Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any of the characters in this story. I only own Scarlet, Iris, and Cecelia Rose, OC's I made to serve as parents for the Rouge, Shadow and Amy respectively. Other made up parents are not named and will only be mentioned in passing.
Title is inspired by lyrics from JoJo's song Note to God.
*Trigger warning: Depictions of body parts, blood, and violence.*
6 So Much Wrong on this Road We're On
A sharp pain in her neck woke her, the edges of her vision fading from a forgotten dream to the dim silver of the supermarket lit by the daylight streaming in from the haphazard spaces in the boarded windows. Excited murmurs made her cover her ears and turn over, but once her ears picked up the faint whispers of G.U.N., she couldn't shut her mind back off. She sat up, her quills sticking to the back of her neck and the chill creeping through her long-sleeve.
"Jeez, you'd think they'd let a girl sleep in…" she grumbled to herself.
Before she could clear the gunk from her eyes, she noticed the absence of her friends. Shadow and Knuckles belongings were gone and the aisle they'd made camp in was empty aside from the hot plate, the pot, and Rouge's blanket. Adrenaline shot through her and she shuffled to get up, but leaned back as she found herself tangled in Rouge's blanket and another fabric draped across her shoulders. As she undid the folds of the blanket, she reached for the weighted fabric that had drifted off her shoulders and recognized the deep navy blue sweater that Shadow wore in the cooler months, his gold embroidered private school emblem catching her eye.
"They really left without me," she muttered miserably.
She squeezed the sweater to her chest and curled into herself. She blocked out the whispers and the click of footsteps and just listened to her breathing. When her limbs started to ache, begging for movement, she sighed and unfold herself, taking a moment to carefully fold Rouge's blanket and stuff it in her pack, the bag bulging as a result. She used her bottled water and a Styrofoam bowl to aid her in brushing her teeth, running her brush through her hair and applying antiperspirant, wishing she could take a real shower. She nearly stuffed Shadow's sweater into her bag, but decided to tie it snuggly around her waist.
After scanning the area for any lingering items she would need, she pressed her back to the shelf and stared at Espio's phone, scrolling through the contacts when she found no new messages. The urge to send Shadow an angry message possessed her, but she let it go, fearful of his blunt, but reasonable response. Finally, she braced herself and got to her feet with her things, making her way out of the aisle with her bow tight to her chest.
As she neared the endless stretch of registers, she found the lingering survivors collecting at the entrance, the low hum of chatter making the pinkette anxious. No one paid her any attention as she neared the edge of the fidgeting mass. A child ran by her feet and she halted, the kid nearly tripping her before jumping into his mother's arms. As the mother melted into the crowd, Amy moved out of the way for two middle-aged skunks that worked to pull along a mouse whose legs seemed to be broken. The cry of a baby sounded and Amy found herself backing away from the crowd, staying close enough to notice any changes in their cadence, but finding herself drawn to the boarded up windows instead.
There's no way G.U.N. is going to get everyone out of here like this. Their trucks alone will bring hoards of infected with all of that noise, I'm sure of it.
Squeezing her bow, she peered through a gap in the boards, searching the area as daylight worked to breach the city. The intersection was littered with the sluggishly moving bodies. Drawing much too close to the glass, Amy held her breath and monitored their movements, cold shooting up her neck as a pair of foggy eyes met hers. Those eyes belonged to a little cat girl, no older than thirteen if Amy had to guess. Amy could feel her heart in her throat as she held the girl's stare, the heat leaving her body as the groans and hisses from beyond the glass seemed to grow, the little girl inching toward the window with a plea in her bloodied throat.
"Mornin', sunshine."
Amy swallowed her fright, and spun around, her fear instantly turning to irritation. Julie-Su waited a few feet behind her, a hand on her hip as she gave Amy a once over. Amy rubbed her arms before crossing them, biting down an icy reply as she took notice of Julie-Su's additions to her uniform. She had a gun attached to her hip now, fixated in a holster connected to a utility belt around her waist. Amy didn't bother to guess what else the pink echidna was carrying as the older girl began to speak.
"I see you're awake and ready to go," Julie-Su said.
"I couldn't exactly sleep with all the commotion," Amy said, nodding her head to the survivors pressing against the entrance.
"My dad got an ETA from G.U.N. They'll be here any minute to get us out of here."
Amy frowned and gave Julie-Su an uncertain look before nodding to the shifting mass of survivors.
"All of this noise is just attracting the infected to the door. Do you really think that's a good idea?" Amy asked.
Julie-Su took a look at the survivors, but turned back to Amy with the same confident smirk she had when she approached the pinkette. She waved off Amy's look and pointed a thumb toward a figure standing steadfast in the middle of everyone.
