AN: Finally reached the Free Desire Stadium! I'm really looking for this one, and a lot of work will be placed into this one. I'm also starting to add a new idea to my current plan of the story's direction. I'm having thoughts after watching Brandon Roger's 'Five Nights at Freddy's PARODY' and the preview of 'A Queda' gameplay of Just Dance 2024 (seriously, the new gameplay preview is awesome).

You might guess what this would mean since I did write Bendy and the Ink Machine, Five Nights at Freddy's and Murder Drones…and I know how to do it in the worst possible way ever done in Sonic fanfiction history. Mwah ha ha ha (laugh.exe). :3

Special thank you to Tashasaurous, who helped out for an important part of this chapter! More details at the bottom author's note. But let's hop right in and you'll see the surprise!

Chapter 24

We didn't need to wait long until the show could start. Antoine decided to buy a full combo of tickets enough to get six people in (Shard and Shortfuse need to be counted) and we all hopped into the personalized truck for Team Blood. Along the way, Breezie stopped to grab a few clothes she ordered at a mall; she said we would need disguises.

At first, I wasn't sure about it, but I remembered back to my point that we had to blend in and not make a scene before Ice's arrival. Apparently, the Magma Holiday Break Live Show not only present rising acts, artists and bands, but the crowd get to be a part of the fun by dressing up in extravagant clothes. No matter the fashion.

For some reason, it sounded like Antoine originally planned to go there in full body armor uniform. But he had to change his clothes as well.

Antoine's choice of a disguise told me a lot about what his tastes might be. He wore something similar to Rosemary's uniform: a blue jacket with red trim, gold shoulder pads and gold and red cuffs, a black belt wrapped around his jacket with a golden buckle. In addition, he slapped on a pair of white gloves, black ripped jeans, red boots and a black eyepatch for some reason.

Breezie insisted I retain the disguise I used from my previous museum heist with Willy Walrus. I insisted, but Molly found the idea amusing and thus, I was under strict conditions of taking care of her pink coat and purple fedora. So once again, I had to pull back on a black collared shirt with a lavender tie and black trousers. However, I refused to remove my gloves and traded slacks with black boots.

Both Breezie and Rosemary were also dressed for the occasion. Guess that all of us were dressing up smart.

The teal hedgehog wore a glittery red dress that reached to her red high heels. Her cleavage was nearly open, forming a V shape. I felt nearly high when I saw her like this. She was just smiling away like she knew she was that damn beautiful.

On the other hand, Rosemary had more trouble with adjusting to her dress. And judging by the way she kept moving her bottom in agitation on her seat cushion, it was too tight. She wore a similar dress, but it was black with a rip around the left leg. She was wearing fitting black leggings and black boots.

I could argue that Shard and Shortfuse had it worse. The former only applied a baggy gray hoodie with a black leather jacket, completed with an oversized turquoise beanie to cover half of his head. Meanwhile, the latter only required purple and blue paint over his body and a large baseball cap covering where his eyes should be at.

"Maybe we should have thought about our looks for the night," said Shortfuse.

"What?" said Breezie. "There aren't any clothes I can afford to suit your size. No one is gonna notice at the Magma Holiday Break Live Show. Everyone is wearing cosplay."

"Do they?" asked Antoine. "Last time I checked, everyone is just wearing normal holiday clothes."

"The more complex a design looks, the more likely our target won't suspect us."

Shortfuse snorted, surprisingly sounding annoyed. "I can see that."

"I feel ridiculous in this," said Rosemary, ruffling her dress.

Breezie chuckled. "Just go with it. You look dashing in it."

"Can't you just cut off the skirt part?" I asked innocently. "You're wearing black leggings."

"But I'm not gonna ruin a 19 billion dollar dress," grumbled Rosemary.

"Shame," snarked Antoine. "It's the most flexible you can find."

I had my eyes on the coyote for nearly the whole ride. He was starting to smile a little and I thought I saw his heels bouncing as we drew closer to the Free Desire Stadium. However, I knew he had a breaking point and this assassination could go wrong. Well, given that Rosemary, Breezie and Shortfuse seemed to be sadistic.

I wanted to ask Antoine. Reach out to him. However, as we sat there while the truck drove on, something pulled me back from asking. Even my ruby asked me why I refused to come forward. It only felt like a different world I might be stepping into. In the similar fashion of coming towards a world I wasn't really familiar with.

Speaking of which, I decided to redirect my attention towards the stadium we were heading towards. Comparing back to the small stadiums I went to before in the desert, it was more primitive. The loud banging of the drums, the roar of the excited audience and the smell of blood from the fights happening within the arena. Whenever a brilliant act evoked the thrill, it would send you flying.

I smiled to myself, imagining a big live performance in the middle of an arena. Well, not like a fight, but a spectacular musical performance. Perhaps some band playing their fancy instruments and trying to come close to the audience. The carried feeling of seeing yourself in the performer's shoes, living the music.

Already adapted to the clean urban life of the city, it made me imagine if it would be really fancy and like an actual kingdom castle. Perhaps formal clothes? A massive banquet for those hungry? An outside festival where things could be sold? Or fireworks and kites in the sky?

Would there be biplanes as well?

These were some of the things I was excited about. No wonder why Antoine seemed to like the show.

Interlinked with my thoughts, the ruby happily played a melodic beep. To my surprise, it wasn't in my head.

Shard tapped on my shoulder, surprised. "Dude! Your eyes!"

"Hmm?"

"Your eyes. They aren't…yellow. Like they're green as grass."

I blinked a couple of times, paying attention to the upbeat melody from my ruby. "But it's just…sound."

Shard sighed. "Your eyes are green. See for yourself."

I entertained the idea and using the limited power of my ruby, I created a small mirror shard illusion. And he wasn't wrong; seeing myself in this reflection, I couldn't recognize my eyes. They were a vibrant green color. It could be mistaken as a natural eye color. However, they were…glowing as well. And I couldn't even feel strong power from my ruby. Only excitement of the Magma Holiday Break Live Show.

"Are you doing this?" I asked internally.

The ruby beeped in a high pitch, answering me with a neutral answer.

"OK, that's too cryptic. This never happened before."

It hummed again, sounding a little tired.

"Can't you just turn your energy into a straightforward answer?"

