Who Framed Sonic the Hedgehog

Chapter 3

Murder, Dip and Doom

"Amy dear?" Acme said, knocking cheerfully on the door to her private room.

Shadow peeked around the corner, watching as Acme waited patiently with a bouquet of flowers. The man was literally bouncing on his toes. The famed singer couldn't be having affair with this man of all people, could she?

"Who is it?" Amy called, almost weary like.

"It's me Snively." Acme said, opening the door and stepping inside.

Shadow moved in no sooner the door closed. Listening quietly as Acme sang his praise to Amy. "My dear you murdered them! Absolutely slain them! Killed them with..."

Shadow's ease dropping was interrupted by large hands spinning him around. It was King Kong -the gorilla from earlier. He towered over Shadow glaring him down. "What do you think you're doing chump?" he demanded.

Shadow stood up to him, "Who do you think you are calling chump? You chimp!"

Now in terms of fights with a gorilla, calling him a chimp isn't probably the best strategy. The gorilla growled and yanked him up by his shirt collar. Carry the ebony hedgehog to an open back door, he glanced both ways before chucking Shadow into a large pile of garbage. Shadow yelled as he flew through the air and landed in the smelly trash. "Don't let me catch your around here again!" the gorilla threatened, slamming the door shut.

Shadow got up, whipping around, "Oooga Booga," He mocked. Brushing himself off, not caring whether or not the cranky butler heard him.

Glancing around Shadow noticed a window. It could possibly be Amy's. Moving quietly over Shadow jumped up once, catching a brief glimpse of the joker king and the singer. Crouching low, Shadow looked about. The window was high up, and taking pictures while jumping up and down wasn't going to work very well.

He spotted a wooden crate and gently dragged it over. Stepping up, Shadow peeked through the window. He reached into his coat and pulled out his camera. Silently lifting it up he began to take photos.

"Ivo I can't believe you would stoop so low to show me shit like this!"

Shadow flinched from his seat in the hallway. He wasn't able to see the famed star, but his anger was clear. Every minute that passed inside the office made Shadow grateful he remained out of it.

"Look at the evidence Sonic she's cheating you1" Maroon snapped.

"Like hell she is!" Sonic yelled. "There is no proof in these photos!"

"Face it Sonic, you're married to a jaguar not a kitten." Maroon said. "Here have a drink."

There was a loud slam, possibly a fist to a desk top.

"Damn it Maroon! I'm going home." Sonic cursed, "Amy and I will have a talk. We'll clear this whole thing up. Prove you wrong. And we will go back to being happy! You hear me! Perfectly happy! Whatever it takes!"

The door swung open fast, slamming against the wall with a loud bang. Shadow jumped slightly and turned to see the enraged hedgehog storm past, struggling to get his jacket on. Sonic the Hedgehog hadn't even registered he was there. Slowly getting up Shadow watched the star storm down the hall, before the detective finally turned around and walked into Maroon's office.

Maroon was looking out his window, staring at the large Acme company complex down the street. It's sign glowed bright in the evening sky. "I can't believe it was Snively. He's been my friend and neighbor over 30 years. Who would have thought he was a sugar daddy?"

Shadow moved in to take a drink as Maroon closed the blinds, "Well they didn't have sex or anything while I was there, but he did seem rather fond of her. Think he'll be alright?"

"He'll bounce back. Handsome famous hedgehog like him, dames will be knocking down his door in no time," Maroon snorted, he walked over to his desk and grabbed his check book. Tearing out a piece of it he handed the already written check to Shadow. "Here you are Mr. Valient, the other half of your pay."

"Pleasure doing business," Shadow said. He turned and walked out, ignoring the twisted feeling in his gut.

Sonic walked briskly down the street, one hand stuffed into his jean pocket, the other clutching the coat he never bothered to zip up tight. "Damn Maroon and his theories. Damn his photos. Damn the Valient who took them."

He was shaking, hard. From the cold or from rage he wasn't sure which. He glared up at the Acme company sign, the name a bane to his existence.

Letting out a deep sigh Sonic sat down on a crate and leaned against the building. He was struggling to remain sane. Lying to himself over and over in his mind.

We're going to get through this. Amy and I will just talk. She'll clear this whole thing up. We'll be happy again...perfectly happy...

Sonic opened his eyes, staring out across the way. He was going to fix this. One way or another, he was going to fix this. Letting out another defeated sigh he closed his eyes and let his head drop. He just didn't know how to fix this.

