Chapter 1: Plucked petals, the fallen rose

Wushan had given a little yawn, having been lying back against the bike as it roared down the highway, when the powers were at its greatest; the bike's wheels glowing brightly with the spirit flame wheels burning like two lanterns in the darkness of the evening as he sped back towards Station Square. He was given this certain region to watch over, since there was almost said to be something going on out in the area; this meant possible action! He was looking for any kind of action that might roll his way, though he couldn't be completely sure of what was upon his back; he was torn to a degree. Just what was coming down upon him the way that it had.

"Damn this inaction already! Can't people just start dabbling in the occult? Screw around with the chaos emeralds? Try some technological terrorism? I mean; enough peace already!" he uttered in a mass of irritation that had been back building on him for some time, though it was as if his words took physical form just then.

Further down the street corner, running for her life as she once more avoided a flurry of missiles from her mysterious assailant; Amy Rose's day had taken a deadly turn. She held her left arm, which had been thoroughly ripped to ribbons by the falling class from the explosion in her apartment. Her face stained with her own blood and tears, frustration and anguish rushing through her mind and body now. She dare not turn back, just run…run as hard as she could and hope to keep ahead. Her killer mere steps behind her, in dark sunglasses and a black leather coat; it stepped right out of the terminator film only just so real.

"Subject: Amy Rose, objective: seek and destroy." The red eyes of the semi-mechanical hedgehog had been focused on Amy as she turned the corner, its left hand transforming into a buster-style blaster, still with only a moderate pace required to chase its wounded hedgehog target. Though the eyes lit once more as it noticed a second target coming fast; well over the hundred mile limit, even easily breaking two hundred miles per hour. "Secondary objective: Destroy hedgehog on sight." The robot readied its blaster and had already started gathering energy into the buster-style device.

-- -- -- --

As Wushan's boredom had been cast aside for a minute, he focused his ears on a whimper he heard from the side of the alleyway, and soon his pale green eyes found the source; a bleeding pink hedgehog. What was this? His eye quirking a brow as he turned his head in time to see a blast striking his chest, sending him clean off of his bike and into the asphalt of the street; his trench duster as durable as it was, still caught some tears in the material from the energy shot.

"You bastard! You ruined my Duster!" his eyes had burned with some irritation, it wasn't even falling off the bike that had done such a thing to him; it was being shot without reason.

"Target: Unknown Hedgehog, tertiary objective: subdue interlopers." The robot's directive spoke out, though the reason was valid; it hadn't mattered to Wushan at all.

"Yeah yeah bucket of bolts, the directive you have now? Prepare to become scrap." He cracked his knuckles after having jumped to his feet, he was simply storming towards the robot without any need to hold back; robots he could trash without worry.

As Wushan drew closer, the robot had released another burst of energy from the buster. Wushan punched the energy burst with enough force to disperse it with ease, his eyes narrowed on the robot as he drew his fist back; only to find his face full of a steel fist. The robot struck first and that had surprised him for ohh…about three seconds.

"Damn machinations!" Wushan yelled as his fist slammed into the robot's wrist, denting the creature's armored flesh; while simultaneously grabbing the robot's other arm and twisting it clean off. "Do you have any idea how much it costs to have this tailored?!" his anger wasn't understood by the robot.

It head butted Wushan in the face and had made him stumble back a moment, though the robot's kick was blocked and the joint crushed but Wushan's knee. His rage was coming out since the robot dared to assault him, with such weak provocation as a reason why.

"You know what? I was having a boring time until you attacked me, but now I'm just freakin' pissed off! I'm gonna send you right on to scrap hill heaven for daring to ruin my clothing without due reason." His words were the last thing the robot's system had recorded; following this action the bot was shot down. Wushan's now clawed hand already cored out the robot's main power cell, while he dropped the hulk to the floor with a snort. "Pitiful excuse of a machine, you call yourself a robot? Where was the fight?" he said almost sounding disappointed.

Though sound of a soft sweet voice had caught his attention first, it was the young girl that he'd forgotten completely about in that moment of his anger. "Um…, thank you for saving me mister."

The moment his head turned, she'd catch a quick glimpse of what looked like Lizard-like eyes to her; though they'd returned to normal the moment after. He seemed to catch himself and straight out after the next minute, since she'd obviously not take well to seeing him mad right? He took it as such.

"No problem, though no need to call me mister, I don't require any formalities. Heh, I'll even take being called 'guy' or 'thing' or something else." He didn't intend it to be a joke; he was serious though the way he had cast it off left her unsure.

"Still, thank you for stopping that thing from hurting me further than he had." She said this while coming from the alley; her wounded arm in tow as she approached him.

His eyes passed to her mangled arm and he made a face, "If I'd known that scum did that to ya, I'd have killed him harder than I did; stupid inconsiderate rust bucket." He was still unhappy about his attire, but he cast the thought aside. "Let's clean up that arm, it looks pretty bad; I'll fix that." He said as he approached her without another word.

While he noticed she wasn't entirely sure, he didn't give her a chance to say anything; he placed his hand on her arm and simply began to heal it. The look in her eye was one amazed, she felt the pain melt away in that same moment; while this stranger healed her wound with ease. Wushan simply paid it no mind since he knew that mortals were easily impressed by magic, some knew it existed but most didn't.

"There you go, all healed up and it shouldn't cause you any problems." His words still spoken as nonchalantly as he turned to see his bike; parked and idling on the corner for him. Though the next action did stop him, the girl was hugging him and was truly thankful; as strange as it was.

"T-Thank you, though it'd be nicer if I knew my hero's name?" she didn't seem likely to let him leave her that easily, she was happy for it and she felt she owed him something; even an invite for some lunch at a restaurant this warranting he'd accept.

"Well if you would like to know, its Wushan Long; just another local who hates the stupid robots." He said it sarcastic, since there was hardly anything about him that seemed to be normal; from the bike to his appearance.

He noticed the look of thankfulness in her eye and had given a little smile, he hadn't taken life for granted but never really thought much of saving someone; he did it too often he guessed. Though the young hedgehog's words to him next did surprise him to a degree.

"Since you saved me, I'd like to invite you for some lunch tomorrow afternoon; my treat okay? Let's eat at the Bay coast, they have a killer cesar salad." Amy seemed to be very enthusiastic, while holding a maturity to her that made the drakehedge smirk mentally; a very social girl with a light charm and jubilance to spare.

"Very well, since I know that you might not take no for an answer, I will meet you there at 12:30 p.m. on the nose; I shall see you later." His words had ended there, but she gave him her name as he left.

"Amy Rose! My name is Amy Rose!" she called after him, since he was already on his motorcycle and the roar of it was impressively loud.

"Until tomorrow Miss Rose." He said as he waved to her, then his bike's roar picked up and the bike had blazed forward; racing off in a streak of light, faster than a mortal's eye.

Well now he had a lunch date tomorrow, if only he knew that his day wouldn't end there; it was just beginning. He would soon be mixed up with a certain speedy hedgehog and the whole cast of his friends. Man what a time it will be, he never paid it a second thought either.

(End chapter)

Sorry this one took so long, class finals nibble at my heels. Though I'll be done all soon and picking up on all my fics, enjoy the chapter.

-Quentix