I've got another chapter for you all, but before we begin, I'm gonna reply to another review.
flamefire-kitty: Aw thank you so much for the praise! Yeah definitely get those tissues ready, because you're gonna need them. As far as spotlighting a certain character, there's not a main character, although some characters will receive more attention than others. I don't wanna reveal who those characters are since that'll spoil the story. I hope that answers your question! Thanks for the review!
Another intense chapter, and this one will have some blood, so brace yourselves! That shouldn't be anything new, but I'll give the heads-up anyway :)
She hadn't even lasted in the arena for an hour yet, and she was already having regrets. It had first started out when her self-proclaimed boyfriend had completely ditched her in exchange for his two teammates, leaving her behind with a detached cat and a naive hedgehog who had kept pointing out scenery as if he had never seen mountains or grass.
As much as she wanted to, she couldn't blame Sonic completely. Shortly after snatching her backpack, she had caught a desperate Blaze rushing away from the meadow, not even bothering to retrieve her backpack. Concerned for her friend, Amy had chased her down to try to calm her down, thus losing her opportunity to team up with Sonic.
Since everyone else had fled the meadow and had formed alliances, it was a mutual understanding that Blaze, Silver, and her were allies, although Amy wasn't sure how much longer that would last. Blaze and her often worked well together, and she had no complaints about Silver, but when the three of them were together, there was a tense blanket that cloaked them, and Amy wasn't sure how much longer she could last before downright asking them why they refused to acknowledge each other.
"I've never seen so much green before," Silver breathed in awe, spinning around in circles to try to soak in as much of the scenery as he could. Amy couldn't help but compare his twirling to a frolicking princess from a cheesy fairy tale movie, and her irritation at Sonic leaving her behind began to dissipate.
"Is the future you're from always filled with darkness and burning?" Amy asked curiously, the only logical conclusion she could draw from the hedgehog's fascination with the mundane nature that she was so accustomed to seeing.
The time traveler's child-like wonder instantly switched over to a wistful, melancholy expression, and Amy felt guilty for ruining the moment for him. It was strange how he looked so innocent and naive one moment, and now he looked solemn and grave.
"Yes, there hasn't been a time where there wasn't ruin and destruction. But it's my duty to save it, so that's what I'm going to do." Silver jabbed a finger against his furry chest, and Amy was caught off-guard at the amount of emotion and determination that glazed his amber orbs.
At least Silver's moods were easy to read. He seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve and wasn't afraid to show some emotion, unlike another person she knew. Thinking of the feline, Amy swiveled her head to her left, Blaze trailing a few feet behind her.
"I'm sure you miss your kingdom, Blaze," Amy began smoothly, quite comfortable in the cat's presence. "But we'll figure this out and save the real timeline. Then we can all go home."
"Home?" Blaze hissed below her breath, her fangs jutting out from below her upper lip. "There is nothing left for me."
Amy sputtered, taken aback at the normally calm cat's demeanor blistering into an angry, venomous tone. She could see Silver wince out of the corner of her eye, and wondered if she had said something wrong to trigger Blaze. "Wh-what are you talking about?"
"It doesn't matter." Blaze pursed her lips, flattening her ears against her skull. "I said too much." Flames licked across her palms, igniting her body as she blasted through the brambles and trees that stood in her path, leaving a smoking mess of scorched plants in her wake.
Amy waited until she was sure the cat was out of earshot before she placed a palm over her lips and angled it towards Silver's direction, whispering out of the corner of her mouth, "Was it something I said?"
"I should've warned you." Silver exhaled, carding his fingers through his ivory quills. "Just before we were transported to this timeline, I was teleported to Blaze's dimension. There was a tsunami, and Blaze's best friend, a raccoon named Marie...or Mary, wait, that's not right." Silver snapped his fingers, grinning as the right name popped into his head. "Marine, that was it!" His cheerful countenance crumbled as he continued with his explanation. "I saved Blaze from drowning, but Marine..."
His voice trailed off, but Amy got the message loud and clear. Her breath hitched as she planted a palm over her mouth. "Oh Silver, that's awful!" She allowed her hand to drop back to her side, sucking in a lungful of air. "I wish I had known sooner. I probably just made it worse."
"Probably." Silver affirmed her fearful concern, rotating on his heels so he faced away from her and towards the direction they had just come from, his jaw unhinging in wonder as a butterfly fluttered past his ankles, weaving in between the flowers stalks that littered their path.
I should go talk to her and apologize. If I had known...
Amy wasn't quite sure what to say in order to comfort her, so she put herself in Blaze's situation. How would she feel if her whole world crumbled, and her role and duty was stripped from her? Blaze had lost Marine, so how would she react to losing Sonic? What kind of comfort could erase that burden and hopelessness?
"I'm gonna go talk to her," Amy stated confidently, although she still had no idea what she was going to say.
Silver had been following the butterfly, pausing as he tentatively reached a finger out towards it. The butterfly had settled onto a dandelion petal, it's delicate wings fluttering idly as it surveyed his outstretched palm.
Amy quirked her brow at the psychic's hesitation, and just when it looked like the butterfly was about to land on his hand, he withdrew it hastily. He glumly watched the butterfly flutter away, and Amy wondered when his fascination and wonder had been clouded over by whatever negative emotion he was displaying now.
"Silver?" Amy prodded for a response, waving her hands to grab his attention. "Are you okay?"
