Gwaahhh chapter 8! enjoy!

"What's all that ruckus outside?" Knuckles growls, getting up from the couch. He was having a quiet nap until loud shouts of threats came to Team Sonic's apartment. He smooths out his red quills, looking down to see Tails and Sonic on the floor, putting down their controllers.

"I don't know, Knux, we should check it out, right, Tails?" Sonic asks frantically, grinning.

"Okay, it'll give me a break from kicking your ass at racing!" Tails grins, fixing his collars of his green plaid shirt.

"Whatever!" Sonic huffs, waving him off and following Knuckles. Tails walks with victory tasting so sweet.

The first people Sonic sees is the back of that dark looking vixen, her whole figure rocking in the rail, looking like she can fall forward. One hedgehog he faintly remembers that he beaten in the first race was there too. It's pretty hard, since he doesn't even know his first name. Then there's that crazy looking hedgehog, with streaks of baby blue staring back at him. A light gray, green streaked hedgehog tries to get his attention. He looks at Sonic, too, his face seeing like a mask. He didn't look like he has hatred or admiration toward Sonic, he's just...there.

Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails walk up, listening to what is going on.

Automatically, Tails catches on. That Steel guy they had won against seems to be picking up a fight with this new guy. His quills seem all over the place, an X shape right in the middle of his forehead. Tails sighs, they're fighting for a stupid, shiny' vase. Also two unknown foxes seem to watching very close by the actual fight. Steel swings at Devin, his fist so close to his face, barely dodging it. How stupid can they get?

Knuckles still holds a grudge against this 'Steel', his rage stops at the sudden roar of the girl vixen's voice.

"Ho, Alexandra! How the hell are you?" Adriana's booming voice yells in a greeting.

Eh?

Even Eric, who knows much of her friends, went through a loop to see her in a happy mood. It's not like her at all.

Alex turns her head up, her face still not smiling or laughing. She doesn't recognize her at all.

Alphonse had it on the tip of his tongue, he just couldn't. Devin recovers from a hit and struggles to keep a grip with Steel. Adriana walks down the stairs, still grinning. She stops near Steel and Devin, annoyance hitting her again.

Even though she's much smaller than the two, she has her arms on her waste, fear rising in Steel. "Steel... release." Adriana demands, her small figure might not strike a threat but the ones who do know her have more obedience than any dog can have. She usually does rule with fear.

"..Yes, ma'am..." Steel sighs, slumping his shoulders. He didn't even try and argue with his master. It's always the small ones you need to look out for in life. There are bullies, but someone has got to be controlling them. You can't be a jerk and be smart at it.

Devin snatches it the second it was released from Steel's hand, grinning in victory. "Looks like your mom is here, heh!"

Adriana ignores him, comments like these usually has her stop and growl, but she more things in her mind.

"You haven't a clue?" Adriana sighs, laughing at herself and how much she has changed. She doesn't blame her at all, she blames herself. Her good will and conscience has left the building years ago.

Devin walks back to Al and Alex, seeming perplexed also. The rain till pours down outside, the building warm and some contestants are joined around the staircase at the side of the lobby.

Alex shakes her head, she's been in some predicaments, many actually. She tries to forget the past.

"Enough of this! That runt still owes me that vase!" Steel yells, barging in the group."I had it first, I even ran to it first before he did! That is totally mine to steal!"

"Oh, shut up," Adriana sighs, her arm elegantly pushing his head down to the ground. Even at the ground the echidna still whines,"I want it, I want it, I want it!"

Devin still continues holding it with pride, shaking it in front of Steel's face. He couldn't reach out and take it since Adri's foot was on his back. "Well that didn't go as planned." Adriana says coldly, her smiles didn't do much, neither did her surprising kindness. "Come on, Steel."

Alex and her friend didn't seem comfortable anymore, especially seeing no mercy from the fox to Steel. "Your boot is hurting my spleen," Steel tries to say.

Eric's heart flutters at her bitterness, Sonic hearing him sigh lovingly. He's obviously on something...

Sonic has enough of this fight, with his smiling self he rushes toward the stairs and jumps on the rails to glide down there. The group's silence ends with them turning to see Sonic walk toward them. "If there's still problems, why don't you just have a race? We are at a place with unlimited use of the tracks. I could be the referee if you want," Sonic grins, it's been a while since he actually watched a race than be in one. "It doesn't necessarily have to be just another race, maybe we can shake things up a bit."

"Fine! Whatever! I know I'm going to win!" Steel agrees immediately, Devin seems unsure, he just got it. Even more unsure if they were allowed, they aren't in the competition.

"Come on, Steel, you aren't really racing for a vase," Adriana complains, letting him up and dust himself off.

"Well why not, that blue hedgehog is right! And you're coming in as one of my team members!"

