Sonic couldn't feel his arm.

The wolf he was fighting smiled a toothy grin. "Feel good? Feel like a needle? Want some more, greaser?"

Normally, Sonic would have a quick comeback. But the pain he was in nearly prevented him from even speaking. He saw the wolf's arm raise and he made a halfhearted attempt to escape. But the wolf's grip only tightened. The knife plunged.

Sonic felt the air go out of his lungs as something barreled into his back.

"Antoine!" he heard Rotor yell. Sonic was on the ground, completely oblivious to what had just happened as he tried to suck in a breath. Manic was vaulting over him, someone had fallen, no, two people…

Rotor was pulling him up. Sonic could see a bit more clearly now. He sucked in a staggering breath.

That was when he realized what had just happened.

Antoine was on the ground. The asphalt under him was rife with red. The knife that had done the deed had clattered to the ground. Manic had the wolf on the ground, pummeling him with every ounce of strength he had.

"'Twan…" Sonic mumbled. Then another piercing noise invaded his ears. The sirens of a police car.

"Cops!" someone, not from Sonic's gang, hissed. A couple of them pushed Manic away and hauled their buddy out. The alley was clear in seconds, apart from a facedown Antoine.

"Check if 'Twan's okay," Rotor urged.

Manic's snarl turned to a look of fear and apprehension. He knelt at Antoine's side, trying to get a pulse. "He's alive," he grunted. "But that does not look good at all."

"We need an ambulance," Sonic declared shakily, mostly to his senses.

"We can't pay for a hospital bill! We'll be arrested!" Manic countered.

"So someone spends a little time in the slammer. Or you feel like explaining Antoine here? We gotta go, the cops are gonna be here any minute."


Trash. Trash of the city, and trash from his office.

Tails hoisted his own trash out the door of his office/apartment, and let it fall into the can. A broken lightbulb clanked as its pieces hit the metal first.

He wrinkled his nose at the ensuing curses from the drunks. One of them raised a bottle of beer limply. Another paler one simply pulled a newspaper tighter around his body.

Wait.

Tails felt a jolt of realization hit him as he dug in his pocket for something. He procured a wallet-size photo of a silver hedgehog. He held it up to his eye. Then pulled it away, looking at the urchin in front of him.

He furrowed his brow and drew closer, kneeling down and tapping him on the shoulder. "Silver? Silver the hedgehog?"

Silver mumbled something incoherent and rolled over to face Tails. "Sonic…?"

Someone, or something, had done a number on this boy. A concerned Tails said, "I know him. Can you walk?"

"…gonna take me to Sonic?"

"Maybe." Tails grabbed Silver's arm and pulled him up. "At the very least, I can promise you another day alive."


"He looks bad," the driver said.

"No questions," Manic snapped.

"I'm only saying," he replied.

Sonic leaned his head against the window, trying to slow his thumping heart.

With Rotor holding Antoine, Sonic and Manic had managed to get out of the cops' sight. From there, they had banged on the first door they saw, in the hopes that someone would give them – or at least, Antoine – a ride to the hospital.

Luckily, their first mark had been a well-meaning bachelor who had been extremely accommodating. Honestly, Sonic was extremely sorry his first ride in such a nice car also coincided with Antoine bleeding his guts out.

"Here you are, boys. The hospital."


"Dear? What's wrong?" Amy's father asked.

Amy's mother looked mortified. "A friend of your boyfriend…Amy, dear, he's in the hospital."

Amy jumped up. "Where? Who?" she demanded instantly.

"I don't know who," her mother said quickly. "It's the hospital a mile away. I'll take you."

Amy's father looked ready to object, but seemed to realize the gravity of the situation. He sighed, and fell back into his seat. Amy rushed to the garage.


The skaters huddled against the walls of the rink as the gunman pointed his gun menacingly at the skate vendors. "I want one thousand dollars, cash, as fast as you can make it! Don't even think about pressing the alarm, or you'll be the first one to go!"

Blaze got up on her knees. The gunman was facing the other way, so she could safely get a good view of him. That voice sounded familiar…

"Well? What are you waiting for?" he demanded. The cashiers and vendors reached for the bills in their registers.

Blaze realized who it was with a start. It was Blake, the newt she had visited five days ago. But why? –

And she knew the answer to that before it was fully a thought in her mind. He had mentioned money troubles with his family before. She hadn't known it was this bad.

But she also knew that, regardless of who it was, he had to be stopped. She didn't know what impelled her, but she rose, removed her skates, and crawled towards Blake.

He was nervously eyeing the doorway as she left the ice and stepped onto the carpet. She was about five feet away.

Blake yelled, "Come on!" turning back towards the cashiers. Just as he did so, he noticed Blaze.

Blaze's heart caught in her throat. Stopped a little. For a second, nothing happened.

Then the doors burst open. Blaze saw a flash of blue as the cops rushed in. Blake and Blaze both realized someone had hit the alarm. Blake looked desperate.

He aimed at Blaze. Blaze's eyes widened.

Then closed as Blake pulled the trigger.