Shadow grumbled as he made his way down the dark, vacant streets, dawn far off. It was early in the morning at Station Square, maybe four or five o' clock. He didn't know and didn't care.

He growled in frustration and kicked a rock in his path. Ever sinse that crazy girl started dragging them around like some kind of luggage he'd practically wanted to punch her in the face. Something just didn't feel right about her. What didn't feel right? He didn't know. It was just a certain vibe…a dangerous one.

After Sonic and Tails had tried to convince him of continuing with that vulgar 'demon', he'd decided that a full twenty-four hours had been bad enough. Or…almost twenty-four hours. Incompatent time differences…

But yeah. Ditched the bitch, went back to Station Square.

Another reason he'd gone back was because he had to talk to Rouge. They'd made a deal (through her blackmailing him) that they'd get together almost once a week and talk about…whatever she wanted to discuss. If he didn't do it, he'd probably have to go to Tibet to get his chaos emerald or other valuble object back. But who knows where she'd hide something? It's Rouge for goodness sake!

He chuckled as he thought about it as he sauntered up to her apartment door. Rapping on it a few times, he heard a loud moan come from inside, followed by muttered curses. "Who is it and what are you doin' here at this hour?!" She growled, waiting on the other side of the door.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Who else?" He said. He could almost see the vexed look on her face even before she unlocked the creaky old door.

The 22 year old bat was in a pink and black Victoria's Secret t-shirt and long pants, one ear flicking violently in aggravation. "Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

He shrugged. "No. But if you'd let me in I might."

She glared at him and let him in. Her apartment was small, but not as small as Sonic's.

The living room was directly in front of you as soon as you walked in, a love seat, sofa, and glass coffee table resting on the glossy wooden floor. The kitchen was to your right and had a bar very similar to Sonic's, only it was granite and had a radio on it instead of a TV. The bedroom was the first thing down the hall, followed by a guest's bedroom and bathroom. A lamp was turned on, providing just enough light to find your way through the apartment, all cluttered with paperwork from G.U.N. The entire apartment was painted a light blue-green color.

Rouge plopped on the couch, head in a hand, rubbing her temple. "Please explain why you're here at this hour…."

He shrugged, fixing himself a glass of water. "I didn't come by yesterday."

Rouge glared at him. "So you decide to drop in at four in the morning?" She then scoffed, arms folded across her chest. "You're an imbecile…"

He chuckled. "No. Just coming back from Tuscany."

"Tuscany?" Rouge looked up at him, giving her best 'what the hell?' face. "Why were you in Tuscany?" She then narrowed her eyes. "Sonic didn't drag you there, did he?"

"Partially," Shadow said as he leaned against a wall, taking a swig of his water. "It's a long story."

She patted the couch cushion next to her. "I'm up anyway, so you might as well explain."

He sat next to her and explained everything, first starting with Sonic's magical-topless-mermaid story and up to Tails trying to convince him to keep tagging along. "I don't know where that crazy 'werewolf' took them, but chances are that they're still in Europe." He muttered, finishing up his glass of water.

His ears then perked up as she put a hand on his forehead. "What are you doing?"

"Checking you for a fever because that was the strangest story I've ever heard." Rouge said, glaring at him.

He growled at her. "What do you mean 'story'? You know I wouldn't lie about something like this! Let alone lie at all!"

She sighed, a hand wrapping around her neck. "Yes, I know that. It's just hard to believe…"

"Yet you can believe that a giant green rock on an enormous floating ball of dirt is all-powerful?" He scoffed, setting his glass in the sink. "Sounds kind of hypocritical."

"Yeah, but there's proof of that," She countered as she scratched her neck. "I don't think that your so called werewolves and imps are real. Just some prank a couple of kids are playing on you."

He snorted. "You honestly think I'd believe a bunch of kids if they randomly came up to me and said they were immortal beings? Please."

"Believe what you like, Shadow. I'm just saying I don't agree with you is all."

He shrugged as he sat next to her on the couch again. "Whatever floats your boat." He then noticed that she winced every now and again. He raised a brow at her. "Knots?"

She nodded. "A ton."

He rolled his eyes, knowing she'd probably end up forcing him to give her a massage. "Lay down…"

She laughed, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. "Chill out, Shadow! I'm just a little tense from work is all."

He smirked at her. "Yeah, but you never know with you."

She rolled her eyes, smirking at him. "Smartass."