"No!" Silver suddenly spat, anger lacing his tone. "How could I be? All of this power..." A cyan glow began to flicker dangerously around him, his aura pulsing with every word he uttered. "And I couldn't do anything!"
Amy stiffened, wondering if he was referring to the incident with Marine and Blaze. He was probably blaming himself for being unable to save Marine.
"It's not your fault, Silver." Amy dared to reach her arm out and clamp it comfortingly around the psychic hedgehog's shoulders. "Accident's happen."
Silver laughed humorlessly, a dry chuckle that made Amy want to withdraw her hand from his shoulders. "Accident's happen, huh? In the real timeline, you died in a plane crash, Amy. And yet, you still treat this as if it's some dream." Silver quieted, "I'm an optimist, but I'm also a realist. It's time to take off the rose-colored glasses."
"Woah, excuse me!" Amy wrenched her hand away, her eyes narrowing in indignation. "Sorry for trying to be an optimist! You're just a naive child who believes everything Eggman tells you!" She raised her head in confidence. "I didn't die, and neither did my Sonicy!"
"Prove it, then." Silver's voice quivered, and it sounded more like a plea rather than a demand. His voice sounded so broken and defeated, and Amy felt a wave of self-guilt wash over her, ashamed for raising her voice at him.
"I don't have any proof, other than my intuition. But you don't have any proof for your point either," Amy stated matter-of-factly. "I guess we'll just have to survive in the arena, and hope the truth will reveal itself."
She ventured forwards with purpose, sneaking a peek out of the corner of her eye to see if Silver would follow her. She was momentarily blinded by harsh sunlight that tripled in brightness, forcing her to squeeze her eyelids shut. The ground was suddenly shifting beneath her weight, and she shrieked in surprise, throwing her arms out for balance.
Her fingers found purchase against a slim, furry object which she quickly identified as Silver's arm, and she regained her balance before releasing her death-grip, shielding her eyes from the violent sunlight that was trying to bake her alive. She could hear the distant roar of water and smell the saltiness that peppered the air. She glanced down at her boots, digging craters into the white sand.
"Looks like we reached the beach zone." Amy exhaled blissfully. "Not that I'm complaining. This is a slice of paradise!" She looked over her shoulder in disgust at the tangled trees and gnarled roots of the forest that she had just trekked through, the beach looking even more appealing.
"Where's Blaze?" Silver asked with a hint of alarm. "I don't want her going near the ocean alone."
Curious at Silver's protectiveness, but knowing that he was probably on-edge from the incident in Blaze's dimension, Amy swiveled her head, cocking her head to the side. "Blaze? Are you here?" She dipped her head down to the bracelet that was latched around her wrist. "I can send her a message, and hope she doesn't block me."
"Wait, I think I found her!" Silver clapped his hands in joy, waving over towards a crouched form that was huddled on a cresting sand dune. A few stray cacti dotted the cat's surroundings, and it was a stark contrast to the surroundings that Silver and her occupied. As Silver rushed over to her, Amy pulled up a picture of the map on her bracelet, trying to pinpoint where they were.
"It looks like we're on the borderline between the beach and the desert zone," Amy muttered under her breath to no one in particular, since Silver had ditched her. It was the perfect location, now that she thought about it. She could stay on the beach side, and since Blaze didn't seem to want to be near water, Silver and her could remain on the desert side.
Amy craned her neck towards the desert duo just in time to see Blaze rise shakily to her feet, tail lashing as she paced away from Silver, further away from the beach and deeper into the heart of the unforgiving desert. Silver seemed frozen in place as he dumbly watched her leave, his expression blank. Even looking at his body language, Amy couldn't tell if he was offended and hurt at the rejection, or angry that Blaze had brushed him off when he was only trying to help.
Allowing the electronic map to fade to blackness, Amy slid her slipping backpack up until the straps rested against her sweaty shoulders, jogging over towards the sound of rushing water. A dip in the ocean sounded refreshing, and she could use a break anyway. She would meet back up with Silver and Blaze later.
A rippling line of placid, crystal waters stretched out before her, and she couldn't tell where the ocean ended and the sky began. The ocean twinkled like diamonds catching rays of light, and Amy grabbed the burst of energy she felt, kicking up sand as she ran.
When she was near enough on the shore that the waves began to playfully lap around her ankles, she slid to her knees and sat on them, easing her backpack off of her aching shoulders. Placing the backpack behind her so it wouldn't get wet, she tugged the zipper open. She was surprised she had lasted an hour without opening it, considering that curiosity was eating her alive.
Her fingers brushed something glassy and cold, and she pulled out a simple string bracelet with multi-colored glass beads strung to it. She was about to fasten it to her other wrist that didn't have the electronic bracelet strapped to it, but then the sunlight caught a metal piece on the bracelet, and Amy resisted the urge to chuck it into the ocean.
A golden charm in the shape of an airplane was placed strategically in the middle of the bracelet, and Amy knew if she wanted to remove the charm, then she would have to restring the whole bracelet, which would probably end in her losing some glass beads.
Was this some sick joke of Eggman's, to try to convince her that she had died in an airplane crash? Or, was this a piece of truth? She had told Silver before that they would have to wait for the truth to reveal itself, but how did she know what was truth, and what was a lie?
