N/A: Quick note, this is not connected to my other fanfiction 'Mother Knows Best', it is just a one shot.
Restoration, HQ:
"Mission report?" Asked Lanolin as she sipped her seventh cup of coffee that day with bags under her eyes.
"All wrapped up. Eggman's bots tried to take over another small town several miles south of here, but me and Whisper took them down without a problem. Sorry you missed the action." Said Tangle as Whisper nodded with a smile as Tangle handed Lanolin the report.
"Don't worry, there's always next time." Stated Lanolin as she looked over the report and finished off her coffee.
Lanolin looked up as she saw Tangle and Whisper glance at each other with worried looks and looking back at her.
"... What?" Asked Lanolin.
"Well, not to say that we're ungrateful for your work and your overtime, but we think you might be overworking yourself. Even more than what you normally do." Stated Tangle.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I can handle paperwork and working overtime, it's nothing for me." Said Lanolin as she looked at two papers with reports on them as she squinted her tired eyes to read them.
"Are you sure? Because you look like your gonna drop from exhaustion any moment. There aren't any major threats going on lately, you should relax and take some time off." Stated Whisper in a concerned tone.
"No, no, I-I'm fine. I promise, Amy." Stated Lanolin as she glanced back at Whisper from her papers.
"I'm Whisper."
"Oh… Really?" Asked Lanolin as she rubbed her tired eyes as she tried to decipher that it was indeed Whisper and not Amy.
"Alright, that's enough work for you, boss lady." Stated Tangle as she gathered Lanolin's papers and took them away to organize them.
"Please, take a break. I'm sure there's plenty you can do on your day off." Stated Whisper with a smile.
"Yeah, maybe you can go on a proper date with your boyfriend." Stated Tangle as she put away the reports and looked back at Lanolin with a cheeky smile on her face.
"Boyfriend? You mean Shadow? Oh please, he's just a friend. We have coffee together once a week, and that's about it." Stated Lanolin nonchalantly.
"Heh, sure. Whatever you say." Whisper stated as Lanolin rolled her tired eyes in annoyance.
"Hmm, however, we didn't have our coffee hangout this week yet. Maybe we can try something different?" Lanolin pondered out loud.
"See? I knew you could think of something else to do other than work! Now come on, go on and have a good time!" Said Tangle with a large smile as Lanolin's look of mild joy turned back to worry.
"But I can't go, I still have too many papers and reports to look over."
"That's alright, me and Tangle will do them for you." Whisper stated as Tangle glanced over at her with a confused look.
"We will?"
Whisper quickly elbowed Tangle.
"Oh- Uhh, yeah, right! We'll do that nasty paperwork for ya, don't worry about it!" Stated Tangle as Lanolin smiled at both of her teammates.
"Thanks, guys." Replied Lanolin as Sonic walked into the room with his hands behind his head.
"How are my favorite ladies doin' today? Got any more missions ya need doing?"
"All missions have been completed for today, Tangle and Whisper already handled that badnik problem in that small town to the south." Said Lanolin as Sonic shot a disappointed look at Tangle and Whisper.
"You guys went without me?! That's so uncool!" Yelled Sonic as Tangle and Whisper giggled.
"Sorry, Sonic. Maybe next time?"
"What about you, Lanolin? Still working your usual 24 hour shift?" Asked Sonic as he nudged Lanolin.
"Actually, she'll be going on a date with her boyfriend, Shadow." Said Tangle with a giggle.
"What!? Really, Shadow? Huh, I didn't think you were into that kind of guy, Lanolin." Said Sonic as he crossed his arms.
"Give me a break. We're not dating. He's my coffee supplier and a friend, that's it. Besides, I'm not interested in dating anyone at the moment." Stated Lanolin as she got up and turned around to walk out of the room.
"Yeah, right. You're already married… to your work." Replied Sonic as Lanolin rolled her eyes as she walked off.