"With all their weapons and resources, G.U.N. is more than capable of handling a few infected blocking the door. Plus, my dad's got everything under control."
It was then that Amy noticed a scruffy red echidna strapped in a police gear, the uniform ragged and bloody, but his face stern, authoritative, and very much so alive. Julie-Su's father, Luger, ushered people around, grabbing lost children and guiding others along with what Amy guessed were civilian volunteers. The pink hedgehog couldn't help but feel a bit of hope spark in her chest at watching the middle-age echidna and his faithful volunteers round-up the uneasy citizens into manageable groups. She could even make out the volunteers that worked to guard the chained doors, their voices just audible enough for Amy to hear their orders. Even with their valiant efforts, Amy shook her head, unwillingly to ignore her intuition.
"I'm not denying G.U.N.'s ability to blow things up, but all of that noise is bound to attract more infected. That could put all the other survivor's in danger, or at least make it impossible to get everyone out alive," Amy explained.
Julie-Su seemed to absorb her thoughts, her confident demeanor breaking for a fraction of a second, before moving to grab Amy's shoulder enthusiastically.
"Hey, aren't you the bubbly, optimistic one in your group? Where's all that obnoxious cheer and spunk you usually have?" Julie-Su asked with a pointed smirk.
I left it in the park, right where I found one of your best friends sucking face with Sonic.
Amy shrugged off her arm as the sour thought sunk in, her desire to be as far from Julie-Su as possible deepening.
"The world is kind of ending right now and my friends just left me behind. Are you really expecting me to be cheery in the middle of all this?"
"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting a little doom and gloom to snuff out your fire. I'm sure you wouldn't let it stop you if Sonic was involved," Julie-Su chided.
Julie-Su shoved her shoulder playfully before heading toward the other civilians. Amy was hot on her heels.
"A little? The city just got commandeered by a loony scientist from Earth. What about that is little to you?" Amy grumbled lowly as she followed.
Julie-Su stopped near a register, crossing her arms and nodding to a few grateful civilians as they shuffled into line. When Amy caught up to her, Julie-Su was speaking with a volunteer who went about his duties the moment Amy was in earshot. Julie-Su kept up her conversation with Amy nonchalantly as she continued to move through the people.
"Hey, it's nothing G.U.N. can't handle. Besides, this whole mess has given me the opportunity to prove my worth to the higher ups at G.U.N. Coming out of a crisis as a hero is one hell of a way to get yourself recruited," Julie said.
Amy cooled a bit as she eyed the girl, wondering what she was getting at.
"I didn't realize you were so pro-G.U.N." Amy muttered.
"I'm tryin' to join them after graduation, hopefully get out of this city and see some things. It's not a bad career path. I know Shadow has the same idea."
Shadow's mention made Amy grow quiet, making her fall into her thoughts. Julie-Su kept her spirits high even as a sickly looking elderly woman neared her, asking her to help her with something. Julie pulled out medication from her utility belt and handed it to the old polar bear, placing a hand on the elder's back as she took the pill with a cough. Julie-Su sent her on her way and Amy followed the pink echidna, her interest piqued at the girl's actions.
"You seem to know everyone around here," Amy noted.
"Kinda hard not to when your dad is a cop. Not just any cop, but the cop. There's always someone at my door asking for help, and I've found it pretty hard to turn anyone away."
Amy still kept her arms crossed as she followed the girl to the other end of the supermarket, but her guard started to fall. Julie-Su's consideration for the people around her made her heart warm a bit, and the sharp pang she could only recognize as guilty shot through her. They stopped on the outer edge of the group of civilians near aisle 11, where the remnants of the survivors seemed to be trailing from.
"Looks like that's almost everyone. Stay here. I'm going to grab my things from the break room," Julie-Su said before hurrying off.
Leaning against the shelf, Amy fiddled with her bow, her unease returning as the murmur of the civilians started to rise, the screech of squealing brakes followed by a hiss sounding from beyond the supermarket doors. The civilians were urged to back away from the doors and several volunteers worked to pull the boards down. Each strike to the wood made Amy cringe and the shadows of what she presumed were G.U.N. soldiers darkened the windows as shots and gunshots erupted beyond. All the commotion was followed by the hiss and cries of the infected from outside, making Amy swallow and back into the aisle, her mind wondering if the back door was still chained and locked. She looked behind her, wanting to flee.
I wonder if I can go out the way we came in? I bet Shadow and Knuckles went out the same side door when they got up at the ass-crack of dawn to abandon me. Maybe I can catch up to them if I leave now.
Inching away from the action at the front, she looked behind her in search of a door. Hoping they hadn't gone too far, she started to head to the back, when Shadow's words from the night before made her freeze.
