Author's Note: Apologies for the long delay. I recently lost my job and must scramble to find a new one this summer. On top of this, I am also moving to a new city, so I'll be quite busy in the next two months. I will keep working on future chapters as much as I can. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter.

A week had passed, and it was another day in the clubhouse, and the boys sat around the table for one of their weekly meetings. Mephiles sat at the head of the table with the gavel in hand. To his right was Shadow, then Manic, Mighty, Gadget, and Knuckles.

"What exactly is this meeting for?" Knuckles asked.

"Mogul got wind of our wealthy new buyer and has questions. We're hoping to convince him to continue to supply us with weaponry to Enerjak and his cartel; otherwise, we're about to be cut off," Mephiles explained.

"Chaos," Knuckles breathed in disappointment.

"And you expect to convince him to keep supplying with no pushback?" Mighty challenged with a quirked brow.

"Yeah, of course," Knuckles chimed in. "Because all our other plans have worked out perfectly since we joined this line of business…" he mumbled facetiously.

The red and black hedgehog did not take kindly to the mockery. He slammed his hands on the tabletop as he rose upright. He knew many crew members were unhappy with the situation, but the complaining was not helping. "Enough!" he barked, making everyone snap to attention. "We voted it in; therefore, we play it out. If you can't get behind that, then turn in your fucking patch."

Everyone remained silent until Ray entered the room, breaking the tension as all eyes turned to him. He held a phone in his hand as he gulped nervously. "Um, I have a Mr. Mogul on the line. He wants to talk to you," he directed to Mephiles.

Mephiles immediately rose and grabbed the phone before leaving the room. Everyone watched as he exited the room. The president placed the phone up to his ear. "Mr. Mogul, I appreciate the returned call."

"My associates and I have considered your request to continue to supply this cartel with our weaponry. I'll be honest, the reactions are mixed here," he began. "RPGs, 50-cals—those are all headline-making weapons," he said with concern.

"Yeah, but Mr. Enerjak is someone we can trust," he assured. "He's militant and a soldier, just like us."

"I suppose so, but he's in a very different type of war," Mogul countered. "Look, we know how the cartel does business. They're heathens. I know what they're capable of," he hissed.

"Enerjak will have bought more guns in two months than all my other buyers in the last two years combined," he disputed. "Please, just have one in-person meeting with him. If you don't like what you hear, then you take your merch and go home sleeping easy."

"And you'll be there in this meeting?" he inquired.

"Of course, sir. I will help you make the biggest deal in your organization's history. That's a promise I can keep."

There was a long pause before he heard Mogul's response. "…Set the meeting then, but there are no guarantees, Mephiles," he warned.

"Understood, sir. Thank you. You won't regret this." He hung up the phone, and Mephiles sighed in relief.

The president re-entered the dining room as everyone eagerly awaited the news. "He's agreed to meet in person," he declared. "We just need to have a time and place set."

"I'll look at our calendar and coordinate a meeting with Enerjak," Shadow stated.

"Wonderful. We'll schedule another briefing once we have a time and place." He reached for his gavel and banged it against the table. "Meeting adjourned." With that, everyone rose from their seats and left the room.

Shadow followed Mighty from the dining room and headed for the front door. "Hey, mind helping me deal with some business at the packing distribution center?"

"Shit, I would, Shads, but I've already got some prior commitments."

Shadow blinked in surprise, alarmed by the rejection. "Prior commitments?" he scoffed. "And what would that be?"

Mighty shrugged uncomfortably. "I promised I'd help Amy move her new furniture into her new place."

Shadow sucked his teeth. "You're kidding…"

"I'm not, though. The kid needs help, and I told her I'd lend her a hand," Mighty shrugged.

"I thought she was long gone by now—back to Tech City," Shadow assumed.

The armadillo shook his head. "Nah, she's just got a place closer to the hospital, is all."

"Fucking hell," Shadow swore under his breath. "Then I'll pull Gadget," he suggested.

