Who Framed Sonic the Hedgehog?

Chapter 5

Could It Get Worse?

"I've got a Will to find."

Yes he had said that at the diner. And yes Shadow Valiant had every intention of solving the case. He did not take kindly to being tricked and was determined to find the culprit. But solving a crime takes the right tools.

And a proper shower.

He needed one, considering he had been tossed into trash, smelled of booze, had the stench of Dip trapped in his nostrils, and the least of his problems, he was still sweaty. Shadow's life had gone from okay, to bad, to hell, in just a few hours. A shower was a good way to refresh the mind and get a jump start on the case.

Yes, a shower was a good thing. Distracting woman however, was not.

A woman was the last thing Shadow expected least of all Amy Hedgehog. She was casually looking around his torn apart office, picking up a cracked mirror with a smile. He was hardly decent for the famed singer when he stepped out of the bathroom. He had nothing but a pair of pants loosely hanging around his hips and a wet towel on his shoulders, he nearly u-turned right back into the bathroom when he saw her.

But Amy made eye contact and wasted not one second, "You've got the wrong idea about me Mr. Valiant. I'm a pawn in this just like my husband, you have to help me." She walked up to him, "Just name your price, I'll pay it."

With a huge sigh, Shadow crossed his arms, "Yeah I'm sure you would. You need him to make the scam work."

Amy shook her head desperately, walking by him, "No, no, no, I love my husband. You got it all wrong." She turned around again, gesturing to herself, "Do you know how hard it is? Being a woman and looking the way I do?"

Shadow snorted, "Do you know how hard it is, being a man and looking at a woman like you?" He threw the towel over his shoulder, "You're just out to get your husband and that's that."

She looked at him, practically pouting, "I'm not bad...I'm just drawn that way."

As he began pulling his shirt on he said, "Weren't you having an affair with Acme? He never missed a single one of your performances. And it's pretty obvious that...ahem, he enjoyed your company. I caught you the two of you together..."

"You didn't catch me Mr. Valiant," Amy said smugly, "You were set up to take those pictures."

"What are you talking about?"

"Maroon wanted to blackmail Acme," Amy explained, "I didn't want anything to do with it!"

Shadow leaned against his desk, "Maroon wanted to blackmail Acme hmm?"

"Yes," Amy walked towards him," Maroon said if didn't pose for the affair; Sonic would never work in this town again! I couldn't let that happen," she leaned in close, "I'd do anything for my husband Mr. Valiant. Anything."

Shadow swallowed hard. Amy was close, possibly closer that the last time she got close to him. At this moment at this certain time, was too close for comfort. He gently pushed her back, coughing away his unease, "Yeah I'm sure you would."

Amy grabbed his wrist, "Please Mr. Valiant. I'm desperate! Can't you see how much I need you?"

"Ah-hem."

Shadow's head snapped to the door, and he felt his stomach twist. Dammit. Of all the people to walk in right now it had to be her.

It was Rouge.

She was irritated, but she was expertly keeping it in check. "Dabbing in watercolors Shadow?"

Shadow laughed uneasily, "Um, well, you see-"

"I'd better take my leave," Amy said calmly. She grabbed her purse and moved towards the door, "My offer stands firm Mr. Valiant. Think about it." Then with a sultry wink, Amy Hedgehog was gone and out the door.

If looks could kill Shadow would have been the next murder case, "Well!" Rouge said, storming over and -for the second time that morning - Shadow was slapped. Only Rouge wasn't an actress, she was a waitress, who dealt with jerks every day. Therefore her slaps were harder. Considerably harder.

"Ouch!"Shadow immediately reached up to tend to the wounded cheek, "What was that for?"

"You want to tell me what she was doing with her arms around you!" Rouge snapped.

"Probably looking for a good place to stick a knife!"

Rouge's face went red, "Oh come on Shadow I caught you red handed!" Her voice cracked and she whipped away, making a quick escape for the exit.

