The Bet

Chapter 12

7:39 p.m.

Upon coming to a decision on which restaurant would satisfy their taste, they agreed on simply going to IHOP. Having just been their a few days ago, Amy and Cream had no problem knowing what they wanted, but had to wait for everyone else who wasn't familiar with the menu. The place was empty save for a couple and a group of teenagers, it was a slow night. Service was quick on the upper hand and their server Chad was nice.

"How long will it be until our next search?" Rouge asked, striking up a conversation.

"I'd give it a day or two, just to be on the safe side. After all, if they chose one little warehouse for this 'club', why not spread out?" Tails answered logically.

"That makes sense, but if they really were there, how could we tell?"

"Maybe it had something to do with Sonic. He called me a little while ago asking where I was and Silver called after that asking why Sonic was asking where I was." Knuckles explained.

"What did Silver tell him?" Shadow questioned. Although not really knowing where, Silver could've told him anything.

"As far as I know, I'm at home. Not sure if Sonic checked, but I'll see when I get there."

Just then, the waiter came with the food and placed everything in front of the right person. As he did so, Amy saw a tattoo on the man's wrist. It only stuck out because it looked exactly like something she saw on the internet one night she was bored. Something about…an idea struck her…

"Shadow, did you notice Sonic having a tattoo on his wrist the other night?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, why?"

Looking back to make sure the waiter was far enough, "What did it look like?"

"Uh, a black heart with a broken arrow on top." he said.

"That guy has the same tattoo." Amy pointed out.

"Are you sure?" Tails asked, shocked.

"Yeah, when he gave us our food, I saw it right there." she stated.

"Guess we know what this means…" Rouge said.

"We have our first lead."

After they left, they took vehicles and hid them behind the trees separating the parking lot from a driveway leading to the street. As the closing hour approached, employees headed out getting ready to go home. Soon, the same guy that served them came out and Knuckles moved in. Hearing his footsteps, the man looked up at jumped from shocked.

"L-Look man! I want any trouble! All I have is twenty dollars!" he shouted. Knuckles rolled his eyes.

"I'm not here to rob you….Chad." he stated calmly.

"You…you aren't?" Chad stuttered nervously.

"No, I just want to talk, but if I don't get the information I need…well, you get the rest." Knuckles laughed.

"Um…okay… what do you want to know?" he asked.

"You know a blue hedgehog by the name of Sonic?"

"Yeah, he's…wait. You're a cop, aren't you?" Chad exclaimed.

"No. Like I said-"

"Sorry, but I'm not allowed to talk to you." And with that, Chad tried to push his way past only to bump into Shadow.

"I don't think we're finished here." Shadow said, glaring. He back away scared.

"Now I'm about to be gang raped?!" Chad shouted. Sighing, Knuckles grabbed his shoulders.

"Look. You're trying my patience. All I need to know is where the main hideout is and we'll be gone." Knuckles said.

"I don't know anything! Just leave me alone!" He went to shout some more, but Knuckles decided it would be best to scare it out of him. He turned him around and put him in a chokehold.

"Let's try this again…where is the main hideout?!"

"…Uptown…industrial…district…" was all he said before he was thrown to the ground.

"Thanks, nice talkin' to ya, Chad." Knuckles said. As they walked away, he got off the ground coughing.

"The boss will want to know about this…"

XxxXxxXxxXxxX

Sitting on the couch of the living area of their hotel room, Amy idly flipped through countless channels. She hated this since they didn't really have cable here and Shadow said she couldn't rent anymore movies after she begged a thousand times. Then something caught her eye and she went back a channel showing the news.

"Good afternoon, Station Square. Juanita Dollis here for breaking news. I'm standing here with Chad Bonitos, a server from this IHOP on highway 46, who says he was attacked and sexual harassed by two men in this very parking lot over directions!"

"Shadow!"

"What?"

"Get in here!" Grumbling to himself, the ebony hedgehog came around the corner with a toothbrush in his hand.

"How many times do I have to tell you-"

"Shut up and watch!" Amy interrupted turning the volume up.

"Uh, yeah. A red echidna came up to me asking for directions but I told him I didn't know where this place was. When I tried to walk away, some other guy with freakish red eyes stopped me and allowed the other one to grab me. He held me against him and wouldn't let go until I threatened to call the cops. He threw to the ground and they left. That's pretty much it…I never got their names but I was their server and they had a…pink hedgehog, cream rabbit, yellow fox, and an ivory bat with them."