"Sorry, V.P., I'm also tagging along to help," the red wolf said as he strolled beside the armadillo.

Shadow scowled in frustration. "This is ridiculous; who the hell is going to help me with this mission?"

"I'll do it," Knuckled piped up.

"At least someone has my back," he mumbled bitterly.

"I'm only doing this as a favor for Mighty since he's pulling all the other boys."

"I can ride along too," Manic interjected with a raised hand. "I'm giving Mina a ride there for work anyway."

"I appreciate it," Shadow mumbled.

"Don't worry, we shouldn't be gone too long. It'll take a couple of hours, and then we'll be back," Mighty assured. He turned to look at the others who had appeared surrounding him. "C'mon, guys."

Shadow watched the group depart and felt a pit in his stomach, knowing Amy was still close. He had hoped she'd go home like planned. He strolled outside, pulled out his phone, and clicked on his contacts. Placing his phone to his ear, he walked far enough out of earshot for anyone else to overhear his conversation.

"I've been expecting you to call," the voice on the other end sighed,

"What the hell? Why didn't you tell me sooner she wasn't back with you yet?"

"You know how my cousin is by now. She's as stubborn as a bull. I've been blowing up her phone through texts and calls all week, begging and giving every reason why she should be back with my wife and me. She still won't agree to it."

"For fuck's sake…" he cursed.

"I think she has me blocked at this point. I haven't gotten any of my calls or texts through. My wife Mari-Ann says I can't go down there and drag her back here against her will—it'd be kidnapping. She's an adult, after all."

"So, what now, then?"

"Now I guess you'll have to pour on that dickhead act to get her so disgusted that she'll leave on her own free will," he surmised.

"Guess so," he said disappointedly.

Meanwhile, near the garage, Mina found the green-pierced hedgehog pulling out his bike. She spotted him walking towards his motorcycle. "There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere."

He stopped and turned to look at her. "Yeah, you found me," he grinned. "Whatcha need?"

"I'm just making sure you're still able to drop me off at work, right?" she questioned.

He nodded. "Yeah, that's why I was getting the bike ready over here."

She smiled at him. "Great."

He hopped on his bike and tossed her a helmet that she caught. "Speaking of which, let's get going, or you'll be late."

Mina put her helmet on and strapped it in place. She climbed on his bike, sitting behind him, when she noticed Shadow and Knuckles coming out of two garage stations on either side of them, already mounted on their bikes as they took off ahead. "Where are they off to?" she inquired curiously.

"Same place," he replied. "They've got business to deal with."

Mina wrapped her arms around Manic's waist, flushing herself with the hedgehog. After putting on his helmet, the green hedgehog couldn't help but catch her delightful floral scent. "You smell nice," he commented.

Mina giggled at his compliment, feeling a flutter in her stomach. "Oh, thank you! It's my perfume."

He strapped his helmet in place. "It's a good choice. I like it, but you always smell pretty good to me."

"Yeah?" she smiled. "That's good to know."

He turned on the ignition and kicked the kickstand off the ground. "Alright, hold on tight." Mina clutched onto him tighter as he took off from the compound.

•~•

Once they arrived at the distribution center, Manic parked his bike near the entrance to the building. Behind him, he felt Mina release her embrace around his waist to remain on for the ride. She took off her helmet and shook her tousled curls out. Manic glanced at her reflection in his handle mirror as she ran a hand through her pretty purple locks to tidy her appearance. "Thanks again for dropping me off, Manic," the mongoose thanked.

Manic rubbed the back of his neck with a goofy grin as he glanced at her over his shoulder. "Heh, no problem."

When she dismounted his bike, she handed him his spare helmet. "So, you'll pick me up later this evening?"

He nodded. "Uh, yeah. Of course."

"Great!" She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, catching him off guard. Manic was stunned by the unexpected gesture and stared in awe at her retreat. "See you later!'

Manic placed a hand on his cheek where her lips had last been. He could still feel the lingering feeling of her lips there. "Right, later..."