"It's probably a nice view from that glass house of yours." Said Lanolin as Sonic looked back with a confused look.
"Between Amy, Blaze, and several other girls, do you really have the right to comment on someone else's lovelife?" Asked Lanolin as she left, leaving Sonic standing with a blushing red face while Tangle and Whisper laughed behind him.
Eggman Base:
"This was supposed to be a simple mission! Get in, and get out without raising any alarms! Why did you have to start mowing down badniks, Omega!?" Yelled Rouge as she dodged several badnik attacks and landed a few hits on several herself.
"I AM A KILLING MACHINE DESIGNED TO DESTROY! I SHALL FULFILL MY PURPOSE BY DESTROYING AS MANY BADNIKS AS POSSIBLE!" Stated Omega as she started to mow down an army of badniks with his gatling guns.
"Not that it even matters anyway, these machines are too pathetic to even lay a scratch on me." Uttered Shadow as he casually dodged gunfire and missiles, before leaping in and tearing through multiple badniks with a few punches and kicks.
Team Dark continued their assault on the badnik base, until each member took down last remaining badniks.
"Looks like that's the last of them. Didn't go as smoothly as I wanted it to go, but hey, at least now we have access to the files on Eggman's computer."
BOOM!
The Eggman computer exploded behind Team Dark.
"... Okay, nevermind. Looks like we'll be getting a major lecture when we get back to G.U.N. HQ." Said Rouge in an annoyed tone.
"WE HAVE WON TODAY, ASSOCIATES! THE EGGMAN ARMY HAS BEEN SLAUGHTERED AND WE HAVE DEFEATED THEM!" Claimed Omega as he held his robotic fists in the air.
"Whatever, we're done. Let's just go already." Growled Shadow in annoyance.
"Well, this was our only mission for today. Looks like the rest of the days off. Are you two planning anything for tonight?" Asked Rouge.
"I SHALL ATTEND TO MY RECHARGE STATION AS I SIMULATE NEW WAYS TO SLAUGHTER AND BUTCHER EGGMAN AND HIS ROBOTIC ARMY!" Stated Omega.
"I'll just take up more shifts, I have no time to fool around." Said Shadow.
"C'mon, Shadow, you've been working yourself to the bone lately. You sure there's nothing else you'd like to do? Maybe with a certain sheep?" Asked Rouge with a smirk as Shadow glanced back at her.
"Lanolin? What about her?" Asked Shadow.
"I think it's about time you go on a REAL DATE with your little girlfriend." Said Rouges as Shadow rolled his eyes.
"Tch, it's not like that. She showed me the inherent power of coffee and has proven to be a strong and intelligent ally. That's it." Said Shadow as Rouge giggled.
"Alright, whatever you say tall, dark, and handsome. But seriously, I think you should go out and enjoy yourself. Hey, I have an idea, why don't you take that little lady out to a nice restaurant?" Asked Rouge as Shadow turned away.
"Tch, I don't think so… I mean, I guess Lanolin does deserve to have a nice break herself. But even if I agree to your ridiculous idea, I don't even know where to start." Said Shadow as Rouge giggled and pulled out two golden pieces of paper.
"What about this, handsome?" Asked Rouge as she tossed Shadow the two pieces of paper which Shadow caught and looked at.
"These are coupons for one of the most expensive restaurants in Emeraldsville. How did you get your hands on these?" Asked Shadow.
"Oh, please, Shadow… a girl like me never reveals her secrets." Said Rouge with a devious smirk.
"So you stole them." Replied Shadow.
"No! I would say… 'Liberated' them from a few rich snobs." Lanolin responded as Shadow looked back down at the tickets in his hand.
'Hmm… Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have one night off.' Shadow thought to himself.
Restoration, HQ:
Lanolin stood in the office recreation room as she poured herself another cup of coffee.
Whoop!
Shadow instantly teleported behind Lanolin as she looked back with a smile.