She rummaged around in her backpack, dread and eagerness both warring against each other inside her mind. When she withdrew a cloth zippered pouch, she unzipped it hastily, and sighed in relief at the harmless tiny bottles that greeted her.
There were ten bottles tucked into elastic bands that were glued to the inside of the pouch, each bottle labeled. After reading the names, Amy concluded that they were essential oils, and selected the peppermint, rubbing the roller bottle against the glass beads of her bracelet. As much as she loved the essential oils, she hoped there was some food packed in there for her.
Her hand skimmed the bottom of her backpack, and she flared her nostrils, wondering why Eggman hadn't bothered to pack her packaged food. She snatched the last item, a bulky recipe book that would have to take the place of actual food.
She had to give credit where credit was due; Eggman had surprised her. Except for the bracelet with the airplane charm, of course. She was still deciding if she should throw that in the ocean.
She leafed through the crinkled pages of the recipe book, making mental notes and folding the page corners if there was one that she thought Sonic might enjoy. She wished he was by her side right now, since the beach was such a romantic, charming place! They could be walking along the shore, holding hands. Maybe he would propose and ask her to marry him, telling her how she was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on. She felt a blush creep across her face, and she scolded herself for daydreaming fake scenarios. Sighing, she began reading about how to prepare cranberry scones when the ocean ventured a little too far, sliding past her knees and reaching towards her backpack.
One hand abandoning her book, she reached an arm back and yanked the backpack onto her lap to protect it from getting swept away by the tide. As she returned her gaze to the page, she noticed a slip of paper sticking out from one of the pages, and she knit her brow into a confused expression as she tugged it free.
As she unfolded it, she blinked down at the neat, cursive handwriting. Her eyes skimmed the title at the top of the page, and she pursed her lips when she recognized the layout of the letter. It was some sort of short story, although she couldn't even begin to understand why Eggman would leave a short story in her recipe book.
And then, she began to read it, and everything became so clear and vivid. She became so swept up into the tragic story and was immediately caught off-guard when it ended with a haunting question that made her pause, the answer springing to her lips. She immediately thought over her answer, the word tasting bitter against her tongue. And then, she realized with a sinking dread why Eggman had placed the short story in her backpack. It was a means of manipulation, and it was working.
Amy shoved the recipe book, the short story, and the bracelet into her backpack, rising to her feet as she zippered it up with finality, as if fearful that the toxic items would leap out of it and ensnare her. Reeling her arm back, she began the forward motion before her brain could catch up with her movement.
Her backpack slapped against the glassy surface, a tiny splash that was barely recognizable from the vastness of the ocean. Her backpack sunk like dead-weight, and Amy didn't relax until it completely disappeared from her vision, dipping into the watery depths. She watched from the shore, clasping the only item that had survived. She would ask Silver or Blaze if she could store the essential oils in their backpacks instead, since hers had been carried to a watery grave.
Amy turned on her heels and fled the shore, running towards the safety and security that Silver and Blaze would offer her, the words from the short story burning through her troubled mind with every step she took.
Rouge was beginning to rethink her life. Stranded in the middle of a forest with a brooding hedgehog who had remained silent and a bulky robot who insisted upon stomping upon every single twig was enough to drive anyone insane. Thankfully for her, she was well-accustomed to dealing with said obstacles, since she knew her teammates almost as well as she knew herself, or at least that was what she told herself.
She opened her mouth to ask them to slow the pace, since they had been scouting the arena for hours without rest. Of course, rest was not necessary for Omega, and Shadow's resolve and determination could keep him going for days. And if it wasn't for her choice to wear uncomfortable heels, then maybe Rouge would have been able to keep up with them.
But that was something that no one would ever have the answer for, since Rouge wasn't about to ditch the fashion for comfort or practicality. After all, fashion hurts. That was a lesson that she had learned very quickly in life, and she wasn't about to abandon her motto now.
"I gonna have to take a break, boys." Rouge plopped down on a fallen log, scooting over so she avoided the moss that clung to parts of the bark. "Don't wait for me. I'll catch up."
"THAT IS DOUBTFUL," Omega replied to her last remark. "DO YOU REQUIRE ASSISTANCE?"
"Sure, if you wanna be a dear and pass me my backpack, I'll take a look at what goodies Eggy packed me." Rouge crossed one leg over the other, massaging the bubbling blisters that were forming on her heels, courtesy of her poor choice of footwear.
"I AM NOT A HOOFED MAMMAL," Omega corrected.
"It's a different kind of dear, Omega. One of the many wonders of the English language." Rouge facepalmed. "Now my bag, if you please."
"I DO NOT HAVE YOUR BAG. IT IS NOT ON YOU?" Omega questioned, bringing Rouge's head snapping up from her blistered heel.
"No." A smug smile crawled across Rouge's lips as she drawled in a sing-song voice, "Shadow? I know you have my bag, so why don't you hand it over? Quite a gentleman thing to do, carrying it for little ol' me."
"I don't have your bag either." Shadow didn't spare her a glance, although he paused his trekking, his back facing her as he crossed his arms over his chest, annoyed at the break time.
"Then where is it?" Rouge moaned at the thought of her precious bag being lost or in someone's else's possession. "Someone stole it?" When she didn't receive an answer, she flared her nostrils at her brooding teammate. "Why didn't you grab it for me?"
"I thought you were able-bodied enough to grab your own," Shadow replied evenly, a flash of black and red zipping upwards as he vaulted himself into the air, balancing on a tree branch. Rouge wondered if he was actually scouting, or if he was just trying to get out of having a conversation.
