So I finally decided to finish this old thing... For the love of god, review!
Chapter 7: If it makes you happy
--
"We... lived here?" Matt said, looking around the mansion-sized hall as he entered it.
Rouge nodded. "I still can't believe you're here again... I thought you died..." She said(lied) solemnly.
"I'm... sorry for leaving." Matt tried, making Rouge smile.
"I'll show you around later." Rouge said, heading up the stairs. "Coming?"
Matt flinched. "Ahh, If it's ok, I'd like to spend some time alone over this... revelation." He said nervously.
"All right... But I'm up here if you need me. Just call." On the outside she looked calm and cool, but inside she was boiling out of surprise and fear.
She needed some time alone too, so thank goodness for coincidences.
Matt paced into the living room, trying to gather memories but finding none. The were no pictures of him, but some shelves held photos of Rouge in different... situations.
She must be a model, or something... All these pictures of herself... He kept walking and found the kitchen.
It was almost royally decorated, all the walls were riddled with spice jars and utensils. He opened the fridge and found, along with usual things like milk and vegetables, some bag-in-box wines that he helped himself of tasting.
"Hmm, these must've been expensive." He thought, savoring the taste. "Too bad she's chilled it."
He stepped into another chamber, which looked like it could be the guest room. Matt settled down onto the bed. He looked at the ceiling and pondered his current state.
Well, here I am. In my house that I have no memory of. With a wife I have no memory of. A life without a memory. He chuckled.
I miss the couch at Felicia and Dewie's pad now... Shit, I gotta return these clothes. Better head out early...
He could barely finish thinking before sleep found it's way into his head.
--
"Where the hell did you go!?" Felicia yelled. "I thought you skipped on me again!"
"Please, calm down. Let me explain." Matt began telling her of what he had found out last night. About Rouge, "his" house and everything.
"So you were married?" Felicia asked, even though she knew the answer.
"Yeah, I... guess." Matt rubbed his head. "At least I remember Rouge... The strong feelings I have for her must be..." He couldn't speak the word. Why did it still feel wrong?
"... Love?" Felicia filled in. Matt nodded. "Aww, how cute!"
"That's easy for you to say. I'm still not sure." Matt looked down.
"I met this guy... His name was Shadow." Felicia started as well.
"Wait, wasn't he dead?" Even Matt knew that story. It'd been all over the news until recently.
"I guess not, he said something about laying low for a while." She smiled.
"Let me explain..."
--
The black hedgehog closed in on her slowly, as if he'd chosen his target a long time ago. His eyes were concealed beneath a cap, but he seemed familiar, somehow. A picture she'd seen?
She opened her mouth to speak, but he got first.
"You know where I can find a bar?" He asked in a low murmur.
Set slightly off by the surprise, it took awhile before the answer came.
"Uhh, no..." Felicia tilted her head to try and see beneath the cap, but he turned away.
"Ah well. Thanks anyway." He began walking, but she stopped him.
"Have I seen you before?"
"I don't think so." He dismissed.
"That one doesn't work on me." She smirked.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's a challenge." Felicia snickered.
"Hmph."
"What's your name then?" She tried. "I'm Felicia."
"Please, leave me alone." He tried walking off again, but Felicia spoke after him;
"What, is it Oglvie? Don't worry Cornelius. I won't bully you for that." She smiled ironically.
"Sigh, it's not like that." He began. "I'm Shadow."
"Haha, taking names from celebrities is outdated, dude."
"No, it's true. Don't tell anyone." He removed the cap and displayed his flamingly orange eyes.
At first Felicia's brain blacked out. Then she gasped. "Cool..." She stated, trying to remain clam.
"Are you finished?" Shadow asked impatiently.
"Wanna go look for a bar?" Felicia invited as if she hadn't heard him.
In his eyes, she look so pure and innocent. Something was troubling her, but then again, something was troubling him too. He couldn't picture her running around yelling about this incident. So, he firmly decided:
"All right, but don't tell anyone because I'm supposed to be dead right now."
He had his angry composure, but remained calm and nice towards Felicia as they walked down the street...
--
"That sounds like bullshit, if you ask me." Matt stated.
"But it's true! He said he wanted to try living without the pressure of hero-ness." Felicia explained.
Matt sighed. "All right, what did you do afterwards?"
"We talked and talked, you know... He's nowhere near as stiff and evil as TV tries to make him." She blushed.
"Stiff?" Matt blurted.
Felicia backhanded Matt. "You perv."
"...Sorry."
"Anyway, we're gonna meet again next weekend, I can't wait!" She bounced around the apartment in exaltation.
Matt watched her for a while and knew what she was feeling. Sadly, he couldn't identify this with himself and Rouge... He sank his head onto the table before a thought struck him.
