Appreciate the amount of attention the first chapter got

Replies to reviews:

NothingBetter1: Stay tuned for more. I think you'll like it.

Stanger: Thanks for the positive feedback. Stay tuned for mote.

xXDarkAngelKittenXx: You're glad I'm writing again, and I'm glad you're reviewing again. And saying badass isn't cursing… Trust me. Stay tuned.

Lord Kevin: Ah, it's you again. Let's go through the list shall we: Too many POV changes. I agree, wasn't happy with it. Too much crossover material: Just the pseudo names and setting (even marked the fic with alternate universe). Not very much in my opinion. Not liking pseudo names. Entirely subjective. Characterisation: If you read between the lines in the different POVs, you'll find loads of cannon personality. Shadow: the casual badass who is slightly depressed and secretly loathes almost everybody. Knuckles: Canon Gangster cliché from SA2. Blaze: Caring for her friends and loyal to her cause. Silver: The loveable, gullible idiot who everyone thinks is annoying at times. Tails is admittedly "a bit" OOC, but he's smart enough to oversee a criminal group consisting of four people. You should put some more trust in me.

Now without further ado:

Everyone Needs Their Payday: Chapter 2; Jewellery Store

-Safehouse, 01:00PM-

-Shadows POV-

After an uneventful morning consisting of staring at the wall and looking over my back, still wondering if the heat is outside our door. We are waiting for Tails to call and inform us about our newest job. I've already been in the planning room, looking at the blueprints of what looks like a jewellery store. A typical smash and grab situation. The security detail seems to be very light, even though the jewellery is valuable; only one security guard, probably equipped with a pager connected with the G.U.N central operating system in town. A lie will be needed to satisfy the page-operator. This, however, will be the smallest of issues in the coming future: Since our mental health will be severely weakened by staying in a compressed room for a prolonged period of time , we need to go incognito and live out normal lives while we're here, and reading the information here, I don't like where this going…

A ringing phone brought me out of my daze. Picking it up carefully, as if it was fragile, I opened the line.

"Hello...?"

A quick answer was a welcome change from the unwanted tension created by yesterday's phone call.

"Shadow, put the phone on loudspeaker and gather the team. It's time"

A quick tap on the phone and a session of shouting the various names and beckoning for them to come to the planning room immediately. Once they were gathered around the wooden table in the centre of the room, I laid the blueprints of the table for everyone to see. Not long after, Tails began the briefing.

"This is a straight up "Smash-n-Grab". You go in, take out the security guard, control the civilians. Our client, known only as "BatGirl" needs three bags filled to the brim with jewellery. She will pay bountifully for any extra bags you manage to… eh… "liberate". You will deliver the bags to her personally. Try not to alert the 5-0 in your first job; they don't know we're in town. Let's try to keep it that way for as long as possible, although they will inevitably know after this job. Any questions?"

I used this as my possibility to speak up.

"I've been looking through the plans for our "lives". They seem good and all, however one part displeases me: Knuckles gets to go to a fight-club, Blaze and Silver gets to participate in different kinds of jobs, depending on which place we're going to hit next, functioning as a recon unit. Meanwhile, I have to go back to collage… to get a degree in ancient history?"

Hearing the snickers around the room, my irritation reached new heights. "I'm looking forward to his answer".

"You'll like it, I promise. In addition, my associate has arraigned for you to not have any tests, nor homework. Besides, you're 25; you'll fit right in. And if you're lucky, perhaps you can get some cliché "high school romance" going on while you're there"

Scowling at the phone, I summed up all my feeling towards his sarcastic and disrespectful remarks in three lovely words:

"I hate you"

Hearing chuckling coming from the other end, he swiftly replied.

"I know you do. Now get moving gang! The van is waiting for you outside."