"Here, I got you more coffee beans." Said Shadow as he handed Lanolin a sack of green beans.
"Thanks, Shadow. You're a lifesaver." Said Lanolin with a smile as she took the sack of beans and placed them on the sideline.
"Oh, and-... Uhh, before I forget, I'd like to ask you something." Stated Shadow in an uncharacteristically nervous tone which grabbed Lanolin's attention.
"Yes?"
"Well-... I have a pair of coupons for a very expensive restaurant in Emeraldsville. And since I didn't want them to go to waste, would you like to have dinner with me there tonight?" Asked Shadow as he held up the two golden tickets.
"What?! That's for the best restaurant in town! How did you get your hands on these?!" Asked Lanolin taking the tickets, before both looked at each other with knowing faces.
"Rouge." The two said in unison as Lanolin looked at the tickets with a smile on her face.
"It would seem I'm free tonight, my teammates want me to relax and take some time to myself. So, I might as well enjoy it. So, yes, I'd love to go." Lanolin responded as she handed Shadow the coupons.
"How about 7:30 tonight? I can pick you up."
"Yeah, sounds great. See you later."
Whoop!
Shadow chaos controlled away as Lanolin stood there with a big smile on her face. However, that smile quickly disappeared as Lanolin glanced over at a nearby door that was slightly cracked open.
Her wisp, Maggie, flew out of Lanolin's wool as she pointed her thumb to the nearby door as Maggie quickly flew through the door as a scuffle could be heard.
Soon, Sonic and Tangle fell out of the door on top of each other as they looked up sheepishly at Lanolin who glared at the two of them.
"Uhh, hehe… This isn't what it looks like?" Said Sonic awkwardly as Lanolin's glare intensified.
"Really? Because it looks like you're eavesdropping." Growled Lanolin.
"We just wanted to make sure everything goes smoothly!" Said Tangle.
"You both love coffee, you're both no-nonsense, you're both sticklers for rules, and you both hate me! We just wanna make sure your date goes smoothly." Said Sonic as Lanolin groaned in annoyance.
"Ugh, for the LAST TIME, me and Shadow AREN'T an item! And I better not catch either of you eavesdropping on me again! Got it?" Ordered Lanolin as Sonic and Tangle held their hands up in understanding.
"Alright, alright, we're going!" Said Sonic as both he and Tangle walked out the door.
However, Tangle stopped and looked back.
"Oh, and by the way, try to wear a dress tonight! I bet he'd love that!" Said Tangle with a giggle as she quickly closed the door behind her, right as the pile of coffee strainers Lanolin tossed could hit her. Hitting the door instead.
Restoration, HQ: Outside on The Street
Shadow rode his motorcycle down the street and arrived at the bus stop right outside of Restoration HQ.
'I wish Rouge didn't force me to dress up like this. I look like a moron…' Thought Shadow as he attempted to straighten his little bowtie.
"Hey, Shadow…" Shadow stopped fiddling with his tie to turn around and see Lanolin standing there in a dress that looked very similar to her amber dress. However, this dress was much darker red in color.
"Oh-... Uh… H-Hi, Lanolin. You look ama-... Uhh, very nice." Said Shadow as he attempted to hide his blush and look away.
Lanolin laughed in response.
"Hehehe, you don't look too bad yourself." Stated Lanolin as Shadow pulled out an extra helmet and tossed it to Lanolin.
Lanolin caught the helmet, quickly putting it on and getting on the back of Shadow's motorcycle.
Shadow revved the engine before taking off.
However, as Shadow and Lanolin left the area, a pair of familiar rogues watched from the shadows. One with glowing purple eyes and the other with glowing blue eyes.
Emeraldsville: The Restaurant
"Welcome, please have a seat over there and we will be with you shortly." Said the server as Shadow and Lanolin were sat down and handed menus.