I'd only get in their way. I should just… go with everyone else.
Walking back down the aisle with a heavy heart, she breached the end of the aisle just as the doors creaked open and G.U.N. soldiers started shouting orders. Amy breathed a deep sigh, her heart thudding as she started to follow the crowd as they began to empty the store. Elbows and shoulders shoved her this way and that as she tried to meld into everyone else, her efforts to find her place discouraging her. Before she could melt entirely into the group, a hand stopped her, her miserable eyes finding Julie-Su tugging her back.
"Where do you think you're going?" Julie-Su asked.
Amy blinked and furrowed her brow.
"Um, G.U.N. is here. I thought…?" Amy started.
Julie-Su looked conflicted in that moment, her eyes falling to the G.U.N. unit that made everyone fall into line, then coming back to the shaken pink hedgehog.
"You know, my dad's team could use an extra hand. That is if you can make good use of that bow of yours?" Julie-Su said with a lift of her brow.
Amy looked at her recurve and frowned, not sure how to respond before Julie shook her gently.
"Hey, you've made it this far unscathed. That means you have some sense of self-preservation that's kept you alive thus far. That or some insane luck. Whatever it is, we could use some of that."
"I don't know why you'd want me helping civilians knowing Shadow and Knuckles left me behind so you could babysit me," Amy said.
"Hey, I know that irritating passion of yours probably translates real well to the weapon in your hand. I think it'd be pretty awesome to see it in action. Plus, I made a promise to Shadow that you'd stick with me. If I let you out of my sight for too long, I can only assume you'd head out to follow after them. And we don't want that."
Amy hung her head low, Julie's observation stinging. Julie-Su bit her lip, thinking she'd gone too far. She punched the girl's shoulder, only giving Amy a moment to recover as the pink echidna threw her hands to her hips and walked off.
"Ow. What was that for?" Amy asked.
"Just an initiation punch. Welcome to the team, girlie. We board after everyone else. Let's check for stragglers in the meantime."
Amy rubbed her shoulder and followed Julie-Su's movements, helping a few stragglers along and looking back into the aisles for anyone that may have been left behind. The supermarket began to quiet, the voices of the G.U.N. soldiers at the front turning into a lull as Amy followed Julie-Su's path.
"Do you.. think they're okay?" Amy asked, her thoughts on Knuckle's injured hand.
Julie-Su kept her eyes forward as they moved, but scoffed lightly.
"Knuckles is the toughest mother-fucker I know. Stubborn and a total meathead, but a headstrong and relentless one at that. If I learned anything from sparring with him is that he can take a punch and keep it coming. Whatever he and Shadow are after, I'm sure they'll find it, even in the midst of this nightmare."
I guess neither Shadow or Knuckles told her that we were in the middle of looking for Rouge before we got here. The less people who know, the less people to stop them I suppose.
With the supermarket successfully emptied, Luger waved to Julie-Su and Amy from the door, urging them out. Julie-Su looked at Amy and nodded to the outside world expectantly. Amy swallowed.
"Ready?" Julie-Su asked.
Amy nodded and the two found themselves with a crew of seven other volunteers following Luger out the door. Amy shielded her eyes and was struck by the sight when she cleared the doors of the supermarket. Large military buses smothered the wet street, lines of survivors trailing into the back doors of the large transports as soldiers helped them in quickly. Amy's ear twitched to the sound of groans in the distance and she found several soldiers with tall shields making a perimeter around their evacuation efforts, keeping the infected away.
"This is…" Amy said as her thoughts caught in her throat.
"Amazing isn't it?" Julie-Su said.
Amy didn't nod in agreement or say anything else, simply observed the orderly way G.U.N. handled their evacuation. It was quite the opposite to what she heard over the phone when Cream had called her, which made her think the rabbit had the misfortune of getting inexperienced soldiers to come to her and her mother's rescue. That thought prompted a hope in her, one that urged her to get on a bus and see what the safehouse had to offer.
"Julie… what are you planning to do when you get to the safehouse?" Amy asked shyly.
"What, you tryin' to follow me around like a little lost duckling once we get there?"
The uncomfortable blush that lit Amy's muzzle made her tighten her lips.
"No. I just… I'm hoping to find the rest of my friends when I get there. I figured you had plans to do the same, that's all."
Julie-Su sobered at the mention of friends, and Amy lifted a brow at her change in demeanor.
"Did I say something wrong?" Amy asked.
"No, it's just… my mom, my aunt, and my uncle… I hope I find them there too. And my friends. More so than my half-sister and brother, that's for sure."
