The Thorndyke manor was anything but peaceful that afternoon. One nervous, crying female hedgehog and two baby hedgehogs saw to that. Sonic had left mere minutes ago to hopefully prevent a catastrophe. Charles Thorndyke headed into the kitchen where Ella usually was, seeing the hedgehog Charles making a pot of tea in her stead.
"Hnnn...messy business," the human said in a serious and thoughtful tone. "Chris will be home from school shortly; he's already been warned about the situation... Ella's taking care of the children, and Amy's helping console Sara in the living room."
The hedgehog nodded appreciatively, "I'm sorry for all the trouble."
"...I called Sam too, but he said something about not being able to act unless an actual crime's been committed." He cleared his throat as he continued, "You mind if I claim human stupidity if I say I don't understand exactly what's going on here and beg an explanation out of you?"
"Ahh...I thought this was coming." Sara's father nodded. "Ask me anything you like."
"Well...I don't really know Shadow very well, and this 'Duo' character even less...I just...don't understand why he's gone out for blood when Sara swears he didn't rape her?" The elderly human took a seat at the kitchen sink.
Charles' ear twitched as he caught the words and mulled it over. "Ahh...that's not really the point... The point is Duo issued a direct challenge to Shadow's claim on my daughter." Chuck pulled up an extra cup. "You take sugar in your tea?"
"A spoonful please," he replied, followed up with a heavy sigh. "I think I understand...but perhaps I don't want to. You Mobians obviously differ from us physically, but mentally I've always thought of us as equals... so...forgive me if I find it a bit strange…to have to carry things to such an extreme."
A small humorless smile tugged the corners of the hedgehog's mouth. He finished pouring the tea, then offered some to Charles Thorndyke before seating himself. "Extreme? Yes...I suppose it is. I've thought about it before...many philosophers have…." He stirred his tea and looked into the dark amber liquid reflectively. "...There is an old saying on Mobius: 'She's not your mate if you aren't willing to die for her.'"
"Willingness is one thing, but Shadow could be running out to throw his life away... Seriously, a duel to the death? Does that really have place in modern society?" The man took a sip of his tea. "I'm sorry if I'm sounding critical here...but it just seems like an excuse for murder."
"No no...it's all right." He continued to gaze at his drink while he thought. "Does it have a place? You're implying that the impulse can and should be ignored?"
"I always felt that the ability to resist primal urges was the main thing which separates us from..." He cut off, looking at the hedgehog with whom he was carrying on a conversation…a person he'd come to trust and admire as a friend and colleague. While some humans had no problem seeing them as animals, others had a hard time seeing them as anything less than human, which was right now his problem.
"...Animals?" An ironic smile graced the old hedgehog's face. "To let you know a few things...duels over mates are rare. Even rarer is a case like this where the woman being fought over is perfectly satisfied with her preferred mate." He paused a moment to make sure his friend was keeping up. "One factor you're not aware of here is a matter of scent... Our Jacobson's organ is far more developed than yours and most keenly attuned to our own kind. I'm fairly sure you humans don't even notice but...placing your scent on a girl is telling the world 'she is mine,' and Duo put his scent on Sara...thus accepting any consequences that go with it."
"So in a way, he's as good as raped her by trying to take her away from her preferred mate?" Chuck asked, folding his hands together and resting his head on his hands.
"...That's about the size of it." Chuck heaved a sigh. "I say preferred because she chose him." His tone had softened considerably. When the two Charles had met, it felt like the years had been lifted from their shoulders, but for the first time since they met, the human thought the hedgehog looked very old and gray. "Twice, actually... You don't know Duo, but he and Sara had strong feelings for each other once... I was honestly waiting for the day they would become mates until Eggman's attack two years ago. Sara's refusal of him means that whatever feelings she might have or once held for them are well below how she feels about my son-in-law."
"Ahh...that's another flaw in the system I see. Doesn't it treat women like property? What if a 'preferred mate' is not the winner in this...fight?" He leaned back and took another sip of his tea, feeling the warmth of it seep through the cup into his hands.
Chuck's ear twitched lightly. "That can be a problem, I'm not saying it isn't. Mating is a very serious business for most Mobian species; as well, it's usually the woman who has to say yes. I will grant that there are arranged marriages and other matters which can determine who's with who but..." he indicated his quills, "these alone are a good deterrent for our kind. If she's unhappy with her mate, it's not always the guy's fault. She had to choose at some point."
Chuck Thorndyke nodded in understanding. "With that kind of system in place then...why would someone even consider imposing on someone's mate?"
"Only two reasons that I know of," Chuck said very firmly. "Either he is suicidal...or he believes he can win the fight."
"I see...I trust you don't believe he's suicidal?" There was a nod in reply. "Is there any way to call this off?"
"Well... in rare cases, one of the males will back down. Since Duo issued the challenge...he is the one who has to...call it off…." He frowned a bit. "If I'd have known he was this stupid I never would have given him Sara's e-mail." A pang of guilt gnawed at the old hedgehog.
"Well, with Sonic out looking for the two of them, I'm pretty sure he'll find them in time..." The human smiled encouragingly. An empty smile was returned from his friend. "Nnn...let's go see how Sara's doing, eh?"