"Wow, I mean, I've walked by this place all the time but I've never actually been in here. This looks great." Said Lanolin as she glanced around at all the food everyone was eating.
"I personally don't like to go out that much, but I have to agree. The food here looks pretty good." Replied Shadow.
"So, was the bowtie Rouge's idea?" Asked Lanolin as she pointed to Shadow's bowtie.
"Yeah. Originally she wanted to stuff me into a monkey suit. But we eventually agreed on the tie. I know, I look ridiculous."
"No, no, I think that tie looks really nice on you. Your chest hair really brings it out."
"Thanks. I could say the same about your dress. No offense, but I didn't know you'd be interested in wearing anything else other than cargo pants." Replied Shadow.
"Oh yeah, well… I used to wear a dress all the time, but when I joined the Restoration I thought I should've worn something more fitting for the job. But, I don't mind dresses. As long as they're not really frilly." Admitted Lanolin as the waiter came back.
"Excuse me, are you two ready to order?" Asked the waiter.
"Oh yeah, I'll have a coffee. BLACK. And leave the pot." Stated Lanolin.
"Alright. And for you, sir?"
"I'll have a glass of water and a bowl of raw coffee beans." Stated Shadow as the water shot him a confused look.
"Sorry, but you just want a glass of water and a small bowl of coffee beans on the side?"
"Yes, so I need to repeat myself?" Asked Shadow in a slightly irritated tone.
"Oh, no sir. Sorry, your drinks will come out shortly." Stated the waiter before walking off.
"Shadow, how many times do we need to have this conversation? You can't eat coffee beans by themselves." Stated Lanolin.
"It might be bitter, but I still like to eat them that way." Argued Shadow as he crossed his arms.
"You're right, you can eat them however you want. I shouldn't bully you over that." Said Lanolin with a smile.
"No problem. Anyway, how are you handling being the leader of a team? No offense, but it must be a hard job. Leading a group of experienced fighters while you're still new yourself." Said Shadow as Lanolin looked away with a nervous look.
"As you can guess, it's pretty hard. I want to be a good leader, and be seen as the kind of inspiring hero Sonic is. Not the guns blazing part, but more of the inspirational part. But, it's just hard to be like that. I want to be seen as something more than a bossy lady and a stick in the mud." Said Lanolin with a more sour expression.
"You don't need to be like that blue moron. You're not Sonic, and that's not a bad thing. All your friends in the Restoration are happy-go-lucky and have no problem working with people. But they're also headstrong and think with their fists and not their heads. They need someone who can organize them and put them in line. Sometimes to do some good, you need to be the bad guy." Said Shadow as the waiter came back and placed the black coffee, the pot of coffee, a water, and a bowl of raw coffee beans on the table in front of Shadow and Lanolin.
"Really?" Asked Lanolin.
"Sure, besides, if they're willing to forgive someone like me, and even EGGMAN when he was Mr. Tinker, I'm sure they'll forgive you. You don't have to be warm and cuddly to do the right thing." Said Shadow as he grabbed a handful of coffee beans and started eating them like popcorn.
"Hmm… I guess I never really thought of it that way. I mean, Whisper is the only member of the Diamond Cutters who's actually experienced and mature. Tangle is her own brand of crazy. But I do my best to organize them and be a strong leader. I guess your Team Dark isn't that different?"
"I'd rather have a sniping wolf and a crazy lemur to juggle, rather than a kleptomaniac bat and a bloodthirsty robot. Trust me, it's not easy for me either." Said Shadow as Lanolin giggled in response before taking a sip of her black coffee.
"You know, Shadow… You never really told me about your past. I mean, I heard a little here and there. But nothing in detail." Said Lanolin as Shadow's slightly amused expression turned back into a somber one.
"Oh, if it's something too painful, then you don't have to tell me." Said Lanolin.