In the background, Shadow and Knuckles had already dismounted their bikes and stared at the zoned-out green hedgehog. "Are you coming?" Shadow questioned, getting his attention.

Manic quickly scrambled to get off his bike and join the others. "Whoa, sorry about that!" he apologized. Shadow watched as Manic rushed past him and followed him into the back entrance of the distribution center.

•~•

Later on, the boys helped Amy move and set up her new furniture. Manic had stopped by to join them after dropping Mina off. "Where do you want this, Miss Amy?" a struggling Gadget asked as he and Ray held some end tables.

"Right over there," she pointed to her bedroom. The two hurried off into the bedroom with the heavy furniture. In the meantime, Manic and Mighty worked on putting together a small kitchen table she had ordered online. Rouge was in the kitchen unloading some plates out of boxes and placing them in the cabinets. The pink hedgehog walked over to check on the other two. "How's it coming along, boys?"

"Oh, just peachy…" Manic stated dryly. He looked frustrated as he sat on the floor amongst screws, nuts, bolts, and other tools.

"Ignore him," Mighty chuckled. "We've got it handled here."

"Thank you guys for coming here and helping me move everything into my new place. It's been a lot of help."

"Of course, hon!" Rouge chimed in. "We're practically family, after all."

Gadget and Ray came back with more boxes from the moving truck. They were carrying boxes of her new couch she had purchased online. "Truly, it's no bother," the wolf exclaimed as he set down the box in the living room.

The yellow squirrel nodded happily as he panted out of breath. "If I'm honest, I'd much rather help you move your belongings than do whatever Mephiles would have me doing," he admitted.

Mighty finished screwing a bolt in on the leg of the table. "Yeah, I can imagine. I've been in your position before," he sighed, thinking back to when he was a rookie.

"So, how often will we see you around, Amy?" Manic inquired curiously.

Amy entered her kitchen and placed some silverware inside one of the drawers. "Oh, well, anytime you guys have an injury, I'll pop in to fix you guys up, but I suspect not too often…"

"It's already felt so odd not seeing you around the compound for this long," Gadget noted.

"Yeah, well, if it could have gone differently…" she alluded before shifting topics. "Um…so, how is it living with the new girl?"

The white bat stopped unpacking and hopped up on the countertop. "Yes, please spill," Rouge pleaded, eager to hear some details about the new girl.

"Oh, you mean, Mina?" Ray surmised. "She's nice, I guess."

"She's kind of just there in the background for me," Gadget added indifferently.

"I mean, she's pretty cute, I'll admit," Mighty said, finishing installing a leg to her table. "But I'm not putting any moves on her yet because I think old Manic here has a huge crush on her," he joked.

Manic scowled in Mighty's direction. "Yo, I don't have a crush on her. She's just a lousy sweet bottom."

"You say that like she has no value to her," Mighty countered. "Besides, you two have been spending plenty of time together in the garage while practicing your drum sets," he pointed.

"She likes to listen to me play and sing, so what?" he scoffed in annoyance.

"Aww, that sounds sweet," Amy commented.

"Yeah, and you know what that means," Rouge hinted. "It means she likes you, Manic."

Manic shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Does she?" he questioned dully.

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with having a little crush on her, Manic," Mighty opined.

"I don't have a crush on her," he groaned.

"If that's true, then why did I catch you sniffing your jacket at the front door when you finished dropping her off," the armadillo countered.

Manic blushed. "I-I was just making sure I didn't stink. It's hot out there," he dismissed.

"Right…" Mighty smirked.

"Maybe I like her a little bit, but who knows how many guys she's been with and whatnot," he tried to dismiss. "I mean, she's having sex with Mephiles willingly. That, like, gives me enough of a picture."

Amy glanced over in the green hedgehog's direction from his biting analysis on the mongoose. "Okay, but Manic, how many girls have you slept with?" she challenged.

The green hedgehog scratched his head as he recounted the amount. "I dunno. Probably like fifty or something."

