Chapter Seven: Angel's Arrest
Everyone returned to Knuckles' apartment, the brick walls still filled with bullet holes after a shooter emptied an SMG mag through the side window. Knuckles stayed on his balcony and isolated himself from the group after failing to save both AJ and Dogg from Angel.
Mighty, Julie, Amy and Vector sat in the living room, listening to an old radio to pass the time.
Julie grabbed her coat. "I'm going to do some surveillance. I'll call if I find something."
The pink echidna left the apartment and Vector opened the fridge. "You think he's got any soda in here?"
"V, this is serious." Amy said. "It's like no matter what we do, this guy knows what's gonna happen..."
M stood up. "You're not wrong, Amy. I need to take a walk to clear my thoughts."
Mighty walked out the door next, leaving Amy, Vector and Knuckles.
"Where'd Espio go?"
"He goes off on these spiritual walks from time to time, that's probably what he's doing now." Vector answered.
Amy sighed. Well, what else could go wrong?"
Within five days, Angel and Maggie Bloodmoon had taken out their competition and effectively become the strongest gang in Metropolis. Whoever didn't pay the Alliance or disrespected Maggie got Enerjak sent to their front door. So far, he dispatched the heaviest hitters from each of the three rival gangs in town and scores of police officers.
By weeks' end, Angel was named the Warlord of his own crew. He called them Angel's Flock. With the Flock and Enerjak working for him, he'd acquired both wealth and status, and settled into a penthouse suit once owned by feared mobsters before his time.
But he was to give Maggie a sizeable percentage of that wealth as part of the arrangement, a price he's learned to live with.
Now that the gangs had been put in their place, Angel went to work with a few police officers who he could sway with a fat stack of cash. It was time to become partners with Chief inspector Krause and Deputy Chief Flynn.
Julie sat next to Amy inside Knuckles' apartment, both watching a computer monitor closely.
"Alright guys, Angel's arriving to the meet."Julie said.
"Be careful, he's got some body guards. Infrared scanners are detecting heat coming from inside their jackets." Amy pointed out. "They're armed and have recently shot their weapons."
Mighty the Armadillo was hidden in the shadows "Copy. We're going in and bringing the hammer down."
He looked through a crack in a doorway to see Flynn and Krause waiting for Angel.
"Those are the superiors who tried to shoot me in the head!... Man, this is gonna be fun busting them."
Julie watched the screen closely. "Here's are guy. Get ready to move."
Angel entered the old auto body shop and shook both officers' hands. His underlings put two suitcases on a table and opened them up, revealing thousands of dollars. The corrupt cops laughed with Angel and took their bribes without issue.
Knuckles kicked the doors open and made a B-line for Angel.
"Nobody move!" Vector shouted as he aimed his pistol at the group.
Espio backed him up with a combat shotgun and Mighty entered last, aiming at his superiors with two pit vipers pointed directly at their heads.
"What is this, a citizens arrest?!" Flynn shouted.
"You're not a cop anymore, M! I had you erased!" Krause yelled.
M pistol whipped the corrupt cops and slapped handcuffs on them.
"Yeah, lets see how well that stands in court, fruit cake."
Vector and Espio arrested several members of Angel's Flock, while Knuckles threw their leader against the wall.
"What? You mad? Wanna open me up, go right ahead! Do it and you won't ever see your girlfriend ever again."
Julie watched the monitor to see how Knuckles reacted.
"Yeah, I know she's alive. I know she's in your apartment watching us from a god damn computer monitor! I knew she's been watching me all week, I just wanted to see when you'd grow a pair of balls and make a move."
Angel looked up at the corner of the room and acknowledged a hidden camera with a sarcastic smile.
"So this is how it goes, redneck: you get your big sweaty hands off my $1000 suit or our dear friend AJ will go in there and rip her head off her body."
Knuckles released the crimson hedgehog reluctantly and punched the wall beside his head.
"Wow, you're very intimidating when you're angry, Jonathan." Angel mocked.
Knuckles left the auto body shop and disappeared before more units arrived. Angel yawned and made his way toward the door when M pointed his gun at him.
Angel turned to face him. "Yeah, no. This isn't happening tonight. I've got a penthouse suite to get back to so if you don't mind-"
M pistol whipped Angel across the face, drawing blood from his cheek instantly. He fell to the floor and M slapped a pair of handcuffs on him.
"Yeah, I think this is happening, you goth freak. I owe a friend of mine at least this much."
"This'll never stick, you know! I'm high society now, you're just a reject cop cunt! Ohh, this is gonna be fun, you stupid pig!"
