly. It was Megan and her group. But the good thing was that they're weren't cornered by our assailant from before. Surly, he was cornered by our young friend's father or somewhere else in the forest. If that happened to be the case, then we all were okay for now.

"Um," Crash stammered, trembling with fear. "Guys ... We should probably move."

Please don't tell me the problem is what I think it is.

Even though I was frightened for my family's safety, I decided to take action and defend them. I slowly turned round to see the person I loathed most, the same person who was plotting to kill the ones I loved. He stood a few feet back aiming a pistol at us with one and holding a knife with the other, smirking as he stared at us.

NO!

There was a rather long moment of silence before Sid snapped us back to reality by screaming in fright. We all them dodged both left and right as the man began to fire bullets whilst advancing towards us. "Guys, run!" Ellie screamed as she managed to get to a safe place with Crash and Eddie in tow. I ducked behind a set of dark green bushes for cover, desperately trying to think of a way to get rid of our assaliant.

Manny and Diego soon joined me and began to discuss what their plan of attack should be.

"So, what do we do?" I wanted to know, panting worriedly.

"I'm trying to think, but I don't see a way where we can hold him off easily!"

"We're going to have to, Manny!" My husband reasoned. "Until Megan and her group get back, we're distracting him."

I could see that the mammoth wanted to protest, so I decided to speak up. "Diego's right. It's the only way we can get out of this, so I suggest we all get out there and take him on until the time comes for us to escape."

Hopefully, this will go well.

S-M

I did not want this guy to hurt my family.

Up until the events in the hedgehog's apartment, I had no clue to why the man decided to start killing these people. Sure, we weren't there to witness them but Megan was, and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for the girl.

That started when I was slowly beginning to change my mind about her.

For some reason, I let one certain kid drift back into my thoughts. Pinky. Sid, Diego and I haven't seen him ever since he was a baby, reunited with his family. I wondered how he was doing, where he was and how old he'd be. Maybe ... Pinky would be about Megan's age or even a little younger. I really wanted to see him again someday after this was over.

Right now, my family and I were in a fight to survive.

"Hey stalker!"

Buck and Flynn were already in action, circling the man as they prepared themselves to make the first move. Seeing this an opportunity to surprise him, I cautiously moved away from my hiding place and crept up on our assailant.

"Where are the girl and hedgehog?" The man sneered as he aimed his pistol and fired.

Both the weasel and seal screamed as they dodged the bullets. Luckily, the man still had his back turned to me and I took the chance to whack him hard with my trunk, sending him falling to the dark green grass. Just as I was about to deliver another blow, he pulled himself up to his feet and lunged towards me with his knife.

"Tell me!" He roared, becoming more and more infuriated at our attempts to stop him.

"If you want them, then you'll have to go through us!" Buck yelled, plunging his knife deep into his foot, just as the hedgehog had done before.

The man let out a scream of pain and did something which completely shocked all of us; he tore the weapon out of his foot and stabbed me quickly in the shoulder, forcing a yell of agony to come out of me.

Hearing this, our assailant chuckled and spoke in a calm manner. "I will give you one chance, mammoth. Tell me where they are."

I was breathing heavily as I wrapped my trunk tightly around the knife in an attempt to pull it out. Diego and Buck immediately went to attack him, but unfortunately they were both sent flying to the ground in one single hit.

"Diego!" I screamed in fright.

Seeing my family hurt was enough to send me into hysterics. I gave out a yell of rage and pushed myself against the man, trying hard to force him to release his tight grip. I wasn't going to let him kill my family and friends. Even if I fall down and become the next victim, then so be it.

"You have, until the count of five to tell me where the girl and the hedgehog are." He struggled to maintain his grip and it looked like he was going to succeed in taking us down. "I'm not going to kill you and your family, but I will make you watch as I take your friends' lives, especially that girl."

What the heck?! He's gone completely insane!

"One..." Our assailant began counting, giving me a dangerous smile. "Two—"

I barely managed to stop him by interrupting. "Alright, alright!" I screamed again, breathing heavily. "They're at the subway station!"

I only lied because I didn't want him to hurt Megan or anyone else. Ellie, Diego and the others must have known this, since they were looking at me with small smirks, as if to say "Nice move, buddy".

However, the man didn't let me go as he continued to plunge his knife deep into my shoulder. I groaned quietly as I reached for the weapon and tugged. I screamed painfully as I pulled the knife out of my shoulder, stabbing it into his shoulder multiple times as he fell to the ground. After that, there was just silence. My family came out of their hiding places and checked to see if Diego, Buck and I were okay. Just as we were about to get going, three voices stopped its in our tracks.

"Dad!"

"Ellie!"

"Guys!"

My sweet and caring daughter, Peaches ran into the area with Louis and the queen in tow. She instantly sprinted up to me and nuzzled me tightly. "Dad, what happened?! We heard you screaming a few minutes ago!" Peaches cried as she entwined her trunk with mine. I gave her a comforting smile as I returned the gesture.

"It's okay Peaches," I soothed, cupping her cheek softly. "I'm still here..."

Soon, she pulled away and began talking to everyone else. Meanwhile, I noticed that Megan and the hedgehog were nowhere to be seen. "Hey, where's—"

"You don't need to worry about them." The queen replied, looking just as concerned as I was. "Megan said that she needed to talk to Sonic privately for a while."

"Is it what I think it is?" I asked, knowing full well what the matter was about.

"Yes. I'm sure they'll be fine, don't worry."

Upon hearing the words come out of her mouth, I locked eyes with Ellie and it looked like she knew about it too. "Okay, we'll head back and wait for them to arrive."

We all then took the long journey back to the orphanage, grabbing the watches Sid found before our sudden fight. Whilst we walked, I was praying deep down that everything would turn out fine with Megan and her friend.

That kid sure is something...