"So, it's okay for you to sleep around, but if a girl does, she's no good anymore?" Amy pressed. Mighty cringed internally as he saw where this conversation was heading.

"Double standards…" Rouge sighed in disappointment with his ideals.

Manic shook his head and returned to constructing her kitchen table. "Aww, come on. Girls shouldn't be sleeping around like that. Only dudes should be doing that type of shit."

Amy scoffed at his logic and rolled her eyes. "What a misogynistic answer."

"You said it, girl," Rouge concurred.

Manic tilted his head to the side. "And what the heck does that mean? You know I'm no good with big fancy folk words."

Mighty bopped the green hedgehog on the head. "It means you're super judgmental towards females, you idiot."

He rubbed his sore head. "Ouch, dude. What gives?"

"I don't know what female hurt you in your past life, but this new side of you is not cool," he tsked.

Manic looked around the room, noticing everyone's expression displayed. It was apparent that they were on Mighty's side in this conversation. Feeling cornered, he got up from the floor. "Imma take a five-minute smoke break." He threw up a peace sign with his fingers. "Peace." He strolled past the group and left the apartment.

Amy quirked a brow at the retreating green hedgehog. "What's up with him?"

"Uh…he's going through some personal shit," Mighty answered. "Don't mind him."

•~•

The next day, Deputy Silver walked into the hospital's main entrance. The silver officer removed and clipped his black shades to his shirt collar. He strolled up to the front desk, where security was located, and cleared his throat to get their attention. One of the security officers looked up from their computer to greet the officer. "Good morning, officer. How can I help you today?"

He leaned his left arm over the countertop. "I was hoping to catch one of the nurses here for a few moments to ask some questions about a case," he explained.

The security officer behind the desk nodded. "Of course, sir." He began typing on his keyboard. "I'll need a name and some identification and let you right in."

A few moments later, Silver strode down one of the busy hospital corridors after being granted access by security. He glanced in rooms as he continued to walk, looking for the pink hedgehog. Eventually, he spotted her coming out of one of the emergency rooms hidden by a curtain, jotting something down on a clipboard. "Doctor Rose?" he called out.

Amy glanced up from her notetaking and was surprised when she saw the silver hedgehog approaching her. She paused her pace as she blinked in surprise. "Oh, deputy. I didn't expect to see you here today."

He shot her a friendly smile. "Well, I didn't expect to see you back here in Mercia so soon," he replied.

Amy's ears lowered solemnly at the mention. "What does that mean?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, sensing some tension from his comment. "Oh, I just mean that because of your injury, I expected you to be out of town much longer," he elaborated.

"…Right," she nodded, relaxing in her tone. "Well, what can I help you with today?"

"I was just hoping to chat with you briefly. It won't take too long, I promise," he vowed.

Amy glanced up at the clock momentarily on the wall. "Sure, I could talk to you for a few minutes."

"Let's find a more private location to talk if you don't mind."

"How about the chapel?" she suggested. "It's just down the hall."

He shrugged with a smile. "Fine with me."

Once inside the chapel, Amy sat on one of the benches, and Silver sat a few feet away. "You know, I was surprised when I stopped by the compound to talk to you and discovered you had moved out."

"Ooh?" she played with one of her longer quills nervously. "Since I returned to town, I thought it was the right move to leave and get my place."

"And I also heard you and Shadow broke up?" he further pressed.

Amy was taken aback that word had traveled so fast. "Who told you all of this?"

"Mephiles," he responded calmly.

Amy felt her heart drop at the mention of his name. "Of course he did…"

He nodded proudly, still thinking about all the changes she had made. "You made the right decision, you know. You can only go up from here. Now, you have a bright future ahead of you. Living with that motorcycle gang was holding you back."

Amy sighed sadly and looked away—not as confident. "It sure doesn't feel like it."

"Don't worry. I know it doesn't feel like it now, but it'll get easier from here, doctor," he assured.

