Author's note: I've had a big lot of time on my hands over the past couple days due to not having Internet access. My DS is running low on battery strength, too, and since we're in a foreign country and the voltages are different, I can't charge it up, so I'm basically on standby mode. This vacation is a total flop. But enough about me, right?
Segment 5: From Bat to Curse
Chapter 1: Sherlock Starlinowski
(Leo)
"Amy!" I exclaimed through the telephone. "What happened over there?"
The girl's voice on the other end of the line was frantic. "I can't waste my breath explaining it over the phone! Just come over here right now!"
Click. Kim and I looked at each other for a moment, and we nearly injured each other racing for the door.
The door to Amy's apartment burst open as Kim shoved it out of the way. Behind the door, Amy Rose was in a state of panic. "Leo! Kim!" she exclaimed. "Thank goodness you're here! The map! The map you lent me- it was- the map was-"
Kim calmed Amy down. "Now, now, wait a minute, Amy. There's no use going crazy about it. Take a deep breath and tell us slowly. What happened to the map?"
After a few deep breaths, Amy was ready to tell us what happened. What she said was only four wards, but the last one was a real blow to us. "The map was stolen."
Stolen! Kim and I both gasped. "We can't go after the Black Emeralds without a map," I muttered. "Amy, how exactly did it happen?"
"I had placed the map on the desk over there," Amy recalled. "The window there was open, but I held the map down with a few paperweights. A few minutes later, I heard one paperweight move, and I looked over just in time to see a thief fly off with the map in her hand."
Kim snapped her fingers. "Aha! Did you get a good look at her? What did she look like?"
"Well," Amy began, "the thief was a female bat with dark purple wings. Her head was white, and as befits a bat, she had large ears. She wore a purple outfit, and- wait a minute, now I think I know who it is! It's Rouge!"
"Rouge?" Kim echoed. "Who's Rouge?"
"She's a flirtatious thief of a bat who loves jewels. Sonic and I have had many run-ins with her in the past, back before Leo first came here. She must have stolen the map so she could take the Black Emeralds for herself."
"She won't get far with my sis and me on her tail," I assured Amy. "But we don't know where she is. Let's discuss the matter with Tails."
Amy stood behind Kim and me as the latter knocked on the door of Tails' lab. Our two-tailed friend opened the door fairly quickly. "You're back," Tails mentioned. "How's it going with the Black Emeralds?"
"You sure seem anxious to get those Black Emeralds," Amy mentioned, cocking her head to one side. "Are you all right, Tails?"
"Anyway, things aren't looking up," Kim interrupted, and the three of us explained the situation to Tails, who seemed to understand.
"Sounds like you're in a pickle," Tails commented once we were done. "Don't worry, though. I think I can give you a hand. It sounds like Rouge would be heading to one of the Black Emerald locations, so that should narrow it down."
Kim was about to ask another question, but before she could, Tails was out of the room, and into an adjoining room. It wasn't determinable what he was doing in there, since he'd locked the door (Amy tried it). After a few minutes, the door unlocked itself, and Tails emerged with a smile on his face.
"Have you got it?" Amy pressed. "Do you know where Rouge went with the map?"
Tails nodded. "You bet I do. Rouge is headed for a Black Emerald location, all right. According to a radar scan, her destination appears to be the Desert of King Frara."
"I know the place!" Amy exclaimed with delight. "The Desert of King Frara is several miles east of Emerald Town. It's the site of several ancient-but-still-in-good-condition pyramids. Since it's a popular tourist attraction, there's a special underground train system that goes directly there. In fact, I've been planning a trip there myself."
Amy then turned to face Kim and myself. "Leo? Kim? If you're going to the Desert of King Frara right away… can I come with you?"
Kim stepped forward. "I don't know about this, Amy. We're going into some fierce battles with those demons. And you don't strike me as the type who'd be good at defending herself."
Maybe she shouldn't have said that. When Amy heard this, she gave Kim a punch in the chest that would have made Mike Tyson jealous. Kim would probably have been sent flying across the room by herself if our common tail hadn't gone taut and yanked me off my feet as well. The two of us quickly wound up in a heap in front of Tails.
"Okay," Kim said as we picked ourselves up, "NOW you strike me as the type who'd be good at defending herself. But next time, spare me the demonstration."
Tails laughed a little. "Looks like the demons are going to have to deal with a trio of heroes for this round instead of a duo. At this rate, I guess we'll have those Black Emeralds in no time."
I nodded. "You said it, Tails. Amy, are you ready for this?"
"Well, I need to make a few preparations," Amy replied, "but they shouldn't take long. Meet me in ten minutes at the corner of Sixth and Green, at the east edge of town."
That sounded good to us, so we adjourned our gathering and left in different directions.
Maybe I should stick to writing "Saul". I think the chapters of that story have a higher quality than the chapters of this one.