"You know it," he replied, grinning at her for a moment before going back to small talk. "But anyway, how's work goin'?"

Shrugging, she stood and went into the kitchen to fix herself a cup of coffee. "Alright, I guess. Just pretty hectic working on Amelia's case."

Shadow's ears perked up in interest. Amelia? Strange, she never called Rose by her entire name. He then raised a brow at her curiously. "Amelia? Sinse when do you call Amy by her full name?"

Her ears rolled back a bit and she hesitated before answering. It almost seemed like…like when a person forgot a line or made a mistake in a play; postponed and tentative. "Oh…oh well, you know, so many people have been using her full name at work, I guess it kinda rubbed off, y'know?"

He stared at her for a few moments, his brow furrowed, doubting her claim. "Uh-huh…."

She continued smiling at him as she opened the fridge to get creamer. "But yeah. Just hectic. We haven't made much progress. It's strange, really. In all the other attacks DNA was obtained, and all the strands match, however no identity has been found." She then opened the pantry and grabbed a container of sugar. "Same thing's goin' with this case. Evidence, but no felon."

She sat next to Shadow once more, taking a sip of coffee before continuing. "Seeing how it's now a federal case, Commander Tower-"

"Commander Tower?" Shadow said in surprise. "The commander's been retired for four years, Rouge, and even after he retired he move to Cape Town."

There it was again; the hesitation. His brow furrowed a bit in confusion at the whole thing. Rouge wouldn't ponder or be so eager to dawdle about something like this, let alone think the Commander was still working for the government.

"Yeah, right. I forgot about that…"

"How could you've forgotten the fact that he hasn't worked for G.U.N for several years?"

She growled at him, seeming to be rather offended. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't patronize me, Shadow."

"Patronize? I'm not patronizing you! I'm just saying-!"

She threw an accusing finger in his face, his ears rolling back slightly in unease. "And I'm just saying that you don't need to correct me about all these things! You honestly think I'd have all my facts straight at four in the fucking morning?!"

Swatting her hand away, he growled at her. This was definitely not like Rouge.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do, because you've been working at G.U.N. for how long? Six? Seven years? More even? I'd at least expect-"

Pain suddenly coursed through his abdomen as he was met by a scorching blast of energy-definitely not chaos energy. He then winced as he smashed through the opposing wall, dust and ruble covering him as he then struggled to his feet out of the drywall and thin concrete.

He growled, clutching onto the side of the hole in the wall for support. Scanning the room, he saw everything as it was a few moments ago.

'Rouge' was gone.

He sighed in frustration. Probobly another 'demon' or just a really fucked up hallucination…What? Hallucination? He chuckled, not quite sure where he'd gotten that idea, but the point is that something was wrong.

He stepped back into the living room, ears perked up listening and eyes scanning for whom or what was impersonating Rouge.

A low ticking noise sounded behind him, almost like the chatter of a thousand hungry beetles.

Reeling around Shadow practically went to a standstill at what he saw grinning at him on the wall.

It was a tall, lanky, pitch black body…but it wasn't a body. It seemed transparent, yet three-dimensional at the same time. It had long, bony fingers and where its eyes should be skin was covering the empty sockets, a faint orange glow coming from behind the paper thin flaps of skin. It had six rows- six rows of razor sharp teeth that were about as thin as the tip of a pencil, but with the length of a pencil as well. Its skin seemed transparent and had a flat, wet fish type of texture. It also had ears like a cat, only without the fur.

He had to force himself to swallow the large amount of bile that rose in his mouth. The thing smelled almost as bad as it looked, like a musk ox corpse that's been left in a pile of feces for a month.

He took a step back as it slowly climbed off the wall, walking toward him on all fours, that same maniacal grin splayed across its face.

His ears rolled back in unease as it kept creeping toward him until it slowly came to a stop, ears erect as it 'looked' straight at him.

It's voice then sent chills down Shadow's spine, like nails on a chalkboard.

Nine days 'till death,

Hedge and bat breathe last breath.

Eight hours 'till noon,

To find the three that you left too soon.

Up in the breast of the mother Rus,

To find the pair go you must.

But stay you may,

Only one will live to see next day.

It then slowly began to become invisible, it's last words hanging in the air like a putrid incense that made him sick to his stomach.

Tick tock, mortal. Tick tock.

Author's Note

Okay, I know this chapter may be pretty confusing, but what is going on with the demon is that it took on the form of Rouge. Just to clear things up for you guys in case you didn't get it.