AN: Thank you, Pirilaxa, RisingZero1984, Colabat, ARavenRose, 4lyssa4dsmol, BlissofanAngel, and Sad Little Demon, for the reviews you left on my last chapter—also, apologies for the late update. I'm currently taking two college courses for my job, and it's not leaving me much time to work on upcoming chapters or edit current ones for posting. I hope you enjoy the newest chapter of the story. I can't believe we're about to hit thirty chapters! I'm thinking this story will be around 45-50 chapters, which sounds like a lot, but there's still so much story left to tell! Enjoy!

•~•

Vector and Espio woke early the following day and headed to Locke's cabin. When they arrived, they parked the car and strolled up to the cabin. However, both became alarmed at the sight of the open front door. Vector and Espio drew their guns, cautiously approaching the front entrance. Something was off.

"Locke?" Vector called while keeping his gun at the ready. It was deadly silent while they got closer.

There was no response, and Espio kept Vector's back covered as he looked at their surroundings from multiple angles. The chameleon didn't see anyone or any signs that people were still on the premise, but someone had attacked the home. Once the two detectives stepped inside the house, they were disturbed to see the inside state. They saw bullet holes scattered across one of the walls. Flipped seats, tables, and papers were strewn all over the floor. They noticed a shattered lamp in one corner of the room, a pool of blood from around the side of the table, and a body.

"Shit!" Vector quickly retracted his gun and rushed over to the other side of the table, where he found Locke's cold body on its side with his chest blown out. Espio kept his gun still drawn as he looked around the house's interior while Vector kneeled and pressed a finger against Locke's neck to feel for a pulse. He didn't know why he bothered; the old echidna had been dead for several hours. Vector sighed solemnly and stood upright. "…He's gone."

After casing the entire house, Espio exited the bedroom and put his gun back in its holster. He looked solemn in expression. "Who the hell did this?"

Vector walked over to the picture wall that had been damaged in gunfire. His eyes scanned the pictures before stopping at one photo. "If I had to guess, the Suppression Squad," he surmised.

"What makes you think that?" Espio questioned.

Vector pointed to a photo on the wall with the markings "SS" in blood. "This."

Espio walked over and analyzed the calling card. He studied it for a long moment before backing away. "It doesn't make any sense, though."

Vector crossed his arms over his broad chest. "What makes you say that? They're the sworn enemy of the Brothers of Chaos, and they've been more active lately, especially now…"

Espio shook his head in disagreement. "This all feels too forced. They attack Locke and don't take anything or leave any message for why they targeted him?" he rambled.

"Well, who else do you think is responsible?" Vector challenged.

He turned to look at his comrade as the pieces started to come together. "It isn't that obvious?"

Vector raised a brow, still confused. "Enlighten me, Esp."

•~•

Back at the compound, Mephiles was busy in his office. The dark hedgehog sat at his desk doing some filing when his cell phone rang. He looked at the caller's I.D. and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Why did you do it?" Espio's voice on the other end questioned.

Mephiles stood from his desk, walked over to his office door, and closed it for privacy. "I'm not sure what we're talking about here."

"You killed Locke," Espio accused sternly.

Mephiles feigned ignorance. "What?" he gasped. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb," Espio snapped. "I'm not an idiot."

Mephiles rolled his eyes and scoffed under his breath in defeat. "Fine, yeah, I did it."

"I'm going to ask again. Why? Vector and I told you we'd handle it. We were very explicit in our instructions."

Mephiles glanced out the viewing window into the mechanic shop, where he spotted Knuckles working on a repair for a bike. The echidna was still oblivious to the fact that his father was dead. "I didn't mean for it to go that way," he lied. "I went there to work out a deal—an extension. Things escalated out of nowhere."

"Yeah, well, Locke didn't deserve that," Espio sighed. "And once again, Vec and I are cleaning up your mess…You tried to pin it on the Suppression Squad but did terribly with pointing the finger. You're messy, Mephiles."

Mephiles hummed. "Yes, well, I'll leave that in your hands. You are quite good with forged evidence, after all. Where's Vector now?"

"He's inside helping work staging the crime scene," he replied. "Did you find what you were looking for?" Espio continued to probe. "It looks like you ransacked the place."

Mephiles grumbled irritably. "Unfortunately, no. However, I do know where to look in the future."

"And what does that mean?"

Mephiles sat down on the edge of his desk. "It's been confirmed on the whereabouts of those journal entries and police files. Amy Rose has them," he grinned victoriously.

Espio felt his stomach drop at the thought. "What? How are you for certain?"

"The old bastard told me himself right before I killed him," he replied. "I told you I had a feeling she was involved. It's a shame."

"Look, Mephiles. Don't go and do anything stupid now, you understand?" he stated sternly. "Let Vector, and I handle this, for real this time."

Mephiles chuckled when he heard the urgency in Espio's stern voice. The chameleon was concerned he'd pull a similar stunt regarding Amy. "Of course, detective. Scouts honor," he pledged while crossing his fingers.

Espio walked further away from the cabin, feeling fired up more than usual. "I'm not fuckin' around here anymore, Mephiles. I'm putting my ass on the line to protect you, but I won't allow you to hurt any more people. This is your brother's girl."

"I realize that," he replied. "You better remember, though, that if she drags me down, I drag you two down with me," he warned before hanging up.

Espio looked at his phone and exhaled a sigh. He felt nothing but trouble coming his way.

•~•

Amy had the day off, so she opted to help Rouge with some housekeeping chores. She stood in front of the kitchen sink doing dishes. Shadow came in for his lunch break, stood at the kitchen entrance, and watched Amy meticulously wash dishes by hand while her back was turned. Quietly, he walked up behind her, placed his mechanic-sleeved arms around her waist, and rested his chin against her left shoulder. Amy jumped, startled at first from his unannounced presence, but smiled bashfully at his affectionate nature. "Shadow, you scared me," she tsked.

