AN: Hey, everyone! It's time for a new chapter. Thank you, Pirilaxa, AlicetheFennecFox, RisingZero1984, RealShadowfan04, CrimsonLove16, 4lyss4d4smol, Secrebatfic, and BlissofanAngel for the reviews you left on my last chapter. Once again, I greatly appreciate it! I hope you enjoy this chapter, more drama, suspense, and action is coming, and I hope you'll stick with me until I finish this crazy ride.

Two days later, Amy was released from the hospital. Shadow ensured she always had at least two bodyguards for protection until she could leave the city. However, Amy was tying up loose ends before returning to Tech City to recover. Standing in one of the copy rooms with spare computers, Amy scanned every single letter Shadow's father had written. She also made sure to include any police reports Locke had secured. She then placed each copied file into a USB drive and the anecdotal accounts she had witnessed during her time with the M.C. about her suspicions of Mephiles' involvement in other events. Once done, she put the USB drive into her pocket for safekeeping. Suddenly, Tikal entered the computer room and noticed Amy sitting at one of the available desktop computers. In the chair beside her was a box with some of her belongings from her locker that she had cleaned out. "What are you doing in here?" Tikal inquired as she walked up behind the pink hedgehog.

Startled at first, Amy moved in her rolling chair to turn to address the orange echidna. "Just making a few copies and backups of some old files," she answered calmly.

"Shouldn't you be back at home packing, though?"

"Most of that has been done already," she replied. "I just wanted to deal with these files and documents first."

Tikal watched as Amy stood from her seat. "I'm going to miss having you around here, you know," she admitted. "It's going to be a bummer being the only female resident on staff."

"I'm going to miss you too," Amy concurred. "But I'll be back before you know it," she smiled optimistically.

Tikal wanted to return a smile but didn't feel confident. "Of course," was all she could muster.

"Oh! Before I leave, there is something I wanted to ask you to do…as a favor?"

Tikal's interest was piqued. "Really? What is it?"

Amy reached into her pocket and placed the USB drive into Tikal's hand. "I want you to take this."

The echidna looked down at the USB drive in puzzlement. "Huh? What is this?"

"It's just a USB with some important documents loaded onto it. I want you to give this to Shadow in case anything happens to me," she worded carefully. "It's just a precaution."

Tikal enclosed her hand around the USB drive. "I don't understand. Why don't you give this to Shadow yourself?"

She looked away nervously. "Because he only needs to look at those files if something happens to me. Otherwise, he doesn't need to know about it."

Tikal frowned, becoming unnerved. "You're scaring me, Amy…Are you in trouble with the club? Do you need help?"

Amy shook her head adamantly. "No, it's nothing like that," she lied. "Other outside forces are affecting my life," she explained. "I don't want you to know too much and get you accidentally involved. Please, don't look at the drive. Just keep it somewhere safe at the ready."

Tikal nodded slowly, understanding the implications. "I understand." With that out of the way, the echidna walked towards Amy and embraced her gently, being careful of her one arm in the sling. "I'll always have you in my thoughts, Amy. Be safe out there, and good luck."

Amy gave a weak smile and wrapped her good arm around Tikal. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

•~•

The Mercia Police Department was busy as usual. It had only been a few days since Espio's passing, but Vector was still devastated from losing his comrade, partner, and beloved friend. Vanilla was there for Vector to help pick up the pieces and console him, but his mind was focused on finding the culprits responsible for the attack. The green crocodile stood in his office with pictures of the alleged suspects, some of which had already been in the system on a corkboard. He stared at a mugshot of a green female tenrec named Surge. His eyes glanced over to the notes next to her picture for her charges: battery and first-degree felony.

Vector grimaced at the sight of the dark-looking and deranged female tenrec before his eyes moved to the next mugshot suspect, a creamy, beige large skunk named Tumble. His charges were aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault and battery, and armed robbery with a deadly weapon.

Finally, Vector stared at the last mugshot of Rough, a blueish-grey skunk who also happened to be the brother of Tumble. His charges were drug trafficking, conspiracy, and assault with a deadly weapon. Suddenly Deputy Silver walked in and observed Vector in total concentration. "Find any new leads?"

Vector shook his head. "Nothing yet."

Silver sighed. "We'll get these punks. I know we will."

An assistant walked in and handed Vector some paperwork. "Pardon the intrusion. The medical examiner wanted to make sure the detective got these today." She handed them over to him.

"Thanks," Vector nodded before placing the paperwork on his desk and reading through them.

Silver walked closer to get a look at the paperwork. "Who's that for?"

Vector continued to read. "This is the autopsy report for Espio."

Silver frowned. "You needed an autopsy report to help find these guys? I don't see how that'll help."

Vector shook his head. "It's not that," he dismissed. "It's strange that he was the only one dead out in the ally of the establishment." He flipped another page as he read.

Silver glanced at the suspect board while Vector continued to read. "He probably got hit first by the attackers, simple as."

"Well, we know the attack occurred at 10:00 PM when the truck crashed into the building. However, according to this autopsy report, Espio's time of death was around 9:50 PM."

Silver's ears perked as he turned to look at the detective. "So, you're saying…"

"—Someone killed him before the time of the attack."

•~•

At the compound, Amy finally returned along with her two bodyguards. Shadow was off doing reconnaissance for Enerjak with a few others, so she had time to kill. She searched for Mephiles all over the home before eventually finding him in his office in the mechanic shop. She knocked on his door and waited patiently. "Come in," she heard him announce from the other side. Amy opened his door and peeked inside, unsure if she could enter. Mephiles glanced up from his budgeting as he spotted the pink beauty. "Ah, Ms. Rose, come in and close the door behind you."

Obliging, she entered and closed the door behind her but stayed a respectful distance from him. She didn't know what he had planned. "I brought all the stuff you requested."

Mephiles lowered his pen. "Wonderful," he replied. "Hand it over, my dear."

She reached into her purse, pulled out the manila folder with all the papers and paperwork, and handed it over. He accepted and carefully flipped through it to ensure she had given him everything. She watched him like a hawk while standing before his desk. "If it helps, I still haven't read any of the letters or other items in the folder," she explained.

Mephiles stopped his scanning and glanced back up at her. He let out a small, amused scoff. "Do you truly expect me to believe that?" he tsked.

