DON'T KILL ME. THIS CHAPTER ENDS IN A CLIFFHANGER AND IT'S NOT A GOOD ONE. Just warning you right now. Hope you enjoy! (;

Nicole's POV:

You know when someone gets kidnapped you need to rescue them. That's the truth and I'll never waver from it. But Manic's rescue is the only one that I've second guessed. If I had to do it again…I probably wouldn't do it the same way. For one, I'd make sure that Shadow didn't get kidnapped in his place. For another thing I'd…you know what? You'll know what I'm talking about it a minute…

Shadow's POV:

Being jumped is embarrassing…but being jumped by a fox that works for a hedgehog is just humiliating. When I woke up; tied up in a chaos control proof cage, I knew this was going to get interesting, rather quickly.

My brain was fuzzing and I was trying to recall exactly what had happened. Scourge had just started talking to Nikki when a noise behind alerted me of something off. I turned around and…

Frustrated, I punched the floor best I could.

Scourge poked his head in the cell window. "Well look who decided to wake up…Mr. Brooding himself."

I scowled at the green hedgehog, "Where am I? What happened?"

"Oh you'll figure it out pretty quick. You're brain still fuzzy? It'll clear up then your situation will clear up. Get the picture?" He smirked then disappeared.

I looked around, trying to find a weak point in the wall. Nothing. When I tried to find any hidden weapons on me, I discovered that my captor's had taken all of them. Even more frustrated, I banged my head against the wall I was leaning against. Not the best move…

Trying to not pass out, I shook my head, my thoughts clearing.

Again, I tried to recall what had happened.

I had turned around and found myself facing…chaos, that's impossible.

I felt even angrier with myself when I straightened that fact out then shook my head. "No he wouldn't do that…unless…"

I got up and slammed myself against the door. I'm not sure how many times I did that, but enough to get my ears ringing again. That wasn't the best move either. Reluctantly, I fell to the ground in defeat. "Maria…Cream…anyone. Help her, please…" I whispered softly as I blacked out from the pain.

Narrator's POV:

Cosmo went down the elevator and met Nicole in the kitchen. "Mission?" she asked.

"It could've gone better… Shadow got captured, shockingly. Scourge knew we were coming…the only people who knew about the plan was 2nd generation and Shadow…" Nicole hesitated, "We may have a traitor…"

"I doubt it…no one here would betray us. What about that mercenary Shadow hired?"

Nikki's head snapped up, "No! Ethan would never do that! He's too…" She blushed as Cosmo raised an eyebrow.

"Well my mistake. I'm sure Shadow can take care of himself…but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Ari's nightmares have been getting worse. Just before you got here she dreamed that…" She trailed off. Slowly, she looked up at Nikki, "How did Shadow get kidnapped?"

"Not sure…tranquilizer dart most likely… Why do you ask?"

Cosmos didn't answer immediately. "Ari had a dream about shooting Shadow…then dragging him away. I don't remember at any point when Missy did that in Ari's body so…why would she dream about that?"

Nicole frowned, a bit puzzled. "Okay…so maybe it's a coincidence. We can't get worked up over nightmares…"

Cosmo nodded slowly, "I suppose you're right. I'm sorry; I'm just wound up over Arianna. I just feel like I should have been there for her but…"

Nicole placed her hand on Cosmo's shoulder. "Don't worry. Arianna is tougher then she looks. She'll pull through this…eventually…"

Cosmo smiled at Nicole.

"AHHHH!"

Her smile turned into a look of pure terror. "Arianna…" The fox took off running as fast as she could, Nicole right behind her.

When Cosmo left, Ari smiled at Manic. "So what happened to you?"

"Eh…just got kidnapped by some crazy maniacs. Nothing to serious, only my dog got injured. Ethan told me he'd go pick him up from the mercenary hangout.

"You're a mercenary?"