"Sorry about that, princess," he apologized, lowering his eyelids suggestively. "I couldn't resist sneaking up on you."

While Amy took off her rubber gloves and laid them on the edge of the counter, she couldn't help but catch a whiff of his masculine musk and the pheromones he was emitting. Shadow was dirty and sweaty from working in the mechanic shop, but there was something incredibly alluring and sexy about his musk and the testosterone that lingered in the air. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she felt him sensually kissing down the side of her neck from behind. Her face grew redder by the minute. "Um, do you want me to make you something to eat?"

He smirked knowingly. "Does that offer include you?" he teased.

"Sha-shadow," she gawked in surprise, feeling embarrassed and coy.

He chuckled lowly at her response. "Don't act all shy now. You know you love it when I—"

"—We're back," a groggy voice announced. Before she could respond, Mighty and Manic entered the kitchen, looking utterly exhausted.

Shadow released his loose hold on her and pulled back, giving her a little pat on the butt, making her squeak in surprise. It appeared their flirty moment would have to wait for now. She watched Shadow smirk in response as he walked over to the fridge, acting like nothing had just happened. He rummaged in the refrigerator and pulled out some leftovers before sitting with them at the kitchen table.

"Oh, um, good morning," Amy composed herself. "Did you guys just get back?"

"Yup." Mighty pulled out a spare chair at the kitchen table. "I'm exhausted," he sighed. "We were up all night guarding the storage unit."

"Geez, that would take it out of me, too," Amy concurred. "Do you want me to get you anything?"

They were utterly oblivious to the two hedgehog's moment. Instead, Mighty laid his head on the kitchen table with tired eyes. "I am hungry but just too tired to eat." He yawned. "Honestly, I should probably just hit the sack for now."

Manic could barely keep his eyes open at this point, too, as he sat there. "Same here, bro…"

"Are Knuckles and Gadget over there now?" Shadow questioned.

Mighty stood up, and Manic mimicked his actions. "Yeah, they swapped with us already."

"Go get some rest, you two. You deserve it," Amy encouraged.

"Thanks, Ames," Mighty waved as they two headed out.

•~•

Once upstairs in his room alone, Manic closed his bedroom door behind him. He unzipped his black leather jacket and laid it across his dresser. He stared at his tired expression in his mirror as he thought about what he had done earlier in the night.

**Flashback**

While Mighty had gone off alone to relieve himself and Manic had lied to do the same, the green hedgehog snuck into the warehouse while Bark and Khan consumed their Chinese food. Manic quietly closed the door behind him and approached the wooden crates containing the cocaine. He lifted the lid and eyed the bricks laid out perfectly before him. He lifted one of the bricks to his nose and wished desperately to do a line right there and then. It had been several years since he had done hardcore drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and crack, and he was eager to get another high.

As of now, the only substances he touched were weed and alcohol—something he could manage to control. It'd be too risky, so he'd have to plan to do it later. Carefully, he tucked it inside his leather jacket and zipped it back up. He placed the lid back over the container and snuck out before anyone noticed he had gone inside.

While Manic crept further into the woods, he found an area where he'd hide the brick and return later when it was safe. Kneeling under a tree with some brush, Manic dug a small hole and placed the brick inside. He then carefully collected nearby large rocks and put them over his buried hole to keep other creatures from digging it up. Once he was done, he stood upright and dusted off his hands. Mighty was right. This new line of business was too tempting for a recovering drug addict. As far as he was concerned, Enerjak and his crew would never know about the missing brick. He'd only have to worry about getting caught high from the others.

**End Flashback**

•~•

Later that evening, in the living room, showered and clean, Shadow sat upright on the couch while he and Amy watched TV. Amy lay on the sofa with her head planted in Shadow's lap. The dark-stripped hedgehog softly caressed the top of Amy's head and ran his fingers down her quills as they spent their time together in silence. Amy thoroughly enjoyed Shadow's gentle strokes and caressing as it made her eyes heavy. Shadow focused on the program they watched together but occasionally glanced down at his girlfriend curled beside him with her head in his lap.

Mephiles walked into the living room and spotted the loved-up couple on the sofa together. He made an expression of disgust at the sight and shook his head. Recomposing himself, he sighed and walked up beside them. "Brother, we're needed at the storage unit at once," he announced.

Amy lifted her head slightly to look at Mephiles while Shadow did the same. Both seemed surprised Shadow was being called out this late in the evening. "What's going on?" Shadow inquired.

"I'm not exactly sure," Mephiles replied. "Enerjak informed us to head over with Mighty and Manic. It sounded rather serious."

Amy moved upright into a sitting position allowing Shadow to stand up. "No need to wait up for me tonight," he suggested. "I don't know how long this will take."

Amy nodded. "Oh, okay…"

He leaned down and pecked her on the cheek before departing. She watched her boyfriend follow his older brother out of the living room.

Meanwhile, upstairs, someone knocked on Manic's door. The green hedgehog opened his door and peeked out the crack with droopy eyes. It was Shadow on the other side. "Huh, what's up?"

"Sorry to wake you. I know you were sleeping. However, Enerjak just called. He wants the first people on shift, along with Mephiles and me, back at the storage unit," he explained. "We need to leave now."

Manic felt his stomach sink at the possibilities. "…Wait, right now?"

Shadow nodded. "Yes, it sounded rather urgent. We're leaving in five."

Manic rubbed at one of his eyes. "Right, I got it, dude. I'll be downstairs in two minutes."

