Author's note: Once more, thanks again for all the kind words!
RAWN89 – Afraid I don't have a DevArt account related to my Sonic art – I actually draw him very rarely because I just can't get him like I want. Very stupid reason, I know – obviously I SHOULD be drawing him often so I learn instead…

On with the story! We're slowly going towards the conclusion but there are a few chapters left...

Chapter 7

Seriously, this was beyond humiliating! Sonic shifted restlessly. He was back, sitting in that Chaos forsaken cell. Still shackled. A fresh blindfold applied. This one had been applied with even more force and as a result he now had a headache to boot from the fabric pinching painfully around his skull.

The fight had been pitiful at best. The robots hadn't needed much time to overpower the tired hedgehog, his still bound hands and feet rendering him unable to really fight. He had been unceremoniously thrown back into his cell not long after that, probably accompanied by another speech from the doctor, as well as sporting a fresh set of bruises. At this point, he was just as glad that he couldn't hear what Eggman had to say about him anyway – doubtless something about how helpless he currently was and how he had no hopes of escaping any time soon.

He tried to move into a more comfortable position, though without much success. His arms ached for being held in the same position for so long, as did most of his other body parts. Various cuts and bruises made themselves known whenever he moved. His head was pounding and his useless ears were still horribly sore. He was, uncharacteristically, starting to feel just a little bit sorry for himself, though it was still tainted with quite a bit of righteous anger. Damn that Eggman!

Suddenly, he tensed up, ears perked forward out of habit more than anything. Someone was near, he was sure of it. He had felt someone moving closer to him through the slightest of vibrations in the floor. Time to fight again, hedgehog. As well as you can, anyway. He lowered his head, bristling his spines and snuffing the air for any clues as to who was about to attack him next. Come closer, whoever you are, come up to me and I'll show you I've still got some fight left in me… Hopefully, he could at least get one shove in before he was beaten back.

But then, he froze with realization as the person came closer still. He recognized that smell, that special perfume, accented with a light waft of black leather.

"Rouge…" he whispered.

"That's right, Blue Boy" a deep feminine voice replied in an almost as low murmur, though she knew he couldn't hear her. Gingerly placing a gloved hand on his shoulder, it pained her to see the normally so confident hedgehog jump with the unexpected touch. She hadn't seen all he'd been put through today, but she'd seen enough. She would have intervened earlier if that would not have blown her cover completely, rendering the last week's work completely useless. No, as much as it had frustrated her, she'd had to wait until he was left alone again. Though in her defense, she had stayed nearby, ready to kick into action in case Eggman had decided to start to threaten Sonic's life in earnest. She had, correctly, assumed that he would spend a long time toying with him before he started to truly injure him. Besides, it was her distraction that had made the doctor finally leave. Without her, Sonic's stay surely would have been even more miserable.

Suddenly feeling immense relief, Sonic held still as the bat removed his blindfold. He blinked at her, a beaming smile already on his lips when he set his eyes on the white bat in front of him. She struck a pose in response to his oogling, hand on hip and flapping her wings once or twice.

"Hey there" she smiled at him as she helped him to his feet. "Fancy meeting you of all people down here. Gotten the sightseeing tour, I see. Or a tour, anyway."

Sonic, not sure what he was expected to reply, simply continued to smile dumbly, before nodding towards his hands behind his back.

"Got anything for these?"

"You know it, honey" Rouge replied with a wink, retrieving a small key from one of her pockets. Sonic obediently held still as his wrists were released, sighing in relief when he could move his hands again. His shoulders screamed from stiffness, the result of them being in the same position for hours, but it was very welcome all the same. Another key for his legs, and the hedgehog couldn't resist an excited whoop as he tentatively jogged around the cell, as well as he could in the small space and still very much low on energy.

"I owe ya one, Rouge!" he shouted happily. Rouge grinned at him. Sonic's moods always seemed to be so infectious. Perhaps not so strange, considering how pure and unrestricted they always were.

"I'd ask you how you found me, but… I… I can't…" he said regretfully, coming to a stop in the cell again, eyes on the wall rather than on Rouge.

"I know honey, Eggman's proclaimed it all over his base". Her smile faded and she looked concerned. Belonging to a species with legendary hearing abilities, she pitied the blue hero doubly. And they'd already seen how much of a hindrance this was turning out to be. She still hadn't found out how exactly he'd managed to ruin his ears in the first place, though. She'd have to ask him later, when they had more time.

Sonic on his part was wondering how much Rouge did know, anyway. He had no idea how long she'd been watching him. He could tell by her expression that she knew about his… problem. He was feeling more and more embarrassed about it. He tried to put his thoughts elsewhere. How had she known to look for him here, anyway? Perhaps Tails had gotten hold of her? Yeah, that had to be it.

Sonic sorely wished he'd been able to ask Rouge all of his questions, but it would have to wait. They had to get out first. He said as much to his rescuer, trying to keep his voice low but uncertain at what volume he was speaking. The bat nodded to his words.