Charles nodded. "Yeah. I think I should tell her I was wrong about Shadow..." He went for another cup of tea, this one for his daughter. "...He really is good for her."
The AK-47 wasn't a sniper riffle; it was an assault riffle. Still, it was accurate and high powered...it was dependable, and it had seldom failed Duo in the past. As his target came into view, he grinned. Sara sure had a high profile hubby...and he was smugly thinking he was about to bring him down. The safety was off, the gun was loaded...and his finger poised on the trigger.
He was partly hidden behind a hotel's sign, and still on a higher building than Shadow. He hadn't seen him yet…. He observed long enough to judge his enemy's pace and general direction. Unless he saw him first, he seemed to be heading east and heading for higher and higher ground. Perfect... Maybe he could even shoot him in mid-jump from one building to another.
Confident he had his mark, he pulled the trigger...
"Chaos..." a loud voice issued from somewhere behind the orange hedgehog, "Control!" The voice finished just as the finger depressed fully on the trigger. Shadow's attention had been drawn; somehow a hand had jerked the barrel of the gun as it fired. An outraged cry issued from the black and crimson hedgehog.
"What the hell?" Duo looked at his gun, Sonic's hand resting on it.
"Sorry, I'm the only one allowed to beat up Shadow today." He grinned, his emerald eyes glinting dangerously.
"...This is not your fight," Duo growled and rammed his elbow into Sonic's chest. In the moment of distraction he caused, he quickly looked back to where his target had been... A rather nasty looking blood smear was on the rooftop, but the target was out of sight. "You fool!"
Sonic coughed, "Sorry buddy, can't let you!" He made a grab for the gun again.
"...Why are you helping him?!" Duo attempted to knock Sonic out with the butt end of the gun, but he'd managed to duck under it. Panic was starting to build in the back of his mind. He'd hit his target sure...but he'd already gotten to his feet...he could be anywhere... "Come on! I am not dying today!"
"Well you sure seem to have a death wish going against cousin Shads'!" Duo surprised him with a jab to the gut... Since when had he become Knuckles? Well no, he wasn't quite there yet, even though it knocked the wind out of him, it wasn't even half the strength the red echidna could hit with. "Ha...that your best shot? If it is you better call this off now…."
Duo gave a feral growl of reply. "Why should I?" His anger mounted, and the orange hedgehog surveyed his surroundings once more. The wind was blowing and the sun was starting to cast longer and longer shadows. He backed up a few steps.
Sonic stood there confidently, ear tilted slightly to the side. "Heh. You won't find him. Besides, Sara's his now."
"...Not until I finish the job." Duo frowned. "I was supposed to be her mate…." A hurt look crept into his eyes... "Two years...I was in south Kingdom and when I finally got back to Knothole…. All because of Eggman!"
"Yeah, so go point a gun at his head, why don't you?" He shrugged. "Look...Sara's really shaken up about all this...I mean...have you really thought about her in all of this?"
"Of course I have! I've thought of her every day we've been apart! I still have the bracelet she gave me!" He held up a wrist to show off a teal friendship bracelet. There was a loud creaking noise from the sign behind Sonic, but it was dismissed as being caused by the wind.
Sonic laughed, "Oh man, I didn't think you were so obsessed!" Duo attempted to search for Shadow but was increasingly distracted by the Blue Blur. "Look, Duo, you really need to give up. Sara doesn't want you to die, and I'm afraid I can't let Shadow die either, so use your head while you still can."
Duo growled a minute. He stared into Sonic's unflinching eyes. But he had shot Shadow...he just had to finish the job... "It's too late."
"Well, if you're going that path...when I leave…you lose." There was a disturbing gravity to Sonic's words. "If you really love her, don't ruin it..." Sonic's fists clenched together. "I know I'm not usually the serious one, but I mean it... I leave, you haven't backed down...you die."
"I lost, huh...? Now you're threatening me? It's not even your fight..." He held the riffle close. Where was the black bastard?
"I don't have to fight you. Sara already did." Duo's gaze immediately locked with Sonic. "If she really wanted you, we wouldn't be standing here talking; she'd be through the gate now with you, right? So even if you win against Shadow physically...he has something that doesn't belong to you any more. Her heart."
The AK-47 fell limply from Duo's hands. It clattered on the ground harmlessly. "I lost…." he laughed. "I can't believe it..." He rubbed his forehead. "Heh...I lost? What do you see so diff--" His eyes caught a pool of blood that was slowly building just behind Sonic's heels. A few droplets of blood fell to it. He moved his eyes upward along the steel structure holding the sign in place.
Silent as he could be, wounded and winded...Shadow had seen and heard the whole thing from the top of the Hotel O. How had Sonic perceived him there? How? "I think I see now…. He was watching...he was waiting for you to leave…."
"You're welcome." Sonic kicked the gun away in case he had any bright ideas.
"Bastard...we were supposed...to fight..." Shadow coughed.
"Yeah, you're welcome too, Shadow." He looked up to catch a brief smile on the black hedgehog's face... It was only then Sonic also got to see where he'd been shot. The wound in his side was still dripping blood, and somehow his black fur seemed to pale. Sonic's emerald eyes went wide with alarm as the black blur slipped into unconsciousness.