Shadow walked back downstairs as Manic shut his bedroom door closed. Had Enerjak already discovered the missing item?

•~•

At the storage facility, Enerjak waited in front of the storage unit along with his guys. Standing in the background were Knuckles, Gadget, Khan, and Bark. Shadow, Mephiles, Mighty, and Manic were confused about why everyone had been urgently summoned there. When the four dismounted their bikes, they saw Enerjak's serious and disappointed expression.

Mephiles approached the drug lord. "What's going on, sir?"

Enerjack rested both his hands firmly over the handle of his cane. "It appears we have a thief among us," he accused.

"A thief?" Shadow repeated in alarm.

"Yes, the boys swung by to do another check on the merchandise, and we discovered that one of the bricks was missing from our stock. We've only had a few people on guard, which limits our number of suspects."

"Mr. Enerjak, this must be some mistake," Mephiles assured. "No one in our club would ever be so stupid to steal from you," he defended.

"Well, someone beneath your reign is a liar," Enerjak corrected. "Now, I will give you two options to fix this situation before it gets rather ugly."

"We'll do whatever we can to alleviate this situation," Shadow interjected.

"I'm glad to hear it," Enerjak nodded stoically. "Option one, I leave your group alone for three hours to find the person responsible for stealing the brick from me and take care of the matter yourself."

Knuckles gulped nervously. "And option two?"

Enerjak snapped his fingers, and his guys whipped out the same automatic weapons he had purchased off their club and aimed them in their direction. Shadow and the other club members raised their arms above their heads in surrender. They were outnumbered.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You don't have to go that far, dude," Manic pleaded nervously.

"Shut up, Manic," Mighty berated while trying to remain calm.

"Enerjak, this is not necessary," Mephiles stated while trying to remain calm with guns pointed in their face.

"It is, actually. Option two is to have my guys kill everyone after we discover the culprit ourselves. Afterward, I cut ties with your charters for being unfaithful, return to both compounds and wipe out both M.C.s as retribution."

Shadow's eyes widened at the thought. "We're going to figure out what happened to that missing brick and take care of matters ourselves," he stated. "I promise you we'll find it, sir."

Enerjak snapped his fingers again, and his bodyguards lowered their drawn weapons. Everyone lowered their raised arms in response. "That's what I like to hear, Shadow," he grinned. "Well, I'll be back in three hours to hear your findings." The bikers watched as Enerjak and his men loaded into their SUVs and drove off down the dirt roads before eventually being out of sight.

Once they were gone, Shadow stormed over to his brother and grabbed him by the collar. "This is exactly why I said this was a bad idea," he growled through clenched teeth.

"Calm down, Shadow. We'll figure everything out," Mephiles assured.

Shadow released his grasp on his brother's collar and backed up. "We better. I refuse to go out this way."

"What do we do now?" Knuckles questioned.

"We're going to have to figure out what happened to that missing brick," Mephiles reminded. "Speaking of, did you take it?"

Knuckles looked insulted at the idea. "Me? Why the hell would I?"

Mephiles shrugged. "Perhaps you were looking to make a little side change yourself," he surmised.

"Hell no," Knuckles scoffed. "If you don't remember, I barely wanted to be a part of this business in the first place."

Mephiles sighed. "Very well, and what about you, Mighty?"

The armadillo crossed his arms over his chest. "Similar to what Knuckles said. I was also not keen on joining the drug business. Stealing from a drug lord is a death wish."

"How about you, Bark?" Shadow questioned.

"Not a chance in hell, sir. I was doing my job keeping watch—however, apparently not good enough if this managed to occur."

Shadow narrowed his eyes at the brown monkey. "And you, Khan, what's your excuse?" He already didn't trust the guy with his history. He seemed like the type to do something devious.

Khan just scoffed and rolled his eyes. "The fact that you're even questioning me over this is enough of an insult. No, I didn't take it."

"Gadget, do I have to ask?" Shadow questioned.

"My loyalty is to this club. I would never do something so despicable and conniving, sir!" he pledged as he bowed his head.

Mephiles' eyes landed on the last person who had taken watch. "And how about you, Manic? Did you take the drugs?"

Manic remained composed on the outside even though he was sweating bullets on the inside. "Nah, dude. I would never be that stupid."

Mephiles frowned. "How interesting all of you allege you did not take it. However, one brick is missing, and as Enerjak stated, we have a liar among us."

•~•

Back at the house, there was a knock on the front door. Ray walked over to the door, opened it up, and was surprised to see Detective Vector and Espio at the door. "Evening, mind if we come in?" Vector asked cordially.

Ray looked up at the giant alligator with intimidation, not as familiar with the two. "Oh, well…"

"Detectives," Rouge announced from behind him. Ray looked over his shoulder at Rouge, who clutched the front of her pink bathrobe to keep up her modesty. "I didn't expect to see you two here so late," she smiled.

"We just wanted to pop in and check on you ladies," he explained.

Rouge opened the door wider to allow both inside the house. "Sure, come on in, boys."

Amy poked her head out from the living room, hearing the familiar voice. She watched as Vector and Espio entered their home and followed Rouge into the kitchen with Ray. She couldn't help but stare at Espio anxiously as he followed the group. He momentarily locked eyes with Amy as he headed to the kitchen, causing Amy to freeze in place.

Vector sat down at the kitchen table. "So, I assume you've had no other run-ins with the Suppression Squad, hm?"

Rouge shook her head. "No, thankfully, it's been quiet here. I know we have some extra bodyguards from the latest business partner—although I'm not sure who that is."

"I've also been monitoring surveillance, and we've been clear," Ray said.

Vector eyed the juvenile squirrel. "Who's this kid?"