Amy softened at the vulnerability seeping from the older girl. Then, she could hear Knuckles in her head, reminding her that Julie was "good people". With Knuckle's comment on her mind, Amy nudged Julie with her elbow catching the pink echidna off guard. Julie muttered a curse and tried to jab Amy back, but the hedgehog dodged with a trot forward. Amy looked back at her, holding her bow behind her back.
"Well, then we'll look for our friends together when we get there. That is, if you can make it there without crying about 'em," Amy said with a smirk.
Julie chuckled.
"There's that spunk I was looking for."
Julie-Su caught up to her as the volunteers started to board one of the last buses, the engines around them making it hard to converse. Still, Amy listened to Julie-Su as best she could, the pink echidna going on about her friends.
"I bet Bunnie and Mina are waiting for me there. Maybe Sally too if her dad didn't snatch her up and take her to some underground bunker the moment he heard a siren," Julie-Su said.
Amy stopped dead in her tracks and tugged on a quill. Julie-Su noticed her apprehension and halted too.
"About Bunnie…" Amy started.
Julie-Su waited, watching the little pink hedgehog for so long that she almost snapped at the girl to spit it out. The people around them shuffled to the buses, the remnants of the survivors shuffling to find a line that was moving as some of the buses started to drive off. Julie-Su squinted her eyes at Amy in suspicion as remorse smothered the pinkette.
"She didn't make it," Amy finally said.
The G.U.N. soldiers' commands sounded around the two girls, the fading footfalls and conversations encasing them as they faced each other.
"What do you mean?" Julie-Su whispered in disbelief.
"I… I was at the diner when the rain fell. Bunnie was on shift… something was wrong with the cook, and I didn't know it was the infection. She didn't either. The cook bit her grandfather and she told me to leave. I-I didn't know how to help her, so I ran and called the police, but I don't t-think the police made it in time. I'm sorry."
"No.. you're joking. She couldn't have…" Julie-Su muttered.
Amy moved to comfort the shocked girl in any way she could, reaching for her.
"I just thought you should know. I'm so sorry."
Before her hand could graze Julie-Su's arm, a man's cry rang out, startling the two girls and drawing the attention of the last fifty or so survivors still boarding. Amy's attention was pulled this way and that as she looked for the source of the agony, but stopped when she found three bird Mobians leaping over the wall of G.U.N. soldiers and latching onto them, clearly infected. The adrenaline that soared to Amy's chest was paralyzing as she watched the soldier's work to take them out, their shields shifting as they broke formation and the infected started to breach their blockade.
Are you serious?! They can still fly while infected?
Chaos erupted in the intersection as the screams and shouts to hurry brought Amy out of her shock, her eyes finding Julie-Su as the militant echidna started forward in a rage. A few of the armed volunteers followed after the pink echidna and Amy felt compelled to follow, but the pinkette's feet were glued to her spot. Some of the survivors fell out of line and scattered, trying to get away.
"Damn it all!" Julie-Su shouted.
Julie-Su headed straight for the mob that breached and pulled out her gun, her first shot clean through the head of an infected that clammere to the ground.
"Keep them back!"
Luger's rushed past Amy, his arms swinging strongly in the air as he ordered his team. Rather than pull out his own weapon and shoot, he hung back and pushed the screaming people forward, keeping them in line. Luger found Amy frozen and called for her.
"What are you standing there for? Get moving!" Luger shouted.
Amy jerked her head toward Luger who pointed at a half-full bus, but as Amy started to head for it, a cry rang out. Amy turned back to where Julie-Su had fled to find the infected already reaching the civilians, G.U.N.'s forces struggling to keep them at bay. Soldier's flailed and screamed in agony as their blood splattered against the asphalt. Amy felt bile crawl up her throat as a soldier was disemboweled by a group of infected right in front of her, the soldiers around them crying out in horror before getting overtaken themselves.
"Oh, god, get it off me!"
"Fall back, fall -ugh!"
"Grab your shields and get back in–"
At the center of the chaos, a screaming mother fell to the ground, hunched over her young child as she tried to protect him. Julie-Su was headed for them, but a swarm of fleeing G.U.N. soldiers got in her way, along with a wave of infected that the pink echidna worked to shoot through. Amy's blood surged, and without thinking, she sprang forward, her heart in her ears as she focussed on the mother's pleas and the child's screams as gunfire and blood flew around them.
No! No more! I can't watch anyone else die like this!
Amy pushed through the civilians that shoved past her in a frenzy, making her way around the chaos and using a disabled car for cover. Stopping to take a stance and knock an arrow, she aimed for the infected that towered over the screaming mother. Though her hands shook, she held her breath and took the shot. Her arrow pierced the creature's shoulder as it released a bloodcurdling squeal that made the child's sobs worsen as he convulsed wildly under his shuddering mother. Amy hurriedly took another shot, missing the infected entirely and narrowly grazing a volunteer.
