CHAPTER 42

Meanwhile out in the lobby, everyone watched as Charmy stormed out of the building.

Midnight arched an eyebrow in confusion. "What's wrong with him?"

Tonya saw the expression on his face before he had actually ran out. And it had looked like he was saddened by something. "He seemed so…upset."

Espio turned and saw Shadow slowly stepping out into the lobby. He studied the expression on his face and he had looked angered. "Shadow? What happened in there?"

"Yeah", Rouge added. "Charmy just shot out of here."

Shadow had tried to calm himself before he had began to explain to the group about what had happened between them. "That little bastard had the right idea to run out of here. I was seconds away from knocking the hell out of him."

Rouge noticed that he had seemed both angered and upset. "…What did he say?"

He didn't want to tell her or anyone else what he had said to him while they were both in the office together. He didn't even know if he could repeat the hurtful things he had said to him. He slowly shook his head, "…It's not important."

"But he just left and to who knows where." Ker turned to Shadow, "We need to go after him."

"Don't worry. We'll find him."

Tonya saw how Shadow didn't seem worried about where Charmy was going. "How are you so sure?"

Shadow had then took out a small black remote from the inside of his coat pocket. "When I gave him back his jacket, I placed a tracking device under the collar of it." He looked away from the remote and turned to the group. "He's associating with other people. That's how he's getting those pills. When I track him down, he'll lead me right to them."

When Espio saw Shadow about to leave, he started to follow him. "Hey, Shad! Let me come with you!"

Shadow didn't want anyone coming with him. He felt like he needed to go alone and handle things his way. He quickly spun around to turn to Espio. "No, I need to go alone. Just stay here and keep an eye on things."

He sighed heavily, "Fine." He and everyone else had watched as he walked out the door.

Later on, Charmy was telling Ryder, Spitfire, and Diego what had happened earlier on that day between him and Shadow.

While they talked, they all were standing in an alley in a more dangerous part of the city where not many people had hung around.

Diego had an amazed look on his face after when Charmy had got done telling what had happened. "That's insane, Charmy! No wonder you're all freaked out."

Ryder confronted the bee. "So your boss knows about the pills?"

The bee made a small nod, "Yeah but I didn't tell him anything else. Not you guys or the dealing."

Ryder placed a finger to his chin in worry. "This is still pretty bad. If his boss knows, he may try to follow you and try to stop us."

Charmy shook his head, "No. You don't have to worry about that. After all the things I said, I'm pretty sure he hates me." His eyes slowly wandered down to the ground, "He doesn't care about what happens to me…not anymore."

Spitfire made a wide smile in relief. "Well that case, screw him! It looks like you're officially hanging with us!"

Ryder placed a hand on Charmy's shoulder, "That's right. Who needs him or any of those detectives you call friends anyway? We're all the family you need now."

Charmy tried to force a smile until they all heard a male voice at the other end of the alley.

"You punks will never be his family."

They all froze and quickly spun around to a black and red hedgehog who stood at the end of the alley.

The hedgehog glared at the group, "So you're the pill heads?"

Spitfire whispered over to the nervous bee. "Uh, Charmy? Who is that guy?"

Charmy took a deep breath as his eyes focused on the hedgehog. "…That's my boss."

Ryder, Spitfire, and Diego's eyes widened at the sight of the hedgehog. They were intimated by him. He had looked like someone you didn't want to dare anger. Just by looking at his appearance, he seemed like a violent person. "That's your boss?"

Charmy noticed their panicked looks and tried to calm them down. "It's okay." He had then focused his attention back to Shadow. "How did you find me?"

"I used one of your own inventions and placed a tracking device on you", he had answered.

Charmy bit his lip and had wanted to blame himself for being so oblivious from not knowing that Shadow would do a thing like that. "…What do you want?"

He took a step forward to him, "To bring you home, Charmy. Everyone's worried sick about you. Even Margaret."

The bee remained silent and just glared at the hedgehog.

"Come on, Charmy. Do you even see yourself? You're hanging around one of the worst parts of the city, stealing, on drugs, and hanging out with juveniles. This isn't you…"

"…I thought you hated me?"

He figured from how he had acted earlier towards him, that Charmy thought he had hated him. He sighed heavily and slowly shook his head, "…I don't hate you, Charmy. I'm just worried about you. I want you to come home to your real family."

Tears suddenly started to swell in his eyes, "I had a real family…remember Vector?"

Shadow was taken by surprise that he had brought up Vector's name. "…Of course I do."

The bee had clenched his fists tightly. "You wanna know why I'm acting like this? Because it's your fault. It's all your fault…" He spoke in a weak voice.

"…What?" He spoke blankly. "…Me?"

"Vector was the closest person I had to a real father and because of you, he's gone!" A tear had streamed down his cheek.

"Charmy, I…"

"You acted so reckless! You had the power to stop everything but you didn't do anything! You just stood there and watched it happen!" More tears had ran down his cheeks. "You didn't stop it…you did nothing!" He shouted while sobbing.

As he watched Charmy break down in front of him, he couldn't help but to feel guilty over Vector's death all over again.

Ryder, Spitfire, and Diego gave each other surprised looks while Charmy yelled at Shadow.

"You cause so much pain to everyone you get close to! So please! Stay away from me and leave me alone!"

When he saw Charmy about to leave with the group of teen boys, he had attempted to go after him. "Charmy, wait!" He was taken by surprise when Charmy picked a rock up from the ground and threw it in his direction. The rock had hit him hard at the side of his head. He kneeled down to the ground and held the side of his bleeding head in pain. While he held his throbbing head, he could hear more of Charmy's shouting.

"I said get away from me! I hate you! I fucking hate you!"

He tried to stand to his feet but the impact of the rock had made him feel dizzy. With blood dripping from his head, he continued to kneel down on the ground knowing that Charmy had walked off with the teenage boys.

In The Next Chapter…

Tonya: I haven't been acting like a good friend…

Tikal: Tonya…

Rouge: Why would Charmy do something like this to you?

Shadow: Because he…hates me…