He curled up, leaning miserably into the wall for comfort tears began slipping down. He didn't know what to do.

But he would think of a way.

One way or another.

Shadow wearily unlocked his apartment door. Stepping inside he locked it again. It had been a long night, and he wanted to sleep. The sooner he went to sleep the sooner he could wake up and be able to give all the money he owed to Rouge. Then perhaps she would be happy with him for a little while.

He walked in deeper to the room, flicking the light on and dropping his keys onto the coffee table. His coat and hat came to a rest on the leather chair by the fold out bed. He walked across the room by his desk and took the remaining photos from the close line they had been developing on.

He tossed the Acme photos in the trash, disgusted with him for touching them, he paused and stared at the photos Rouge had taken on that vacation so many years ago. Slowly sitting down in his desk chair Shadow smiled weakly at the image.

He and Rouge were sitting in the water on the beach. Rouge was smiling brightly, as was he, something neither of them did often anymore. He had forgotten all about the trip, he thought perhaps tomorrow he would show Rouge the photos.

Shadow turned to the next photo in the stack, smiling at the memories. Rouge was putting sunscreen on his nose. She was laughing, and he was putting on a mock face of disgust, barely containing laughter.

There were photos of her sleeping as he buried her in sand. Photos of poses, and jokes, dinners and starry nights, Shadow couldn't help but smile and laugh softly. But the next photo looked at shot a arrow of pain and sorrow, and his smile vanished.

It was Maria. His partner.

The two of them were clearly dorking off, as they both played around with ukuleles . He looked sadly at her sunny smile. Then looked up at her desk, it was on the opposite side of his, pushing gently against it. It was all covered with dust, signifying the absence of her presence.

Shadow with a sigh and heavy heart, set down the photos, and reached across his desk to a waiting bottle of scotch.

There was a large crash as the bottle of empty scotch made contact with the metal trash can. And Shadow awoke with a yell, his yell quickly stifled however as the evident hangover kicked in and he groaned, he realized he must of drank himself to sleep last night.

There was another crash as the trash hit the floor and Shadow turned his head to see a smug looking crocodile grinning down at him.

Shadow smirked, covering his irritation formed by the rude wake up call. "Vector Santino. Where did you come from?"

Vector said nothing as he moved to the other side of the desk, holding the photos Shadow had tossed last night he shook his head, "Good God Shadow if you needed money so badly why didn't you come to me?" he asked.

Shadow poured himself a glass of water, "So what if I've been taking dirty photos."

"I don't need another skiff thank you very much."

"What's that supposed to mean Vector?"

Vector leaned in, "Snively Acme," he said bluntly, "He was bumped off last night."

Shadow squinted not quite getting what Vector was saying. He brought his water glass up to his mouth.

Vector rolled his eyes, "Sonic the Hedgehog murdered Acme, Shadow."

Shadow spit out his drink in a spew of salvia and water, "What!"

Vector's police car pulled them both up to the location of the crime, Acme's Company warehouse. Shadow stared at the car, looking at the building. Beyond the great height of the company building, he could hear the joyous laughter and songs of Toon Town.

"What's wrong?" Vector asked.

'Well," Shadow said, "This has to be the closest I've been to Toon Town in awhile."

Vector nodded, "Well lucky for you the murder took place inside the warehouse, not behind it. Come on."

Stepping in through and employee's only door, Vector paused to tell the guarding officer Shadow was with him. They walked into the vast factory and approached two officers who were inspecting for clues.

"Shelly, Mike, fill in Valiant over her for me," Vector said.

Shelly and Mike, a tan mongoose and a dark brown porcupine respectively, turned around. "Well to be blunt, Snively Acme was murdered late last night," Mike simply put it.

"Blunt force trauma to the brain," Shelly explained," Killed him instantly." She gestured behind her, revealing blood droplets on the floor.

"What killed him," Shadow asked.

"A safe," Mike said bluntly, causing Shelly to elbow him.

Shadow's eye twitched, "A safe?"

"The killer," Shelly explained, "Suspended the safe from at the top of the warehouse and when the victim came underneath, well..." She trailed off...

Shadow followed the trail of blood droplets, and almost heaved at where it ended. The safe was impaled partially into the floor, the concrete was torn and turned up, and blood was everywhere, on the floor, on the rope, on the safe. There were other things splattered about too, a little more solid looking than blood, Shadow felt is stomach churn, "You mean that's-"

"The other half of Acme's head?" Mike answered, "Yep." Shelly smacked him arm, more like a punch actually. "Ow!"