Rouge placed a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, this is Ray. He's the newest rookie in training. He's also Mighty's kid brother," she introduced. "And Ray, you've never been properly introduced. These two are Detective Vector and Espio," she motioned. "They work closely with the club."

Ray waved awkwardly. "Oh, hello there."

Espio directed his eyes to Amy, who lingered in the background in the kitchen doorway. "And how are you doing, doctor? Is everything well on your end?"

Amy pointed to herself. "Oh, me? I'm doing fine, thanks for asking."

Espio gave a curt nod. "That's good to hear."

Amy returned a slight but uncomfortable smile his way. She had never had much interaction with the detective in the past. She wondered why he wanted to start small talk with her now.

Vector rose to his feet. "Well then, if everything is okay here, we'll be on our way. We wanted to check in on you girls and ensure everything was good here."

Rouge smiled pleasantly. "That's sweet, Vector, but we're managing fine here."

Vector, Rouge, and Ray began heading back toward the front door, and Amy and Espio followed behind until the chameleon pulled her to the side. "Mind if I have a quick word with you, doctor?"

She stopped in her tracks, and the two lingered in the dining room. "Oh, sure."

"I know we've never properly spoken, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm always available if you have any questions or concerns regarding your safety," he advised. He reached into his pocket and handed her his phone number on a card. "If you ever feel unsafe or need to talk, you can always reach me here. Shadow cares deeply for you, so I wanted to extend my assistance."

Amy accepted the card with his phone number and felt anxious. "That's very kind, but what brings all this on suddenly?"

"Things are starting to become busier for the club. Shadow won't always be readily available when you need him. I want you to feel comfortable contacting me if you need someone for protection," he explained.

She smiled weakly. "Well, again, I appreciate it."

"Wonderful," he nodded. "Goodnight, doctor."

Amy watched as Espio departed from the room, leaving Amy even more apprehensive and nervous than before. Was there something else grander going on that she was not privy to?

•~•

Back at the warehouse, the bikers were still in the process of eliminating suspects. "Let's investigate the crime scene," Shadow proposed. Everyone entered the warehouse and approached the large wooden crates containing the drugs. Shadow lifted the lid, and they spotted the one missing brick that should have been stacked in the third row.

"This is ridiculous. None of us took it," Khan scoffed while he leaned his shoulder against the doorframe of the warehouse.

Shadow lowered the lid. "We have to eliminate all possibilities. Right now, everyone here is a suspect, and I refuse to let the cartel take all of us out for one person's greedy mistake."

"Fine, get it over with then," Khan challenged as he moved away from the wall. He spread his arms out horizontally. "Go ahead and frisk me. I don't have it!"

Shadow glanced at his brother. "Help me frisk all of them," he ordered.

Mephiles nodded, and everyone stood with their arms and legs spread apart. Shadow went ahead a frisked Khan, patting him down to feel for any oddities. However, Khan was right. There was nothing suspicious. Mephiles went down the line and started with Knuckles and felt nothing strange or unusual. This process continued until it ended with Mighty and Manic as the final frisks.

Mighty eyed Manic beside him as Mephiles patted him down. He couldn't help but get this weird gut feeling that there was something off with Manic since they returned. Manic, on the other hand, continued to keep his expression indifferent as Shadow patted him down. Once he finished bending over to pat Manic down, the ebony hedgehog stood upright. "He's clean too."

"How do we know whoever stole it didn't stash it elsewhere?" Mighty conjectured.

"That's a good point," Mephiles pondered. He reached for his gun holster and whipped out his revolver. "However, we're running out of time, and right now, time is of the essence."

"What are you doing, sir?" Gadget questioned, eying him cautiously.

"One of you has it and is lying to me," Mephiles stated. "At this point, our lives are more valuable than anything else. I'll give you the rest of the time to 'look' for wherever the brick is."

"What if the person flees the scene, sir?" Bark noted.

"Then it looks like we have our suspect," he replied. "I challenge them to try to flee from Enerjak and his cartel. I guarantee you won't make it very far." There was a moment of silence as the bikers looked at each other, eying each other cautiously. Right now, there was not much trust between the members.

"Everyone spread out in search," Mephiles commanded. "Shadow and I will wait here."

The warehouse was in the dense forest of Mercia, far away from any suburbs. Everyone began moving in different directions in pairs. Bark and Khan walked off in a different direction, Knuckles and Gadget in the opposite direction, and Manic and Mighty towards the east.

While Mighty and Manic walked together into the woods with their phones as makeshift flashlights, there was a palpable silence between the two friends. The prolonged silence ended when Mighty grabbed him by the arm. Manic stopped in his tracks and glared at his firm grasp. "Yo, what gives, dude?"

Mighty's blue eyes hardened on him. "I know it was you, Manic," he accused.

Manic shot him a bewildered expression to play off his innocence. "What are you talking about, man?"

Mighty narrowed his brows. "Drop the act, man! Where the fuck did you hide it?"

Manic yanked his arm out of Mighty's grasp, further irritated by the accusation. "It wasn't me, dude!"

"Stop lying to me! I want to help you, but I can't if you don't tell me the truth," he begged. "Come on. I'm your best friend."

"If you were my best friend, you'd know I was telling the truth," Manic said.

Mighty shook his head adamantly. "Best friends also call out their friend's bullshit, and that's what I'm doing right now. I know you better than anyone else. I was the one who helped you get into rehab and settle your substance abuse, remember? I was with you through thick and thin…"

Manic listened to his words and turned back, refusing to let Mighty see his guilt-ridden expression. "I appreciate that, man, but I'm not lying…I swear."

Mighty's stern expression softened as he stared at the back of his best friend. "Please, Manic, let me help you." He reached out a laid a hand on his shoulder from behind. "We'll find it together and devise an excuse to get minimum punishment, okay? I promise I'm here to help you."