Amy froze. He had seen through her bluff. However, she couldn't allow him to believe he was successful. "No, honestly. I haven't read anything."

"You'd be foolish not to have at least skimmed them," he noted. "But if that's what you want to keep assuring me to make you feel more at ease, that's fine," he shrugged indifferently.

Her ears lowered, and she bowed her head. "Please, I'm begging you. I did what you asked. How do I know you'll still not throw me under the bus?"

Mephiles rose from his seat and moved closer to her as he walked around the side of his desk. She backed up a bit as he got in her personal space, anxious about his next move. "The answer is simple. You're just going to have to trust me, my dear."

"And there's nothing else I can do to get that weapon back with my fingerprints?" she inquired.

"Hmmm…" He mulled over it momentarily before his eyes traced down her body enticingly. "Well…" Amy grimaced as she read his perverse expression, knowing exactly where his mind was heading. It was clear that he was slowly undressing her with his reptilian eyes. She flinched slightly as his hand reached out and stroked one of the quills framing her face. She flinched as one of his fingers brushed against her cheek. "There are a few other options I have in mind, but it would take several sessions before I could trust you enough to hand over the weapon," he smirked naughtily.

Amy took a step back, glaring at him. "You're disgusting. What would Shadow think if he found out?"

He chuckled darkly. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Amy crossed her arms over her chest and backed up more. "Like I'd ever go that far with the likes of you. I'm not that desperate," she scoffed.

His brows furrowed in annoyance at her comment for a moment. "Ah, ah," he tsked. "Watch the tone, Ms. Rose. I could always make those options into requirements if I wanted to. Therefore, I wouldn't get too testy with me," he forewarned.

Amy gasped at his threat. There was no way she would allow him to use his blackmail to force her into giving him sexual favors on top of what he already wanted. Perhaps getting out of Mercia for a while wasn't a bad idea. She bowed her head. "I-I'm sorry, Mephiles. I don't know what came over me," she apologized.

He smirked, feeling his power over her. "Apology accepted."

•~•

Later that day, back in her bedroom, Manic, Ray, and Gadget finished packing any final belongings for Amy in many boxes. The pink hedgehog stared at her now barren ex-room sadly. All left was a bed with a bare mattress, an empty dresser, and a nightstand. It felt like the end of a chapter. Mighty re-entered her room and glanced at her. "You're all ready to go, kid."

Amy turned around to face the black and red armadillo. "Great…"

Mighty frowned at her response. "Hey, what's with the sad face? You'll be back with us before you know it," he reminded encouragingly.

Amy sighed. "I know, but it's going to be hard being away from you guys. You're my family."

Mighty placed a hand on her upper back as he escorted her out of her bedroom. "You think it's going to be a cakewalk for us without you here?" he challenged. "We all love you, Ames. But even Knuckles sent Rouge to recover with her folks for safety."

They walked down the stairs together. "But what if you need me? One of you could get hurt…"

"Ames, you're a bit out of service yourself," he reminded, glancing at her one arm in a sling. "We'll figure it out as we go along," he assured. "You, on the other hand, need to take it easy and recover yourself. We all love you to death and want you to be safe."

Once they got downstairs, Shadow was waiting by the front door with some of the others. "Oh, Mighty…I'm going to miss you." She wrapped her good arm around his neck and hugged him. "Please be safe and take care of yourself."

The armadillo wrapped his arms around her carefully. "Don't worry about me, kid. I'll be fine. I'll miss you too. Stay safe and recover."

The two parted from their embrace, and Amy approached the door. Ray, Gadget, and Manic stood by the door near Shadow. Amy hugged the green hedgehog. "Manic, stay out of trouble now. Follow instructions, okay?" she laughed lightly.

Manic patted her on the back. "You got it, doc. Take care."

Amy finished hugging Ray. "Ray, be brave, I believe in you," she encouraged.

The squirrel smiled warmly at her. "Thank you, Miss Amy. I'm going to miss having you around for our chats."

"I will too." Ray had come to confide in Amy occasionally, and the two had grown close. Finally, she finished hugging Gadget. "Gadget, keep the boys in check. Watch over them for me and take care of that arm."

"Will do," he saluted with determination using his good arm. "Best of luck for your speedy recovery, Miss Amy."

"Thanks," she smiled. She looked at the other boys. "When you see Knuckles again, tell him I send him my love. I wish I could've hugged him before I left."

"We got you, doc," Manic smiled with a thumbs up.

"You ready now, princess?" Shadow questioned.

Amy glanced up at Shadow. She shrugged with her good shoulder. "As ready as I can be, I suppose."

Shadow reached for her hand and took it in his. The rest of the gang watched as Shadow led Amy out the door and down the front porch. Manic couldn't help but admire how Shadow doted over Amy and frowned. He couldn't help but wish he had someone like that to show affection toward.

•~•

At the train station, Amy and Shadow waited for her train to arrive. Beside her were two suitcases full of her belongings. Amy stood with Shadow holding his hand as they watched another train depart from its station. The wind rushed by, sweeping her quills to the side as they saw it rush down the tracks. Once it was out of sight, the next train pulled in, and within a few moments, it came to a complete stop and allowed passengers to unload onto the platform. Amy felt her stomach sink as she knew it was her time to leave. "I guess this is me…"

"It appears so," Shadow concurred.

A conductor walked past them, calling out the time for departure. "All aboard! Departure to Tech City in three minutes!"

Amy turned to look at Shadow, desperation in her eyes. "Do I seriously have to go?"

Shadow nodded. "Yes, this is our safest option right now."

Amy released her Shadow's hand. "What about you, though?" she challenged. "How do I know you'll be okay?"

He smiled at her, appreciating her thoughtfulness. "Nothing is going to take me down," he assured. "I'll be fine."

Another terrifying thought crossed her mind. "And what about us?" she wondered. "Being so far apart will be hard for our relationship…"

Shadow reached out and caressed her face as he stared into her worried, jade eyes. "We'll keep in touch like we do when I go away on my missions," he promised.

Amy felt her eyes beginning to water as reality sank in. She and Shadow would not physically see each other for a few months, and she knew it would be hard. Shadow frowned as he could see her expression growing upset. He wiped away a stray tear down her cheek with his thumb. "Don't cry, princess. This is not a goodbye. It's a see you soon."