"Hey, do you know the way to Starshot?"
--
"Uhh, Hi. I'm looking for Trici." Matt told the receptionist. Felicia looked around the exceptionally big casino building and oohed at almost everything.
"Everybody's looking for her." The goat sneered.
"My name's Matt, I've got an appointment."
He checked his papers and nodded, pointing to the elevator and muttering "Top floor..."
"Come one, let's go." He beckoned for Felicia to follow him as they went inside the crowded space.
Matt pressed the button and the elevator began playing some funky tune as they stared into the heavy doors.
Several minutes later they arrived at their destination with a "ding" from the elevator.
As they stepped out, a muscular fox with unbelievably shiny hair came forward, pointing a double-barrel at them.
"Hey there." He smirked. "Name's Haywire. Please follow me."
They were ushered to a room where Trici sat behind an empty desk, looking regal.
Trici slid across her desk and walked towards Matt, since Felicia had to stay by the door.
"Hello again, Batboy..." She began. Her freezing eyes glanced over his body. "You brought a friend?" Trici motioned towards the door, where Felicia was.
"It's my partner, Felicia. She helps me out." Matt explained.
"Hmm." Trici investigated her up and down. "Isn't she a bit young for you, Matt?"
"She's not that kind of partner..." Matt said, gritting his teeth. He was already getting tired of this damn lioness.
"Very well." Trici said, stepping back to her desk.
"I came for the information." Matt stated demandingly.
"Really? I couldn't guess." She replied coolly.
"I did what you told me, now cut the crap and spill the beans." Matt said, angrier than before.
Trici sighed loudly, muttering "Men..."
She tossed a file at him and he caught it smoothly.
The first page had two photos, taken many years ago. One carrying a red echidna with a funky haircut and the other a green hedgehog he recalled looking like Turbo.
Their names were written beneath them...
"Andogerase, Nikolai..." Matt said out loud. "Andy & Nike..."
He dropped the file as if he'd gotten terrified. He remembered his two comrades now.
His only friends. They had done everything together, but he also knew that they'd met a gruesome fate, and that it had been his fault. His rage boiled, though not as strong as it once did.
"What did we do...?" Matt asked emptily.
"You killed people. On demand." Trici explained, snickering. "Doesn't that make you feel great?"
Matt instinctively grabbed his switchblade and hurled it at Trici. It hit the chair behind her just an inch from her neck, cutting some of that beautiful hair off.
"Wha-" Trici uttered. "The nerve..." Matt regretted his descicion immediately.
She waved at Haywire and he rushed up to Matt.
Before he had a single chance of defending himself, Haywire picked him up and tossed him across the room effortlessly.
Matt landed on his aching wings, making him screech in pain.
"Don't ever do that again." Trici sank down to Matt's level. "I'm in charge. Never forget that."
She left him on the floor and sat down on her desk, trying to cover her missing hair.
"Get him out." Trici commanded. Haywire lifted him again and tossed him back into the corridor he came from.
--
"Oh my god, are you OK?" Felicia helped Matt to his feet and supported him.
"Yeah... I think so..." He grunted, gabbing his hurting stomach. He turned and sneered at the closed door he just "exited".
The two slowly made their way out, Matt firmly clasping the journal in his hand.
"What hurts most..." Matt began. Felicia turned to him. "...is that I lost my knife."
Someone bumped into them and they both lost balance.
"What the hell! You again!?" Izzy scowled. "You're not getting away this time!"
She kicked for Felicia, who managed to bring Matt with her into a roll. They slid out of the way and Felicia got up.
Fluff came running over to Matt and ducked down to him.
"She's really clumsy, please excuse her..." Fluff muttered as she helped him up. She noticed how angry he looked.
"Umm, are you all right?" She didn't get an answer. Matt simply walked by her and over to the raging fight between cat and dog- err, wolf.
Izzy tried a left hook, but Felicia ducked. Fueled by rage from the miss, she attempted another punch but found that she couldn't move her hand.
Turning her head, she saw a very pissed off bat holding her hand firmly in his own, squeezing tighter for each passing second.
"Someone nearly killed me for nothing just a minute ago, and you start a fight over bumping into someone!?" He yelled, gripping her hand harder. Izzy squealed.
"S- sorry! Please l- let go!" She pleaded.
Matt finally released his death-grip on her and she crumpled to the floor, holding her likely broken hand. Matt apologized and limped back to Fluff and Felicia, who were standing with their jaws on the floor. (Not literally.)
"Did he just... Cripple... Izzy?" Fluff uttered. "No-one's ever done that before..."
Matt arched an eyebrow at the whining cat on the floor and turned to Fluff.
"There's a first time for everything." Matt stated blankly. "Come on, Felicia."
"Huh? Oh, OK." She also turned to Fluff. "Sorry again."