Manic sprung forward, breaking away from his touch. "Fuck off, Mighty! I didn't take it! I'll prove it to you and find the real person who did," he pledged before running off into the woods.

Mighty watched as the green hedgehog ran through the darkened forest. He tried to keep up and ran in the same direction. "Manic, wait!" Unfortunately, he tripped over an uproot and crashed into the dirt. He grunted and lifted himself from the ground. "God damn it…"

Nearby, behind a tree, a figure watched the armadillo attempt to chase after his friend. He had heard their entire conversation and continued to pursue Manic quietly.

•~•

Meanwhile, with Shadow and Mephiles, the two brothers waited for the rest of the boys to get back with the missing brick. Shadow paced anxiously back and forth in front of the campfire the group had made earlier. Mephiles sat on one of the logs before the fire and watched his younger brother endlessly pace. "Will you stop your incessant pacing already? It won't help you any," he snapped.

"Forgive me, brother. I'm worried we're all about to be slaughtered," he snapped.

"It'll be found, trust me," Mephiles proclaimed calmly.

Shadow shot him a puzzled look. "How can you be so sure? Lives are at stake here."

"One of them took it and had plans for it. However, when they realize their mistake, they're going to 'find' it again miraculously," he explained coolly.

"Or perhaps they've already gotten miles and miles away from here on foot to save their ass," Shadow deduced pessimistically.

"Even if they did, we'd know they were guilty. Besides, the cartel would manage to find them before they could get far enough away. You know how these organizations work. It's nearly impossible to escape them."

"I'm worried about them taking their wrath out on our clubhouse," Shadow noted. "The others don't deserve our retribution—leave them out of this."

Mephiles rested his face against one of his hands bent across his knee. "You know, brother, for someone who worries so much about Ms. Rose and her safety, I find it rather hypocritical that you formed a relationship with her in the first place. Just attaching that label is enough of a detriment to her wellbeing with our line of business and your ranking…."

Shadow glared in his brother's direction. "You don't think I considered that already?"

"So why did you opt to get into a relationship with her then? I thought after Maria died, you had sworn off relationships for good for that very reason?"

"…I-I did," he confirmed. "I tried to talk myself out of getting into a relationship with her for a good period. However, my feelings grew too strong once I started to get to know her. I did everything possible to prevent that, but I still failed. Why do you think I was so vile towards her initially?"

Mephiles raised a brow, alarmed as he processed the timeline of events. "Hold on, that's how long you fancied her?"

Shadow nodded hesitantly. "I thought she was beautiful when I first saw her. She's the whole package deal, beautiful, caring, stubborn, intelligent, and completely my type."

"I know you're quite content in this relationship, but what we're doing now is threatening her life more than ever. You already told me that the Suppression Squad knows of her existence and importance to you, and now we've joined this line of business. Who knows what other threats that are out there even you are unaware of," he foreshadowed. "Wouldn't it be best to just-"

"—No," he abruptly cut off. He knew what his brother was going to imply. "I'm going to do everything I can to keep her safe and fulfill this promise to you so I can leave for good. I won't allow anything bad to happen to her, mark my words."

Mephiles sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "That's a perilous balancing act to play, brother, but suit yourself."

Another thought crossed Shadow's mind. "What do you plan to do if it turns out to be one of our own that stole those drugs?" Shadow pressed, curious to hear his brother's response.

Mephiles' eyes drifted up to the night sky. "I'll take care of that matter personally and ensure it never happens again…"

Shadow cocked a brow. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Mephiles gave out a soft chuckle. "Don't worry about it, brother. The burden will only weigh on me."

•~•

Simultaneously, some distance away, Manic finally found his hiding spot for the cocaine brick. Panting, he fell to his knees in the dirt next to the tree with shrubbery where he had hidden the drugs. The green hedgehog glanced around his surroundings, being cautious of any witnesses. He didn't want any others to see him uncover the item. Once the coast was clear, he carefully removed the large rocks and other shrubbery before digging underneath and unearthing the goods. "There's my baby…" He purred victoriously. The green hedgehog held up the brick and studied it for a moment. "It was going to be just you and me, but plans have changed," he said, talking to the brick as if it were living.

Manic placed the brick inside his pants and put his t-shirt over the bulge. He then strategically covered the bump with his black leather jacket to conceal its hiding spot. Manic dusted off his dirtied hands and began to pace back and forth, trying to devise a good plan or excuse for finding the brick without it pointing back to him. "Think, Manic, think," he mumbled under his breath.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar click from behind and spun around, only coming face to face with Monkey Khan and his gun drawn. "You won't have much time to think for long," he warned.

Manic stared at his drawn pistol and backed up nervously. "Khan? Why are you pointing that thing at me, huh?"

Khan approached the green hedgehog slowly with his gun extended toward him. "You're going to play the dumb game, huh? I saw and heard everything, you idiot. You have the brick on you right now." He pointed. "You're the one who took it and put all our lives in danger!"

Beginning to panic, Manic raised his hands above his head in surrender. "Please, man. Please don't turn me in. I-I'll be killed. Help me come up with a lie to spare my life."

"That was your choice, and now you'll have to face the consequences. Besides, I refuse to die today because of your greed and need for a quick fix. Once an addict, always an addict."

A million thoughts were running through Manic's mind as Khan got closer and closer to him with his gun. He was not going to go down for his selfish mistake. "All right, all right. I give up," he admitted. "I'll turn over the brick…"

Khan kept his finger on the trigger of his gun. "Fine," he mumbled. "Take it out and lay it down before you nice and easy now. Oh, and don't get any ideas. I won't hesitate to kill you."