"One minute until departure!" the conductor shouted behind them in the distance.

Shadow wrapped his arms around her before he looked off to the side where Bark and Axel were sitting in the background. He made a signal with his head for them to get moving. The two had been assigned as Amy's bodyguards for today. Their mission was to escort Amy to Tech City and guarantee she arrived safely at her cousin's house without setbacks. The two M.C. members scrambled to their feet from sitting on the benches, grabbed Amy's suitcase, and loaded them onto the train for her while giving Shadow another few more moments with his girl.

Amy continued to bury her face against his shoulder as she sniffled. "I'm going to miss you so much, Shadow," she trembled.

"I know. I will too." He rubbed her back. "Now, you need to get going. Your train is about to leave. I refuse to have you miss it."

Amy hesitantly moved back and looked up at him while wiping her eyes with her good arm. "All right, I'm going."

She began to turn to leave but felt Shadow softly grab her wrist to stop her. "Wait." She turned to look back at him as he sauntered up to her. "One more thing." Shadow leaned forward and caught her in a kiss. Amy closed her eyes and relished their last kiss. She still felt those familiar sparks and butterflies in her belly whenever he kissed her this way. It was a chaste and gentle kiss that left a warmth that crawled over her skin. Eventually, he pulled back and looked at her lovingly. "I love you so fucking much, Amy. Don't forget that."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. "I-I love you so much, too, Shadow."

The conductor was now in the doorway entrance of the train cabin. "Last call! All aboard."

"You need to get going now," he urged. "Text me when you arrive at your cousin's house," Shadow instructed.

"I-I will," she stammered.

Shadow took her hand and quickly ushered her to the loading area. He helped Amy up the steps, and she waved at him sadly before heading further inside. The conductor glanced at Shadow, still standing by the loading entrance. "Are you on this train today, sir?"

Shadow shook his head dismally. "Not today, I'm afraid."

"All right then." The conductor blew his whistle, flagged the train operator, and shut the door. Shadow stepped back and looked to one of the windows, where he spotted Amy staring out and looking directly at him. The train began to pull out of the station and move down the track. Shadow locked his eyes with Amy's and waved to her while the train drove away. Amy's eyes began to water again before he was finally out of sight. She sunk back into her seat, placed the palm of her hand to her face, and wept quietly.

Bark placed a hand on her shoulder to console her. "It'll be all right, Amy. Shadow wants to make sure you're safe. You'll see him again in no time."

At that same time on the platform, Shadow began to walk back to the parking lot where his bike was parked. He exhaled a shaky sigh as tears welled up in his eyes. He had been strong enough to keep them at bay and keep a good face for Amy, but he, too, was feeling the emotions build.

He leaned against the side of the train station building, away from other travelers, and closed his eyes. He knew this option was the best outcome for both, whether he liked it or not. With Amy's near-death experience still looming fresh in his mind, there was no way he'd ever allow anything to happen to someone he loved and cared for. Shadow had sworn off love after Maria's death and vowed never to fall in love again. Unfortunately, love knew no bounds, and he fell deeply in love with the pink hedgehog.

Unbeknownst to Amy, she thought this was a temporary stay in Tech City, where she'd return home with Shadow and the rest of the gang after a set time. Little did she know this wasn't entirely the plan she was privy to. Back at the hospital, Shadow and Rob had devised an entire plan to keep Amy out of harm's way and keep it that way indefinitely. His mind flashed back to the day at the hospital when he had pulled Rob to the side to talk.

~Flashback: Hospital ~

Shadow and Rob stood in one of the hospital corridors. Rob tilted his head curiously, waiting for the ebony hedgehog to continue. "What exactly would you want my help for?"

"I don't think you realize how deeply in love I am with your cousin," Shadow began. "I realize with my line of business that I am not meant to find happiness. There is too much death and destruction around every corner. I know I've done bad things in the past and the present. Hell, I'm a criminal…Yet, despite all that, Amy walked into my life, and as much as I tried to avoid it…I still fell in love with her."

He stared at him skeptically. "That's very heartfelt and all, but what does this have to do with my help?" he questioned.

He sighed. "I want her to return to Tech City with you and your wife permanently."

Rob' O looked surprised that Shadow would even suggest the idea. "That wasn't what I expected to hear you say just now…"

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest. "You know enough about my M.C. from the rumblings on the news and media. You and I know it's unsafe for her, and it's about to get much worse from here on out. I don't want her anywhere near Mercia within a one-hundred-mile radius. She'll continue to be targeted because of me and my connections."

"Fair enough." The teal-colored hedgehog nodded, agreeing with him. "But I know, my dear cousin, quite well. She's stubborn beyond all reason. She won't willingly go with me without a fight."

Shadow's red eyes looked away sadly. "I realize that as well. Which is why breaking up with her won't come easy…"

Rob stared at the red-striped hedgehog in surprise again and studied him momentarily. "You'd truly break up with her?" Shadow nodded solemnly. The motorcyclist wasn't what Rob had deemed him to be. "I guess Amy was right. I was wrong about you. I can tell that you deeply care about my cousin."

He smiled weakly at his observation. "I would take a bullet for her without hesitation. Her talent, compassion, and empathy are needed in this world. I wouldn't be missed as much if something happened to me. She contributes more to this world than I ever could."

"I doubt my cousin would agree with that," Rob noted, feeling the tone shift.

Shadow shrugged apathetically. "It doesn't matter at this point. So, will you help me?"

"I will," Rob nodded. "How are we going to go about this plan then?"

"We need to convince her that returning with you to recover is far safer and only 'temporary.' Once she's out of Mercia, I'll take it from there to put a divide between us. She won't like my methods, but I need to keep her from returning here."

"What do you mean by your methods?" he probed curiously.

"If I could easily break it off with her, I would. I'm going to have to break her heart for her never to want to return here or hang around me or my crew," he answered. "She'll need you there to pick up the pieces. It would help if you got her to move on from me. Be the protective, loving cousin she needs."

"I see…" Rob nodded, absorbing his plan. "I understand that we both want the best for her." Rob stuck his hand out for Shadow to shake. "I'm on board with your plan, Shadow. I'll do whatever you need me to do." The dark hedgehog placed his hand in Rob's, and the two shook on their understood plan.