"Will you cut it out?" Shelly hissed, "Or I'll drop something on your head."

As Shadow stared grimly at the gruesome scene, Vector crossed his arms, "Leave it to a former Toon to drop a safe on someone's head," Vector mumbled. When Shadow gave him a look of death he flinched, "Oh, sorry Shad's, didn't mean to hit a soft spot." He patted him on the shoulder, "Why don't you wait here, I've got to go ask some questions."

Shadow looked around the room, noticing Amy Hedgehog was up at the upper floor's managers' office, she seemed rather upset.

"Hey Scourge get a load of this," Mike laughed, he pulled a floppy black disk out of a box label Black Holes. Mike then threw the disk against a brick wall, where it stuck. He then stuck his arm into the hole, causing everyone in the room to laugh.

From behind him, the man he assumed was Scourge responded, "Well Mike take a load of this one."

Shadow turned just in time to see Scourge lift a hammer, but this was no ordinary hammer. A Boxing glove on a spring shot out of it, Shadow and Mike both had to lean away to dodge as it flew past and slammed into a boat on the far fall. The glove came back, then shot out again, aiming for Shadow, once more he had to dodge and the glove went by, crashing into a stack of boxes labeled Singing Swords.

Scourge laughed, setting the hammer down. He stared Shadow up and down, grinning smugly he said, "Hey, you still under the name of Shadow Valiant? Or is it different now."

Shadow just growled and turned away as some of the cops laughed. He moved over to the safe inspecting the inside. He looked at Shelly who was using tweezers to pull white gunk of a severed rope attached to the safe. Every time she pulled some loose, she gently placed it into a small vial.

"What's that?"

She looked at him, "Its paint from the hedgehog's glove."

Shadow nodded. "I see."

"Mr. Valiant?"

Shadow turned around to see Amy. She looked piss-

SLAP!

Shadow's head snapped to the side as gloved hand connected with his cheek. He looked at her, shocked. "I hope you're happy," Amy raged, she turned sharply on her heal and stormed towards the exit, "Especially with the pictures you took." leaving Shadow to tend to his wounded cheek bone.

There was large crash and the officers moving Acme's covered body sprawled to the floor as one of them tripped over a box full of Toon shoes. Officers scrambled to the scene trying to catch the masses of shoes. The emergency stretcher holding Acme collapsed on the body half, causing the body to jerk and Acme's arm to fall out from under the white sheets. As his arm slipped something fell from his hand and rolled to the floor.

Shadow glanced around, no one had noticed in the chaos, so he slowly advanced towards the object. As the team was putting the last of the shoes in the box, Shadow reached down grabbing gently hold of the object.

A cane stabbed into his hand, making him jump, "Ow!" He followed the cane up to the silver skull handlebar. Then he followed the black latex glove up to the owner, and his eyes fell upon the most disturbing human he had ever seen.

The man was dressed entirely in black in exception to the white shirt underneath the large trench coat and black bowtie to match. He also wore a black fedora, followed by large round tinted glasses, which masked glaring eyes. The man was pale, tall, and scrawny, about fifty in age, and over all menacing. Shadow was stunned.

The man looked up at Vector, who had stepped up behind Shadow. "Is this man removing evidence from the scene of the crime?" he demanded.

Shadow stood quickly as Vector nervously responded. "Oh no sir. He was just picking it up for you." He glared at Shadow his voice growing rough, "Weren't you Shadow?"

Shadow looked at Vector, then glanced back at the man. The man stuck out his hand, "Hand it over."

Shadow smiled, "Sure," and he shoved the hand buzzer right into the man's hand.

The man stiffened at the electrical shock and quickly yanked it out of Shadow's hand.

"It's their biggest seller," Shadow said smoothly.

The man glared at him long and hard, "I see working for toons has rubbed off on you somewhat."

Shadow growled immediately, "I wasn't working for a toon. I was working for I. K. Maroon."

The man smiled wickedly, "Yes. We talked to Mr. Maroon, he said the hedgehog became quiet agitated when he was shown the pictures. Apparently he said one way or another he and his wife were going to be happy." He tilted his head, "Isn't that right?"

Shadow glared, "Do I look like a stenographer to you?"

"Cut the crap Shadow," Vector said. "The man is in charge here."