The ruby muttered something in my head.

"So what you're saying is that it is an evolving decorative feature?"

The ruby huffed, confirming the case with no lie.

"Will it be intimidating if you have my eyes be fully black?"

N̴o̶,̷ ̶O̸b̴s̵i̵d̶i̶a̴n̴.̷ ̴B̷l̸a̷c̶k̵ ̸e̴y̸e̵s̴ ̷a̷r̷e̴n̶'̶t̷ ̵i̵n̸t̷i̴m̸i̷d̶a̷t̷i̸n̸g̶.̶ ̵B̵l̷a̴c̶k̶ ̴e̶y̶e̸s̵ ̵m̴a̴k̷e̶ ̴y̸o̸u̶ ̵l̶o̷o̴k̵ ̶w̷e̸i̸r̶d̸.̴

And thus, my mirror illusion faded away, but not before I got a good look at my green eyes turning back to golden. Guess that the ruby wasn't in the mood to give me ideas of how I wanted to look. It was a good thing it wasn't a sign of corruption or control. But why now that I could turn my eyes green? Was it even known from the start?

Eventually, the ruby hummed, sounding apologetic. I could only chuckle to myself, patting it. This earned an intrigued look from Antoine. I grinned and the ruby started beeping a happy melody again. The coyote's ears wiggled in response.

The truck came to a halt and we could hear the driver calling us. Breezie and Shard reached the back door and opened it to reveal the cluttered car park. The truck was able to take up a spot at the last moment. At this point, nearly everyone was heading inside to prepare for the show, cheering away and waving colorful flags.

As we all filed out, I noticed Antoine's smile growing wider. He barely looked like a serious soldier and now a kid wanting to rush to a candy store. His tail was wagging, but not in the same way my tail was. Once I stepped out, I could see the appeal.

The Free Desire Stadium was arguably FIVE TIMES the size of the ordinary stadiums I've seen in my life. And this one wasn't made from clay, stone or concrete; a mixture of black, grey and white structured the building, matching the fashionable Central City behind us. Instead of fireworks, I could see colorful spotlights shining from the stadium, reaching the dark sky.

But what felt really different was the noises that came from right inside. There was ample chatter and cheer. The size of the stadium could fit a skyscraper's size of people in. More importantly, the music playing didn't sound like the banging of drums. The beats from what might be speakers…booming away.

It occurred to me that I didn't think about how loud the show would be…

Oooh, look! A biplane-!

Breezie suddenly grabbed me by the shoulder, pulling me close. "Hey, merc-for-hire! We still got a business to run~!"

I chuckled sheepishly, eyeing the pretty red biplane flying above the stadium. "Oh…yeah. I forgot."

"OK, so it's unlikely that we won't be able to know where Ice will plant the explosives around in the second half," said Rosemary. "Our clothes will at least blend us in the crowd. However, we still have to spread out to get into positions."

"Alright!" said Shortfuse, banging on his chest proudly. "I'm already accessing the cameras…security is kind of low on that point. Pathetic unemployment."

"Does everyone have their traps prepared?" asked Shard, pulling out a large backpack. "I might need to gather a few more resources around here."

"Nah, I'm all good on my end," said Antoine. "They seem appropriate to capture our targets with some fitted to deactivate the bombs they'll place."

"Then it looks like we're ready to go," I said. "Let's not stand here for too long or everyone will think…"

I trailed off, looking around us. The car park was nearly empty with the remaining people already close to the stadium. Guess that we wouldn't have to worry about being seen. As I turned my attention back to the group, Breezie was already in the middle of snooping around the truck. A successful sound from her and she threw out a huge bag of weapons.

"Alright, ladies!" she said in delight. "Choose your fighter!"

Rosemary tore through the bag and the created hole revealed a bunch of black weapons I couldn't identify. Shortfuse tried grabbing one, only for Breezie to slap his hand away. Shard and Rosemary didn't take that much, the former arming himself with a blade knife and the latter taking a gun. I decided to grab a black taster from the bag. Such a shame that I wasn't allowed to bring my original taser along.

Antoine took two pistols. He chuckled to himself, spinning them around in his hands. With the grace of a conductor, he slammed them right into his pockets and rubbed his hands together. But as he did, Breezie awarded him with a fully black knife.

The coyote's eyes widened. "W-What?"

"Just in case!" said Breezie, grinning.

"Oh no, no, no, no! You take it!"

The teal hedgehog laughed, pushing the knife away. "I already have one! You know when to use it!"

The coyote shook his head. My heart skipped a beat and a familiar expression of worry traced over his face. There was a moment of temptation; a hiss through his lips and his golden eyes turning into silts. He closed his eyes and shook his head, fighting the instinct within.

Breezie was fantastically unfazed. "Play us a symphony!"

I was already growing tired of this. Without even needing my body to glitch ominously, I stepped in and snatched the dagger from Antoine's hands.

"Geez, Louise," I groaned. "Not all of us are experts in using knives."

"Thank god, Obsidian…" muttered Antoine, sighing in relief.

Breezie pouted. "You're no fun."

I rolled my eyes before returning my attention to the mission. "These weapons will be able to get past high security, but be careful. We didn't bring any more spares for the night."

"Everyone, comms up," instructed Breezie. "Now, good luck…and don't get caught."

"Shortfuse," said Shard. "I might need your help gathering more materials around the stadium to fulfil our traps. These ones are perfect for the environment."

"On it!" said Shortfuse, saluting.

Breezie, Shard and Shortfuse took the first lead, already getting into the act of an ordinary trio walking together. It was weird seeing their backs from this angle. The night could have concealed their bodies, but the headlights above the cars still had them in the spotlight.

Shard was walking fluidly like a real hedgehog, though his exposed robotic legs contrasted his confidence.

Shortfuse was the most obvious, his feet lifting up and down stiffly.

Meanwhile, Breezie was swaying her hips with a sassy strut of her high heels…my face flushed red and I looked away.

Rosemary seemed to agree with me. "Yeah, I'm not going to act like THAT."

"Just whip your hair back and forth," suggested Antoine teasingly. "You'll feel empowered."

Rosemary narrowed her eyes. "Why don't you do it? You two have hair as well."

"I can do it already to make things fair," I joked with a smirk.