Shadow started after, "Rouge wait!" His knee hooked onto his hanging suspenders and Shadow went crashing to the ground, "Ah shit!" Scrambling up Shadow furiously worked to finishing getting dressed, "Rouge wait! Let me explain!"

He still wasn't fully dressed when he got out side. Shadow was doing an awkward hop as he pulled on his left shoe, he still didn't have his coat on, and one suspender was still hanging low. "Rouge!" He yanked the last shoe up and dashed after the furious bat.

Valiant was so focused on getting to Rouge, that he failed to notice Amy watching quietly from the back of a cab, just sitting off to the side of the curb, listening.

Cutting off her path he gently grabbed her arms, "Do you really think someone like her could turn my head? She was just trying to get her hands on Sonic!"

Rouge shoved him away, "That clearly not all she's trying to get her hands on!" she then continued walking across the street.

Shadow walked, "Rouge listen to me, you go buy yourself a nice swimsuit, because we are going to Catalina! I am so close to solving this."

She put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes, "Not you're not Shadow, that's what I came to tell you! I stopped by the probate," She sighed and began fixing his shirt, "Maroon is not after Toon Town, Clover Leaf was the highest bidder. And unless the Will is found by midnight tonight, Clover Leaf owns Toon Town."

"Midnight tonight?"

"That's right."

Shadow glanced over at the Red Car Station, "First they buy the Red Car, and then they want to buy Toon Town. That doesn't quite make sense. But it's only a minor setback. " He crossed his arms, "I'll figure this out, and then you and I-"

"There is no you and I," Rouge sighed, "I have been faithful for a long time Shadow. I have been through every mood, every drink, and every fling you've ever had." She stepped back. "Well I'm done."

"Rouge come on-"

"Things just won't go back to the way there were Shadow." Rouge said quietly, "And that's that."

"Rouge-"

"Perhaps you should go check on your framed friend," Rouge turned away, walking towards the diner. Shadow watched her go, before quietly walking after.

Smarty was still sore from the soap incident. His pride had been damaged, he had been laughed at, and Valiant had gotten away scot free.

He was making a list of all the ways he could hurt Valiant, starting from the bottom with humiliation, and working his way up to downright painful. It was quite long now and getting longer still.

Revenge wasn't supposed to be a good thing, but Smarty begged to differ.

"Jackass, smart alek," Smarty grumbled, "He's asking for it! If I catch him in league with the hedgehog, I'm gonna make him wish he was never born!"

"Eh Boss?" Wheezy said, sticking his head into the Toon Patrol van. His cigar immediately filled the entire compartment with thick suffocating smoke. But Smarty didn't care, he was a Toon, he wouldn't choke. The only way he die was by Dip or well...some other things, but that was never going to happen.

"What do you want?" he snarled.

"One of our informants has found the hedgehog," Wheezy said with a wink of his eye.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, he's at the diner connected to the Red Car Station."

"Call up the Judge then," Smarty ordered.

"Oh and Boss?"

"What?!"

"Valiant is the one hiding him."

The list stopped then, it didn't need to be any longer. Because Smarty now had every reason to make Valiant suffer, and when Smarty looked at Wheezy with a devilish gleam in his eye, he could tell that Wheezy knew exactly what he was thinking. "Well we'll just see to it that Valiant face some justice then."

And then he smiled.

If the day couldn't have gotten much worse, Shadow learned once more that Hollywood was full of unwanted surprises.

To his horror Sonic was not in the hidden room, but instead sitting at one of the bar stools as if he was a normal customer. He had quite a crowd gathered too, and they all were laughing.

"...And so Goofy couldn't sit for a week after that," Sonic was finishing up some story, "And that's why you never see him in the cartoons with rockets anymore."

The group erupted into laughter, talking amongst themselves. A few began demanding another story, judging by the drinks and the crowd; this had been going on quite awhile.

Shadow made a bee-line for Sonic; he grabbed his arm, "What the hell do you think you are doing! I am out there risking my neck for you and you're in here telling stories!"