"Upon further investigation of store footage, we identified this group to be team members of the Sonic Heroes. The police said we aren't allowed to say their names, but will be questioning them one by one to get the truth."

"The truth?! The dude almost fucking raped me and you want to know the truth?"

"This has been Juanita Dollis-"

"Looks like we're famous again…" Amy joked sadly, turning the TV off.

"What the fuck? How did I end up in all this, I just standing there." Shadow exclaimed.

"He said you allowed Knuckles to put him in that chokehold. He turned it around and made it seem like you were sexually harassing him." Going back to where he was, Shadow then came back with his phone and sat next to her. Just as he sat down, the phone buzzed.

"Yeah, I just saw it too."

"What are we going to do?"

"What can we do? The police are involved now."

"But what about that theory of Sonic going down and taking us with him because they get involved? Can it really happen?"

"I don't know…"

"…Well, I guess it's time to tell the others."

"You work on that. I have something I need to do…"

"Fine. See you later, I guess."

Sighing after hanging up the phone, Shadow stood up. "Where are you going?" Amy asked, following him. He went all the way into the room, grabbed some clothes and shut the door to the bathroom. Seconds later he came out, and grabbed the keys to his motorcycle.

"Where are you going?!" Amy asked again. Shadow stopped just before closing the door.

"Keep this door closed, don't answer it for anybody, and use my pistol if you have to." was all he said before leaving the poor girl alone.

Amy paced around the empty room, wondering what to do. She had no idea what his last words could mean, but he must've been going to do something he'd soon regret. And the fact that she wasn't with him made the situation worse. Whether he liked to admit it or not, Amy was like that like ray of sunshine in his cloudy sky and if he was about to completely lose it, she would be there to talk him out of it. Not this time, though.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit…." Amy chanted over and over again. After seeing that news broadcast, where could he possibly want to go in such a hurry?

Getting an idea, she grabbed her phone and dialed Rouge number.

"Yes?"

"I need you to come over to the hotel off of Drew and Helen and come get me."

"Why are you in a hotel? What's wrong?"

"Shadow is out there and he's about to something crazy, I feel it! Please!"

"…Give ten minutes.

Shadow zoomed down the street, ignoring all the blaring horns of cars he nearly hit. He knew where he was going, and by all means he was going to get there. I can't believe that bastard did that. But, when I confront him, he'll think twice next time. Soon, he arrived at a two story house. A dark blue Lexus was parked right in front of the garage door and the door was open to the house. Jumping off, he rushed up and in the house with a fierce look.

"Sonic!" he shouted. His response was the sound of shattering glass and a thud followed by a scream; a girl's scream…

"Somebody help!" she shouted. Flying up the stairs, he found a blood trail leading down the hallway to a room. "Please! Help us!" the female voice again. Upon entering the room, he found two girls, a fox and a cat looking no older than Amy herself, lying on the floor. One's eyes were closed with blood pouring out of a wound across her arm and leg. The other, who's scared wondered to him, kneeled over her checking the pulse.

"Who are you?! Please, don't hurt me!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not going to hurt you…" he stated calmly. He kneeled beside the girl on the floor, and felt for a pulse. It was there but it was weak. "Who did this?" Shadow asked.

"S-Sonic…He dragged us up here and cut my friend…" the fox replied. She looked back to her friend, worried. "Can you call an ambulance?"

Only nodding slightly, he handed her the phone just as he heard tires screeching across the asphalt. He looked outside and saw the dark blue Lexus speed away just as what he recognized as Rouge's car pulled up. The ivory bat and pink hedgehog came out and ran to the door.

"Shadow?"

"Up here."

"Who-who is that?" the fox whimpered. He held up a hand signaling her to remain quiet until the other females came through the door and saw the gruesome scene.

"Oh my god! Crystal!" Amy cried. It took a minute, but Shadow figured out that Amy knew that girl.

"Amy?" Crystal doubled checked before running to her and hugging her. Rouge was too busy to notice, staring at the cat on the floor. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here!" the fox, known as Crystal, exclaimed.

"Who did this?" Rouge asked.

"Sonic. He just left after I got up here." Shadow answered. Shaking her head, the bat went over to comfort the weeping girl while Amy went to talk to Shadow.

"What the hell were you thinking?! Running off like that!" Amy shouted. She received a cold glare from the ebony hedgehog.

"That bastard is behind all of this and you think I was just going to sit there and not do anything?" he sneered.

"That has nothing to do with what I just asked. What if that girl was you Shadow?!" the rose-pink girl wept. Tears welled up in her eyes, knowing that it could have very well been him had Crystal and her friend been here first.