I wasn't sure how exactly fancy clothes would do the trick since nearly none of the other visitors to the show were wearing casual formal. However, Rosemary and Antoine didn't seem to mind as we approached the tall stadium. Despite being in pants, I was slowly growing comfortable in my clothes. Maybe Molly had a point about why her fedora looked good on me.

Going through security wasn't that big of an issue. With the majority of the attendees already in, there were few security guards and only scanned our bodies. The black weapons we carried were undetected. However, this went by like a blur as I could feel the rumble of a thousand feet stomping impatiently the second we stepped inside.

A clamor from outside or at least in this stadium's 'arena' section. My left ear twitched, trying to identify it. My ruby hummed, telling me to prepare myself. But I didn't listen.

Eventually, when we reached the floor where we would be able to enter the grandstands, the open doors gave way to the promised show. Antoine was already grinning away, giddily bouncing on his heels. But to me, it was breathtaking.

The first thing I noted was the sight.

I was surprised by how huge these grandstands were. Must have been a couple of seats available. Interestingly, there were certain sections, from balconies where people could observe to windows with what appeared to be a green room. Both these spots contained visitors dressed in formal, shiny and groomed clothes, some even holding wine glasses.

And it didn't stop there; the arena field in the middle of the stadium was packed with multiple people. They weren't even sitting down! The crowd was so squished together that I could imagine how tough it would be to get through this pile of folks. What I didn't expect was the stage; instead of being exclusively in the middle, it stretched from a long platform to a huge stage on the other side of the stadium. To be specific, a more expansive stage with a digital background monitor.

This was a high-peak quality of a musical performance. I wondered if it would be a bit too much, but since this city seemed to have a few new genres of music, was this some kind of art display of bands? Why go for something this big when it would be just performing music?

The second thing I noted was the sound.

Up this close, the crowd's roar of excitement filled the entire stadium. A thousand people cheering their heads off. Adding to the loudness, the stage's speakers played a loud techno song to keep them busy. The sound was even coming from the intercom speakers above us! A grind against the rail in a melodic yet deep scratch that would have popped those speakers.

A wince escaped through my shut lips. I squeezed my ears, wanting to block the possible screams that could burst my eardrums next. By this point, it would be worse than the cracking of a mountain. This was too noisy for my taste.

Meanwhile, Antoine was admiring the sight. He didn't look like a stranger, matching the hyped smiles from passerbys. A man part of the lively crowd, taking in the loud noise.

"How…were you able to tolerate this?" I asked nervously.

The coyote raised an eye. "I'm sorry. What do you say?"

"I mean…this…THIS." I gestured one hand towards the large stage. "It's like a big pile of gold waiting before you."

"Some of the country's most famous artists and bands will be here," said Rosemary. "They need a stage like this."

"Do they? Isn't it excessive?"

"It's called marketing," said the fox matter-of-factly.

That suddenly made a lot of sense. "Oh…but I don't understand why it must be this loud."

Antoine stared at me for a while, confused. It didn't take too long, however, for him to understand. He slowly nodded, whistling. "Kid, a rock concert like this isn't exactly for the peace and quiet. Loud sound is needed when so many people unite here. Just think of it like a wild teenage party except in the open area. The music would be there to get everyone moving."

I was slowly starting to understand. "Well, that explains the people crowded in the middle."

"Also…did I tell you that at the Magma Holiday Break Live Show, they'll also have metal bands here?"

"...wait, what?"

Memories of the horrible music Antoine played when I was taken to Central City replayed in my mind. The loud, violent, earth-shattering scream blasting through the truck with a heavy scream that resembled a demon's screech. And now, this was gonna be translated to speakers meant to reach the ear of a hectic crowd.

"They're gonna play the Devil here?!" I squeaked.

Antoine rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry that I didn't inform you in the first place."

I growled quietly, wishing I researched this place's context first. No more than 10 minutes and this place would shake like a real earthquake. What a way to distract me from finding Ice.

A whisper from my ruby, telling me if it could lessen the soundwave input through my eardrums. Already agitated, I rolled my eyes and sent a mental message to it that I was alright. It whispered, asking me if I was alright. However, it was hard to answer since this was the first time I would get to hear something incredibly loud.

Rosemary gave me a quizzical look, but her approach was generous.

"Do you need noise cancellers?" she asked.

"No," I said almost instantly. I didn't want to appear weak in front of them.

The lights of the stage and the nearby spotlights dimmed, blanketing the stadium in darkness. At this, the crowd cheered louder. The excitement spread throughout the place, invoking anticipation for the night's first performance. Only inside, where we were at, had lights still on. Reluctantly, I lowered one hand from my ears, trying to get used to the sound.

"...should we start moving?" asked Rosemary awkwardly. "Ice won't be here until the next hour."

Antoine rubbed his chin. "I'm…thinking of watching the first act. I'm interested in the first few songs of the tracklist!"

I had a thought to myself. Stuck in a stadium that would be ignited by flashing lights and distracting noises. A strategy in playing the waiting game with Ice. And the traps we carried weren't too complicated to set up. The only thing we needed to do was to find the right secluded spots, but that could change over time.

However, I was curious about this special stage performance. It was all too new to me. More than just a humble performance. In spite of the loud noise, the crowd's cheer evoked a tribal feeling of connection and desire for sweet melodies. I wanted to hear.

"Sure then," I said, curling my tail around my legs. "We can listen."

The crowd's cheer burst into a cry, though more like the tears of joy. At that moment, I quickly checked the tablet Breezie gave me. Thankfully, she made it easy for me to use and it was already on. We had some access to the camera footage and by pressing on the screen, it flipped to the stadium map. Blue dots represent civilians, red dots represent us…and perhaps maybe Ice later on since he would be bringing weapons.

Breezie's group was already on the other side of the stadium. One tap on the other three red dots and I was greeted with a camera footage image of Shortfuse carrying a tray of soft serve sundaes with lids. Specifically, what appeared to be 20 cups forming a pyramid. Shortfuse was marching more robotically as he tried to balance the tray.

Shard was nearby, a digital eyebrow in his visor raised. "Dude, you're sure this will work?"

"Absolutely!" said Shortfuse, stiffly swinging his arm around. The pyramid somehow didn't crumble. "What better way to distract our nemesis by icing him?"