Sonic stood, following Shadow to the back room, "I'm sorry, the people here are really nice! And I was stuck all alone back here. It can't hurt to talk to them Valiant."

"No," Shadow snapped slamming the door shut behind thm, "But you are wanted for murder, in case you have forgotten."

"Oh come one Shads those people needed a laugh."

"Oh yeah," Shadow jabbed his finger towards the wall, where the laughter was still emitting from the other side, " Don't call me be Shads! When they're done laughing they're gonna call the cops. Nack out there would turn you in for a nickel!"

"How can you be sure?" Sonic asked quietly.

"How can you be?" Shadow asked back.

"Because one thing I learned as a Toon is laughter is a powerful thing," Sonic explained, "It's surprising how far a laugh can go. I was once told that sometimes laughter is the only weapon we have."

Shadow growled, "Well times have changed! Laughter doesn't do a damn thing for you."

The cobalt hedgehog threw his hands up in exasperation, "Oh my God! What has happened to you that makes you so pessimistic?"

"And what the hell makes you so naive!"

"I am not naive Valiant," Sonic nearly yelled.

"Well you look like it to me,"

"I am fully aware of what this world is capable of," Sonic snapped, "I am wanted for a murder that I didn't do! In case you have forgotten!"

"Couldn't you have just stayed put of two hours!" Shadow snapped back.

"Can you keep a bottle of scotch out of your hand for ten minutes?" The star mocked.

"Why-I adda!" Shadow growled.

"You are literally at the edge of the slums Valiant!" Sonic said. "You only see the world in a negative point of view. You aren't going to get anywhere with a perspective like that."

"Well if you don't get your head out of the clouds and just realize that everything below stardom is far from perfect, you're in for quite a wakeup call."

"Stardom isn't perfect. As this situation clearly shows."

Shadow turned away, "God why did I have to get stuck with the likes of you."

"Valiant-"

"I mean heaven help me I had to be stuck with you!"

"Um Val-"

"All I wanted was a little money, I'd pay of Rouge, maybe pay the bills for once."

"Shads-"

"But no, I had to be stuck handcuffed to a wanted killer." Shadow ranted.

"Shadow!" Sonic snapped.

He turned sharply, "What!"

Sonic jumped slightly at his sudden turn but quickly recovered, "What's that noise?"

Shadow went quiet; a buzzing noise was filling the room, off, on, off, on. Shadow glanced to the wall and noticed the red warning light was flashing. "Oh no."

"What? What's wrong?" Sonic asked, "What's happening?"

Shadow Valiant stared solemnly at the blinking light, "I think we've been found."

"Utshay upway, "Rouge mumbled, her finger pressing harshly on the button hidden under the counter."Shut up guys," She slowly reached up and took off her hat as the scariest man she had ever seen entered her diner.

The whole restaurant had gone quiet the moment Judge Doom entered the room. His eyes scanned the room looking for the 'killer' he surely knew was here.

"I'm looking for a murderer," He said calmly walking deeper into the building.

Many of the customers quickly went back to their drinks, or their game off pool. Nack reached down and began picking up pieces of a broken plate of the floor. None of them wanted to mess with the Judge.

Rouge watched silently as he walked in, followed closely by a bunch of snickering, smelly, sinister looking weasels. They made Nack almost look like a daisy. She could only hope Shadow had noticed the warning over his -very loud- argument with Sonic.

Sonic and Shadow had made a mad dash for the peep hole in the wall, staring through the fake electric socket as the Judge entered the building.

"I'm looking for a murderer," the Judge said, watching as the customers began to leave. He stopped behind two men cowering over their drinks, "A hedgehog to be exact." The two men scrambled away, leaving their liquor behind.

Shadow sighed, "Idiots could have finished their drink at least," he mumbled.

"He's an animation, former toon of course." The judge explained, "And about yay-" he gestured with his hand, "High."

Shadow watched as Rouge crossed her arms, "There is no hedgehog like that here. So stop harassing my customers."

"I didn't come here to harass." Doom explained, "I came here to reward."Wiping of the white board, her began writing a new 'special' onto it.