"A real gentleman, isn't he?" Rouge muttered under her breath. "He grabbed Knuckie's, but he couldn't grab mine?" Then, an idea sparked in her mind, and she hastily yanked the cuff of her glove back, the screen of her bracelet winking to life. If Knuckie had seen Shadow steal his backpack, then that echidna might have stolen her backpack to try to get even.
And if he had her backpack, then she thought that he might be willing to make a trade. Rouge scrolled through the contacts until she found Knuckles, her fingers punching in a hasty message before pressing the send button. He would probably just mute her, but she doubted that he would pass up the offer to get his backpack back.
"ARE YOU RESTED NOW? ALL OF THIS STANDING AROUND IS MAKING ME RESTLESS."
Rouge exhaled in exasperation. "It hasn't even been a minute yet. You need to learn to relax, hon." She dropped her leg, grimacing as she raised her other leg to check for blisters on that heel.
"AND YOU NEED TO LEARN TO HAVE MORE ENDURANCE."
"Woah, did you learn that attitude from Mr. Sunshine?" Rouge chuckled, lifting her designer boots to flash off her high heels. "Try wearing these babies, and you'll be singing a different tune."
"I WILL PASS ON THAT OFFER. WHY DO YOU WEAR SHOES WITH SPIKES ON THEM? WOULDN'T THEY LIMIT YOUR MOBILITY?"
"They're fashionable," Rouge replied simply, as if that was the easiest question in the world to answer, resting her toes against the ground but keeping her aching heels elevated.
"I'm going out for a run to get a scope of the arena."
Startled, Rouge turned towards the tree, forgetting about Shadow for a moment. "Oh, so you can communicate. That's great, for a start!" She broke off when Shadow shot her a venomous glare, nothing but a black blur that faded into the distance.
It made sense that he would want to get a look at the whole arena. The more places that he saw, the bigger their options were when it came to teleportation. Since Shadow couldn't teleport to an unfamiliar location, he was trying to soak in the atmosphere and surroundings so when the time came, they could effortlessly bounce around from opposite corners of the arena. Perhaps it was unfair to the others, but they were never known for playing fair.
"Well, I guess we're stuck here until Sunshine gets back." Rouge turned expectantly towards Omega. "Pass me Knuckie's bag."
"I DO NOT KNOW IF SHADOW WOULD APPROVE OF THAT."
"Then Shadow doesn't need to know." Rouge opened her palm expectantly, and Omega considered before passing over a durable crimson backpack. "I hope there's a water bottle in here. I'm parched."
Rouge unzipped the backpack and blinked dumbly down at the contents. She couldn't tell if she wanted to laugh or hurl the backpack away from her in frustration. Grapes, all varying in different hues and sizes, stared back up at her. The backpack was completely stuffed with them, and Rouge dug her hand around inside the bag, searching for any other item. She sighed when she withdrew a grape juice-stained glove.
"On the bright side, if we have grapes, then wine is always an option," Rouge stated breezily, plucking a grape from the bag and popping it into her mouth. "Knuckie's really gonna want this bag back now."
"WAS THAT SARCASM?" Omega questioned.
Rouge paused, furrowing her brow. "No, I was actually being serious for once." She rose to her tiptoes, easing off the log and bending back until her spine cracked. "I'm gonna go find a stream. Then, we'll set up camp there for the night since Shadow is so adamant about staying in the forest."
What went unsaid was the fact that she could understand his logic. While she had wanted to go to the beach or the city zone, Shadow had determined that remaining in the forest zone was their best option. The desert zone would be lacking water and the beach and tundra zone would be saltwater, so everyone that traveled there would be searching for fresh water. The city zone would probably have drinking water, but the forest was located in the middle of the arena, meaning that in order to get from place to place, the others would have to travel through it. Rouge and her teammates could barricade the boundaries, locking people inside the forest or keeping them out.
Still, Rouge couldn't deny the fact that the warm sands and the blissful breeze of the beach sounded appealing. But she knew Shadow was right, so she tossed the backpack back to Omega and motioned him to follow her, his heavy footfalls making the ground tremble.
Rouge wandered around, swiveling her ears to try to pinpoint the sound of water. Before her break, they had been walking for hours and hadn't stumbled upon any body of water except a thin muddy stream that wouldn't suffice as their main water supply. She was beginning to understand the differences between herself and her teammates.
Omega and Shadow were created to survive in hostile conditions, both of them not needing much sustenance to survive. She, on the other hand, was trying to pry her sandpaper-dry tongue from the roof of her mouth, the lack of moisture making her feel lightheaded. She wasn't even sure how long she had been without water, since she didn't know how long she had been unconscious before waking up in the arena.
Or did her unconsciousness have nothing to do with her thirst? If Eggy was right, then supposedly this arena was just a fake timeline, and her true self was still existing in the real timeline, a world without Sonic...and supposedly Amy was well. She would be lying if she said she wasn't curious about what was occurring in the real timeline, but she would just have to survive in the arena and then the real timeline would be restored. Of course, that was all counting on the assumption that Eggy was telling the truth, which Rouge highly doubted.
The ground felt mushy beneath her feet, and wetness began to soak through her heeled combat boots. She glanced down, and wasn't sure whether to jump for joy or grumble about getting her feet wet. She had stumbled into a thick stream, murky water clouding over with dirt that she had kicked up.