"Never mind that, she'll probably be OK..." Fluff replied. "But what are you doing here?"
"I'm here with Matt, on business." Felicia said. Matt waved emptily.
"Oh, so you're Matt. Trici talks about you all the time." Fluff said, shaking his hand.
"Hold on a sec..." Felicia realized. "What are you doing here?"
"We work for Trici..." Izzy moaned, trying to get up. "I'm gonna... get you..." She blurted at Matt, who didn't pay any attention to her remarks.
"But you don't need to worry about that, as long as we're on the same side." Fluff smiled reassuringly. Felicia nodded, but Matt was quiet.
"We should get going." He stated, finally making a sound.
"All right, see ya." Fluff dismissed, helping Izzy up.
"Next time I see him..." Izzy said, after they'd left. "... I'm gonna kill them. Especially him."
"Why's he so special?" Fluff asked.
"Didn't you notice?" Izzy smirked. "He was inexcusably sexy."
--
Rouge thought the same thing when he stepped into her house for the what, eighth time? He'd been visiting for a week now, and he seemed to look better every time he walked inside the door. Those tight jeans, that long hair, those sincere gray eyes...
Rouge shook her head to rid herself of these thoughts.
She had been trying to avoid him, to save herself from all the lying. Though lying was nothing new to her, something about this whole thing had begun aching in her chest for each fake memory she planted his his cute head.
In fear of blowing the the cover, she simply tried to avoid the questions. But he seemed to have something special on his mind this time...
"Hey." He said, emptily. Almost sadly.
"Hi sugar." Rouge greeted automatically. She looked up from her book and saw his downtrodden attitude.
"Is something wrong?" She asked worryingly. Please god, say he hasn't found out!
"I was just thinking..." Matt replied, sitting down across from her. He put a journal file neatly on the table. Oh shit. She thought. I'm dead-
"Have you seen these people?" He asked quietly and flipped the first page. The pictures were familiar, of course. Back then, Rouge had trained to remember the face every target she'd taken, which meant she still recognized them as his "deceased" teammates.
"I must've read this file though a hundred time just these last days... It feels safe reading it. I really remember them... Do you know who they were?"
"Why, yes... Those were your friends, right?" She said, feeling slightly dizzy. The pressure was getting to her.
He sat frozen to his seat, looking emptily into space.
"Did you know I-" He cut himself off, but tried again. "I did some horrible things..."
"If you mean the hired killer business, the federals told me about it when you disappeared..." She made up quickly.
"Oh, good..." He said, but thought a while. "You're not mad at me? Not at all?"
"I'm just glad you're OK... You can't believe how hard it was to hear about what happened to your friends, and then they told me you were nowhere to be found I feared the worst..." Rouge had been told that she was a good actor, and this was one of the times you didn't have a margin of error.
"I- I'm... sorry." Matt replied weakly, hiding his face in his hand. "For everything I did that I can't remember yet..."
"Don't worry, sweetie." Rouge comforted, slowly walking over to him. She touched his cheek lightly and he grabbed her hand, as if seeking security in the touch. "I'm sure it'll come back to you... Sometime."
He didn't say anything. Not a sound escaped him.
"I think I need to tell you about something..." He began, after a long moment.
Matt told her all about what he was doing with Trici and the Enforcers. About the double agent thing, about the people of respective side, what he had to do in order to get the info from Trici...
Rouge looked at him sadly, feeling immense pity. Poor thing, he's really struggling... All that just for his memory? I could tell him straight out right now...
Her heart got the best of her and she opened her mouth to speak, but quickly withdrew when she realized.
If I told him I'm the one who killed him, what will that do with his head? I'm already hitting him hard by basing this whole thing on one little lie...
"Rouge?" He asked. "Are you there?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Just lost myself in thought for a second."
She decided to postpone the issue at least a little longer.
"And by the way..." Matt said as she was leaving for bed. "... I'm sorry for not being the same."
She smiled warmly at him and agreed emotionally.
I can't believe he actually was such a caring soul... What could've hardened him to suppressing the gentle side of himself? He really isn't the same cold, murderous person I knew those years ago...
He's so sweet when he makes coffee in the morning or asks me about the house, or things we used to do or anything... I wish I didn't have to make it all up... I wish it hadn't been my fault...
She stopped in her tracks and made an awkward realization.
How the hell is all this gonna end?
--
Notes:
So finally she starts feeling bad for the guy and not just trying to avoid him! Whoopie!
And violence! Those of you who thought this story is a slower than it's prequel, you're fully right. It is supposed to circle more around the relationships, reactions and thoughts of the characters, which means cutting out some of the gory parts.
But don't fret! There will be more gunfire coming up. That and big teeth marks ;)
/Matti