"What?" Andre yells behind them, Dimitri, Tails, Knuckles, and Eric follow. "Come on, buddy, aren't you going to let me in your team too? And what about Dimitri?" Andre smiles weakly, shoving off Adriana. She huffs and shoves him back.

Dimitri watches this in silence, flinching once. He's not used to being dumped.

"No! Last time I was with you guys I lost, I'm picking some new team mates for this match!" Steel argues, his eyes searching each ones face,"And you! Eric, you're in."

"What! 4 eyes? You picked 4 eyes over me! Douchebag!" Andre yells, Adriana smacks him upside the head. "Ow! That hurts, toots!"

Steel nods to himself, seeming he made the right choices. He looks over at Eric for some agreement.

Eric's opaque glasses doesn't seem to let Steel his true emotion but he put his hands in his pockets, shrugging. Smiling, though. Still smiling at Andre's shrieks.

"You listen here, toots, calm down and act like gentleman for once in your life," Adriana huffs, having him in a headlock. Andre did go silent, this is pretty much the only time he can get close to her. Even if it did hurt. A lot.

"So we have one team ready, how about the others? Will you back down?" Sonic grins at Alphonse, Alex, and Devin.

"We.. uh.." Alphonse trails, not knowing what to do. He looks over at Alex for reassurance or something she would want to do. She shrugs, she mutters,"It's just a stupid vase."

She notices the black hedgehog with the white streaks gaze at her, smiling with a hint of almost mischievous. Andre's head slowly rises from Adriana's head lock.

Alphonse automatically goes in front of her, but he didn't have to worry, Alex is already disgusted by him.

"... Bring it! I'll smash you all down!" Devin yells, not caring what Al or Ali has to say about this.

"W-wait! But it's... raining, I'll get wet," Adriana says dully, squeezing Andre's head, almost suffocating him. "Can't you get someone else to race with Steel. Preferably someone who likes rain."

Alex shifts her bright, clear eyes at her, narrowing almost. "..No."

"Hm?" Adriana rises her eye brows, turning back toward her. Adriana thought Alex would say anything to her other than 'I don't remember'.

Alex clenches her hands, stepping forward.

"If I'm going to race... I might as well not race with a bunch of little boys, too easy. I need some real competition," She almost grins, her brows furrowing.

Adriana drops Andre down, shifting her weight on one side. "Hm, why would I want to get out, race, and get wet? Also for a girl who doesn't even know me? I'm not really getting anything in return," Adriana sighs, shrugging, pouting almost.

"I know you don't give up when someone calls you a coward," Alex retorts, a dirty smile placing on her muzzle. Alphonse chuckles a bit, if she wants to verse her he would allow.

Adriana flinches, irked. "Fine! Whatever! I'll smoke you!"

Alex crosses her arms, rocking back on her sneakers, content. "Nice one, Ali," Alphonse grins at her, his silver-bright eyes gazing at her.

"It's settled then. Take your time though, I don't think the rain will ever stop," Sonic laughs.

He explained the usual, about an hour to get their gear together. There were rentals and a small shop to buy some outfits and of course food right next to it. Courtesy of Ace's personal coffee shop and gear shop. Tails promised to take Alex, Alphonse, and Devin there soon.

Eric had to drag Adriana away, Steel following. "No one calls me a coward! ... Ever!" Adriana yells. Eric had to throw her over his shoulder, carrying her like she was a heavy bag.

"And you really want to race with that crazy chic?" Devin asks Alex, following Tails to the other side of the building for boards. Alphonse watches over them, curious also.

"Why not? She seems like a nice person."

The four walk along a short distance to Ace's Gear shop (which is in the same building) but not before glancing at a black hedgehog and an echidna.

"This looks like the place, Nick!" the black hedgehog grins wide, flipping his wet hair to the right. Long, black, thin quills naturally go diagonally to the right, his eyes almost lost. Lost but do blend it with the color, a never ending ebony. His older friend, an echidna with quills that reach near his shoulders took a ponder around the building. He takes his hat off his head and watches the water pour out. He puts it back on his dry(ish) head.

"Yep, buddy. Though I don't know how Donn and Adri got mixed up into this."

Sean waves him off,"Eh, you know them, it's not like they're going to live normal lives."

"Yeah! Especially with us!" Sean laughs, shaking off the a bit more, enough to take off the excess water, but not enough to have his quills poof up. Which is good.

Cue the Beatles music!~

Alex the Dark Vixen, Alphonse the Dark Kitsune, and Devin the Hedgehog belong to bloodydagger6

Sean Lenin and Nick Comet belong to Beatlboy62

Sonic and co belong to Sega

The rest of the knuckleheads are mine

x3 hoped you enjoyed it and review

you know I wuv you XDD