"Details, Shortfuse," said Breezie's voice. "Now can someone help me hold these kids off?!"

From the corner of the footage video, I could see Breezie trying to hold off a group of excited students. Their teacher laughed sheepishly while the teal hedgehog tried going into bodyguard mode. The usually chill Breezie seemed to be at her edge, judging by her strained smile. Shortfuse was already wasting his time moving slowly. For that huge of an ego, he seemed pretty serious about the mission.

All of a sudden, Breezie yelped when one of the kids latched onto her front bangs, nearly pulling her down. I was about to watch her trip over when Antoine tapped on my shoulder.

"It's starting already," he whispered. "Look."

Keeping the device away, I stared back at the stage and it was already filled with life. The background monitor was turned on to reveal a stunning night sky with vibrant blue rays. Spotlights lined the stage and the extended platform, flashing in cool colors.

The crowd watching near the stage seemed to press against the fences when a band appeared, wanting to come close. A group assembled by humans and animals, decked in white and black. The majority of them approached the prepared instruments on set; shiny electric guitars, a drum set and a keyboard. These guys got into their positions, a familiar format of performers standing in one spot when playing an instrument.

Their lead singer caught my attention as unlike his band, he first stood close to the stage's edge.

"What's up, Central City!" he shouted through his microphone, an excited grin of getting into the zone. "Let me hear you!"

I wondered why the leader looked young, but his good looks got many of his fans screaming for him.

The lead singer is a midnight blue hedgehog with peach skin, striking blue fur on his arms and navy blue eyes. Fitting for the band's image, he wore a white and black split-tone vest, long gray elbow-length gloves, black leather boots and a gray guitar strapped on his back. As he listened to the applause, he grinned widely and spun around.

"Whoo! Glad to be back here for another year! Hope you know this one; it's our new one for our future album. Gonna start off slow tonight."

- Existence -

The introduction piano instrumental had a much faster tempo than 'slow'. While the keyboarder played the first few notes, the rest of the band members rolled their shoulders, shuffled their feet and held onto their instruments tightly. The lead hedgehog placed his microphone on a stand and kept his mouth close to it. He swayed his hips around gently to the rising piano playing in the background.

The crowd seemed to quiet a little, watching in anticipation. Perhaps they were excited to hear this new song or let the lead singer have this moment in this symphony? The piano instrumental was emotional, but I couldn't tell why until he began singing.

"When you feel like the world is against you,
Never knowing what to do,
You long for friendship
Someone to care for you…"

Diving into the song's harmony, I didn't expect the lyrics to be a contrast to the piano melody slowly becoming upbeat. However, the lead singer's vocals were gentle and surprisingly soothing, matching the ceremonial energy. The audience was singing along as well, still smiling in glee.

Drums were added to the mix, starting with a kick beat. It wasn't that loud, but its thumping rhythm added to form a coming intensity. A rise to the action to kick the party in full swing.

"Yet fate seems to be strong
Everything always goes wrong,
Questions linger, sting with a powerful resistance,
It hurts because you don't know how to earn…"

The electric guitars came into full power, bringing a climactic stage to the song. My first instinct was to cover my ears, but I found myself not too intimidated by the noise. I let my arms fall to the side, filling them with the rock instrumental's surprisingly graceful melody. It retained an edge through the roughness of those guitars and building drum beat. All mixed with the lead singer's chilling harmonies.

"Existence,
It's an eternal feeling,
Existence,
It's what everybody is dealing."

As I listened more to the lyrics, I could understand it more in this chorus. In fact, these words in such a fast and upbeat song created a careful yet poetic image of the story. Closing my eyes, I let the words sink in and admire the way those words were spelled out.

"Existence,
The questionable meaning,
And you start to think if it's all worth
To be exposed to anything."

There was a short instrumental breakdown with the guitarists blazing their guitars. And the lead singer continued on by vocalizing gently. He swayed around more. His audience followed along, swaying their arms above their heads like waving a candle. Despite the energetic rock sound, the melancholic harmony and words constructed the song as a distinctive reflection rather than at face value.

Listening to these lyrics made me wonder why they were presented this way in such a high-energy song. The upbeat instrumental even sounded sad, cementing its emotional beginning. Through the short vocalizing, I thought further about the meaning of the lyrics…a projection formed in front of me on how I felt. A subtle story underneath the flashing colors.

The guitars came to a more gentle strum while keeping a lively tone for the next verse. The lead singer carried on with his eyes closed in his own world with the audience.

"In times when we think things will be alright,
It is never the true case,
When we think we found something,
Darkness always gives chase…"

I thought back to my experience in the city. The things that reminded me of the old days. The…people and challenges I came across. It was an ongoing journey since I found myself hesitating and misunderstanding one too many times in many situations easier for people in the city to adjust to. And…perhaps how I didn't accept the gravity of a few things until needed to be told about it properly.

"If you don't work enough to have a job, then you have no life! They all said practice makes perfect…"

I thought back to the Lightning Bolt Society. Their attitudes towards the society they lived in. The opportunities they turned away just because it was…hard for them. How they envied me as the 'lucky one'. I hadn't thought about that in a while, but it still rang true. Looking back on me, how much did they struggle with doing things 'the right way' without causing too many mistakes?

"To cast you out of the greatest light,
You try to hold on, but it extinguishes its strongest bright,
Questions linger, sting with a powerful resistance,
It hurts because you lose what you just earned…"

The last line came close to home. And what I lost was my squad and Infinite. My lips trembled slightly, remembering the last few times I heard of Zero. Him working his tail off with many Phantom Ruby prototypes, the likely outcome of his mind warped by those stupid rubies. And no one could find him when he was in the wrong hands…

And from there, I didn't expect to have a few stressful moments and bad decisions here. Most of them were my undoing because…

"I mean, why hire this jackal in when you know that he's a REAL villain?"

All my misunderstandings enforced this. From not taking accountability for who deserved to be locked up to the ongoing bullying of who was superior to not even recognizing the cultural norms. There were many things I didn't think through at the start.

When the chorus returned, I was more invested with the narrative than the melody.