"It's about time." Rouge stooped over, cupping her hands and trying to not look at the dirty water that swam with dirt particles and bugs. She scooped a handful of water, picking out any dead bugs that were floating on the surface. She never thought that she would be this desperate.
"DRINKING WATER FROM A STAGNANT STREAM IS NOT ADVISABLE," Omega cautioned. "BESIDES BEING UNSANITARY, IT COULD CARRY HARMFUL BACTERIA."
"Duly noted, and I'm touched at your concern." Rouge sipped it gingerly, swallowing it hastily before the disgusting taste could poison her tongue. "But I'm thirsty, so this will have to suffice until we can find a better water source." Rouge waved him away dismissively. "It's just water. It's not going to hurt to drink it in moderation."
"IF YOU INSIST."
After sifting through a few more handfuls of water, Rouge wiped her dripping chin with the back of a glove, backing away from the stream. "See, that wasn't so bad. We should probably head back to the log so Sunshine doesn't give us a lecture about running off."
As the two backtracked, Rouge felt something vibrate against her wrist. Her spirits soared when she figured it was Knuckles replying to her message, and she whipped her wrist towards her face, tapping the screen until it displayed the home menu. Up in the right corner of the menu, there was a green bar that displayed a percentage, the bar blinking as the percentage slowly began to drop.
"Some junk Eggy gave us." Rouge flared her nostrils. "The battery is dying." She flashed the bracelet in Omega's direction, not prepared for the certain remark that answered her.
"THAT IS THE HEALTH BAR FOR THE BRACELET WEARER."
Rouge blinked down at her bracelet as it began to count down, her chest tightening. She didn't need to wonder what would happen when that bracelet hit zero percent, although she wasn't sure why her percentage was dropping when she hadn't received any damage. Unless it was the water...
"Omega, I want you to promise me one thing," Rouge began, and Omega was quick to interject.
"AFTER YOUR DEPARTURE, I WILL TELL SHADOW YOUR LAST WORDS AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE ECHIDNA KNOWS HOW MUCH YOU CARE FOR HIM."
"Much appreciated." Rouge rolled her eyes, dropping her voice to a whisper and hoping that her bracelet was just malfunctioning. But something in the back of her mind told her that it wasn't, so she had to be prepared for the worst. So sucking in a deep breath and puffing her cheeks up, Rouge exhaled slowly, hating the way her breathing shuddered.
"Whatever you do, don't tell Shadow about this."
Rouge strolled breezily through GUN's main control room, her heels clacking against the polished floors. Despite her injuries that limited her movements, her posture and pace were nothing short of regal and confident. A few high-ranking officers were observing the waltzing bat that was trying to mask her injuries, and they turned away in disinterest as she purposefully put some sway into her hips, chuckling at the red-faced officers.
Other than the few officers, the main control room was bizarrely quiet. There were no agents furiously typing away at computers or juggling stacks of paperwork that were on the verge on toppling over. She wasn't complaining, since it was late evening and most of the agents had probably retired for the night. A wise decision on their part, since they would have to get up at the crack of dawn to tackle more exhilarating paperwork.
Rouge knew she should be catching up on her beauty sleep, but she was on a quick mission first. She had been absent since the incident with Sonic and Amy, which had been almost a week ago.
The events from the funeral earlier still rang clearly through her mind, and she wanted to take some time off. Rather than approaching the Commander, she had decided to just type out an email and send it instead, so he couldn't say no to her since she wouldn't be around to reply.
Gingerly settling into the heavily-cushioned swivel chair, she hissed softly when the movement jarred her bruised ribs. They shockingly hadn't been broken from her encounter with the Egg-Cerberus, although she was dealing with a broken wing and infection that had begun to fester in the deep puncture wounds that scarred her torso.
She played with the loosened bandages that snaked around her waist, already dreading the rubbing alcohol that she would have to pour on her wounds once she finished up her task here. Trying to delay as much as possible, Rouge took her time as she scrolled down to click on her profile, typing in her password, which she was surprised no one had hacked into considering her password was diamonds-are-a-girls-best-friend.
Logging into her profile, she clicked on the email tab and brought up her email inbox, a few unread emails from jewelry companies she had subscribed to stealing her attention. Her hungry eyes drifted from the promising jewelry ads and up towards the latest email that she had received, labeled as important.
Knowing that she only labeled emails from the Commander as important, she tapped her fingers against the mouse, the email blowing up to full-screen. It was a simple sentence, and even if the sender hadn't been labeled, she knew it was the Commander from the urgency and vagueness.
'Meet me in the break room in two hours.'
The email had been sent two hours and eight minutes ago, and Rouge was already envisioning the lecture that she was about to have revolving around her specialty when it came to being tardy. But she wasn't worried or rushed, since she was a valuable agent to GUN and they couldn't afford to lose her. That mindset often allowed her to perform feats that would get any other person fired, and she knew there were others who were jealous of her because she could get away with almost anything.
She closed out the tab for email, signing out of her profile and selecting the setting that put the computer in hibernation mode. She swiveled around in her chair, yawning and sluggishly rising to her feet. The officers that surveyed her probably thought that she was moving slowly because of her injuries, but it was more to the fact that she wanted to show the Commander that she wouldn't be forced to cram aside her plans just to squeeze him in. She was a busy girl, after all.