With hard painful screeches, he scrapped the words on. Half of the people in the room flinched, others covered their eyes trying to block out the painful sound. Rouge's ears twitched but she made no other move.

Shadow tucked his ears back, noticing from the corner of his eye that Sonic was doing like-wise, hissing in discomfort.

When Doom finally pulled away the sign read anew, Hedgehog Dip. $500. People in the room murmured at the large amount presented. And much to Shadow's dismay, Nack whistled in agreement.

Nack glanced casually around the room before looking back at Doom with a smile, "I've seen a hedgehog."

Doom leaned in, "Where?"

Sonic let out a small gasp and leaned away from the peek hole. Shadow gave him a look, "See?" He whispered, "I told you." Sonic just swallowed staring worriedly out the gap.

The Judge had advance quickly onto Nack, "Where have you seen him?"

"Sure," Nack said casually, "He's right here in the bar."

Doom leaned in more; the whole room was tense with fear and waiting. And everyone watched, as Nack threw and arm over a silver hedgehog right next to him.

"Here he is," Nack said, barely containing his laugh, "Come on Silver, say hello."

The whole room erupted into laughter as Doom glared Nack down. The weasel just laughed ignoring the Judge's deathly glare.

Sonic let out a breath of relief, "I told you so," he whispered to Shadow, leaning back.

Doom smiled suddenly and the whole room stopped laughing, "How humorous of you," he said with forced pleasance. His face went dark, "What could I expect from drunken ruffians!"

Everyone flinched, turning away as Doom faced the Weasels, "He's here! I know he is."

The Weasels began to laugh but Doom cut them off, "Don't you dare laugh! One of these days you're gonna die laughing. Remember what happened to your hyena cousins?"

"Should we disassemble the place?" Smarty asked.

"No Smarty that won't be necessary." Doom smiled, turning his head ever so slightly. And just for a moment, for one heart stopping moment, Shadow could have sworn the judge was looking right thought the peek hole, and right at him.

But then the judge turned away, "All's one needs is a weak point, to reveal their secrets."

At that moment Stupid and Greasy carried in a large canvas covered object, setting it down in front of the bar.

"You see my dear Smarty," The Doom said, "There is always a weak point in the chain, a loose brick in the wall, a spot not quite as strong as the rest." He grabbed hold of the canvas, "You find that spot, and" he yanked of the canvas revealing a biohazard marked metal barrel.

"What the hell is that?" Shadow mumbled. It looked familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The lid was pried off the top and then everyone let out one single gasp.

Dip.

Shadow shook his head, "What the hell is Doom thinking. Everyone here is an Animation they have nothing to fear of Dip." He turned to Sonic, "He can't-"

Sonic wasn't there, Shadow looked behind him to see Sonic scrambling away, nearly crashing into the cabinets full of junk and supplies.

"Hey what the hell is wrong with you?"

Sonic didn't answer, there was a blind panic in his eyes and he shoved up against the wall, pressing hard into it as if hoping it would swallow him in.

Shadow closed the peep hole and walked over, "Sonic relax it's just Dip."

The azure actor shook his head frantically, "No no... Not just Dip!"

"What is wrong?"

"I- I- they-"

Shadow grabbed roughly hold of Sonic shaking his hard, "Spit it out already!"

The other grabbed hold of his wrists, hands trembled violently as he grabbed on, still nearly mute with terror.

"Tell me dammit!"

"I'm afraid of Dip!" Sonic cried out finally.

After a moment of awkward silence, Shadow felt his jaw drop. "What?"

Now it was Sonic's turn to grab Shadow by the shoulders and shake him. "Shadow, I'm not immune!" The cobalt male was at a near state of pure panic.

"Dip can kill me!

Dun dun dunnnnnn!

Short chapter yes. But how could I not stop it there?

As for the funny little thing Rouge says when she is hitting the buzzer. It's 'shut up' in pig Latin. So yeah...

See you for the next chapter.