"Existence,
It's an eternal feeling,
Existence,
It's what everybody is dealing…"

A stirring feeling poured upon inside. It couldn't be contained. I gulped, shaking my head. The same harrowing feeling I kept pushing down in times when I should have been wise. Yet, the words reminded me of the struggles of wanting to do good when I had no idea how to or they were all for nothing…

I opened my eyes and they felt wet. I blinked. I realized I was standing in the middle of people older than me who did not have a single teary eye. Ashamed, I tried wiping them. But to my surprise, tears formed again. And nearly for the first time in a long time, I let a tear roll down my cheek. I expected a sob, but it was only my heavy breathing.

It wasn't the kind of crying I thought that would make me weak.

"Existence,
The questionable meaning,
And you start to think if it's all worth
To be exposed to anything."

My eyes slowly directed to the audience, their faces revealing their features whenever lights flashed over them. They all looked so happy, so cheerful. Dancing along to this song with no care. How come? Was that another thing I misunderstood?

"Existence,
A true lost feeling,
Existence,
A past lost and a future not obtaining…"

I reflected back to what I learned from Molly's school reunion party. How people didn't need to go by specific roles to feel comfortable. The shamelessness they embodied or already come to terms with what they want. The crowd in front of me looked so happy, but why so? What connected them deeply to the song?

When the place was bathed in white light, I spotted some people in the crowd with wet cheeks.

"Existence,
Dark sins unforgotten and haunting…
And you start to think if it's all worth
To be exposed to anything."

As the lead singer went back to harmonizing, I observed the reactions from the crowd. Looking past the shiny smiles and joy. A group of girls huddled together, sharing big smiles and tears. One guy wasn't dancing, his body shaking in an uncontrollable sob. A woman nearby slowly pulled him into a comforting side hug. Watching from the grandstands, a girl slowly swayed her hands, a tearful smile towards the beautiful song.

I glanced at Antoine and Rosemary. They weren't focusing on me, fortunately. Rosemary was forlorn, staring down at her feet. Her ears were pressed back against her scalp. I could sense her growing anxiety. A familiar expression of guilt flashed over her. I glanced at Antoine. His blissful smile indicated his being at peace for a very provoking song. Like he was aware of the song's message and maybe the rough times he went through before. Yet he was someone else when he came into contact with a knife.

My muzzle was growing wet and I became aware of how many silent tears were shed. This time, instead of feeling overwhelmed or blamed, it felt…good. To see many people connecting and understanding this song in unity. This mutual understanding that everyone dwelled on the bad days and worries coming. There was nothing else I could say.

I found myself chuckling happily. It felt REALLY good. I appreciated the band's bold and loud sharing of intrusive thoughts. I continued smiling for the rest of the song as the band continued playing and the lead singer sang in calm passion.

"When you feel like the world is against you,
Never knowing what to do,
You long for friendship, someone to care for you…"

He paused and so did the band. An enigmatic air following the instrumental coming to an anti-climatic stop. There was just a sudden end in its conclusion.

"Yet dark sins will always make you question your existence…"

- End of Song -

The lead singer's eyes opened and he bowed down to the cheering audience. I found myself cheering as well, clapping my hands. Antoine spared me a look and his tail began wagging. I briefly glanced at him as well.

Maybe being here for the next few minutes won't be too bad.

Loud rock music echoed throughout the stadium. As nearly everyone who came over for the Magma Holiday Break Live Show took their seats, this left the hallways inside the main building nearly secluded. No one bothered to go to the bathroom. Nearly everybody already had their dinner fill, the cafe and restaurant areas were empty. And of course, there weren't many security guards patrolling these areas.

This worked to Team Blood's advantage in prepping up traps without accidentally including any collateral damage. Breezie's team already got to work with positioning their many traps in the appropriate spots while collecting some interesting resources from the food stores. It was Shortfuse's idea as 'the element of surprise' could be useful, though it wouldn't make sense how that would work against REAL weapons and explosives.

Breezie leaned back against the wall, wiping her forehead. A sigh of relief escaped through her lips, her body tired from the surprising progress with setting up the classic net trap. She looked around the corner, seeing the black spider web 'print' on the ground. This one wasn't easy to glue and it had a sensor of which target to collect.

Marvelling at her work, she recalled the many additional traps she and her faction left behind. The only hard work left would be getting rid of them once they assassinated Ice and his hired team. But it was worth it, especially in this dress. After all, Breezie always sees herself as a temple built from ambitions and challenges.

She wondered back on Shard and Shortfuse. She could see the appeal but only recognized the mundanity from collecting ice cream, tater tots and liquid from the nearest sink. Such a waste of money, she thought. If they wanted treats, she could just request them back at G.U.N.

Feeling a little vain, Breezie brushed up her quills to retain its curved, fashionable shape. Sometimes, she could feel superior to those she had to take care of.

As if on cue, she heard footsteps. Peeking around the other corner, she spotted Shard approaching Shortfuse with a large canteen of yellow liquid. Breezie squinted her eyes, trying to indicate if it was lemonade or a fizzy lime drink.

"Got the gallon of urine for the fox trap!" beeped Shard happily.

"Sweet!" said Shortfuse, taking it gingerly. "Say, where did you get a gallon of fake urine from?"

The smile disappeared from Shard in realization. "Wait. You needed…FAKE…urine?"

If Shortfuse had any expressional masks, then his face would shift immediately. All parts of his body froze up. His head slowly turned to Shard, standing awfully still, having difficulty progressing this new information. His eyes drew back to the canteen he was holding. Despite being unable to feel, he could see dripping liquid coming from the tight lid top and travelling to his fingers.

Given that Shortfuse IS a former organic squirrel, he understandably freaked out.

"WHY DID YOU GET REAL URINE?!" he screamed.

"You said urine!" said Shard, taking a few steps back. "You didn't say real urine!"

"I didn't know 'real' was an option!"

Breezie turned away when Shortfuse shoved the canteen of urine into Shard's arms. There was some incoherent garbling, but she didn't hear it. The teal hedgehog was a bit lost in her mind of how they were acting. Like a pack of children who couldn't go past a day without their childish games. Though, at least they were making an effort to streamline their traps. And at least Shortfuse wasn't being a menace.