"It wouldn't have come to that-"

"Stop assuming you this invincible Superman that can do anything! You're still going to bleed just like the rest of us." Amy interrupted.

"Stop assuming you have to watch over me every living second! I know what I'm capable of and if I needed you help, I would have told you," Shadow said, dominating her with his demanding voice. "I had the situation under control, coming here like that could've put you in danger. I was saving you from whatever could have happened." he finished. Amy looked at him for a second before backing down realizing he was right.

"The ambulance…" Crystal called out, shyly. The red lights flashed as they backed into the driveway. Two paramedics came up with a bag, looking at the girl on the floor.

"What happened?" one man asked.

"She got cut with glass. She might have a concussion from hitting her head on the stairs." Crystal answered. Checking on the girl, he nodded to the other guy.

"Help me get her outside. We'll take her to the hospital and work on her on the way over. Might as well take you, just in case." he said. Lifting the cat carefully, the made their way outside along with everyone else trailing behind.

"Thanks for letting me use your phone." Crystal said to Shadow. He only nodded. She gave Amy one last hug. "See me at the hospital?" she asked. Amy looked over to Shadow who just looked away and crossed his arms.

"…Yes. Yeah, I come see you." she replied. Nodding, the men closed the doors, put on the sirens and flew in the other direction towards the nearest hospital. Rouge stood beside them with her hands on her hips.

"Well, isn't this great. We have an ex-hero on the run, we have girls falling victim to his changing, and two overemotional hedgehogs. Can things get any worse?" the bat said, throwing her hands in the air. She received a punch from Amy and possibly a bruise to remember it by.

"Crystal Chavez, room 492A. Down the hall, make a right, first hallway on the left, three doors down." the nurse said. Thanking her kindly, the two hedgehogs made their way towards but Amy suddenly stopped.

"Why'd you stop?" Shadow asked.

"I think it would be best you stayed here…" she said. He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "She may not feel comfortable with you there." Amy explained further. Sighing, he went back to the waiting room as Amy continued on.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Stopping right outside her friend's door, she heard giggling a male's voice. Knocking on the door carefully, all went quiet. The door was opened by a honey brown fox with blue eyes.

"Uh…Crystal?"

"Is that Amy? Let her in Leo." So, Leo stepped aside and let the rose-pink hedgehog in. He closed the door and retook his seat beside the sparkling white fox who had her leg propped up as she laid back.

"Amy, you're here." Crystal exclaimed. Amy went over and hugged her friend. She decided it would be best to at least give her a few minutes before getting some answers out of her.

"I said I would. How're you feeling?" Amy asked, motioning towards her leg.

"Oh, I'm fine. When they got Cadence situated, they noticed I was bleeding. Apparently, somehow during all this, I fell on some glass. I guess seeing your friend bleeding out right in front of you nullifies any type of pain inflicted on you…" Crystal said. Then she noticed Leo's gaze shifting from her to Amy. "Oh! Leo, this is my friend Amy. Amy, this is Leo."

"Hi…" was all he said.

"Well…nice to meet you too. I'm afraid I'm going to have ask you to leave. There's something I need to discuss with Crystal…alone…" Amy said as cheerfully as possible without losing her temper. Reluctantly, Leo got up left the room, muttering about wanting to get a drink anyway.

"I'm so sorry. He usually isn't like this. It's just, we're childhood friends and he's very protective of me." Crystal explained.

"I figured as much. Anyways, to get straight to the point, why were you in Sonics' house today?" the hedgehog asked bluntly. The fox diverted her attention to her stitched wound.

"Well, it actually started a week ago, around your birthday. He just came up to me and asked me out. I thought it was a prank or something, but after the first time, it seemed legit. Then he invited me and Cadence over today…he tried to take us somewhere but Cadence wanted to know where, so one thing led to another and Sonic lost it. You've seen the results of that…" Crystal restated the event sadly. "You probably think I'm stupid, huh?"

"No, absolutely not! Sonic hasn't been his self for the past few days and I'm pretty sure it's permanent. I've been through one hell of a week myself…" Amy said, muttering the last part, but the fox heard and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing you should worry about. It's getting pretty late. I'll try to come see you soon." and with that the two hugged, said there final goodbyes and Amy left.

Hello, everybody! The story is now progressing and as we get deeper into it, relationships shall be tested…but the question is whose? So many possibilities…and to find out who, you'll have to stay tuned! Don't forget to leave any comments! Until then… -D.A.K