"There's just one other person I'll need to help to convince her," Shadow noted as his eyes scanned the hall. He noticed the older female administrative rabbit walking down the aisle. "Perfect timing."

~End Flashback~

•~•

A few hours later, Amy finally returned to Tech City. Bark and Axel escorted her back to Rob's home in the suburbs. The black SUV entered an enclosed gated neighborhood called "Deerwood Forest Estate." While they drove further in, Amy stared out the window at all the luxurious homes on her side of the car. Eventually, they parked in a driveway, and the large water buffalo walked over to the back passenger seat and opened the door. He extended his hand out that Amy placed her hand in and assisted her out of the vehicle. Simultaneously, Bark popped the back hood and pulled out her belongings.

Amy glanced up at the two-story home, looking it up and down. It still looked just like how she remembered it from her childhood. Suddenly, the front door opened, and Rob and Mari-An appeared in the doorway. "Amy! Welcome home!" Mari-An proclaimed as she rushed down the steps and hugged her.

"…Thanks," she said solemnly and stiffly in her embrace.

Rob shook hands with both Bark and Axel. "Thank you for getting her here safely. Tell Shadow I appreciate it. I can take it from here."

"Of course," Axel nodded.

Rob moved Amy's suitcases back inside the house while Amy waved to the two guys. They got into the car and rolled down the windows. "Goodbye, thank you again," she shouted.

"No problem, doctor. Take care!" Bark waved from the passenger seat.

The family watched as the two bikers departed in the SUV. Rob placed an arm around his younger cousin and ushered her inside the house. "Well, I'm sure you're tired from traveling. Let's get you settled in, shall we?"

Once they got upstairs, Rob opened her bedroom door for her. Her room felt like a time capsule from when she had last lived in it during her teen years. She still had her bright pink curtains, band posters, and floral bed sheets in her room. Rob allowed her inside first as she walked around her room, reminiscing. "I hope this is all right," he noted while placing her suitcases beside her bed.

Amy nodded. "Yes, this will be fine."

Rob placed his hands on his hips. "We didn't bother to redecorate," he laughed uneasily. "We wanted to keep it the same. We never knew when you might return to us, you know?"

The pink hedgehog sat down on the side of her bed. "Thank you, Rob, for taking me in."

"You're my family, Amy. I'd never turn my back on you, no matter what." He reached for her door handle. "Dinner will be ready at six, but I'll give you time to unpack and settle in," he stated before closing the door. Amy reached into her pocket, opened her phone, and skimmed down her list of contacts. She stopped on Shadow's name.

•~•

Back in Mercia, far from home, Shadow felt his phone buzz in his jacket pocket. Sitting on his parked bike in front of a warehouse in a wooded area, Shadow pulled out his phone to read the text message. He stared at the message from Amy, which read: "Finally arrived at Rob's house safe and sound. Already missing you like crazy," with a heart emoji.

Shadow felt a slight smile tug on his lips. He quickly texted her back, "Great to hear, babe. Miss you like crazy, too."

"Hey, Shads," Mighty called, breaking his concentration. The vice president turned to look and saw the black and red armadillo approaching him. "Enerjak wants to start the meeting."

The ebony hedgehog slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Be right there."

Shadow and Mighty walked towards the warehouse entrance, where they spotted Mephiles, Manic, Knuckles, and Enerjak with his guys standing just outside the doors. They all turned in Shadow's direction as he and Mighty got near.

"What's happening then?" Shadow inquired.

"We managed to nab one of Starline's guys," Knuckles explained. "Nack has been in there," he said, gesturing to the warehouse, "trying to get information out of him."

"I see. Any luck?"

"This guy is stubborn. He's ex-military and operations," Enerjak elaborated. "If Nack cannot pull any information out of him, no one will."

"Shall we go in and see how he's faring then?" Mephiles suggested.

The boss echidna nodded. "We shall." Enerjak led the group and allowed his men to open the barn doors for him first. The echidna walked in, followed by the group of M.C. bikers. When everyone entered the warehouse, they spotted a yellow male Honey Badger tied to a chair. He had already been badly beaten, was bloody, bruised, and appeared weakened. With his head lowered against his chest, Nack stood behind him, grabbed a tuff of his hair, and yanked his head upright to look at his newest visitors. "Wake up, beautiful, you've got guests," the weasel snickered.

The badger grimaced at the sight of the M.C. bikers along with Enerjak and his men. The echidna boss sauntered up to him. "Where is Starline hiding? Where is his hideout?"

The badger continued to remain silent, refusing to give up any information. Annoyed at his refusal, Nack twirled a six-inch blade and stabbed it into the guy's upper thigh. He cried out in agony as the blade sunk deeper. In the background, Manic winced as he witnessed the torture methods going on. He turned his head away, unable to stomach it. "Give us something, or it's gonna get much worse," Nack warned.

The badger bore the excoriating pain in his leg as the blade remained in his thigh, and he glowered up at Enerjak. He gathered up as much saliva as he could salvage and spat a colossal loogy in Enerjak's face. The echidna stumbled backward in disgust as he wiped the spit from his cheek. "How does that do for a response?" he seethed through clenched teeth.

Enerjak narrowed his eyes. "You son of a—"

Nack ripped the blade from his thigh, watching blood seep from the wound. The badger cried out again as a new pain radiated in his leg. "Aye!" He slugged him across the face with his brass knuckles, making more blood fly from his mouth. "You need to wisen up, pal!"

Shadow looked at the blood loss he was undergoing. "At this rate, he'll die before we get information."

Nack eyed the puddle of blood forming under his victim. "You're right. I guess it's time for plan B." He put his fingers up to his mouth and blew out a sharp whistle. "Boys!"

Everyone turned and watched as two of Nack's guys brought in a struggling female red Honey badger. She couldn't have been much older than twenty-three. Nack's guys forced her into the room. "Birch!" she cried, recognizing and seeing his state.

His eyes widened in alarm. "Ruby!"

"Let's see how long you won't wanna talk now," Nack smirked.

Shadow didn't like the tonal shift going on in the room. The atmosphere felt deviant. "Hey, what are you planning to do?"

"Yeah, what gives?" Knuckles exclaimed, eying the terrified female.