Grabbing my gear, I checked if my guns were loaded. Making sure everything was in order, I made my way towards the hatch that marked the exit point of the safehouse. I opened the hatch slowly, still suspicious of my surroundings. Convincing myself that there was no one there, I opened it fully and exited the safehouse. I started finding my way through the old warehouse with my companions following. After a couple of minutes of irritating searching, I finally found the exit to the godforsaken building. Getting outside, I saw the van waiting for us. Cautiously walking over to the side of the van, not knowing who the driver was. I demanded to know.

"Step out of the vehicle with your hands above your head"

I put extra emphasis on the word "step" to seem threatening, but with no apparent effect. I watched as the door casually opened, and a light orange fox stepped out of the van with hands above his head, as ordered. He wore a black, ragged trench coat, and across his right eye stretched a very visible scar. He looked to be in his late twenties. Appearances aside, that didn't change the fact that I had never seen him before.

"Who the hell are you?"

Lowering his hands, he let out a small chuckle.

"You're Dallas I suppose. Tails warned me about one of you being overly cautious. I'm "Scar", a mercenary for hire and your personal driver"

Looking back at my crew, whom nodded in approval of the so-called "mercenary", before entering the backseats of the van. However, Knuckles spoke up before getting in.

"If you try any funny shit, new-guy; You're dead"

A short chuckle once again emitted from the fox. Now it was my turn to speak up.

"Get in, drive, and don't ask any questions. Do not leave before we are all in the van, as we leave no man, nor woman, behind. Drive us directly to jewellery store, without any detours. These are your basic rules, and breaking any of them will result in an early retirement"

The fox shrugged his shoulders, not seeming to care. He turned around, answering as he entered the driver's seat.

"Alright… You're the boss"

-Jewellery Store, 02:13PM-

"Drive into that alleyway over there and park the car. No matter what happens, you stay here until we're inn"

With the jewellery store in sight, I felt my nerves hitting an altime high. Frankly, I don't know why. This is a standard job. Nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, I was nervous. I don't know if the others noticed, or even cared. Feeling the car come to a complete stop brought me out of my little daze. Slowly opening the door and peeking out, I scanned my surroundings: One security guard, a light blue hedgehog, leaning against the north wall of the store and having a smoke. A prime opportunity to strike. Equipping my mask to cover up my identity, I quietly opened the door and stepped outside. Silently making my way over to the guard, who seemed to be in a world of his own, I leaned on the same wall besides him. Smirking, I thought of a way to bring him out of his fantasy world.

"So… What's your favourite US city?"

I guess I got his attention as a gasp admitted from his when he turned my way.

"DALLAS?!"

Swiftly knocking him out with the butt of my gun, I stood over his limp body.

"Correct"

Turning to leave, a small buzz from his limp body stopped me dead in my tracks.

"Hello? … Steven, are you drinking on the job again? Pick up the pager"

I had almost forgotten the page-operator. Cursing to myself, I picked up the pager.

"… Uh, I… don't know what you're on about. Everything's ok over here"

Waiting worriedly for his response, I feared for the worst: If he didn't believe me, there would be blood, and many would not return home to their families.

" Um… That checks out. Just try not to disconnect the pager next time, ok?"

Breathing out a sigh of relief, I carefully put the pager back on the knocked-out guard. I turned towards the van where the rest of the crew were staring at me with amusement. Signalling that the coast was clear they put on their masks on and approached me. I made my way towards the backdoor of store, opening it slowly and silently. Why I did that, I don't know, as I proceeded to storm in the door. The employees in the back didn't even get time to react before I was in their face, waving a gun abound.

"DOWN… On the FUCKING GROUND!"

They were swift to comply with my demands. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Blaze place down a little ElectronicCounterMeasure to stop any of the civilians trying to call to police. In the background, I heard Knuckles and Silver yelling at the civilians in the front room.

"Get in the back! And when you're there…"

Silver finished what Knuckles started:

"GET ON THE FUCKING GROUND, OR I'LL POP YOU LIKE FISH IN A BARRLE"

Sighing and shaking my head, I turned towards the civilians who had made their way into the back. After "dealing" with the civilians, which included tying them up and knocking out the ones that made the ones that were screaming, I turned to Silver and slapped him in the back of his head.