"Sort of…but not really." He smiled at the girl, and then felt like a hammer just swung at his head. He reached up and grabbed it. "Awg…what is with this headache?"

"Headache?" Ari looked a bit concerned.

"It's nothing. It just comes then goes. Sort of in waves… Sometimes it hurt's like I just got shot, other time's it's just a dull throb… Kind of weird right?"

Ari didn't answer, but stared at him, her eyes wide. "Waves?"

"Yeah…why?"

"Manic…your gloves…"

"What about them?"

"There covered in blood…"

Manic looked at his black gloves, not seeing anything. "I don't see…"

"Not red blood, black blood…like my blood…and Nikki's…and…" She paused then whispered with fear, "Shadow's…"

Confused Manic squinted at his gloves. Now that she mentioned it…they did feel a little harder than usual. "I don't-." His head felt like someone had taken a knife to it. He grabbed it and fell over moaning in pain. His mind had a flashback of something he'd forgotten. Shadow in the ceiling…and Manic shooting him with a tranquilizer. The Ultimate Lifeform had hit his head on a bar, splitting it open. Manic had dragged him to a cell then…passed out.

"You're a little too smart for your own good Arianna…"

Manic vaguely felt his mouth move and his voice speak.

"Manic?" Ari whispered in pure terror. She tried to get out of the bed, but Manic had stood up and grabbed her arms.

"You know who I am, little girl…" Manic hissed in hatred.

Arianna struggled, but felt herself being pulled from the bed and lifted off the ground; Manic holding her arms up. "Manic?!" She asked a bit more panicked.

"Your boyfriend will be with you shortly, sweet Ari. A nice vessel to reach you, I might add." Manic tightened his grip on her wrists and brought her face level with his own. "Unfortunately for you, he's not who I wanted."

"Manic!" Ari almost screamed.

The gray hedgehog tusked the young adult, "Now, now darling. It's time for you to serve your mistress again."

Tear's streamed down Ari's face as she cried from the pain and fear. Her face was drawn and showed only terror and sorrow.

Manic smiled a very creepy smile and closed his eyes.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Seconds later, Manic and Arianna dropped to the ground.

Groggily, Manic pushed himself up, "Arianna? Wha-?"

Ari stopped Manic's question by punching him in the jaw. She grabbed his arm and judo flipped him on to the ground and pulled a glowing black knife out of nowhere. "You've served your purpose. I have no need to keep you alive anymore." She raised it high above her head…

Cosmo burst into the room and tackled her to the ground. "Nikki! Help!"

Nicole was right behind her hand's already blazing with a gold glow.

Roughly, Ari threw Cosmo into the wall then faced Nicole. "Well, well, I'd love to kill you at the moment, dear Nikki, but I have other plans. Ta-ta for now darling!" She turned on the spot and vanished, just as Nicole threw her spears.

On the ground, Manic groaned then sat up. "What happened?"

Nicole walked over and helped Cosmo up, to shocked to speak.

"What happened," Cosmo looked at Manic, her eyes full of terror, "is that Mistress has returned."

Me: I'm so mean…

Nicole: I'm going to kill someone.

DW:…WHY DID YOU USE MANIC AS A VESSLE?

Me: Well the original plot line would have taken WAY to long. To those of you who were wondering, the original was going to be a rival singer to Nicole name Tara. She was going to be possessed by Missy, but seeing as Nicole didn't turn out to be a famous singer…well it would have been awkward. Thus Manic suddenly got pulled into being a vessel. Just to be clear: Manic hurt his own dog; Manic was the mysterious stranger possessed by Missy; and Manic knocked out Shadow. Shadow figured out the Missy thing when he was captured and Cosmo figured it out from the dream and…well scream.

DW: You made MANIC a VESSLE.

Me: yeah well…Review please! And don't kill me.

Nicole: I'm not promising anything… I'm killing someone in this story. I swear it.

Me: Okay…I'm going to give her some therapy so until next time!