Enerjak raised an arm, signaling the two to be silent. "Just watch."

"Force her down onto the table," Nack advised. The two guys restraining her forced her stomach first across a table.

She wiggled under their grasp, trying to break free. "No, let me go!" she screamed.

"Take your fucking hands off, my girl!" Birch yelled, feeling his blood boiling.

"Remove her shorts," Nack ordered.

One of the two guys grabbed her shorts and ripped them to her ankles, exposing her panties. "Please, don't do this!" she sobbed.

"The fuck?" Knuckles mumbled under his breath. He looked at Shadow to see his reaction. He was equally confused and looked like he disapproved of the methods. All the boys, minus Mephiles, looked disgusted and sickened at the scene.

Nack unzipped his pants and began stroking himself as he neared the helpless girl. "It's been a few days since I had some fresh pussy. I'm sure you won't mind sharing her, huh?" he taunted.

Birch jerked around in his chair. "I swear if you fucking touch her, I'll kill you!"

Shadow narrowed his eyes at the scene in disgust. It was taking all his power to avoid intervening as desperate as he was to do so.

Nack's dick started growing harder as he continued to stroke himself. "You know I wouldn't have to shove my fat juicy cock inside her pussy if you told me Starline's location," he hinted.

Mighty felt his fists tightening up by his sides. He couldn't bear to endure this any further. This went against his morals. He rushed past everyone to intervene and stop a rape from happening. "Stop it! This is insane!"

Enerjak snapped his fingers calmly, and his two men immediately tackled and seized Mighty from interrupting the interrogation methods. They remained on top of him, holding him down against the ground. "Get off of me!" he screamed.

"Mighty…" Manic mumbled, worried for his friend's safety.

"He's right," Knuckles concurred. "What you guys are about to do is sickening…"

"Sometimes we have to do things we don't like to get what we want," Enerjak stated simply. "If you or anyone else try to step in again and play hero, I will not hesitate to put you down myself," he warned.

Shadow turned to look at his brother and shot him a glare of disappointment. Mephiles casually looked away, not wanting to meet his brother's gaze. Shadow, Knuckles, Manic, and Mighty couldn't stand to watch and averted their eyes. Mephiles, on the other hand, was captivated by the scene before him. This tactic Nack was displaying was empowering.

Nack placed a hand on the girl's ass and gave it a playful smack causing her to cry out in surprise. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll make sure you enjoy my cock more than your old man's," he grinned darkly. His hand went lower, and his thumb brushed vertically up her slit through her panties a few times, teasing her. "And who knows, you may beg for more later. Most do." She felt her face grow hot as his thumb brushed against her vaginal lips through her panties. She felt humiliated being touched like this in front of many strange males. She mentally prepared herself for the worst.

"That's enough!" Birch yelled, causing Nack to stop his torture. "I'll tell you what you want. Just…please don't assault her."

"That's a shame," Nack stated while placing his erection back in his pants. "I was getting excited to pummel that pussy, but a deal's a deal. Let's hear it then."

He sighed in defeat. "His hideout is located in Central City," Birch began. "It's right off Battle Highway on Sixth in a largely abandoned condominium."

Nack walked up behind him. "Boy, you stuck it out long and hard, pal. I'll give you props there. You're one tough son of a bitch soldier for Starline," Nack commended. He pulled out a pistol and placed it against the side of Birch's head. "Thanks for the intel." Suddenly he pulled the trigger and blasted him through the skull. Brain matter and blood shot out to the left of his head, killing him instantly.

"Birch!" Ruby bellowed out. "Nooo!" she wailed.

Shadow stared, stunned at the aftermath of their methods. Enerjak looked rather pleased by the results and began to walk out of the warehouse. He signaled for the others to follow him. Everyone followed him except Nack, his two guys, the girl, and Mighty and Enerjak's two bodyguards.

Knuckles glanced over his shoulder at Mighty, still held down against his will. "What about Mighty?"

"He's getting a punishment, and then he'll be released," the other echidna explained.

"And the girl?" Shadow asked with concern.

"She'll be released unharmed," Enerjak replied. "Now, I want to discuss the plan's next part." The group was instructed to follow Enerjak back outdoors. Everyone willingly followed him out, but Manic was the last one out the door. He peeped in one last time at Mighty, who was brought up to his feet by Enerjak's men. He watched one of them knee him hard in the gut, causing him to wheeze in pain. The other bodyguard slugged Mighty's face as he tried to recover from the first blow.

Manic's eyes widened in alarm. "Mighty…" He went to step back inside, but this time one of Nack's guys appeared in the door crack.

"I wouldn't if I were you, pal," he warned before closing the door in his face.

Manic stared at the shut door before he backed off and followed the rest of the group. As he walked off, he could hear his friend recoiling in pain and groaning in pain from the assault.

Back with the others, near their vehicles, Enerjak continued his plans. "I'm planning to attack Starline's place early tomorrow morning. Most of my guys are stationed elsewhere, but I don't want to wait. I'll use my four for now but need your men for reinforcement."

The dark hedgehog seemed alarmed by the suddenness. "Hold on a sec. We're not exactly trained infantry here," Shadow reminded.

"Well, you will be today because, make no mistake, boys." He put on his black shades. "We're at war." The echidna walked off and climbed into one of the black SUVs parked nearby. The car drove off, and everyone watched it disappear over the distant hill.

A few moments later, the doors to the warehouse opened, and Nack's guys tossed Mighty's beaten body behind the group. His men dusted off their hands. "Here ya are, fellas. I didn't go too hard on him since you'll need him for tonight's attack," Nack announced.

The green hedgehog rushed over to his fallen comrade as Nack's guys returned indoors. Manic immediately crouched down to his level. "Might!"

Shadow made his way over quickly and knelt to his level as well. "Shit," he mumbled, looking at his bloody, battered face. His eyebrows narrowed sharply at the weasel. "What do you mean you didn't go too hard on him?" he snapped. "One of his eyes is almost sealed shut from swelling alone!"

Nack shrugged indifferently. "It could have been a lot worse."

Manic helped lift the armadillo to his feet by placing one of his arms behind his neck. "Bro, are you okay? Say something…"

Mighty winced sharply as he stood upright. He spat out some blood into the dirt. "I'm fine," he muttered.