Crap!
She climbed over the hood of the car to avoid an infected, suppressing a scream as it snagged her sleeve. All Amy saw was the child, the mother, and the looming infected man above them. Reaching for the jacket at her waist, she ripped it off and shoved it in the infected's face, shoving the monster to the ground where it wiggled and gnawed at the sweater as it tried to get up. Amy was already on her feet, pulling the mother to get up.
"C-come on!" Amy shouted.
The mother nodded to the crazed girl, bundling her flailing child into her arms and heading for the nearest bus. Amy led them through the maze of bloodied soldiers and cries of agony, only for a flying infected to soar overhead, its eyes finding them and preparing to latch onto them. Amy tried to back up, shoving the mother to the ground to avoid the creature, only for a gunshot to ring overhead, shooting the creature out of the sky. Amy followed the direction of the shot while blinking the blood splatter from her eyes and found a spot of pink among the frey.
Julie-Su!
Amy grabbed the child and pulled the mother to her feet once more and they continued their escape. Once they passed the wall of defense created by Julie-Su and her volunteers, Amy passed the child to its mother, who thanked her and made a beeline for Luger. Amy gripped her bow as she watched them head for safety, her heart in her ears, but relief cooling her. Julie-Su backed into her as the older girl took another shot, and Amy found herself noticing the infected pressing against their flanks. She reached for an arrow, her aim moving between the various targets as her breathing picked up. She was in the thick of it.
"That woman owes you her life!" Julie-Su shouted.
"And I owe you m-mine!" Amy shouted with a stutter, the adrenaline making her feel sick.
"You gonna use that thing?" Julie-Su asked between reloads.
Amy kept switching her aim, unable to steady her quivering arms as she tried to catch her breath.
"I- I don't know," Amy said.
"Then give it to someone who can and get outta here!"
Amy almost did as she was told, but another yelp made both girls search for the culprit, their eyes falling on an echidna, pinned to the ground by an infected. The man used his gun to keep the creature at bay, its teeth snapping wickedly at him, but his arms shook and he looked ready to give in.
"Help!"
"Aaron!'' Julie cried.
Julie-Su grit her teeth and darted for her fallen comrade, but a G.U.N. truck that was already in motion blocked her path, screeching to a stop to avoid hitting the pink echidna. She tried to go around the careening truck, but two volunteers reached for her, pulling her back to the buses.
"No!" Julie cried.
"Julie, we have to go!"
Things seemed to slow in front of Amy, the volunteers pulling Julie-Su away and the truck fishtailing and slamming into the side of the supermarket. The soldier in the driver seat jumped out and fled, all the while Luger headed for Julie-Su. The cries of the downed volunteer still found Amy's ears, and after throwing her bow to the ground, she relaxed her shoulders and started into a practiced run, preparing herself to jump. As she passed Julie-Su and the others, she leapt forward, feeling nothing but air on her back as she used the hood of the truck to facilitate her rotation, both hands simply pushing off the metal for a brief moment during her aerial.
"No, stop!"
Amy barely registered Julie-Su's cry as her boots hit the ground and she slipped, but kept running for the struggling echidna. She kept her stance low, grabbing a discarded G.U.N. shield and struggling to lift it. She brought it in front of her and plowed ahead with a shout.
"Get down!" Amy cried.
"Reee!"
The sound of clattering metal and thudding bodies reverberated around the echidna in need. When he opened his eyes, he found the infected assailant on the ground and a pink hedgehog getting to her shaking feet beside him, her frightened eyes finding him as she gripped her bleeding shoulder.
"Go! I'll keep them off of you!" Amy shouted.
The echidna was stun-locked, but Amy reached for the shield, and brought it over the two of them as the undead aggressor from before came for them, blood and hot saliva splattering on their faces as it tried to climb over the shield. Amy struggled to keep it at bay, but a single shot rang out and the weight on the shield disappeared. Amy and the echidna, Aaron, looked up to find Julie-Su had thrown herself over the hood of the disabled truck, gun aimed toward them.
Thanks, Julie.
"Can you stand?" Amy asked him.
"B-barely! My ankle is..!"
With a cry, Aaron tried to stand with Amy's help. He was on his feet, but his knees were buckling as he tried to lean forward to flee. Amy saw this, but her fur stood on end as the undead started to surround them. They couldn't afford to stay still.
"Do your best to get out of here! I'll give you some cover!" Amy said.
Before Aaron could nod, Amy dragged the shield away from him, creating a wide, protective arc to create a path for him. She used her fist to bang on the shield and create enough noise to attract the infected and give the echidna a chance to escape. Aaron, in awe of her actions, used the nearby fire hydrant to lift himself up with a cry of agony. He limped along, gripping his injured leg as he forced himself to move, the hands of the infected inches from clawing at him. He focussed on Julie-Su and Luger in the distance and refused to stop.