"That's alright lieutenant," the man smiled, "I'd say from the smell of him, it was the booze talking." He straightened, "But no worries the hedgehog won't get far, my men will find him."

At that moment a large police carrier crashed through the cargo doors, racing through the building nearly hitting half the people in the room. It knocked over dozens of crates and boxes before coming to a stop on the other side of the man, who hadn't moved and inch.

Shadow and Vector moved closer to the car for a better look. Shadow's eyes narrowed, "Weasels!"

"That's right!" the man stated, "They seem to have a special knack for the job."

Doors opened and weasels climbed out of the vehicle almost like clowns in a clown car. Five of them clambered out, carrying various degrees of weapons, talking to each other crudely and laughing.

"Did you find the hedgehog?" the man asked.

The leader walked forward, "Don't worry Judge, we've got informants all over the city, we'll fine him," he said, the rest of the group laughed and sneered in agreement.

The "Judge" walked forward, "You wouldn't happen to know where the hedgehog might be?" he turned towards Shadow," Mr. Valiant?"

Shadow frowned, "Did you happen to try a chilli dog stand?" he asked, rewarding him with a jab in the back from Vector.

His interrogator walked forward, "I'm surprised you are not more cooperative Mr. Valiant. A man has been murdered, by a toon. Don't you appreciate the magnitude of that?"

A squeaking sound filled the air and Shadow and the "Judge" both looked down to see a clown shoe. It must have been from the box of toon shoes. It rubbed against the man's foot affectionately, squeaking happily, it seemed completely unaware of the clear danger glowing off this man.

The man smirked, "Since Toon Town has been under my jurisdiction, it has been my duty to rid the world of insanity," he explained, reaching into his coat to pull out a rubber glove, smiling pleasantly as he slipped it over one of his hands. "The only way to do that, is to make toons respect" on that word he snapped the glove tight over his hand, staring Shadow straight in the eye, "the law."

He reached down, picking up the puppy like clown shoe from the ground. The shoe sensing the man's distaste now, attempted to make a getaway, but failed as the man picked him up. It squeaked nervously, looking up at the man with big sad eyes.

The man hardly gave it a second glance, shaking his head in disgust he moved over to the Weasel's car.

Shadow leaned in to Vector, whispering, "How'd that gargoyle become a judge?"

Vector leaned in as well, " He spread a few bucks around Toon town and won the election a few years back. His last name is Doom."

"Judge Doom?" Shadow said.

"Yeah," Vector sighed. Together they watched as Doom moved over to a large metal bin, marked with a biohazard sign. With his free arm he yanked the lid off, revealing a greenish streaming liquid within. "Remember how we always thought there wasn't a way to kill a Toon?" Vector asked.

Shadow slowly shook his head, "Wait, you mean that's-."

Vector swallowed, "Yes, Doom was the one who found a way. It's a mixture of turpentine, acetone, all of which are paint-thinners, and benzene, a natural constituent of crude oil"

"Dip," Shadow whispered.

Doom turned to them then, "I'll catch the hedgehog Mr. Valiant. Then I'll try him, sentence him," he lowered the clown shoe over the Dip, "Then execute him."

The shoe made contact with the Dip and immediately started to whimper in pain and misery. Shadow knew he himself an animation was immune to Dip, but that didn't stop him from know that this was a slow and painful way for Toons to die.

He and Vector watched in horror and disgust as the clown shoe dissolved away, its voice carrying off into a death rattle as it became nothing more than a red stain in the vat of green Dip.

Judge Doom pulled his hand out, his glove covered in the red life that had once been the shoe, "This is how we do things down in Toon Town Mr. Valiant." He walked towards Shadow, "I think you of all people would appreciate that."

Shadow swallowed once, and then twice. Damn it where did his voice go? "You can't kill an Animation that way," he said, his voice would have been a whisper if it was any quieter.

Doom smiled, and wicked, truly vicious smile, "Oh there are other ways to kill an Animation Mr. Valiant." and then his smile got wider.

Two chapters in a day, my my you are spoiled aren't you?

With Doom is on the case, Sonic is to be frank, screwed.

Hey anyone notice Mike has a new job! That's right! Officer baby! For those of you who don't know Mike, go check him out in my story Blue Sky, he's a really nice guy *wink*

This chapter is dedicated to Werehog20 who needed a little sunshine sent their way. :D (Yes I just dedicated a chapter full of murder and dip to you I promise I'll fix that later.)

See you all for the next chapter.