Making a point, she deliberately chose the longest corridor to the break room, stopping at a vending machine along the way to grab a snack. She fed the machine a few quarters, wondering if the machine was going to cooperate today. Normally, the snack that she would select would get stuck in the vending machine, and she had no problem kicking it until it finally jolted her snack free. After all, kicking the vending machine would be a good way to take her bubbling emotions off of the funeral.
Selecting a box of raisins for herself and a bag of Doritos for a certain edgy hedgie who could never resist one of his favorite snacks, Rouge was almost disappointed when the vending machine spat the items out.
Oh well. Now she would just have to save it for the Commander instead.
The corridor lights grew dimmer as she advanced down the hallway, ripping open the flap of the raisin box and dumping some into her mouth. It was strange that the normally-bustling hallway was silent and empty, but Rouge enjoyed it, not missing the way she would have to shove and fist-fight her way through the crowds of agents who would be trying to reach the break room first.
She arrived at the break room entrance, the door slightly ajar to allow the welcoming light that glowed from within to slip through the crack in the door, bathing the drab corridor in strips of color. Both hands occupied, Rouge pushed the door open with a gloved knuckle, blinking in surprise when an empty break room greeted her.
So much for trying to make a point for being late, since the Commander had already filled that spot. How could he possibly be late, when he was the one who arranged this meeting?
Tapping her foot in impatience and slight irritation, Rouge told herself that she would wait for five minutes, and then she was gone. It didn't matter if she was leaving as the Commander was arriving; she didn't have time to stand around and wait as if she didn't have a life to live or sleep to catch up on.
Learning from her mistake in the control room, Rouge took her time in lowering herself into the plush, white-leathered sofa, bending her spine away from the couch so her broken wing wouldn't brush against it. She hunched forwards, her hands clasped between her knees as she counted down the minutes, shaking the emptying box of raisins.
It was going to be a struggle to keep herself from eating Shadow's Doritos. She hadn't had time for dinner, since the funeral had started in the late afternoon. There had been some refreshments afterwards, a platter of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies that no one had touched, since everyone was too upset or grieved to be hungry. Nonetheless, after the funeral service, Rouge had asked Cream if Vanilla had made them, and she couldn't erase the pained expression that had crossed the bunny's face.
Cream had been quick to conceal it, smiling brightly through her tears. "No, Mama taught me how to make them."
It had been such a simple answer, but the way the rabbit had fiddled with the hem of her dress, and darted her gaze to the ground, Rouge had a sneaking suspicion that the innocent child had something that she wanted to say. Rouge had dropped hints, but Cream had completely closed herself off.
Considering that Sonic and Amy were both gone, Rouge could understand. This was something a six year-old shouldn't have to deal with.
It had been a blow to the heart (no pun intended), when she had discovered what was the casualty of that explosion. And then the plane had crashed, and just in the blink of an eye, death had wrapped two of her friends in it's clutches, dragging them to their graves.
Rouge's eyes moistened and she tightened her hold, the box of raisins crumpling and the bag of Doritos getting turned into a bag of crumbs. How could she have known that Sonic saving her from the Egg-Cerberus would be the last time she would see that blue blur? She had been annoyed that he had stolen her emerald, but now...oh, it didn't matter now.
And Amy and her were always compatible, best friends even. They were both willing to be girly, although their fierce sides could often come out to play. They would talk about the latest fashion trends, and Rouge would give her advice on how to get attention from Sonic, since getting attention was one of Rouge's fortes. Amy would give her some tips on how to bake, although Rouge wasn't sure why she would need that skill. As long as there was a vending machine nearby or a restaurant, then that was all she needed. She didn't have time to cook home meals since GUN always stole free time from her.
Man, she was gonna miss them both.
"Rouge."
She turned towards the doorway as the lighting illuminated a towering figure, the gruff, serious tone giving away the Commander immediately. He stood with his arms crossed, and the sight of him standing in such a domineering posture as he radiated intimidation would make most agents uneasy. But Rouge was not a normal agent, and she didn't bother to straighten her posture as he entered the break room.
"Fashionably late, I see." Turquoise eyes followed his movements as he took his place beside the far window, staring out at the skyscrapers that loomed in the distance. Ignoring his distant behavior, she held out the crumpled box of raisins. "Want some? I didn't lick them or anything."
The Commander broke his gaze from the window, his fists tightening at his sides as he paced towards her, his confident strides faltering. He didn't slow until he was standing directly above her, and Rouge was forced to lean back slightly so she didn't break eye contact. She was still annoyed that he was late, and he hadn't even spoken a word yet besides her name.
He reached inside the folds of his uniform, whipping out an object that glinted wickedly in the lighting. She heard the safety click off and then the cold barrel of a gun was pressed into her forehead, the steady, firm pressure forcing her head to bend back.
"I didn't know you were that opposed to raisins. I'd offer you Doritos crumbs, but then you'd have to answer to Shadow." Rouge winced as the gun dug deeper into her forehead, and she could already feel a splitting headache coming on.
"Take something seriously for once in your life," the Commander ordered, but it sounded less like a command and more like a helpful tip or a plead. "Do you realize what I'm about to do?"
"Hm, I can probably take a good guess. You're gonna fill me with bullets until I have more holes than Swiss cheese, am I right?" Rouge clicked her tongue, wondering if the glassy, watery eyes of the Commander was a trick on the lighting. "The only thing I don't understand is...why?"