Amy's legs were on fire as she continued to bang on the abused G.U.N. shield. At one point she slowed, feeling the infected collect and almost over take her. But the moment she used what little strength she had to keep them back, a gunshot rang overhead and the weight disappeared. All Amy could do was lift the shield and keep going, silently thanking Julie-Su as she watched Aaron limp his way to safety.
Finally, as Amy found herself in the center of the hoard, she looked back and found Luger and several volunteers, grab the limping man and lug him over to a bus. Relief washed over the little hedgehog and couldn't help the smile that curled on her muzzle at seeing them get away unharmed.
Thank chaos.
"Get out of there!"
Julie-Su's order brought her out of her reverie just a moment before the shield began to fall over her. Amy rolled away and clambered to her feet as several screeching infected piled over the shield. Her eyes stayed on Julie-Su as the older girl dismounted from the truck hood and waved her over frantically. Just as Amy was twenty feet from the pink echidna, she noticed the older girl's eyes widened just a touch and she raised her gun to shoot.
"Amy, lookout!"
She does remember my name.
A small smile lifted Amy's stressed features just as Luger approached Julie-Su, the echidna ripping his daughter's gun from her hands and lifting her over his shoulder. Amy's face fell as she watched Julie-Su kick and scream in her father's hold, only pulling away from the heartbreaking sight as a slimy, feverish hand grabbed her leg, bringing her down to slap against the wet asphalt.
"No! Dad, let me go!"
"You can't save her, Jules! We need to go!"
Amy struggled in the infected's grip, screaming as its filthy nails dug into her, the snap of its teeth at her ear. She grit her teeth and managed to turn onto her back, shielding her face with her arms as tears blurred her vision.
"No! Let go of me!" Amy sobbed.
One well placed kick to the jaw and she was free, scrambling to her feet once more. Yet, as she headed for Julie-Su's voice, she found a wall of infected closing in, Julie and the rest on the other side as the last of the G.U.N. transports drove off.
"Julie!" Amy cried in desperation.
Amy searched for an escape route, but her panic began to paralyze her. The infected were closing in, her bow was somewhere in the fray and the shield was no longer in her line of sight. Her knife was deep in her bag and she wouldn't dare risk a bite getting close enough to use an arrow on the monsters directly. Backing up, she desperately looked for the pink of Julie-su, waiting for the sound of her gun, but all she could hear were the sounds of her struggles.
"Dad, don't do this!"
"I'm sorry, Julie."
Between the grimy bodies of the infected, she saw the red and blue lights of a police car pull up, Luger throwing Julie-Su inside before following her. The shuddering bodies of the undead blocked them from Amy's sight again, but the pinkette couldn't mistake the sound of slamming doors and screeching tires as they escaped. Amy almost let her hyperventilation overtake her as tears soaked her muzzle, but a rage took over where fear had seized her.
No, no, NO!
She started to back away as the infected closed in on her. Abruptly, she dodged one that leapt for her and ducked as a flying infected screeched overhead. She darted for the open door of the disabled truck and climbed in, slamming the door behind her. The wet slapping of bodies against her door made her fumble with the key as she turned it, begging the truck to start. But each time she tried the key, the engine failed to turnover, making her slam her fists against the steering wheel.
"Dammit!"
All sides of the truck were quickly lined with hungry infected, drawn to her transport by all the noise. As the truck rocked and Amy felt the urge to vomit, she gave up on the truck and pulled out the little green smartphone. She bid her hands to stop shaking, clicking on Shadow's contact and dialing his number. When she got his voicemail, she didn't bother leaving one and moved to sending him a desperate text, typing the first three letters of the word "help" before the sickening crunch of a car crash made her still. Peering through the large windshield, she searched the street for the accident, but only found a smokestack in the direction Julie and the rest had fled.
"Julie! No," she sobbed as she covered her mouth.
The groans and screeches of the infected started to fade as they were drawn to the crash, but right as the promise of silence fell on the shuddering pink teen, a slam on the metal behind her seat made her scream and drop her phone. More banging followed and before Amy could consider what type of infected monster waited in the cargo hold behind her, she jumped out of the truck.
Most of the infected had already cleared the area around the door, heading for the crash in the distance. So Amy started for the nearest alleyway, her mind telling her to hide. But she found herself blocked by three stragglers that hissed as she approached and she turned tail, covering her startled cry and running for the truck again. Her movements made a few infected turn from their path and reach for her. Cornered, she looked around for an escape route and when she found none, she crawled under the truck, her bulging bag scraping against the underbelly of the transport. Infected reached for her, but she found the middle of the truck, praying they couldn't grab her.