She smirked to herself. An admiration for her fellow teammates in action. Were they goofy? Yes. Insane? Definitely. But a recent sense of pride remained around when leading this goofy team. It could be from self-credit for the missions they went on. However, she had fun with them. She could basically remember all of their interests, even if she didn't need to.

She wished that Ash could tag along. Even though his fighting skills were still in development, he provided a good hand in checking on strategies. And he would make great entertainment due to the sitcom banter between him and any of the dumb members. Yet, his bold determination and selflessness remained, sometimes even checking on her during her research to see if she was alright. She liked those parts of him.

Shard was a no-brainer. At first, it was a pity when she heard his background, thrown out by Eggman as a failed invention before he came back to life to rebel against his creator. He shared many things with Sonic, but he was a dork in his own way. His enthusiasm and not wanting a mission to be dull brightened up her view on some instances.

Breezie even thought back to Antoine and Obsidian. The older coyote was uptight but approachable due to his caring and creative nature. She still had photos of his written poems, even if Antoine did not value them highly. The younger jackal, despite being new to her, looked like a fun guy. She initially thought she was dealing with a puppy when she petted him.

The wistful smile on Breezie's face slowly formed into a sly smirk when Shard waddled over to her. A playful persona she preferred to create when in the crowd. She didn't often like showing her softer side, lookin as glamorous as possible.

"How's the popcorn making?" she asked aimlessly.

Shard clicked his metallic tongue. If he had a nose, he would cringe at the liquid coating his arms. He could hear little pops, beeps and electrical sparkles on his limbs.

"Splendid," he grumbled. "I need new circuits."

Just don't overthink," informed Breezie.

Shard nodded, a random kick on the floor awkwardly. His jokey attitude wasn't there anymore.

"Breezie, can I talk to you about the…spy problem?"

The teal hedgehog blinked. Damnit, they still have a spy running around, haven't they?

"Go ahead," she said blankly.

Shard crossed his arms. "You seem pretty relaxed about it. It's been a few days and no one has been able to nab the domino mask off their face."

Breezie didn't let down her guard. She didn't want to freak Shard out. "I'm a little worried, but we don't have real evidence yet. Facts are facts. Willy Walrus did confirm, but now, we're on art observation. The crescendo hasn't even started."

Shard was weirded out by his leader's somewhat cryptic words. "Right. Because I was observing Rosemary's computer." He paused, backpedalling on what he meant. "I mean, it only occurred one time! Yesterday. I checked back on her history page. The same things."

The teal hedgehog cracked an amused smirk. "I'm guessing you'll be developing a kink for her tastes?"

"What?! No!" protested Shard, embarrassed. "I thought back to what Lyric said. What if he's right? Like if there's a spy in our team? I don't even know if it's Rosemary."

Breezie sighed. She didn't want that to happen, but it was inevitable. She knew the risks of leading a team of misfits and criminals. She knew the dark habits could rise back to the surface to unleash havoc.

"I know," she said solemnly. "It would be tragic."

Shard pointed at her inquisitively. "Are you the spy?"

Breezie snickered. "Why would you think so?"

"Every spy would have a dumb motivation," said Shard, a little too bluntly. "For profit."

"Then I would be a horrible businesswoman working for the lowly Lightning Bolt Club," hissed Breezie playfully.

Shard hissed to himself as well, sheepish. "Am I the spy?"

Breezie tilted her head. "What kind of dumb question is that?"

Shard hummed, his virtual eyes narrowed in a darkened filter "I don't know. A talking machine with a computer A.I. Easy for hackers to pick on in my sleepwalking. They probably have access to Eggman technology and I'm a part of that." Nearly on reflex, he looked down and flexed his sharp fingers. A look of worry crossed over his face. "And then, they perhaps see potential in me? Returning to…Eggman's side? I never asked for that!"

The teal hedgehog opened her mouth but faltered. A twirl of sympathy and concern guided her, leaving her a little vulnerable. The robot in front of her was already looking down. She shouldn't let him down. Again, she took in a deep breath and evaluated what she should say.

"Shard, just stop," she said. "You're not a bad guy anymore. And you're one of my inspirations in being independent; you grew above Eggman and show that his own production can knock him down!"

Shard blinked a couple of times, his mind whirring as he translated those words to his understanding. An understanding of what felt truly right to him. The past images in his head, those of forced protocols containing Eggman's hatred, plagued him. Shard wasn't sure what real people could think, but he felt terrible about himself again when remembering these things.

"Sorry, Breezie," he muttered, rubbing his arm. "Maybe I should stop wallowing in my-"

"You're just gonna put yourself in the slammer," said Breezie calmly, her voice holding a gentle grasp in this context. "Believe me when I say I know you're one of the good guys of this squad."

And she wasn't wrong. Shard remembered many times of the missions they went on. The fun they had. The way he tried to help her and the positive regard she gave to him. His programming sent a buzz for his saved doubts. He didn't really want to feel this sore about himself for long.

But as he thought about it, he noticed him projecting himself as the prime suspect. In fact, looking further, he was actually afraid of what this spy could do with everyone swanning around in their own business. While he was probably overthinking.

Despite the emotions flickering in his head, his posture eventually remained still and hardened. His straightened body contrasted with his vulnerable and worried voice.

"I just don't want anything bad to happen," said Shard.

Breezie smiled slyly. It was not one out of pride. But from determination. "I reassure you that we'll fix this. Don't forget; if the spy tries to beat the house, the house beats them."

A single scrape of her high heel against the floor, leaving a scratch. Shard scanned the floor, noticing the scratch. A little unnecessary for Shard to do so. Maybe she scratched the ground with her shoe out of cockiness? Looking back up to see her sly smile, Breezie looked WAY too confident.

He could only nod in flat agreement. "Uh-huh. Keep an eye out. It's like everyone's a suspect."

Breezie nodded, shrugging a little. From behind Shard, she could see Shortfuse scanning the hallway before him. Paranoid in his duty. And yet, the stiff way he moved his body around indicated a likely different side of him.

Or that was just Breezie's imagination. "That I don't believe yet."

We didn't stick around in one spot for too long. I could just sit there and watch the midnight blue hedgehog sing through an eclectic range of songs and moods. However, Rosemary reminded me and Antoine that we should make our move in setting up traps as soon as there wasn't one random person walking around the hallway.