Manic carefully reached for the front of his pants and lifted his shirt with one hand revealing the brick tucked inside his jeans. He went for the brick, removed it, and bent forward to lower it slowly on the ground. However, with quick thinking, he quickly chucked it straight for Khan's face to make a run for it. Trying to dodge the oncoming brick, Khan moved his arm with the gun, pulled the trigger, and grazed Manic's upper left thigh. Manic cried out and dropped to the ground.

Khan looked at the brick that had nearly missed hitting him in the face as it lay in the dirt behind him. He glared at the spikey green hedgehog writhing in the dirt from pain, bent over, and grabbed the brick. "You, fucking idiot…" he seethed. He marched over in Manic's direction, planning to finish him there.

Manic scooped up a handful of dirt, gravel, and debris as he got closer and hurled it right in Khan's eyes. "Ah fuck!" The monkey staggered backward, stunned momentarily, trying to get the debris out of his eyes. "You piece of shit, traitor!" he cursed.

Manic took the opportunity and lunged for Khan, tackling him to the ground and knocking his gun out of his hand. The two bikers rolled around in the dirt, kicking, punching, and hitting one another. Manic straddled Khan and punched him a few times in the face. Still temporarily blinded, Khan used one of his hands to feel up Manic's injured leg and jab his thumb into his open wound.

Manic screamed in agony, feeling his finger forcibly jam deeper and deeper into his wound. Khan uppercut him and knocked him backward him. Still reeling in pain, Manic watched as Khan clumsily felt around for his missing pistol in the dark. Manic groaned, dragged himself through the dirt, and got it just as Khan's fingers grazed the handle. He took control of the weapon and aimed it at Khan as he stood upright, towering over him. "I'll do it, I'll fucking do it," Manic trembled with his outstretched arm.

Khan wiped his eyes one final time as he looked down at Manic in pity. "You're a coward and a traitor to this club. To think what lengths I went to get your ass out of jail back then," he recalled, thinking back to his arrest. Discreetly, Khan reached behind his back, reaching for his spare gun while Manic held his other weapon aimed at him.

Manic swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "They can't know…please, don't make me do this…I don't want to have to kill you."

Suddenly, Khan whipped out his spare gun, but Manic's finger was already on the trigger. He shot Khan through the forehead several times while he cried out in terror. Blood exploded from the back of his head and onto the ground. Khan's head craned back as he stood momentarily before collapsing backward, feet away from Manic in the dirt. Manic hyperventilated and tried to calm himself down. Shaking, he felt his face and noticed a wet substance on his fingertips: Khan's blood.

Suddenly, Manic saw flashlights approaching and heard the others calling his name in the distance. "Manic! Khan?!" Scrambling to his knees and still in pain from his injury, Manic did his best to stage the scene to sell his innocence. He placed the brick of cocaine in the inside of Khan's pants and ensured Khan's other gun was still in his hand. He quickly moved back to his victim position and tried to wipe Khan's blood off his face with the back of his sleeve.

"Help me!" Manic shouted with desperation.

Eventually, Shadow, Knuckles, Mephiles, Bark, Mighty, and Gadget stumbled across the crime scene. All of them looked stunned when they saw the outcome.

"…Oh fuck," Knuckles breathed as he stared at Khan's body.

Shadow shone his flashlight over Khan's body before directing it to Manic, still bleeding from his upper thigh. "What the fuck happened here?"

"It-it was Khan," Manic pointed shakily. "I followed him and found him digging it up behind some bushes. I tried to tell him to come clean to the rest of the club, but he refused," he lied. "He tried to kill me, so I fought back, but he shot me once in the leg. I-I had no other choice…"

Mighty looked at Khan's deceased body bleeding out the door as he absorbed Manic's story. His eyes drifted back to his best friend as he studied his expression and body demeanor. He frowned as he feared the worst.

"I-I don't understand. When the hell did Khan manage to steal it? I never saw him leave his post," Bark argued. Manic looked at a loss for words and opened his mouth to reply, but someone else quickly cut him off.

"—I saw him leave his post once," Mighty interjected.

"When?" Bark questioned.

"It was when you took that quick stretch break," the armadillo answered. "He said he had to use the bathroom. I didn't think much of it at the time." Manic stared at Mighty in surprise—was he really covering for him right now?

Shadow took a long hard look back at Khan's deceased body and spat on it. He already had reservations about Khan and his morals from recent experience. He ultimately bought into Manic's lie. "I never trusted that son of a bitch in the first place. He was a scum bag."

Mephiles looked at both Mighty and Gadget. "You two, get Manic into the truck and back to the compound. Have Ms. Rose attend to his injuries immediately." The two nodded and helped Manic to his feet. He grunted, still in agonizing pain. He put one arm over each member as they helped him walk back on foot. While Mephiles watched the three disappear, he turned to Knuckles and Bark. "You two, bury Khan in a deep grave unmarked. I will call Enerjak and update him on our thief."

"Understood," Knuckles nodded.

Bark looked down at Khan's body one last time and shook his head in shame. "Why'd you do it?"

Shadow and Mephiles walked back together towards the warehouse. Mephiles mulled over this situation. "It doesn't make sense…Khan was so loyal."

"Pff, yeah. Maybe to you," Shadow scoffed under his breath.

Mephiles raised a brow at his brother. "And what does that mean?"

"The guy was a ruthless scumbag. He was willing to do whatever for the highest bidder," Shadow explained. "The fact that he'd kill a female, let alone a child, is enough for me not to trust him. I bet he had someone interested on the side that he could make some extra cash with that brick," he theorized.