She turned back to look at him. "What did you come here today to discuss with me? I know it couldn't be about my new relationship status."

Silver looked flustered; he hoped she hadn't assumed he had come to hit on her now that she was newly single. "My apologies, Dr. Rose! I was only making small talk, but I came here to discuss Detective Espio's murder case with you."

Amy's ears perked in alarm. "Specifically, what about?"

His expression grew serious. "Well, Detective Vector and I are investigating his death. We don't believe that he was killed in the initial attack on the bar," he explained. "We were wondering if you saw or heard anything after the attack. His time of death occurred before the Suppression members made their attack on the scene." Amy discreetly swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Her mind flashed back to her conversation with Mephiles that night before she passed out.

"Even if I die tonight, Espio will expose the truth to Shadow. He was trying to protect me from you," she seethed.

Mephiles chuckled darkly and rose upright. "He'll be doing no such thing, Ms. Rose."

"He will," she challenged, glaring up at him.

"He would if he was still alive," Mephiles corrected. Amy's eyes widened, making Mephiles grin darkly. "As you know, I never allow obstacles to get too far in my way."

"You…you killed him?" she rasped. "You won't get away with this."

He crossed his arms across his chest smugly. "I'm always a few steps ahead, my dear. How do you think I've managed to be in power for so long?"

"Doctor Rose? Hey, are you alright?" she heard Silver ask, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She came out of her stupor with a head shake. "Huh?"

The deputy rose from sitting as he looked back at the chapel doors. "You looked unwell just a second ago as if you were going to be sick. Do you need me to get you something to drink?" he questioned with concern.

Amy shook her head and placed a hand on her forehead. "No, I'm okay. I was trying to think back to that night, but it shook me a little," she admitted. "I'm sorry…"

Silver nodded emphatically and then lowered himself back to his sitting position. "Oh, geez. I understand it may be triggering to recall that night. I was hoping to find out any new information. Any details can help us crack this case."

Another memory flashed in her mind.

"If you say or indicate anything about the letters and everything you know about my past deeds to those in this club, my brother, or anyone else, then I release this to the A.T.F," he explained, holding up the gun used to kill Agent Zonic.

"I'm sorry, deputy, but I don't have any information or details to give you. I was knocked unconscious from the start and wasn't awake for most of it," she lied.

"…I see," he breathed disappointedly. "You know, according to the police report, Mephiles was found unresponsive in the same location where the rebar pinned you down," he recalled. "However, surveillance last spotted him near Detective Espio's murder point…"

Amy shrugged. "I-I don't know what else to say. I'm sorry I couldn't be of any great help."

Silver's amber eyes turned stoic and serious. "Just tell me if you need help. I can help you, and maybe you could help me in return."

Amy gulped nervously. Could he tell that she was lying? The pink hedgehog rose from her seat and made her way out of the aisle. "I-I need to get back to my shift. I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

"I saw the panic in Mephiles' face today when I told him I was coming down here to talk to you," he called out, causing her to halt from her exit. Seeing he had her attention again, he continued. "I didn't give him any detail about what exactly, but I could tell he knew. Whatever he has against you must be bad."

Amy turned to face him as she remained by the closed chapel doors. Was it that obvious that Mephiles was blackmailing her? She needed to work on her poker face. "He doesn't have anything against me. I don't have any useful information to provide you today."

Silver looked disappointed by her response. He could tell she was hiding information from him, probably for her safety, which he understood. "Well, that guy's a scum bag, and Detective Vector and I would feel quite accomplished if we could get one of them taken off the streets for good."

"Again, I'm sorry," she apologized.

"I want you to know that whenever you feel comfortable enough to come forward with any information, Detective Vector and I will protect you. I promise."

She opened the chapel door. "I appreciate that sentiment, deputy, but I must return to work now." Deputy Silver watched as Amy slipped out of the private chapel, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

•~•

Later that evening, as Amy was leaving the hospital, she heard the rev of a motorcycle engine approaching her. Standing on the curb, she spotted her ex-boyfriend pulling into the drop-off section of the E.R. She scoffed at his sight and continued to walk down the sidewalk past him as he took off his helmet.