"I don't want to do this, but I don't have a choice." The Commander subtlety relaxed his grip on the gun, and Rouge didn't miss it, already wondering how she could disarm him. "You have no idea how hard it was to make this decision. As spontaneous as you are, you've been a valuable agent to GUN." His eyes hardened over and he once again tensed, his finger hovering over the trigger. "I'm sorry, but it's time to say goodbye."
"Oh, so you don't have a choice? That's what they all say." Rouge rolled her eyes, regretting the motion when that only succeeded in aggravating her brewing headache.
"It doesn't matter what you think," the Commander spat angrily. "I'm doing what is right." He finger curled around the trigger, and Rouge's mind was reeling as a thousand thoughts slammed into her brain.
A realization dawned on her as she stared up at the Commander. He could have shot her from his spot at the window, where she wouldn't have been close enough to disarm him. It was common knowledge that shooting someone at point-blank range wasn't a good idea, when the victim was close enough to fight back or disarm you. Was the Commander hoping that she would stop him?
Well, if that was the case, then she wasn't about to disappoint.
Biting back the jolt of pain she received from the quick motion, Rouge dropped the bag of chips and the raisins, both of her hands snatching the gun and tipping the barrel towards the ceiling. A gunshot blasted through the air and Rouge wasn't sure if she or the Commander had pulled the trigger.
The Commander had jerked away from her, yanking her upright from the sofa and dragging her along with him. Rouge grit her teeth as her torso screamed in agony, her broken wing trailing the ground limply. Granted, the Commander was stronger, and Rouge knew she was fighting a losing battle. She could knock him out, but she would have to use her feet, and that would only worsen her injuries. It would be worth it, except word would spread and she wouldn't be able to flee Headquarters in her broken state.
Rather than using her draining energy to try to wrestle the gun free with her hands, Rouge reeled her arm back, using an elbow to strike solidly against the gun, the prick of pain that shattered against her elbow numb as she watched victoriously as the gun clattered to the ground, skidding towards the doorway.
She planted herself firmly between the Commander and the gun, ready to spring backwards towards the gun in case the Commander decided to make a run for it. "Is this your way of firing people? Because if it is, may I suggest a new strategy?"
The Commander eyed her, shaking his head slowly. "I'm sorry it had to come to this. But if I didn't comply to his wishes, he said he would..." He paused, pursing his lips as he allowed his shoulders to droop. "He said that he wanted Sonic's friends eliminated, and your name was one that was mentioned. If I didn't end you, then he said he would harm my grandchildren."
"It's kinda hard to argue against that, if your grandchildren are dragged into this mess." Rouge furrowed her brow. "Who's this he?"
"Who else could it be?" The Commander snarled. "That was a stupid question, Rouge."
Eggman.
So maybe that was a bit of a stupid question.
"I wouldn't worry about his threats. He's all bark, and no bite," Rouge began, but then her mind actually caught up to what she was saying. This was the psycho that had blown up Sonic. In the past, Eggman was the laughing stock, a cowardly genius who always got his plans thwarted by Sonic. But now...now Eggman was a threat.
She was about to suggest that the Commander take a vacation with his grandchildren, to get them out of the city and to help clear his mind, but then she noticed that the Commander was looking over his shoulder at a familiar shadowy figure that lurked in the break room doorway.
"It's about time you showed up, Slowpoke." Rouge bent down to retrieve the bag of Doritos, extending her hand towards her stiff teammate. "The vending machine was out of the nacho cheese, so I had to get the cool ranch instead."
The Commander moved aside swiftly to stay clear of Shadow's path as he took an unfaltering step forwards into the break room, the lights clashing against a metallic shell that shielded his head. It was some sort of helmet, the blackened metal molded to slip perfectly around his head quills, leaving nothing organic exposed except his mouth, which revealed nothing but a calculating air of indifference.
"Fancy little helmet you got on, but why don't you take it off so I can see that handsome face of yours?" Rouge suggested, noticing how the Commander slipped behind Shadow and backtracked until he exited the break room and stood in the hallway.
She had a feeling that things were going to get messy, especially when Shadow bent over to retrieve the gun that the Commander had dropped. For the second time in this setting, Rouge stared down the barrel of a gun. Unlike the last instance, Shadow did not make the mistake the Commander did, keeping the distance between them so Rouge couldn't disarm him.
"Now, is that any way to treat someone who just brought you your favorite snack? I know they're not your favorite flavor, but blame the vending machine, not me." Rouge gulped as she stared back at the blank husk of Shadow, wondering what he looked like beneath that monstrous helmet.
Had he been brainwashed, or did he have amnesia? She didn't understand the purpose of the helmet, unless he was receiving commands through it. This seemed like something Eggman would do, not GUN. One threat to the Commander was made, and they were already taking drastic measures.
"Shadow," the Commander spoke from the doorway, his voice causing Shadow's lips to peel back into a feral snarl. "Fire."
Time came to a grinding halt, and then snapped forwards as the muzzle of the gun flashed. Forgetting about her torso injuries, Rouge ducked, but she was too late. Something tore cleanly through her right ear, ripping into her sensitive, delicate flesh. With a pained gasp that stuck in her throat, Rouge stumbled backwards, warm stickiness trickling down the right side of her face, stinging her eye.