Knuckles felt his fists tighten at the sight of Mighty's battered face and body. They had seriously roughed him up in there to prove a point. "Those sons of bitches…" He cracked his knuckles, pumping himself up. "When I get my hands on them, I'll-"

"—Don't," the armadillo mumbled. "It's not worth it. What's done is done…"

Knuckles blinked a few times as he stared at his friend. "Yeah, but-"

"I said I was fine," he interjected. "I've been fucked up a lot worse than this. I can handle it. I'll heal eventually."

His bruised face turned slightly to look at his green friend. "Help me back to my bike, will ya?"

Manic nodded and carefully helped him walk toward the parked bikes. Shadow and the others watched the two depart. Knuckles shook his head. "Shit, now what…Enerjak expects us to fight in this cartel war tonight?"

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest as his eyes fell to the ground. "That's all we can do."

"But we're not mercenaries!" Knuckles countered.

"I realize that," Shadow concurred. "However, we can't deny helping him, or the consequences will be far worse."

"We can always call Finitevus to send some of his best over to aid us in the battle," Mephiles suggested. "This is not a death sentence."

Shadow shook his head, uncertain about involving more of their members. "I don't know about including them. We'll have six, including Enerjak's four guys, against the men that Starline has set around the perimeter. It should be enough."

"Very well then." Knuckles stood beside Shadow as they watched their president walk off.

Knuckles sighed. "I don't like this. I don't like this one bit…"

"It's not like I'm a fan of this either," Shadow seconded.

"I voted this thing in because I wanted to help you. I know about your deal, but will it be worth it if you end up dead?" he challenged.

Shadow's expression looked surprised at his comment. "Wait, you knew?"

Knuckles nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, your brother told me about it. I thought I'd be helping you out by voting your way, but I'm starting to realize my old man was right. I mean, look at what we've dealt with so far. My dad's dead, we've all been injured countless times, our lives have been put in jeopardy more times than I can count, and our old ladies had to be sent away."

Shadow bowed his head in disgrace. "…I wish I had never made that deal with my brother in the first place," he admitted. "But it's too late to take it back. We must move forward, and I will figure out how to get us out of this deal with Enerjak."

Knuckles tucked his hands into his leather jacket pockets. "Well, good luck with that. We probably should get moving in preparation," he advised. The red echidna wandered over to the parked bikes where Mighty and Manic waited. Shadow dragged a hand over his exhausted face as he exhaled a sigh.

•~•

Back in Tech City, Amy lounged on her bed reading a book while waiting for a night call from Shadow. It was nearly midnight, and the last time she had heard from him was when she texted him about her arrival. At this point, several hours had passed, and she wondered if he'd even call her. She marked her page in her book and reached for her phone. She quickly texted him and waited for a response. "Hope everything is good on your end. Call me when you can."

Almost immediately, she received a response from him. Her eyes glanced down at the screen. "Can't talk tonight—big clash between 'businesses.' I'll speak with you tomorrow," it read.

Amy frowned, upset that she couldn't talk to him over the phone. Her fingers quickly texted back her response. "Oh, I understand. Stay safe. Love you. 3"

"Thanks. Love you, too, princess," he replied.

Amy lowered her phone and frowned. It was only night one, and it felt ridiculous to feel this clingy already, but the truth was that she missed him. Rob' O knocked on her bedroom door before popping his head in. "Just checking in. You don't need anything, do you, Rosy?"

Amy shook her head as she sunk further back into her pillows. "No, I'm okay."

Rob tilted his head slightly as he noticed her dour expression. "You all, right? You seem a little down."

"It's nothing too crazy. I miss Shadow is all," she stated. "He was supposed to Facetime me tonight, but I think his work caught him off guard unexpectedly," she explained.

"You really like him, don't you?" Rob probed.

Amy nodded, bringing her knees up to her chest. "I love him, Rob. I've never felt such strong emotions for a guy before. I'm head over heels for him. He makes me feel safe, and he makes me feel alive."

He gave her a weak smile as he watched Amy swoon over the dark hedgehog. Little did she know what was about to come. "Young love," he reminisced. "I can recall it fondly."

"This isn't just young love," Amy corrected him. "I think he may be…the one for me. I hope I can talk to him soon."

Rob kept one of his hands on the doorknob as he remained partly inside her room. "Well, you know how his business goes. I'm sure he'll get around to calling you eventually."

Amy nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I'll go to bed then. It's late anyway." The teal-colored hedgehog entered her room and neared the side of her bed as she went under the sheets. Amy watched him, curious to see what he was doing. He began to tuck her in. Amy felt oddly embarrassed at the gesture as it felt childish. "Rob, what are you doing?"

"Remember when I used to tuck you in when you were a little girl? You loved it and always reminded me to do it," he laughed lightly.

Amy shook her head at the ridiculousness with a chuckle. "Rob, I'm not a little girl anymore. I've grown up."

He placed a hand on her head and patted it gently. "I know. You've grown up so quickly before me." He kissed the top of her head before he walked over to her door and flipped off the lights. "Goodnight, Amy."

She stared at him as he lingered in the doorway. She gave him a small smile. "Night, Rob."

•~•

Around 4 AM, Shadow, Ray, Gadget, Mephiles, Knuckles, Mighty, and Manic arrived at the meetup point to meet with Enerjak's men. However, his men had not arrived yet, so the group waited. The M.C. was stationed in a field just outside a chain link fence as they stared into the industrial-looking location ahead. There were plenty of industrial-looking buildings with turrets. The boys had brought some supplies along with them for the attack. They had brought grenades, AK-47s, rocket launchers, M4 carbines, and M16s.

"So, this is where Starline operates his business?" Gadget inquired as he stared at the grey buildings.

"—That's right," one of Enerjak's men confirmed. Everyone turned around only to spot a brown pangolin.

Knuckles eyed the newcomer who had emerged from behind some trees with three other guys. "Who are you?"

The pangolin eyed the echidna. "My name is Loden," he introduced. Loden gestured to the other three males behind him a moon rat, tenrec, and porcupine. "And this is Russet, Flint, and Trace." The other three males wore military vests, pants, and boots. They casually waved a gesture to the rest of the M.C.

"Nice to meet you," Shadow acknowledged shaking hands with the pangolin. "I'm Shadow, the V.P. This is the rest of my crew. Mighty, Knuckles, Gadget, Manic, and Ray," he pointed individually.