Due to his cosplay, Antoine kept guard watch while Rosemary and I spread out to place traps in the right spots. It was good that my past as a mercenary made me predict of the best spots to put our traps. A common tactic my squad and others did was always sticking to the spots where people less expect them. Even if a savvy person might know, it would be the best shot to get close to attacking.

And we were working quite fast! However, I didn't really expect some of the traps Team Blood packed to be eccentric. I nearly got distracted when hanging a disco ball resembling a real party prop. The next few confused me a little, such as a lady's wooden stand-up, a simple sludge of green that was supposed to be on the wall and a simple little bag of chips chucked in the middle of a hallway.

When I arrived back at our meeting spot, Rosemary was already done. She was on a wooden bench facing a closed food store. Looking ahead, I spotted Antoine currently looking around near the entrance to the grandstands. The night stage out there was still alive, flashing in different colors. To my confusion, there wasn't any music playing from there.

New voices came from the stage. I titled my head, placing my hands against the headrest of the wooden bench. I couldn't really see from here, but judging by the many voices, it seemed to be another band heading on stage. Both Rosemary and Antoine perked upwards in familiarity.

The fox groaned, placing a hand over her forehead. Her tail drooped in annoyance, resigned to what was to come.

Meanwhile, the coyote's ears were wiggling and his tail was wagging. He was nearly still, but I could sense that he seemed excited.

A little too excited.

A little concentration on my ruby and I tried connecting with him…it suddenly felt chaotic.

I cut myself from feeling anything further, but I didn't need to wonder what else would happen. Because a beat started playing and Antoine was bobbing his head up and down.

And then, the demon screaming returned.

"LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!"

A bloodcurdling, guttural scream blasted through the speakers, backed by loud shredding guitars and pounding drums. Only this time, the beat was much faster and intense, matching the words being screamed out. Though, it nearly sounded like an animal snarling with saliva spitting out. My instincts kicked in and I grabbed my ears, hissing a little.

I hated this angry sound. It was already gonna leave me deaf.

Even worse, it added to the crowd cheering erratically. Many of them were stomping their feet hard on the grandstand. It sounded like it could cause the entire grandstand to collapse on itself. A small thought came to mind if it was terrifying screaming to add to the mayhem and the violence out there. The red and orange spotlights flashing from the entrance did not help.

The silhouette of Antoine made me feel gritty. He was dancing to it. Again. He was pretending to play the drums, repeatedly bopping his head up and down. If there were spotlights on his back instead of only shining on his front, he would look absolutely ridiculous since his outfit would contrast the edgy music.

My ruby whispered again, asking me if it could do anything. I hastily sent it a message that I was fine. I didn't really want to give in to my thoughts of needing something to be my blanket in a situation like this.

"You're sure you don't want noise cancellers?" asked Rosemary, raising a quizzical eye.

I rolled my eyes. "No. The more you all ask, the more annoying it gets."

"Geez, sorry. Just trying to help."

I sighed. "Sorry. I'm not used to this."

Rosemary shrugged. "Understandable. Metal is a little too avant these days. I have no idea how people could listen to this mess."

I blinked. Not gonna lie, she read my mind. But I didn't want to talk about it further. After hearing a few more seconds of the chaotic song with my ears covered, I let them go. The music was still loud, but not at a surprise factor loud. Like…it didn't scare me that much. Standing there for a few seconds, I tried deducing what those loud words meant.

But at the moment, the screaming was at a fast pace like a rap.

I rolled my eyes, climbing over the headrest and sitting next to Rosemary. The two of us watched Antoine dance around like a dork. At least he was having a good time.

The fox shifted a little, whether to make herself comfortable or just unnerved.

"I'll be frank," she said blankly. "I don't really trust you. I'm surprised that G.U.N is taking in mercenaries who don't have professions."

I grew concerned. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, you don't have a certificate and you end up forming your spot here."

She looked expressionless, but I remembered what Valentina told me before. However, it was hard to think back due to the metal noise. Instead, I just went with the option of why I came here.

"Kinda?" I half-heartedly agreed. "I still have community service to do. And I'm trying to know where my skills lie."

Rosemary nodded, giving me a sly look. "Welcome to Team Blood, buddy boy. This isn't all fun and games. I know this because I AM a former bureaucrat trying to keep a council alive. But it was already dead. They just don't listen."

It was my turn to give her a quizzical look. "Didn't you say that your ruler threw you down a ravine?"

"That's another story," scoffed Rosemary in amusement. "It was due to me being resentful towards one party. I always prefer the good side of the war."

I got a little curious. She had a kind of attitude. I looked back at her dress. I didn't concentrate on the body shape, more interested in the glitter and the sleekness of the material. Even if she didn't like it, it strangely fitted her, like what her original uniform said about her. If she was in democratic parties before, then this would make her the ideal good leader.

It made me feel jealous. I didn't even feel interested in wearing that many clothes and it was only through Molly convincing me out of fun.

"What side do you see me as?" I asked.

"The bad side, obvious," said Rosemary with a lop-sided smile. "If it weren't for the Hollywood puppy look, you would be a hobo."

I didn't sense a bad vibe coming from her. The way she said it sounded pretty lazy. I smirked, feeling my ego flared up a little.

"Hate to say it to you," I played along. "But you look like someone who places their wealth above even the middle class."

"At least my head is on top of the clouds instead of in the clouds," remarked Rosemary, pointing her chin high with her eyes closed, invested in her pride.

I chuckled, leaning back and spreading my arms on the headrest. The wild jackal doesn't always go for being too well-behaved. "And when you have all that power, it could make you go insane."

"Agree to disagree, long-time denier," said Rosemary, hitting her chest like beating a metallic armor. "You delinquents complain a lot about how the world doesn't meet your standards."

"I would take that over giggling about videos of people being killed and bands playing god-awful music."

Rosemary cracked a smile, giggling. It wasn't a repulsive laugh. It was light-hearted and entertained by my thought. She was even nodding in agreement. I chuckled a little, seeing the fox smiling made me feel a little fluttered above the loud music.

"You know, I think the Jackal Squad is more suited to the government," she joked.

I snickered. "Yeah, as if!" And then, I dropped the smile in less than zero seconds. "But no. I don't think I can live with that, Rose."