"Hey," he called, trying to get her attention. Amy ignored him as he dismounted and caught up with her on foot. "Hey! Rose, I know you can hear me!"

Finally stopping, she turned to face him. "What do you want?"

"It's been a week already. I want to know why you're still here in town. Why didn't you go back home yet?" he questioned.

"I have my residency back at the hospital," she replied. "I can't exactly leave."

"You can start up your residency at any hospital. Specifically, the ones located in Tech City where your family is located," he argued passive-aggressively.

Amy glared at him. "My family is here," she corrected.

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest with a scowl. "Just go home."

Her eyes drifted downward. "I don't want to go back to Tech City…"

He growled in frustration, and his voice rose. "Why not?!"

"Because even though you've been nothing but an asshole, I'm waiting for you to come to your damn senses and realize what a terrible mistake you've made!" she answered bluntly.

"You're the one who needs to come to your senses," he countered, getting more frustrated. "It's a mistake that you're still here!"

Her eyes began to water as her emotions built. "Shadow, I-I love you, and you love me. We're meant to be together!" her voice trembled.

He could feel his heartstrings being tugged at her emotional delivery. He gripped by the arms, staring into her jade eyes with pleading ruby ones. "I'm trying to get you out of this fucking shitty town alive. Just return to Tech City with your cousin and live!"

She rubbed at her watering eyes with the back of her arm as he released his hold on her. "You're being ridiculous, Shadow…"

"Ridiculous? I would give everything up, even my life, for you to live. Tell me how that doesn't make any sense?" he contested. "This is what needs to happen to keep you safe!" he yelled.

"…But the only time I feel safe is when I'm with you," she reminded softly.

Shadow was taken aback by her statement and softened for a moment in his demeanor before becoming stoic in expression again. He had to continue to play up his distant self. "Yeah, well, I don't feel confident enough always to make you feel that way."

Suddenly, the two heard someone clearing their throat nearby. "Ahem." The two glanced over only to spot Tikal casually waving to get their attention. "My apologies. I just wanted to see if I could assist here. It felt like it was getting rather tense."

Shadow turned on his heel and walked back towards his parked bike. "Nothing to be worried about. We were only talking, and I'm leaving now anyway."

Amy watched the brooding hedgehog make his sudden exit. "That's it? That's how the conversation is going to end?"

"Go home, Rose," she heard him say as he walked away.

"Jerk…" she mumbled under her breath.

Amy and Tikal watched as he mounted his bike, placed his helmet on, and turned on the engine. He kicked up his kickstand and veered out of the hospital drive-through before exiting the parking lot, leaving a loud engine roar to follow. The orange echidna placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Are you alright?" she questioned cautiously.

Amy nodded hesitantly—even though she knew she wasn't okay. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Tikal tilted her head. "Would you like me to give you a ride home?"

Amy turned to face her co-worker. "Yeah, that'd be great."

•~•

Back at the compound, Manic returned from another therapy session with his therapist. He honestly could not tell if the sessions were helping, but he knew they were exhausting to him by the time he got home. He flopped onto his back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. As he relaxed in silence, he raised his right hand and pretended to hold an invisible blunt between his index and middle finger. He brought the pretend blunt up to his lips and took an imaginary drag, envisioning inhaling the delightful fumes that would eventually place his body in a state of calm bliss.

Manic hummed, pleased as he relished the feeling of getting high in his feigned state. However, he exited his imaginary world when he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He noticed the name across the screen, reading "Mina." Manic also realized the time, which wasn't near the end of her shift. Regardless, he answered the call and placed the flip phone to his ear. "Yo?"