"No, no… It's alright. Many years ago, I was on a space colony. I was supposed to help find the secret to immortality and discover the cure to a specific disease Maria had. Maria was the granddaughter of the head of the project, Gerald Robotnik. Maria and I were inseparable, more like siblings rather than friends. She taught me about the good in the world. She WAS my whole world… But then tragedy struck, she died. To my shame, I would try to help destroy the world. However, I was stopped by Sonic and his friends. I had a long time to soul search, which led me to become an agent of G.U.N. and the leader of Team Dark. Even though Maria isn't here anymore, I still keep her final words in mind. Every day, I do my best." Stated Shadow as Lanolin placed a hand on Shadows.
"I-... I didn't know how hard you had it, Shadow. To lose someone so close to you like that, I couldn't even imagine. I'm sure Maria would be proud of what you've become as of late." Lanolin said with a smile as she tightened her grip on Shadow's hand.
"Thank you, Lanolin. What about you? I recall you said something about your life with your mom?" Asked Shadow as Lanolin looked away.
"Oh, yeah… It's nothing like your backstory. I just have a bit of a strained relationship with my mom, she's kind of overly controlling. But, my story really began when Sonic and Amy rescued my village. They inspired me to join the Restoration and do more with my life. I just wanted to help people, and that's about it for me." Said Lanolin with a shrug.
"Hmm, you don't really seem that simple to me." Stated Shadow as Lanolin raised an eyebrow.
"You lead your own team, you're a capable fighter, you're beautiful, and I'm sure with a few more years of experience, you'll become a better leader than anyone." Stated Shadow as Lanolin blushed.
"Wait, you-... You think I'm beautiful?" Asked Lanolin.
"Obviously, you'd have to be an idiot not to see it." Stated Shadow.
"Thanks, Shadow. Honestly, I'm REALLY happy I decided to take a break from work tonight. I really like spending time with you, Shadow." Said Lanolin as she placed her hands on Shadows hands once again and leaned forward.
"Same here, I enjoy spending time with you, Lanolin." However, as Shadow remained oblivious as Lanolin leaned forward as she tried to close the distance between her and Shadow's lips.
But before she could complete her task, Maggie flew out of her hair and tugged on her ear. Breaking the sheep's trance and annoying her.
"What is it, Maggie?" Asked Lanolin as the wisp made several chirping noises before pointing one of its appendages to the side to a particular couple sitting at a nearby table.
Shadow and Lanolin saw what appeared to be Sonic and Tangle sitting at a nearby table in fancy clothes and wigs.
"Let me guess, your idiots?" Asked Shadow in annoyance as Lanolin face palmed.
"You've got to be kidding."
Lanolin and Shadow stood up as they walked over to the fancy couple eating.
"Oh, honey, it appears we have some visitors. Greetings glaring sheep and hedgehog, how can we help you good samaritans today?" Asked 'The Rich Man' in a gentlemanly tone.
"Knock it off Sonic and Tangle, we know it's you." Said Lanolin in annoyance.
"Sonic and Tangle? Who are Sonic and Tangle? I'm Hedgehog Incognito, and this is my wife, Lemur Incognito." Stated 'Hedgehog Incognito.'
"Okay, knock it off you two, it's getting annoying." Growled Shadow.
"What are you talking about?" Asked Hedgehog Incognito, as Shadow grabbed the hedgehog's wig and tried to pull it off. Only to realize it's stuck to his head and real.
"Did they say Sonic and Tangle? Do you think they spotted us!?" Asked a voice from nearby as Shadow and Lanolin glanced over to see the real Sonic and Tangle sitting at a nearby table with dark sunglasses and held up menus to obscure their faces.
Shadow and Lanolin looked back at the Incognito couple, who glared at them as Shadow with an awkward smile tried to gently place back Mr. Incognito's hair went back into its original style, only for it to still be messed up.
"Uhh… Please enjoy your night, sorry about that." Said Lanolin as the two walked away from the Incognito couple who glared at them the whole way.