I'm going to die here.
Her mind swam as heat soared to her head. As she curled into a fetal position on her side, she realized she was wet. As her adrenaline wore off, she realized there were several places that were tender, raw and clawed open, likely bleeding. She felt herself go in and out of consciousness, each blink of her eyes taking her to another place, a different time, the groans and the hisses filling her ears, the truck shuddering above her.
Someone, please…
When she opened her eyes again, she was on her back. There were two infected still lingering around her truck, made known by their languid pair of shuffling feet at her eye level. She blinked and her head swam again, and she picked up the clinking of metal skittering across the street. Both pairs of feet moved away with a gravelly moan, drawn away by the sound, and in her delirium, Amy noticed a set of dark shoes move across her line of sight. She squinted as she tried to clear her head, and on further inspection, found dark quills and realized the figure was crouched low to the ground, lifting a dark blue sweater to inspect it.
"Shit."
A pair of green sneakers followed the dark ones, moving about hurriedly.
"Fuck, this looks like a warzone. Where could she have gone?"
Amy didn't wait for them to find her. Shifting to her hands and knees, her head pounding, she scraped herself from underneath the truck and made a beeline for her friends. An infected screeched for her, but she didn't look back, her eyes deadset on the dark hedgehog in front of her. She tried to quell her whimpers as they noticed her, Knuckles calling her name when he saw her and Shadow moving to stand. The dark hedgehog's eyes fell on her and Amy could see the panic in them as he reached for his pistol. Two shots flew beside her, and as Amy made no move to stop, Shadow lowered his gun, shocked as the pink teen slammed into his chest.
"Raa!"
Knuckles slammed his good fist into the infected behind her, moving away from the hedgehogs as he gripped his crowbar and went to town on the lingering threats. Shadow held still, looking around a moment before looking down at the whimpering pinkette clutching his shirt desperately, her tears already staining it. He swallowed, hoping she wouldn't look up and see the clear remorse on his face. Hesitantly, he brought his arms around her shuddering form, pressing her face gingerly to his chest as she wept.
All she could hear in that moment and all she expected to remember was the two words Shadow muttered in her ear, his voice cracking just a touch.
"I'm sorry."
~aAa~
"Dammit! First, Rouge and now this? Fuck, it almost makes me wish I hadn't woken up!"
"Calm down, Knuckles."
Damp and worn, Amy pressed her back to the wall of the small hallway, listening to the older boys as their conversation echoed from the kitchen. She was grateful they decided to take a breather, finding a small abandoned home not a quarter-mile from the supermarket to take refuge in for the moment. She was too numb to remember their conversation during their travels, but she recalled Shadow pulling her along as they fled the supermarket intersection, the ebony hedgehog telling Knuckles they needed to find shelter for her sake. Though grateful, she couldn't help but feel like a burden, especially after she spent an hour in the shower, hoping the scorching water would bring her to life, while Shadow and Knuckles waited for her, still covered in blood and grime.
"I can't. I just… this wasn't supposed to happen. G.U.N. was supposed to protect them. Amy is supposed to be tucked away in a safe house right now and Jules… fuck!"
Amy jumped and covered her mouth as something metal crunched, likely under Knuckles fist. She suspected he'd punched the fridge, given she could still hear the hum of the washer and dryer. As the adrenaline wore off and her heart rate lowered, she thought to stop her eavesdropping and go back to the bathroom, but she found herself glued to her spot as Shadow spoke up.
"Hey, hey. You need to keep it together or we're never going to get out of here alive, or find Rouge for that matter."
"Well, we're not going anywhere with Amy the way she is. I wasn't even there to see what chaos went down in front of the store, but I know damn well it wasn't pretty. I'm surprised you managed to drag her this far without her completely shutting down."
Silence permeated the home, only broken a few heartbeats later with the chime of the washer completing its cycle. The dryer followed. An audible sigh caught Amy's ear, one that was distinctly Shadow.
"Cut her some slack, Knuckles. She's made it this far, partially on her own. She's doing what she can."
"Oh, so now you want her around? After the stunt you pulled last night with Julie to get her off our backs?" Knuckles said.
Something hard hit the counter, a low thud that shook the pinkette and made her heartrate soar.
"Listen! I want her out of harm's way just as much as you do, but the last thing I want is for something to happen to her!"
The house was encased in a tense silence again, and Amy held her breath.
"I promised she wouldn't get left behind… that's all I could give to her…. And look what happened?"
Amy's breath hitched.
"Sorry, Shadow, I didn't mean to -"
"I'm going to go check on her. Be ready to leave in ten."