Instead of hearing her voice, all he heard were screams of female terror along with gunshots in the background. Manic sat upright, feeling his heart sink at hearing the panic. "Hello?" he stated, a little louder, hoping to hear Mina's voice respond. He continued to hear rapid- fire in the call's background as the screams began to silence. "Hello?!" Suddenly, the call ended, and Manic stared at his phone's screen, feeling an urgency to get to the packing station. "Mina…"

•~•

Meanwhile, on the drive home, Tikal kept her eyes on the road as she drove. It had been awkwardly silent for a few minutes now. She hadn't had much time to talk to Amy at work, and she couldn't imagine that she would want to talk about what had just happened with her ex. "So, uh, how has the moving process been going?" Tikal inquired.

Amy kept her eyes glancing out the side window as they drove. "Well, you know already that I found a place nearby. It's in my budget range and fits my style," Amy replied sullenly.

"Yes, I recall. That's great," she smiled. "If you need any help moving stuff, I'm always available to lend a hand," the echidna offered sweetly.

Amy smiled warmly in her direction as they came to a red light. "That's sweet of you, but I've already covered that. Some of the boys from the M.C. helped finish getting me moved in with all the furniture and whatnot."

"Oh, that's nice of them," she noted before twiddling nervously. "So, you're not nervous about being back here?"

Amy shook her head as she adjusted her quills while looking in a mirror on the wall. "Not really."

The light turned green again, allowing her to continue her drive. "It's just…I couldn't help but overhear your ex in your conversation, and he seems concerned about your welfare."

"Sorry you had to hear all that…" Amy sighed. "He's just being overly protective."

"Perhaps, but look at everything that's happened in the last couple of months," she justified. "He must truly love you if he's doing all this to keep you safe."

"Yeah, well, he has a funny way of showing it…"

•~•

At that same time, Shadow, Manic, Mighty, and Knuckles arrived at the packing plant and parked far away. They weren't sure if the enemy was still there and wanted to surprise attack them if they were still stationed there. It was dark now, and they whipped out flashlights in the back of their bike's storage compartment. The four males dismounted their bikes with guns and flashlights drawn as they quickly and quietly approached the main entrance.

Shadow remained at the head of the group, leading the charge. As they neared the wired gate, they could see tire tracks leading into the entranceway way, where it appeared the vehicle had crashed through the gates to create easier access. The tire tracks were still fresh enough in the gravel and dirt. As they continued in, they noticed their two patrol bikers meant to keep watch had been shot dead on sight. Their bodies were sprawled out near the main entrance to the building.

"Shit…" Knuckles cursed, looking at the two rookies. "Poor guys never had a chance."

Shadow hushed him. "We don't know if this is a trap. It seems they've left, but we won't know until we've cleared the area."

Manic aimed his gun ahead of him with his flashlight in position. Paranoid, there would be a surprise attack out of nowhere. He kept looking over his shoulder and around him, expecting someone to strike. However, things only became more gruesome as they entered the facility. There were numerous escort packer girls gunned down brutally as they lay in their pools of blood. Bullet holes were scattered along the walls, along with blood smears. The group navigated around the bodies, looking for any signs of survivors while also being hypersensitive they could be ambushed.

Seeing the destruction and devastation of this act on innocent lives made Knuckles sick to his stomach. He stopped, turned around, and threw up from the sight alone. "Chaos…" he spat.

Manic kept up his vigilance and continued to search for Mina. However, he feared the worst and assumed he'd find her body. "Anyone need any help!?" he called.

"Silent, you idiot," Shadow growled under his breath. "They could still be here…"

Manic scoffed. "They're long gone. We're wasting time!" Suddenly, he heard a noise in a distant corner of the room and noticed a flipped-over table with a barrel beside it. He quickly rushed over, nearly tripping over a deceased body before he looked over the side of it. There, he spotted Mina, hidden away from harm. "Min!"

"Manic," she gasped in relief as tears filled her eyes. The others followed after Manic, and they watched him leap into action.

Manic moved the flipped table away and helped her to her feet. "Yo, are you okay? That phone call made me mad worried."