"A pleasure," Loden replied with a handshake.

"And I'm Mephiles, the president," the other brother added, extending his hand for him to shake.

Loden shook Mephiles' hand as well. "Nice to meet you too." He turned to address the other members. "Everyone needs to follow my direct orders, or we'll lose a lot more out there than we need to."

"Uh, excuse me, but when you say lose, you mean as in die?" Ray inquired nervously.

The pangolin nodded calmly. "That's right. It'll be a miracle if we all come out alive in the end. This is war, after all, and we're entering enemy territory."

Ray gulped nervously and shuddered at the thought. He clutched his rifle in his hands.

Mighty placed an assuring hand on his kid brother's shoulder. "Hey, little buddy, don't you sweat it. I won't let anything happen to you out there," he vowed.

Ray looked up to his older foster brother. "You mean that?"

Mighty nodded confidently. "Of course. When have I ever not kept you safe?" he smiled.

"I believe that, but seeing how swollen your face is makes me nervous. Are you sure you can even see out of that one eye?" he inquired.

"I can see reasonably well," he answered.

Ray gulped. "If you say so…"

"Shall we get moving then?" Shadow suggested.

Loden nodded. "I think it's best." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a map, and laid it down in the dirt. Using his headlamp, he shined the light onto the map. His finger grazed the map as he pointed at specific points. "Here's where the intel is telling us Starline is stationed. We're going to navigate up until this point for our initial attack," he explained. "There are guards stationed before this point, so we'll have to take them out as quietly as possible."

"I see," Mephiles advised while looking over his shoulder.

"One more thing," Loden added. He snapped his fingers, and Trace walked over with a couple of walkie-talkies and handed them to the pangolin. "These may come in handy, so everyone takes one." The walkie-talkies were distributed to everyone. "We're all on station 2."

Everyone changed their station to two to be on the same wavelength. "Got it," Shadow noted.

"All right, let's gear up and move out," Loden ordered.

Everyone began to load and prepare their weapons. Nearby the fence, Mighty glanced over and spotted Manic in a daze, loading his gun. The armadillo approached the green hedgehog and cocked his head to the side. "Yo, everything okay over here?" he questioned with concern.

"Huh?" Manic stated, shaking his head and coming back to reality.

Mighty tilted his head with caution. "You looked like your mind was elsewhere if you catch my drift…Just checking in on you. You've been quiet since this morning."

Manic shrugged innocently. "I'm good, man," he lied. "I'm just trying to mentally prepare myself, is all."

He gently nudged his shoulder with his fist. "Like I told Ray, I've got you back, dude."

"I think I should be saying that," Manic noted. "I mean…you can barely see out of one eye," he pointed. "Not to mention, you're probably majorly sore, too, from that beat down."

Mighty displayed a cheesy smile. "I'll be fine," he promised.

"All right, let's roll out," Loden announced. Everyone in the group followed the pangolin as he led them further past the fence. Eventually, they spotted a small tent where the first line of defense was. Three shots rang out, hitting the three-armed guards who unexpectedly were headshot. The three bodies hit the floor as Loden's sniper Trace, with a silencer, lowered his weapon. "Excellent," the pangolin whispered. "Let's keep moving."

As the group neared the industrial buildings, they spread out into a defense line, keeping their guns ready as they navigated the field leading up to the facilities. It was oddly quiet, and the sun was only starting to rise.

Loden and his two guys took the lead in the front while the others remained just several feet behind them. Suddenly, Flint stepped on something causing him to stop momentarily as he heard a soft click. Everyone behind him halted as they watched Flint freeze in place. They listened to a low-frequency hum before watching him glance down at where his right foot stood. "Oh shit…" he mumbled in realization.

Even Loden and Russet were quick to pick up on the disturbing discovery. "Landmine!" the pangolin shouted as he and Russet ducked out of the way to avoid the blast narrowly.

Shadow and the others behind crouched for cover as the tenrec was blown to bits. Ray scrambled backward in the dirt, holding his rifle nervously as one of Flint's arms landed near him. "Ah!" Suddenly, bullets began to whizz near them, landing just before their feet as they retreated.

"Take cover!" Loden shouted. "Be careful of other landmines!" he warned.

Ray quickly scurried back and ducked behind a large boulder in the field. He lay on his belly and placed his hands over his head as she shook in terror.

At that same time, Mighty, Manic, and Gadget retreated, running as bullets whizzed past them in their direction. "Be careful. There could be other mines nearby!" the armadillo warned.

Knuckles ran and followed Loden, Russet, and Trace. "For fuck's sake!" Trace aimed his gun and shot a few more rounds at a sniper on a rooftop. They managed to duck behind the cover of a building.

Back on the field, Gadget ran behind Mighty and Manic until he felt something hit the side of his head. The red wolf suddenly screamed and collapsed with a thud.

Manic screeched to a halt in the dirt as he realized a comrade had fallen. "Gadget!"

Mighty quickly intervened and skidded to the red wolf's side. "I've got him! Keep running!" he yelled. "Cover me!"

Manic nodded and began to aim the shooters aiming at them. He hit a few of the shooters, wounding or killing them. In the meantime, Mighty flipped Gadget over to quickly assess the damage. He was knocked out cold and had some bleeding from a slit on the side of his forehead where a bullet had grazed him. With quick thinking, he tore off the red bandana he wore around his neck and wrapped it around his head to keep the wound from bleeding further. Then carefully, he lifted Gadget and placed him into a piggyback.

Meanwhile, at that same time, Mephiles had already retreated behind a large tree. He watched as his brother ran from gunfire to retreat behind the shelter. "Brother, I'll cover you!" he assured.

Shadow gave a curt nod acknowledging him before continuing to run. Mephiles shot at a few shooters on top of one of the buildings and successfully took one out with a headshot. Shadow managed to duck behind an abandoned car out in the field. He could hear the bullets hitting the vehicle's hood as he remained hidden.

In hiding with Loden and the others, Russet pulled out a rocket launcher and aimed it at the building. "Let's see how they like this," he grinned manically. He shot a rocket into the distance that exploded the upper part of the building. With a loud blast and vibration, everyone watched as the shots fired ceased, and a large blaze of fire took over the building where the shooters had been.