"Yeah, yeah keep talking. Jury's gonna love this bit."
Within seconds, the whole block was covered with police cruisers and SUV's. When it was discovered M found the moles inside Metro PD, he was praised as a hero. Any past blemish on his record was erased and the department reinstated him as an officer.
M gleefully took all the credit for finding Angel and crippling his gang, while Knuckles and his friends watched from the sidelines. M was even promoted to Detective by the end of the week.
Today, Angel sat in a jail cell with his lawyer and a visitor from The Flock. They made sure to mask their conversation with plenty of double-meaning phrases and code words designed to confuse anyone not familiar with the lingo.
"Yeah, food ain't bad in here, somebody must've complained about it before. Just like that hothead (detective) in King's office. (Captain Queen's department) But that's old news." Angel scoffed.
"Whatchu want for dinner when you get out? (What do you want to be done?) There's plenty of good shit to eat nowadays."
"Ah, I've always liked pulled pork (kill that cop) but lately I've been craving chicken wings, the more the better (and his friends) Eh, what else is happening?"
"Not much. Ever since we graduated, none of our classmates wanna hangout, it's weird. (Bloodmoon's keeping her distance, I don't like it)"
"Hm. I wonder what's up with them. (I'll look into it) Anyways, I better get going. I can't wait for that pulled pork. Just make sure it's the right sauce, wouldn't wanna have to complain to the chef (send AJ, don't fuck up)"
"It was good seeing ya, bro. That meal will be perfect when you get out (no worries, it'll be done)"
Later that same night, M went out for a walk through Ox Park and listened to music on his phone. He was oblivious to Enerjak lurking in the shadows close by, watching the detective hastily.
The Armadillo walked deeper into the park and the teenage echidna struck. He sliced M's forearm with a razor and kicked out his legs, dropping him on his back.
"The hell is this?!" He called out while crawling backward.
Enerjak plunged the knife into M's collarbone and he screamed out in pain. He was able to get away from his attacker, pull the knife out and open voice command on his phone.
"Call Knuckles!" M shouted into the phone.
-Calling Knuckles-
The echidna was sitting in his apartment drinking a beer when his phone vibrated. He checked the caller ID before answering.
What does that cop want, now? Knuckles thought.
He picked up. "Yeah, what?"
"AJ is trying to kill me!"
"Shit, where are you?"
"Ox Park! Hurry up!"
Knuckles hung up, jumped off his balcony and started running towards the downtown park. He raced through the streets, cut through traffic and pushed past other civilians on the sidewalk. He reached the park but was out of breath by the time he arrived. He heard M screaming out but couldn't see anyone. He listened closely and followed the sound as it got louder the deeper he went into the park.
Finally he spotted Enerjak beating M mercilessly in a grass field, so he moved in.
"AJ, stop!"
He shoulder-blocked the monstrous echidna to knock him away from the downed armadillo. Enerjak turned his attention to Knuckles and started throwing powerful punches in his direction. Knuckles dodged the first few but wasn't fast enough to avoid the wild strikes that came next. He put his hands up to block so Enerjak kicked him in the legs. Knuckles saw a sweep-kick coming so he hopped over the attack and bootee the teenager in the face. Enerjak fell back, blood trickled down his face and he shouted angrily.
"I don't wanna hurt you, but I need you to stop fighting. Snap outta this, AJ."
Enerjak stopped for a moment upon hearing his name. Knuckles put his hands up defensively to show he didn't want to fight, and he approached the teenager.
"AJ, it's me. Knuckles. Just be cool and relax."
Before he got any further, M pulled out his pistol and shot Enerjak in the arm, enraging the beast.
"M, NO!"
Enerjak backhanded Knuckles and rushed towards the armadillo. He took a few shots to the body but was able to knock the gun out of his hands. He wrapped both hands around M's throat and squeezed with a death grip.
Knuckles ran back to save M when a police helicopter appeared above the park and shined a spotlight on Enerjak.
"Release the Officer Now!" a voice called out on the Choppers' PA system.
Enerjak looked up for a moment, then picked up the pistol and fired bullets up at the chopper.
"Shots fired, shots fired! We need backup at Ox Park!"
Many more police sirens were heard around the city, all of them making their way to their location. Enerjak realized he'd be outnumbered so he released the armadillo and sped off toward the street.
"Wait!" Knuckles shouted.
He followed the teenager through the dense park but couldn't see him through the darkness. Knuckles reached the street and looked everywhere but Enerjak was gone.
He sprinted away before police arrived and pinned him as a suspect. He'd have to wait for another chance at Enerjak.