Still reeling backwards from the blow, Rouge vaguely felt her broken wing press against glass, but the pain from her wing was overridden by the blinding pain that laced through her ear, traveling in excruciating waves that made her head pound. When she realized what the glass was, she had already shattered the window, pitching backwards.
Her bandages from around her torso were ripped free from her fall as she rotated her body so she was stomach-first, flexing her back muscles as her good wing was stretched out, trying to slow her fall. That only caused her to spin uncontrollably, off-balance. She was flipped to her side, and she heard the sickening crunch of ribs as she slammed to the pavement.
If her ribs weren't broken from the Egg-Cerberus, they were certainly broken now. Thankfully, the fall from the window hadn't been far from the ground, and she was grateful that no one would have to scrape her remains from the sidewalk. Breathing shallowly through her nose and exhaling shakily from her mouth, she waited until her lungs could remember how to breathe.
She reached a trembling hand up towards her right ear, a finger springing out to brush it to see how bad the injury was. Her finger only met open air, and her heart dropped. She lowered her finger until it grazed a stubby stump, and if the act of crying wouldn't have irritated her ribs, then she would have broken down right there.
Her ear was gone...torn away until only a bloody stump remained. She dropped her hand back to the pavement, a wave of nausea washing over her when she saw the bloody glob of meat that stuck to her fingertips. She was so dizzy, the moonlight was too bright, and she wanted to curl up and sleep.
She might have, if it wasn't for the heavy impact that crashed to the ground a few feet away from her, the darkened asphalt spider-webbing with fissures as Shadow uncurled himself from a crouch, his blank expression surveving her.
This wasn't Shadow. This was a walking nightmare, a mindless machine that they had turned him into. The real Shadow would have never hurt her, but this...this couldn't be Shadow.
"Sha...dow?" Rouge coughed up blood, red flecking the ground. She was glad that it was dark out so she couldn't see the amount of blood that she was losing. "..adow?"
"Stop." He finally spoke, and Rouge was relieved that they hadn't robbed him of his speech. She wasn't sure if he was talking to her, and if he was, what was she doing to deserve that response? Was Shadow fighting the control that the helmet had over him? "I won't."
His last remark proved that he wasn't talking to her, but to someone who was probably giving him directions through the helmet. She was comforted that Shadow was fighting back, proving that he wasn't some brainless vessel who was only good for being a living weapon. Shadow had a soul and a conscience, and that was their first mistake.
Over the hacking up of blood, Rouge could hear Shadow's voice lower as he muttered, "Why?" Then, out of the corner of her eye, she could see him wince, as if something had shocked him. She wouldn't be surprised if they had developed that feature into his helmet as a form of punishment.
She shouldn't stay here. Staying here would only further endanger herself and Shadow. If she could escape, then Shadow wouldn't be forced to make the decision that he was fighting. He was fighting it now, but how long would that last? His will would be hard to break, but one could only handle so much before their resolve cracked.
Waiting until she was done coughing up blood, at least for the moment, Rouge slowly pushed herself up on her elbows, her whole body lighting up with pain. Getting her knees under herself, she crawled away from Shadow pitifully, her body feeling like it was filled with sand. Her eyelids drooped over dazed, cloudy turquoise orbs, and she hadn't made it far before their was a venomous roar, and a heavy glove clamped powerfully down on her shoulder, hauling her to her feet. Rouge screamed out in agony, her eyes widening at his next words.
"Chaos Control."
And then, she was free-falling once again. But this time, it was from a much higher altitude, smack-dab in the center of the city. Chrome skyscraper peaks rushed down at her, threatening to pierce and impale her if she happened to land on them. Shadow was keeping speed with her plummet, his form morphing into a relaxed posture. Chaos energy danced across his form, and Rouge couldn't help but whimper.
The energy was eating him alive.
Shadow's lips turned up at the corners, and Rouge swallowed bile. The eerie smile was forced, as if someone was controlling Shadow completely. Corrupting his mind, controlling his emotions, directing his actions, thinking for him.
It was disgusting.
Her thoughts were stopped short when Shadow tilted his head sideways, his lips pulling back to reveal jagged teeth that flashed in the moonlight, his metallic head quills serrated and looking sharp enough to slice like deadly knives. "Chaos Blast!"
Rouge's vision went red. The whole sky was aflame with a bloody tide of energy, the red shockwave spreading it's devastating power outwards. She lost all sense of direction, not knowing what was up and what was down. She was experiencing so much pain that it was growing numb, as if her injuries were canceling each other out.
She briefly remembered smelling burning flesh and a rotting stench before unconsciousness pulled her into it's comforting embrace. And she embraced it tenfold, welcoming the dulling of pain that it would offer her. And as blackness skittered over her reddened vision, she smiled up through dull eyes as she watched the midnight clouds clog up with blood, the weight pulling them from the sky.
She always wanted to go out with a bang.
Any ideas on what the short story was that amy had in her backpack? Its an actual story, and I still remember when I read it in middle school literature class. I felt like a villain because I chose the villainous answer lol. The short story will be popping up again, where I'll reveal the name. Rouge should've just listened to omega instead of drinking that water. And rouge in the real timeline is in big trouble! As a side note, I'm realizing that my writing for the italicized section is better than the arena section. Idk something about writing in italics just makes me write better ig. Next chapter will be focusing on a certain chaotic detective trio, so don't miss that!