"Let's go" she motioned to him, and he obediently followed. Rouge preferred to move through the air, giving her a greater vantage point as the hedgehog jogged below. His frayed nerves felt as if they were curling back onto themselves, constantly turning his head to look in every direction for potential threats. Still, he felt a bit better with Rouge around. He knew bats heard exceptionally well and he simply had to trust that she'd hear anyone approaching while he kept his eyes open (and nose) open.

Rouge took him down several winding corridors, often stopping to check and listen before crossing into a room, eyes looking for movement or blinking lights. She seemed to be familiar with the layout of the base, the hedgehog noted. Just how long had she been here, anyway? And where was Eggman now?

His thoughts were interrupted as she opened the next door and they entered a great underground tunnel. It was faintly lit by sparse lamps above, though they did little but light the area directly underneath them. The tunnel was almost fully dark, dank and smelling strongly of earth and mud. It was large, though, and paved. Clearly, this was how Eggman had been moving all his required materials to his base, rather than going through dense jungle. It must lead to a way out somewhere. He'd have no problems running here, either. Freedom, here I come!

"I'm dropping you off here, sweetie. Keep running and you'll find the exit. It should be almost empty at this time… Eggman's attention is… elsewhere, right now. Be careful and you should be fine".

Sonic desperately tried to read her lips, though unfortunately his skill at doing so was still feeble at best. He understood her gestures, though. She was pointing into the tunnel and nodding at him.

At this point, Sonic was torn between simply wanting to run off as fast as he could, and his sense of duty which had begun to pick up again now that he was out of immediate harm's way. He was basically fleeing with his tails between his legs – he hadn't even trashed the doctor's controls! And Eggman could still fire those missiles whenever he wanted, couldn't he?

He couldn't leave, he just couldn't… Not when he was so close.

He had already taken a couple of steps before his thoughts had caught up with him. Brow furrowed, he looked at the bat who in return looked incredulous. She could sense the inner battle in his mind and she wasn't that surprised, knowing the hedgehog. Somewhat annoyed at him, yes – he was making things a lot more complicated than they had to be right now – but she had expected as much from him, sooner or later. She knew who she was dealing with, after all.

"Sonic…" she began, and took a breath. Hopefully he'd get the gist of her message. "I know you want to help, but you're in no state to fight. This is no time to play the hero… You're… wounded, you'd just get yourself into trouble again. Leave this to me and Shadow."

"Shadow?" Sonic asked cautiously, and the bat couldn't resist a smile. He understood by the look on her face that she was urging him to leave and he'd recognized that word, at least.

"He's giving Eggman a run for his money in the other far end of the base. If your ears weren't out of commission, you'd heard the alarms and explosions as we moved down here. That you didn't even notice that is further proof you need to get out of here. Get that fox friend of yours to take you to the hospital before you make this permanent. If it's not already." She'd go on, but remembered she was talking to deaf ears. Literally. No point in wasting her breath any further…

Instead, a light push against a peach shoulder to get him going. Sonic bit his lip. Go or stay. Go or stay... What could he do if he stayed? What would happen if he left?

Rouge rolled her eyes at his indecision.

"I don't know why I'm wasting my time on you anyway. Chaos knows even if you could hear my words, your standard response to being asked to do something is always doing the opposite, anyway. Go now!"

"Rouge... I can't..." He had a good idea on what she was trying to say (expression plain on her face, if nothing else) but his mind was already all but made up.

Sonic locked eyes with the bat as she grabbed his arm. The hold was as much to keep him from running away from her as to reassure him, to make him listen to her. She shook her head and tightened her grip further.

What was that? Sonic flicked an ear. For a moment, he thought he'd heard a low rumble fly through his skull. It was gone as quick as it came, but he was fairly certain... Or was he imagining things again? Maybe it was just wishful thinking… trying to find an excuse to stay…

"Rouge, I think I heard something!" he said, weighing his words carefully.

An eyebrow, heavy with make up, rose slowly.

"Nice try, but I'm not falling for that. Last chance now. You can get out the easy way, or the hard way". She shifted her weight, readying herself. Perhaps she could push him out and close the door before he'd known what's happened. Failing that, a swift kick to his temple might work, just as long as he didn't see it come she should be able to get at least one hit in… just enough to daze him so she could throw him out, of course. Chaos knew why she even bothered to help someone so stubborn. It wasn't like it would be reflected in her paycheck, so why should she even try? Let the idiot run and get himself killed if that's what he wanted. She sighed and eyed the contraption on her wrist. A small light was blinking angrily. Shadow was running out of time. She had to get back to her spot, now, before Eggman came back, or her cover would be blown and this would all be over.

Sonic scoffed at her unimpressed face. He watched Rouge say something into her wrist and suspected she was communicating with Shadow through the little bracelet. Leaning forward to get a closer peek until she stopped him with a glare, she closed the door again.

"You're seven types of an idiot, do you know that? Fine, do it your way. But I swear, if you blow my cover, I will personally rip out every spine on your back and feed them to you."

Watching her flushed state, Sonic grinned ear to ear as they took off again, now going back into the base again. Time to get even with the mad scientist!