"That's for being unprofessional, now get to work with looting the jewellery, we don't have all day. I'll keep an eye on our friends here"

Holding his hands up in defence, he looked stunned and surprised. He really shouldn't be. I've warned him about being unprofessional before.

"Y-yes, Sir"

Watching him leave with Knuckles and Blaze to scavenge the store, once out of sight, I turned to the civilians who we had bunched up in the manager's office. They were scared half to death, and had every right to be, thanks to that stupid hedgehog being himself. Five tense, uneventful minutes passed and the first bag filled with jewellery was brought into the office. Knuckles, who had brought the bag, quickly left to fill another. I looked back at the civilians. One particular hedgehog caught his attention. It was an orange hedgehog with light orange quills, holding onto a piece of jewellery for dear life. Intrigued, I approached the young male, who seemed to be no more than 18.

"So… Who's that for Mr…?"

He tilted his head slightly upwards to face me before starting to stammer the sentence he was trying to say.

"B-Bryan…I-i-it's for s-s-someone… S-sir"

Amused, I continued to torment the already scared boy.

"Someone… Special?"

Watching as his cheeks turn red, I had already gotten my answer.

"Y-yes, S-sir"

I grabbed the jewellery out of his hand. I studied it at it: It wasn't a cheap piece, but not the most expensive one could find either. Refocusing on the scared boy, who now had tears in his eyes. For a little second, I almost felt sorry for him.

"Well, Bryan… If you want to impress someone, you should try to do it a bit better than this"

A few, very silent chuckles were heard around the room. Walking over to the bag filled with jewellery and opened it. Placing Bryan's jewellery in it, I quickly started searching through it. Finding a golden necklace with diamonds implanted in it, I turned to the clerk, who was tied up in a corner.

"How much does this cost?"

Looking like she'd seen a ghost, she stammered out a quick answer.

"A-about 10 grand"

Nodding in approval at the answer, I turned back to Bryan.

"Now, this will surely impress whomever the lucky one is"

I handed the necklace to him, and for a couple of seconds, he just stared at it in disbelief. Looking up at me once more, he spoke up, more confidently this time.

"T-thank you, Sir"

-Meanwhile-

-Silvers POV-

The sound of glass being smashed to bits. Nothing quite like it. Always liked the "Smash" part of "Smash and Grab". It's a shame that is almost over, as this store is almost cleaned out. Three full bags of jewellery, including the one Knuckles handed Shadow. This "BatGirl" is going to be all over this when we deliver it. Picking up two bags and handing one to Blaze, I went in the back to check on Shadow and the civilians. I still can't believe he slapped me for being "unprofessional". I guess he doesn't appreciate enthusiasm, like I do.

"YO, Dallas. We'll be leaving now! Make sure you're ready"

Earning a slight nod from him, I continued to walk towards the door we came in. Once outside, I was pleased to find that the driver hadn't bailed, and was still in position. Walking up to the van and tossed my bag of jewellery in the back before entering. Once inside, the driver, known only as "Scar" turned to me.

"So… How did it go?"

"Well… We got enough to cover our quota and my adrenaline is through the roof, so I would say it went fantastic."

Turning away, he gave a low chuckle. He seemed to be the slightly happier version of Shadow.

"Stop arguing Chains, and get the fucking bags in the back"

Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear. Watching the rest of the crew getting in the van, I turned to face Shadow.

"What was that all about?"

Shadow was about to answer, but Knuckles beat him to the chase.

"He made me carry his bag!"

Shadow just huffed, ignored the both of us and turned to "Scar".

"Get us moving!"

Finally finished. Tell me what you think. Leave a review, follow and favourite.

OC-Cameo by Bryan (xXDarkAngelKittenXx) and "Scar" (NothingBetter1)

Until next time.