She was still trembling as she stared into his eyes. "I-I think so…" Unfortunately, her eyes drifted past his shoulder, finally focusing on her fallen co-worker's dead bodies lying on the floor. "Oh, Chaos…" she placed a hand to her mouth. "No!"

"Don't look," he commanded. "Keep your eyes on me. You're safe now."

Mina swallowed the lump and nodded, keeping her eyes locked on the green hedgehog. "Okay."

•~•

Once dropped off at her apartment, Amy walked upstairs to her second-floor apartment. She was startled when she rounded the corner to the next flight of stairs and spotted Mephiles waiting on one of the steps. His arms were draped over his bent knees as his reptilian eyes bore into hers. "It's about time, Ms. Rose."

She wasn't surprised to see him there, especially since Silver had dropped by the hospital earlier. She had expected it. She remained on the lower steps a reasonable distance away from him. "How'd you figure out where I live?" was her first question.

He chuckled. "I never reveal my resources."

She frowned at his response. "How long have you been waiting here for me?"

Mephiles glanced at his phone clock briefly. "An hour at least," he shrugged. "Do you know why I'm here? You don't seem surprised to see me."

She clutched the strap to her purse. "Because Deputy Silver was looking for me?" she surmised.

He chuckled, impressed, as he rose to his feet. "Precisely correct, Ms. Rose. We need to talk. Shall we go inside?" he gestured to her apartment door.

"I'm not letting you inside my apartment. Whatever needs to be said can be said out here," she stated firmly.

Mephiles feigned offense as he placed a hand on his chest. "Ms. Rose, are you scared to be indoors alone with me?"

Amy crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at him. "Of course. You're dangerous and unpredictable."

"Fair enough," he smirked. "At any rate, why was the deputy visiting you at the hospital?"

The less he knew, the more he'd be off her back. "He was doing the same thing everyone in this town has been trying to do. Get me to get the hell out of here."

He studied her for a moment. "Is that truly why he came looking for you, Ms. Rose? To convince you to leave?"

"Yes, he doesn't understand why I'd want to fight for my relationship with your brother," she lied.

Mephiles began to descend the staircase towards her. "You better hope you're telling the truth, my dear. Because if I catch wind of anything sinister being discussed about me, I'd have to go through with my threats," he reminded. "I can't have you conspiring behind my back now," he tsked.

She moved to the side as he remained across from her on the same step. "I'm not that stupid, Mephiles."

He smiled darkly, sensing her fear of him. "I can see that now."

Suddenly, his phone rang, and he quickly answered, seeing his brother's name flash on the screen. He placed the phone up to his ear and immediately heard his brother's voice on the other end. "We have a problem," he announced.

"Where's the problem located?" he inquired, keeping eye contact with Amy.

"At the packing plant. Starline's cartel hit the location. It's bad over here."

"I'll be there in twenty," he replied before hanging up. He continued down the steps. "You're lucky there's an emergency with business. Otherwise, I'd continue to interrogate you. Have a lovely evening, Ms. Rose. I'm sure I'll see you again at some point."

Amy's ears perked in alarm as she watched the dark hedgehog disappear down the staircase. She could only wonder what kind of emergency the group was dealing with.

•~•

At the distribution plant, Shadow, Manic, Mighty, and Knuckles were already there assessing the damage. The building appeared fine on the outside, untouched in fact. However, what took place on the inside was a gruesome scene. Mephiles arrived and drove his motorcycle into an empty spot before quickly dismounting to discover the damage. He quickly made his way over towards the others. "What happened?"

"Starline's cartel and the Suppression raided our distribution center. They did a clean sweep on the merchandise and took out the packing liners," Shadow explained.

"The only survivor was Mina," Knuckles added as he nodded in her direction.

Mephiles' eyes followed his nod, and he spotted Mina sitting on the steps of the building with Manic's jacket draped over her shoulders. She looked shaken and in shock as the green hedgehog continued to console her as he stayed by her side. He couldn't help but notice some blood along one of her cheeks.

AN: Please leave a review! I appreciate my readers.