Mephiles mulled over the thought. "Perhaps you're right, brother. Still, something doesn't feel right…"

•~•

Amy and Ray had already prepared her office for Manic's arrival at the house. Mighty and Gadget helped carry Manic to Amy's office and laid him on the examination table. Mighty stayed behind to help assist Amy in any way while she worked on fixing him up. The black and red armadillo leaned against the counter with his arms crossed across his chest while he stared disappointedly at his best friend. Mighty hadn't said another word to him the entire ride back home. It concerned Manic; he was dying to know what was happening in his head. Right now, all he could feel were Mighty's piercing blue eyes burning a hole in the back of his head while he was on the examination table.

The green hedgehog lay on his stomach with his lower half bare so that Amy could properly clean, assess, and tend to his wound. Manic puffed on a fresh blunt and blew out a puff of smoke from the corner of his mouth as he mellowed out. "Sorry about giving you a free show, Amy. I usually try to wine and dine a girl before she gets to see my goods," he cracked, trying to break the uncomfortable tension.

Amy was too focused on sewing Manic's bullet hole entry up to comprehend his joke. "It's okay, Manic. You have nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. I'm a medical professional, after all. I've seen everything in the E.R."

He winced slightly, feeling her dig the needle under his flesh again. "Oh, good to hear that I don't disappoint."

"How'd this happen again anyway?" she questioned, trying to fill the silence.

"Yes, explain it again," Mighty added, still holding suspicion in his tone.

Manic glanced over his shoulder and momentarily caught Mighty's eye contact before pulling his eyes away nervously. "Uh, without giving too much info away about our business…basically, someone stole something. I caught them in the act and got shot for exposing them," he lied.

Amy wiped some alcohol around the wound, cleaning up the blood. "Sounds like you were kept busy tonight. This injury could have been much worse. You're very fortunate."

"Heh, you can say that again," he smiled sheepishly. "Thanks again for patching me up, Amy. You're a legend."

She finished the final stitch and smiled sweetly at him. "No problem, Manic." She picked up dirtied bandages and cloth and cleaned up the area. Mighty watched as she began to sanitize the area she used to work on.

There was a knock on the door, and Shadow cracked the office door slightly and popped his head. "You decent in there?"

"Ouch!" Manic tried to push himself up to cover up, but moving was still excruciating. "No, man! Get out!"

Amy removed her bloodied gloves as she turned to look at her boyfriend lingering in the doorway. "We're all done in here, Shadow. Excuse Manic's nudity, though," she said as she began to wash up.

Shadow avoided looking in Manic's direction to keep his modesty. "It's not like I haven't seen it before," he shrugged indifferently.

Manic narrowed his eyes at the vice president as he finished pulling up his boxers. "Damn, how many of you have seen my junk anyway?"

"Mighty, help get Manic back to his room," Shadow ordered.

"Sure," Mighty nodded. The armadillo walked over and placed one of Manic's arms over his shoulder to assist him in walking. The two strolled out of the makeshift-medical office, leaving Amy and Shadow alone.

"Sorry about the late call. I know you have an early shift tomorrow," he apologized.

"I'm used to being on standby," she shrugged with a smile.

Shadow cupped her face in his hands while he stared at her lovingly. "You continue to impress me, you know." He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I don't know what we'd do without you. Thank you, Rose."

Amy felt her cheeks go red and smiled up at him. "I'm just doing my job," she shrugged innocently.

He held her hands in his. "Still…you do so much for this club and me."

"That's because you're like my family."

Shadow leaned in and kissed her. It started innocent and chaste but slowly grew more heated. Amy moaned slightly into the kiss as Shadow tilted his head, deepening it. Amy wrapped her arms around Shadow's neck, leaning into him as her body grew hot. Suddenly, Shadow lifted her by the waist and set her on the counter as he continued to kiss her more intensely. His hands traveled down her sides before he felt Amy pull back. "…Shadow?" she panted, out of breath.

"Yeah?" he replied, a bit breathless himself.

"C-can I deposit that rain check now?"

The ebony hedgehog smirked knowingly. "The bank is always open for you, my love." Shadow scooped her up into his arms bridal style and carried her upstairs with him.

•~•

A few moments later, once Manic had settled back into his room with Mighty's help, the armadillo closed his bedroom door. Manic shifted upright in his bed, undressed for the night, and Mighty walked over to his bed and looked down at him with disappointment. "All right, enough lies. What really happened back there, bro?"

Manic's pierced ears drooped. "You were right. I was the one that stole the brick…"

"Did you kill Khan in self-defense back there?" he asked.

There was a long pause before he finally spoke. "Yeah, he was the one who saw me recover the missing brick. He was going to tell everyone, and I panicked."

Mighty frowned in disappointment. "Fuck, man…I told you this was a mistake."

"Are you going to snitch and tell the truth?" Manic questioned.

Mighty shook his head adamantly. "You're my best friend and my brother. Besides, you know what would happen if I did, right?"

He nodded gravely. "I'd be killed for lying and trying to steal from the club…"

"Exactly," Mighty confirmed. "I can't do that to you. You made a mistake."

Manic heaved a sigh of relief. "Thanks, man…"

"And besides," Mighty added. "I never liked Khan anyway."

Manic ran a hand through his bangs. "Heh, you can say that again, dude."

"The guy was fucked up, but it still wasn't right that you killed him," he added.

"I-I know it wasn't, but at that point, it was him or me," Manic argued.

The armadillo shrugged solemnly. "No point in going back and forth now. What's done is done, and you'll have to live with that for the rest of your life."

Manic nodded slowly, absorbing his comment. "I know."

Mighty moved closer to him and sat on the edge of his bed. "If you feel like you're going to cave and relapse, you need help."