"Just pretend we didn't notice them!" Whispered the disguised Tangle as her and Sonic blocked their faces with their menus.
"Have you two been following us?" Asked Lanolin as Sonic and Tangle slowly lowered their menus and smiled awkwardly at Shadow and Lanolin.
"Uhh… Well, we just wanted to keep an eye on you guys. And, ya'know, make sure you guys ACTUALLY went on an actual date." Said Sonic as Lanolin's and Shadow's glared greatly intensified.
"How many times to I have to say it!? This isn't a date!" Yelled Shadow and Lanolin in unison.
"Look, we just want the best for you guys. You guys genuinely looked happy back there, don't you two think you deserve something like that?" Asked Tangle as Shadow and Lanolin stopped and started to ponder over what Tangle said. The two glanced at each other with unsure looks.
However, before Shadow, Lanolin, Sonic, or Tangle said anything…
Shatter!
All four stopped and looked over to see two figured smash through the window of the restaurant and land on a nearby table.
A blast of electricity erupted from one of the figures as an explosion of watery tentacles erupted from the other. Flipping over tables and knocking innocent bystanders back.
"Hey, where is the restoration sheep and the G.U.N. hedgehog?! If you punks want us to leave, you better bring them to us!" Yelled Surge as she looks around the restaurant.
"Surge!" Growled Sonic as all four instantly disregarded whatever they were going to argue about originally, as they prepared for battle.
"Hey! Where are they!?" Yelled Surge in anger as she let off another electrical blast that short circuited the lightbulbs of the restaurant and caused them to explode.
"What do you want!?" Surge stopped as she and Kitsunami looked over to see Shadow and Lanolin standing there.
"Good, there you are. We just wanted to take you two punks hostage so we can lure out Son-..." Surge stopped talking as she looked over to see none other then Sonic and Tangle standing besides Shadow and Lanolin.
"Wait! You're here too!? That makes this much easier!" Exclaimed Surge in delight as Kit glared off to the side.
"But Tails isn't here…"
"Lighten up, bud! We can still stick with the original plan by kidnapping one of these mooks and force them to give up Tails too!" Explained Surge as Kitsunami grew a sinister smile.
"Oh yeah, right!"
"Excuse me, are you stupid?" Asked Sonic as Surge and Kitsunami glared at the group of four.
"It's four on two, heck, I bet you can't even handle me or Shadow on your own." Said Sonic, pointing out the obvious as Surge cackled in response.
"You think I was stupid enough to come here without some kind of precaution, blue?" Asked Surge as she snapped her fingers.
Kit then pulled out what seemed to be some kind of large bazooka-like gun with Eggman's design written all over it.
"You think that puny weapon can kill the Ultimate Lifeform like me?" Asked Shadow.
"It's not supposed to kill ya, Shades. Me and Kit found it in one of Eggman's old labs, it's a netgun meant to take down and contain even the strangest of opponents! So you might as well surrender willingly, or else we'll have to use force!" Yelled Surge.
"Yeah, I don't think so." Replied Lanolin as she wrapped her golden bell around her neck and flicked it. Sending a powerful soundwave careening towards Surge and Kid.
DONG!
Surge and Kit managed to jump out of the way as the soundwave devastated the wall behind them.
"Alright, you asked for it!" Yelled Surge as she and Sonic collided.
The two traded punches and kicks before Sonic finally came up victorious.
However, as the two landed, Surge looked back at Sonic with a mocking smile, as Kit fired the netgun which trapped Sonic in a glowing orange energized net that prevented him from moving.
"You think a net can stop me!?" Asked Sonic as he struggled to escape, only for it to be no use.
"What did I just say?" Asked Surge as soon, Tangle jumped in to try to help Sonic, only for Kit to shoot her with the netgun next. Trapping the lemur.
"Let them go!" Yelled Shadow as he and Lanolin came dashing in.