My mind floated back to my former squad. How we would lead the government. Zero always had his mind on ruling something. He always had his eyes on an empire, though a city might be larger than an empire with more power. I don't think the rest of us would take it seriously. Maybe Ace, Phoenix and Paz would. Meanwhile, Fender would waste all the resources to blow up the biggest thing she declared patronizing…

A cough from Rosemary snapped me out of my thoughts. The fox appeared upset. I tried leaning forward, but she glared at me.

"D-Don't call me that," she said. "It's Rosemary. We're not friends yet. Don't get too close."

My ears bent backwards. "Oh. Um…sorry, Rosemary."

The fox sighed, looking relieved. "Thank you."

We leaned back on the headrest, watching the light show. Antoine was STILL dancing along to the now-second song of the metal band. This next one had a different melody. There was…not much screaming except for the growl in the voice. The guitars were still aggressive, but I could hear the melody clearer. Why did this metal sound change tune all of a sudden?

Rosemary tapped on my shoulder. Before, she seemed to be trying to hide something back. In this moment, she suddenly switched to looking curious with clear eyes.

"Question," she said. "You know when you did that heist with Willy Walrus, right? I bet that it was a good time."

It had been a while since I thought about it. Well, all I chose to remember was the planning stage and taking the getaway. I still visited Willy to check on him, but we didn't say much about the heist. Or at least Willy didn't want to, judging by the small topics he gave. I tried thinking back to the museum heist since this was the first time I ever returned to a crime I used to do.

"Sort of," I blurted out. "But, I got to understand Willy better. He's doing great recently, actually!"

Rosemary waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. What about the mission, though? How was it?" When I stared at her without thought, she sighed and leaned forward to get intimate. "What I mean is, did it feel good when stealing? Because if you were nervous, you wouldn't have taken that many riches until Agent Stone and Agent Johnson tracked you down."

The wheels in my mind began whirling around and my frown deepened. But I thought I hesitated many times during the heist, didn't I?

Seeing the reflection in the diamond, all I saw was the same jackal I thought would be the wrong type of guy to live in the city.

I wanted to tell Rosemary that she was wrong. I never wanted to feel this way. But thinking back to how I went along and gained nostalgia, I shivered as the chill of nostalgia touched me again. A puzzle piece from my past wanting to fit in where I am now. Just thinking about how I touched that stupid diamond reminded me of how I built myself up as a proud mercenary.

Even in the midst of making a serious plan, I was excited. It felt like when I did those robberies with my squad back in the good old days. And whether getting the gold out or not, it was fun together.

Rosemary narrowed her eyes, but there was no menace. Just curiosity seeking for apparent guidance. "How does it really feel to get back in the zone? Is the inadmissible pull powerful? How did you get through it?"

She wasn't threatening, but the answer to choke it out was hard. I did miss those old times. The old robberies I did for fun. This was not the path I should go to have a better life here. Look at what happened to Ice now. And out of all the things, why should I take amusement when I might be hurting or leaving people at a disadvantage? What would I want to say to have a place in this city?

I opened my mouth, but it felt dry. No saliva dripping. My mouth was widening, showing some of my sharp teeth. A croak came out, my mind drawing a blank. Rosemary backed away, confused. It became clear that I was still acting like a wild-

Breezie's voice cut through our earpieces. "Am I interrupting an interesting moment?"

Meekly, I leaned back, wiping my mouth. Rosemary didn't pay attention, however.

"No," she said.

"Aww, and I thought you two would match since Obsidian also looks like a fox."

Rosemary's fur bristled, her hair even standing up.

"I'm a jackal," I grumbled.

Antoine cleared his throat, already getting back to business. "So, what's the update?"

"Shard reported Ice and his hired team close to the stadium. He's early. Get into your positions."

AN: Nah, we're not gonna have a kiss scene from Obsidian and Rosemary. Seriously, I'm serious. If any art of that, I'll be watching ya. Given Rosemary's huge hatedom, I played around with her character for this moment, especially when talking with Obsidian. I love to play some self-awareness while adding in familiar sus and annoying traits (or at least what I think would piss people off). Though, there's more to that. And to be fair, it provides contrast to the classes Obsidian and Breezie formerly belong to.

While I didn't plan at first, I decided to have Breezie and Shard to touch back on the spy situation. Obsidian seems to keep forgetting about it. I have been worried on finding the exact moments to touch on their backgrounds and personalities. Though, much like finding a good spot for Rosemary, I somehow have them discussing who could be the culprit.

For some nostalgia, Antoine's and Breezie's disguises are actually clothes of their original television counterparts. Feels a bit shoehorned, but I got to find an excuse of bringing Shortfuse and Shard along. Oh, and the joke of Shard finding urine is actually from Shiloh and Bros' 'If Among Us Had a Mini Imposter'. Yep, got to roll in with the toilet joke, though the original source used spit instead.

Now let's explain the surprise; our first original song written for the story! And it's written by none other than Tashsaurous! In addition, she actually came up with the idea of the midnight blue hedgehog who performed on stage. The song titled 'Existence' is a melancholic rock song, drawing inspiration from one of the latest songs of Sonic Frontiers, 'Redemption' from Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII and 'Face My Fears' from Kingdom Hearts 3. This song's theme reflects uneasy feelings and uncertainty about the future in the face of upcoming challenges and twists. Tash aimed for this to connect with Obsidian and it nicely connects to her OC, Sun the Hedgehog.

Furthermore, the scene surrounding the song makes the perfect opportunity for Obsidian to reflect on his past and even see what connects people together in a stadium. This is a new experience for him, so even thought he finds the concert too loud, he wants to try to understand its positives. Interestingly, I have taken inspiration from Tash's and Assassin's Creed Master's stories to capture Obsidian's narration of his feelings and reading reactions within the crowd. I even took inspiration from the bus stop scene from the 2023 Barbie movie (which I watched recently)!

Once again, thank you Tashasaurous for writing this song! Make sure to check out her stories as well!

Thank you for reading this chapter! We'll be diving into next chapter where we'll meet Ice and Antoine's new side (if loving metal wasn't enough). If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite. Prepare for more updates to come! Make sure to leave a review with your thoughts. Constructive criticism is needed for improvements, but if any flames, then you'll end up being the fool.

Until next time, keep on rocking!