"It was just a temporary slip," Manic dismissed quickly. "It won't happen again. I promise."

"Trust me, I know it won't," Mighty added sternly. "You need to come to me when you get that urge again," he reminded. "I'm not letting you fall into this trap again. I'll help you if you get that itch."

Manic nodded slowly. "Fair enough, dude. I promise."

"I knew getting into the drug trade was a bad idea," Mighty sighed. "You were the first to come to mind when this vote came to the table."

Manic's ear perked. "Wait, I was?"

"Yeah, I even mentioned my concerns to Mephiles when the vote was first brought up. I worried it might be too tempting for a recovering drug addict, and I was right."

Manic frowned. "I won't disappoint you again, M. I promise."

Mighty shot him a weak smile. "I sure hope so." The green hedgehog watched as Mighty got up and walked towards his door. He placed his hand on the doorknob. "All right, get some sleep, man. You'll need it."

Manic leaned back into his pillows, getting comfortable. He lifted the covers and placed them over his body. "Right-o. Night dude."

•~•

Later that night, a figure approached the compound. The figure avoided all exterior cameras as they got closer to the house. They walked up the front porch steps and pulled out a piece of paper. Carefully and quietly they taped a typed-up letter and pasted it on the front door. The letter had a very straightforward message to the club.

It read: "We're going to kidnap and kill your doctor bitch. Stay out of our line of business."

The unknown figure quickly exited the front porch before anyone saw them.

•~•

A few hours later, Manic rolled back and forth in bed as he relieved what had taken place prior that night with Khan. He whimpered and shook slightly beneath the sheets as a cold sweat formed on his forehead. "No, no," he mumbled.

"I'll do it, I'll fucking do it," Manic trembled with his outstretched arm.

Khan glared at him in disgust. "You're a coward and a traitor to this club. To think what lengths I went to get your ass out of jail back then."

"They can't know…please, don't make me do this…I don't want to have to kill you."

BANG. Blood exploded from the back of his head and onto the ground. Khan's head craned back as he stood momentarily before collapsing backward, feet away from Manic in the dirt.

Suddenly, Manic shot upright in bed, hyperventilating, and looked around the room. He hadn't realized how heavily this matter weighed on his subconscious. The green hedgehog placed a clammy hand on his forehead as he slowed his breathing. "Shit…" he muttered. It appeared that Mighty was right. He would have to live with this guilt for the rest of his life.

•~•

Downstairs, Ray was up early, at around 5 AM, working on cleaning the kitchen. He was always an early riser and enjoyed the peace in the morning. He heard someone grunting as they made their way downstairs and noticed Manic limping down the stairs, still evidently in pain from his gun injury. "Oh, hey," he said quietly, rushing to assist him. "Let me help you there."

"Thanks, little dude," Manic praised. He placed one arm over his shoulder as Ray helped get him to the kitchen table.

Manic plopped down at the kitchen table, hissing slightly from the pain. "Shit, this sucks…"

Ray walked over to the coffee pot. "I didn't expect to see you up so early. You don't seem like the type to get up early."

"I'm not," Manic confirmed. "I love sleeping but didn't get much of it tonight."

"Because of your injury, I suppose?" Ray surmised as he poured him a cup of coffee.

"Uh, yeah," he lied through his teeth. "I guess you could say that…"

The yellow squirrel placed the coffee down in front of him. "Here you go."

He placed a hand around the handle of the mug. "Thanks, Ray."

"I'll be right back. I'm going to get the newspaper," the young squirrel announced.

Manic stared at his reflection in the coffee as guilt still rode heavily in his mind. He didn't like Khan as a person, but the fact that he had still killed him when he remained innocent really bugged him. There was also the fact that he was very close to relapsing into his addiction. Manic sighed as he tried to move the evil thoughts away.

"Um, Manic..?" Ray asked nervously as he returned.

The green hedgehog turned to see him standing in the kitchen entryway after returning from retrieving the newspaper. "What's up?"

The squirrel hesitantly entered the kitchen with two paper items in his hand: a newspaper and a folded piece of paper. "I found this outside on the front porch." He handed one of them over to Manic, who glanced down at the letter.

After his eyes skimmed the note, Manic looked very serious in expression. "Wake up, Mighty, and tell him to come downstairs. We're going to have to wake up the others as well."

•~•

Upstairs, Shadow and Amy were sound asleep together. However, when a knock at the door occurred, Shadow's left ear twitched, and he raised his head from the pillow. Squinting his eyes at the time, it was nearly five-thirty A.M. Amy's bedroom door cracked open, and Mighty peered inside cautiously, hoping not to intrude. He could see Amy was asleep next to Shadow, so he did not want to disturb her. "Psst," he whispered. "Shad, I need to speak with you," he urged quietly.

Shadow carefully moved out of bed, ensuring he didn't wake her up. Only in his long pajama pants, he placed the covers higher past Amy's shoulders and walked towards Mighty, still waiting outside in the hallway. Shadow made his way out of her room and softly closed the door behind him. He turned to look at the armadillo and noticed Ray was also in the hall beside him. "What's going on?" he asked in a hushed voice while rubbing at one of his eyes.

Mighty looked nervous and kept his hands together. "Ray found something on the front porch this morning, and it's pretty serious," he began.

Shadow looked eager to hear the news as his ears perked. "What is it?"

Mighty reached into his pocket and handed him the folded-up letter to examine. Shadow accepted it, and his red eyes went back and forth as they scanned the letter. Looking grave in expression, Shadow momentarily looked back at Amy's closed bedroom door before making a final decision. He lowered the letter and looked at the two with determination. "Emergency meeting downstairs. Now," he ordered.

AN: Please remember to leave a review. They do mean a lot to me and are greatly appreciated!