"You two are more stupid than I thought!" Yelled Surge as Kit fired the netgun twice, ensnaring both Shadow and Lanolin.
Despite the both of them struggling to escape, the energized nets proved to be far too strong.
"I got Sonic and Tangle, what about the other two, Ma'am?" Asked Kit who carried Sonic and Tangle in his water tendrils.
"We can only take two of them, leave the other two and lets go!" Yelled Surge as the two leaped out the broken window and escaped into the night.
"We have to get out of this! Shadow, can you break free?" Asked Lanolin as she tugged on the net, only to receive shocking feedback.
"Yeah, just give me a moment…" Stated Shadow as he grabbed at the net and started pulling with all his might, while getting a shocking electric feedback that nearly stopped him.
Ripp!
Shadow soon managed to tear through the netting and stand up.
"See? Piece of cake." Said Shadow before walking over and managing to rip open Lanolin's net with the same amount of effort. Freeing her.
"Thanks. Now, we have find out where they took Sonic and Tangle." Said Lanolin as the two walked over to the broken window and looked around.
"See anything that might give us a clue on where we should go next?" Asked Lanolin as Shadow jumped through the broken window and looked down at a small trail of rust on the ground.
"It looks like they're hanging out at an old Eggman base."
"That doesn't narrow it down, there have to be dozens of abandoned Eggbases around the area, it'll take all night to find them." Stated Lanolin as she hopped through the broken window herself.
Shadow picked up the reddish sand-like substance in his hand and moved it around in his fingers.
"This seems to be an advanced state of rust. Is there a particularly old or water damaged Eggman base you know about?" Asked Shadow.
The Old Eggman Base:
"Finally, I'll get the rematch I've been dreaming about for MONTHS!" Yelled Surge.
"Yup, nothing says a proper rematch like kidnapping your opponent out of the blue, and kidnapping him and his friend. And then tying them up with chains and dangling them upside down from the ceiling." Said Sonic as Surge glared at Sonic who was hanging upside down from the ceiling in chains tied to Tangle back to back.
"Shut up! We'll have our rematch soon, one that is fair and square. I'm not gonna smoke you while your tied up like this, it's unsportman-like."
"Hey, Surge. Not to sound like an ungrateful guest, but why did you kidnap me too? It's cuz you have a crush on me, right?" Joked Tangle.
"No, we didn't. We captured you because we can ransom you for a hostage trade, you for Tails." Stated Kit from nearby.
"But don't get it twisted, if either of you try to make any trouble or if the Restoration refuses our requests, we'll give you an up close encounter with the ground. And trust me, we'll make your relationship INTIMATE!" Threatened Surge as she held her fist up which crackled with electricity.
"And what are you gonna do when the Boss Lady and Shadow get here?" Asked Tangle.
"They're not coming! There have to be over a hundred abandoned Egg bases in the area, it would take a miracle for them to find this place!" Yelled Surge as suddenly, the old rusty door to the room was blasted open as the door flew across the room and smashed into the opposite wall.
SMASH!
Surge, Kit, Sonic, and Tangle all look over to see Shadow and Lanolin dash into the room.
"Well, hallelujah." Commented Sonic.
"Shut your mouth, blue!" Growled Surge as she turned back to Shadow and Lanolin.
"Alright, let go of the idiots." Ordered Shadow.
"Actually, it's Sonic and Tangl-" Sonic was interrupted
"IDIOTS." Emphasized Lanolin with a growl.
"In your dreams! Bring in Tails, then we'll talk about giving you the Lemur." Said Surge.
"And what if we just take both of them from you?" Asked Lanolin.
"I'll fry them and YOU like a cod!" Threatened Surge as he held and electrified hand up to Sonic.
"'Fry them like a cod?' Seriously, Surge? That's the best you got?" Asked Sonic as Surge quickly glared at him before shocking both him and Tangle with a jolt of electricity.
Zzap!
