Chapter 20: The Clash of the Hedgehogs

After making his demands, Sclera flew off in the direction of his base, taking his mecha chao with him. Leaving me, Fiona and Shadow standing in the clearing, silent. Our morpher batteries were getting low, so we started heading back to HQ. Halfway there me and Lina changed back and we slowly dragged ourselves the other halfway back. After we made it inside, me and Lina simultaneously fell to the floor along with Nika and Talia.

"Lina, are you sure you knew that guy?" I panted.

"Positive, it is like a really strong déjà vu, but I can't remember who he is." She said. "Terry…I'm scared. I get this feeling from him, he knows more than he is letting on, and I don't like it." I pulled myself so I was sitting on my knees as I kicked off my shoes, and Lina did as well.

"Lina, you're not going in three days if you don't want to, I'll make sure of it." I assured her.

"Don't worry Lina, we got you're back!" Talia chimed in.

"We're a team, nobody gets left behind." Nika added.

"Thanks guys, you're the best." Lina said. We hugged and got back onto our feet. Chris came in from outside and approached us.

"We're going to have a meeting guys, come on." While all this was going on, Shadow followed behind as we headed to the lab. When everyone had assembled, Chris stood up to address everyone.

"After the events of today, I think our best course of action would be to move HQ to a different location." Chris said. "We are too close to the enemy and we are having too many direct conflicts with him, its best we put some distance between ourselves and him."

"Chris, not to interrupt, but that is going to have to wait…" I said and proceeded to explain Sclera's demands about Lina. My cousin's brow furrowed into an expression of deep thought.

"That does delay my plan, but we will discuss our course of action tomorrow, everyone is really tired, I suggest we all get some rest." Everyone agreed and started to head to their rooms, while me and Nika decided to have some warm juice before bed, it always helped calm me down, and Nika had never tried it, so I wanted to show her how to do it. When we had reached the kitchen and prepared the juice by heating it up, we both sat down at a table and sipped our juice.

"I've never seen Lina more scared in her life, it worries me, and I wonder if she knows more than she is telling?" I wondered aloud.

"Why would she keep information from us? There is no reason to?" Nika reasoned.

"You're right, I should trust her, but I am still worried, she shouldn't get herself too worked up over it." Nika nodded in agreement as she drank her juice. At that moment Shadow walked in, he looked at me, and we locked eyes for a moment. That stare evoked so many questions, because I can't tell who is staring at me behind those red orbs. Nika, seeing this, cleared her throat

"Well, I think I will head off to bed, see you in the morning Terry."

"Yeah, goodnight Nika, sleep soundly, ok?"

"gotcha." She replied as she slipped off my lap and shuffled to bed, she seemed more worn then usual, but after she left the dining area, I turned back to see Shadow, but I saw Gale. I gasped in surprise, and heard Crimson in the back saying

"What have you done! We'll be spotted! What is wrong with you!" Ignoring the hyper chao, Gale turned back to me.

"It's nice to see you again Gale, I missed you." I breathed.

"But I've been here the whole time." He said quizzically

"Shadow has been here, Gale hasn't." I stood up and gave him a hug. His arm slowly returned the embrace, and when they had finally finished…

"Terry! Oh no, Chris! HELP!" I whipped around and saw Lina marveling at us in the doorway, probably thinking Gale was trying to kidnap me or something. I turned to her and began to explain what was going on, but Chris arrived with Swift.

"Chris its-!" but before I could continue…

"Chaos Soul: Activate!"

"Chaos Soul: Terios!" all I could do before the two charged at each other was jump out of the way and army crawl to the door. Getting up next to Lina, she hugged me to the point where I almost turned blue.

"I am SOOOOO glad you're safe! Chris will take care of him!"

"Lina, would you at least LOOK at who Sonic is fighting!" when her eyes finally drifted over to Shadow, the bugged out of her head.

"How…what…why…?"

"Shadow isn't a true mobian, he was just starting to open up to me, and now this happens, he is never going to get over this!" Sonic and Shadow, as always, were equally matched, they threw punch and kick at each other, but it never landed, they went back and forth, bouncing off the walls back to air to connect a blow. Then the two just stopped, standing on opposite sides of the now trashed dining area.

"Where is Shadow!" Sonic demanded.

"What are you talking about?" the ebony hedgehog asked in his dark voice.

"Shadow is a true mobian, and you just morphed, you don't expect me to believe that you are the real Shadow, do you? You were going after Terry, you were trying to kidnap her, bring her to Sclera most likely, so where is he?"

"Sonic, wait!" I called again, trying to get him to listen to me.

"Not now Terry! Lina, get her out of here!" he commanded. Shadow changed his stance from a fighting pose to a normal standing position, his eyes blazing with contained fury.

"I will NOT stay here to be accused of things that are as ridiculous as they are unfounded. But if you want me to kidnap her, then I will, you put the idea in my head." He was next to me in the blink of an eye. "Chaos Control!"

'This is all my fault.' Was the thought I clung to as we were transported away from HQ.

…

When the light faded, we weren't in the field, or the forest. I smelled salt in the air, and I felt sand on my bare feet. There was a warm breeze skipping across my skin and a gloved hand in mine. A golden beach was spread out before me as the sun set, and as the hand let go, I saw a familiar flash of red light, and turned to see Gale, and Crimson sighing in the background and walking away muttering "he's hopeless."

"you are kinda hopeless, you know that?" I said.

"I guess I am, but what's more hopeless is our situation."

"you got that right." I said.

(A/N: well, there it is, hope u enjoyed it! Can't wait to see all the reviews!)