A small panic made her grip the towel around her, reminding her that the white covering was all she had. She stood from her squat and hugged the wall as she scooted back into the humid bathroom. She closed the door as softly as she could manage and as she tip-toed back into the tub and sat on the edge, a gentle knock hit the door.
"Amelia? I have your clothes."
"Come in," she said, clearing her throat.
The door creaked at his entrance and Shadow's ruby eye was all she could see from her peripheral. Amy chuckled inwardly at his hesitance, wondering how Rouge could be his best friend, and yet he was still so shy and awkward around girls at his age. The door opened a bit more and Amy, with her back to him as she hugged her toweled body, turned a bit more and regarded him with a cautious smile. He didn't look her in the eye at first, but when he did, a small flush lit his cheeks.
"Would you like me to leave these on the counter?"
"Yes, I would appreciate that."
Shadow came through the door and left her folded clothes on the counter, coupled with his washed sweater. He turned to leave, but stopped. Amy couldn't see the emotion on his face, but his quills bristled, but just briefly.
"Do you think… you can make it for a little while longer?" Shadow asked.
Amy looked at the edge of the tub, not sure whether to tell the truth or stay strong for them. She turned her back to him entirely as she curled into herself, taking a few deep breaths.
"I think I can keep going. I promise not to slow you down," she finally said.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing just fine. We'll leave when you're ready."
Shadow started to shuffle, but Amy spoke again, not sure if he was still in the room.
"Thank you for coming back for me."
Shadow didn't move, then Amy heard him secure the door for a second.
"Amelia, there's nothing that could keep me from coming to you if your life is in danger. I've done it before and I'd do it again."
Amy stiffened and turned to find Shadow with his back to her, the intensity in his words making her stomach drop though she couldn't see his face.
"Shadow… when did you…?" she started.
"Sorry, that was…," Shadow stuttered.
Shadow clicked the door open and saw himself out, but not before leaving her with one last thought.
"Knuckles and I are ready to go when you are."
The pinkette stared after his form, her heart fluttering as the door closed behind him.
What.. what was that?
~aAa~
A/N: Soooo, I overdid it again(the Julie-Su section was only supposed to be 3k and I ended up doubling it. No regrets, though; it was a cool action scene with a lot of emotional weight to it). I'm adjusting again since this chapter would be way too long otherwise. Everything else that was supposed to be in this chapter will be in the next except for one tiny detail… the dead body Amy was supposed to find. I realized at 6k words into this chapter that I put Amy through a lot here and finding an important dead body was just too much to add right now. Like, enough to immobilize the girl and make her lose it (which we are building to, but I digress). So, I'm moving this particular reveal to chapter 8ish, after we catch up with Silver and whoever else is alive and at Sonic's place. I'm already deep into writing that chapter and the drama is *chef's kiss*. I'm having waayyy too much fun writing it. Let's see what happened to Silver next… and others. Hehe.
Here's the rough outline for the next few chapters again, updated with the recent changes (I also added a thing or two I want to happen sooner).
Chapter 7: Killing shot/ Message from Silver/To Sonic's house(drama ensues)
Chapter 8: Leave to find the others/Shadow remembers/Find a dead body/ Shadow and Amy are taken
Chapter 9: Trapped in a safehouse/Tails, truth of the note, and the emerald/Escape
Chapter 10: Truth of Twinkle Park/Moment in the park/Rouge's rescue
Chapter 11: A moment to mourn/Blaze, Cream, and the will to fight/Emerald 2
Chapter 12: Everyone together again/Race to the Acorn Estate/Robotnik closes in
(No obvious deaths in this chapter. I won't cross them off unless it's clear.)
In private school
Our Cast
Amy 16 (Junior)
*Shadow 18 (Senior)
Sonic 18 (Senior)
Sonia 18 (Senior)
Manic 18 (Senior)
Sally 18 (Senior)
Rouge 18 (Senior)
Knuckles 19 (Senior/held back a year)
Cream 11 (Sixth grade)
Tails 13 (Freshman/skipped two grades)
Silver 17 (Junior)
*Blaze 17 (Junior)
*Mighty18 (Senior)
*Espio18 (Senior)
*Charmy11 (Sixth grade)
Vector (Mighty, Espio, and Charmy's adoptive dad/more like a brother)26
Vanilla (Cream's mother) 30
Aleena (Sonic, Sonia, and Manic's mother) 40
Iris (Shadow's aunt/OC) 40
Cecelia Rose (Amy's mother/OC) 35
Scarlet (Rouge's mother/OC) 35
Elias (Sally's brother) 23
Bunnie 20 (Graduated/Sally's close friend)
Mina 18 (Senior)
Julie-Su 17 (Junior)