The pangolin grabbed his walkie as he sat next to his comrades. "This is Loden, over. Can you guys hear me, over?"

Shadow was the first to hear and reached for his walkie on his hip. He pulled it up to his mouth to respond. "This is Shadow copying your message, over."

"So, at least one of you made it out alive," Loden chuckled. "Over."

"I saw Knuckles, Mephiles, Mighty, Manic, and Gadget, over," Shadow responded.

"I've still got Trace and Russet alive," Loden explained. "I haven't seen the kid squirrel, though, over."

Shadow looked around, desperately looking for the yellow rookie squirrel. "Shit…where's the kid at?" he mumbled.

"Ray's all good," another voice chimed in. "He's behind the boulder at six, over," Manic explained. "However, Gadget's been injured. Mighty's got him now and plans to get him back to safety, over.

"It seems we took out the main shooters with that rocket launcher. I don't think proceeding with the unknown landmines is safe. We need to retreat and find another route to those buildings, over," he explained.

"I agree. We'll have to retrace our steps carefully. We're lucky no one else accidentally triggered another one while we fled, over" Shadow noted.

Landon carefully looked behind him and spotted Mephiles a far distance back. "If we can all return to your brother, we'll be safe. Take caution, over," he instructed.

Shadow was the first one to make his way through the field. He took his time cautiously with each step. He sighed in relief and made it over to the other side. Eventually, each member mimicked the previous actions individually, carefully navigating through the dangerous field. Finally, Manic was up next. The rest of the boys stood at the starting line and stared at the green-pierced hedgehog. Their odds had been good so far.

"Come on, man. You can do it," Mighty encouraged from afar.

Manic looked down at the dirt, looking for any odd bumps in the ground that could hide a potential landmine. Using his gaze, he couldn't notice anything unusual, which was haunting.

"Take your time," Knuckles urged from afar.

If I step in the wrong spot, it'll be over for me, he thought to himself. But doesn't that mean it'd be fast and painless as well? He contemplated. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad…Manic exhaled a breath before walking without caution toward the group. He barely even looked down at the ground where his feet were stepping. The others looked on with terror and anxiety.

"What the hell are you doing?" Shadow berated, terrified he'd set off a landmine. "Slow down!"

"You idiot!" Loden bellowed. "Stop being reckless!"

Manic ignored everyone's comments and calmly walked back toward them. At this point, with his mental state with what had occurred between him and Monkey Khan, he could care less about what happened to him. He could barely live with himself due to his actions. Not to mention, he was still dying for a hit.

"You're going to get yourself killed!" Ray shouted anxiously. He could barely watch and covered his eyes with his fingers. "Geez, I can't watch."

Finally, Manic arrived safely on the other side and reunited with them in one piece. Knuckles stormed over and slugged him in the face.

Manic stumbled backward as he recoiled from the blow. "The hell, man?" he snapped.

"You careless piece of shit," Knuckles seethed. "You could have gotten yourself killed. What were you even thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking," Manic shrugged. "I knew I'd survive," he lied. Everyone stared at him, aghast at his response as he sauntered past them calmly. Mighty stared at his friend walk off and frowned at his retreating figure. He knew that he was still hurting and processing his ordeal.

•~•

A little later, the group found another entrance into the industrial area. They surveyed the area and found many deceased cartel members in the encampment. However, it also appeared that whoever had survived made a quick evacuation. "Shit," Loden whispered. "I don't see any trace of Starline."

"If he was here, he's long gone now," Russet noted, moving a large piece of a fallen beam out of the way.

Trace walked out from an abandoned part of a building. "No signs of his body anywhere either."

"Well, we made a statement, that's for sure," Mephiles added, securing his weapon to his back.

"Enerjak won't be pleased," Loden stated. "We did kill quite a few of his guys, though."

"We'll deal with his anger, I'm sure," Shadow sighed. "I say we call it for the day and reconvene for more intel on his whereabouts tomorrow. We're lucky we only lost one person today and have a few people with minor injuries."

"He's right," Knuckles concurred. "Let's get outta here."

"Very well, I'll give my report to Enerjak when we return. I'm sure he'll be in touch with you shortly."

As everyone made their way out, Mighty approached Manic as he sat on the steps of one destroyed building. He looked void of expression. "Hey man, how you holding up?"

"Fine," he said without much emotion.

Mighty cautiously took a seat beside him on the steps. "You wanna tell me why you pulled that mad stunt out on the field? That was even more wild than usual."

Manic leaned back on the steps, resting his arms on one of the ledges. "That's easy, bro. I don't wanna be alive anymore," he stated calmly.

Mighty stared at his best friend, stunned by his blunt comment. "Excuse me?"

"Look, man. I was ready to accept death if it happened out there."

Mighty frowned even more, pained at the idea that his best friend felt his life had little value. "Manic…"

Seeing his reaction, Manic sighed. "I killed someone because of something bad I did," he explained. "The guy was a scumbag, but he didn't deserve to go out that way. I should be the one who is six feet under in an unmarked grave…"

"This ordeal has affected you way more than I thought."

"Yeah, not to mention Locke's death came out of left field, just building on top of that. Then there was the whole attack at the wake. We lost even more people, and some got hurt, like Amy, Rouge, and Gadget. My love life is non-existent, and what the hell am I doing in this club? What's my purpose? Everything recently started to make me reflect on life…and besides that, I still got this itch to take a hit and numb these feelings."

"It sounds like you're depressed, and you don't know how to deal with your emotions and thoughts," Mighty observed. "You need to talk to someone, man. You need help."

Manic raised a brow. "What like therapy? That's gnarly, dude. Bikers don't talk about our feelings and shit," he scoffed in disgust.

Mighty rose to his feet. "Maybe not, but we don't have to hold onto that stigma. Times are changing." He extended his hand to the green hedgehog, and Manic placed his hand in his, allowing the armadillo to pull him to his feet.

Manic shrugged again. "If you say so, my dude."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "First thing tomorrow morning, I'm booking you an appointment, you hear?"

"Why do you totally remind me of my mom right now?" he groaned. "Lame."

Mighty smiled pleasantly. "I'm looking out for you. You're my brother."

AN: Please remember to leave a review, comment, thought, or prediction!