"So unless you two wanna be fried, you'll get out and cooperate with our demands!" Yelled Surge.
"I call the green Sonic knockoff." Said Lanolin, ignoring Surge's threats.
"Then that leaves the blue Tails faker to me." Replied Shadow.
"You had your chance!" Yelled Surge as she and Kitsunami dashed in to battle Shadow and Lanolin.
Kitsunami's water tails tried to grab Shadow, only for Shadow to teleport through them and kick Kitsunami in the chest, sending him flying through a nearby wall.
Crash!
Lanolin flicked her golden bell as it send out a blast of sound that Surge manage to dodge out of the way as she came careening towards Lanolin.
Krack!
Surge soon headbutted the sheep as Lanolin skidded back a few feet.
"Hehehe! Was that too much for you, Sheep girl?!" Asked Surge with a mocking smirk as Lanolin quickly recovered and glared at Surge, with no sign of damage other then a small scratch on her head.
"What the-!?"
"Did you really think it was a good idea to try to headbutt a sheep?" Asked Lanolin, as she quickly dashed forward and headbutted Surge, sending the Tenrec flying back.
Back with Shadow and Kitsunami, Kit attempted to wrap up or impale Shadow with his numerous water tails only for them to miss, smash into walls, and crush surrounding old Eggman machines.
Crash! Smash! Krush!
"Give it up, kid! You'll never catch me!" Yelled Shadow as Kit growls in anger.
"They call you the 'Ultimate Lifeform', can you survive waterlogged lungs?" Asked Kit as he began to go all out as he generated as many water tails as possible to attack Shadow.
But despite Kit's effort, Shadow was far too fast.
"You're barely a match for Sonic's little fox friend…" Growled Shadow as he teleported in front of Kit as Kit jumped back in shock.
"What makes you think you even stand a chance against me?" Asked Shadow as he punched Kitsunami into a nearby wall, knocking him out.
Krash!
"That about finishes him off. All that's left now is to leave Lanolin to stop that green faker."
Back with Lanolin, she received a nasty electro shock to her sternum as she flew back into a nearby stack of old tires.
"Hahaha! Give it up, Sheepie! You may be smart on the battlefield, but in terms of strength, you're NOTHING compared to me!" Exclaimed Surge as she crackled with electricity.
'I hate to admit it, but she's right. I still have to stop her, but how?..." Thought Lanolin as she glanced around her to see the stacks of used up tires.
"Hey, you listenin' to me, Diamond Cutter?!" Yelled Surge as she tried to blast Lanolin with bolts of lightning, which the sheep managed to dodge.
Zap! Cracka! Zap!
Lanolin grabbed tires and started tossing them towards Surge who quickly zapped every tire that came her way, melting them easily.
"Haha! I can do this all day, Woolie! I won't run out of lightning, but you'll run out of tires!" Yelled Surge as she blasted the last tire that flew at her.
But as Surge tried to take a step forward, she found out that something stuck her feet to the ground. She looked down to see the melted tires glued her feet to the ground.
"Are you serious!? What is this!?" Yelled Surge as she tried to escape.
"I'm guessing you don't know what happens when rubber is superheated." Said Lanolin with a smirk as Surge growled at her.
"You think this is gonna stop me!?" Yelled Surge as she prepared to throw another bolt of lightning.
Lanolin held her fingers up to her golden bell and flicked it, sending several purple balls of light towards Surge, before exploding with powerful soundwaves.
Ding… Ding…
DONG!
The soundwave hit Surge from every direction, as the Tenrec soon fell unconscious and fell on her back.
"You took her down, good." Lanolin looked over to see Shadow walk in as he carried an unconscious Kit, before dropping him next to Surge.
"Good, the threat is neutralized. Now we just have to free Sonic and Tangle."
"Hey, guys… Can you help us out?" Asked Sonic as Shadow and Lanolin turned to Sonic and Tangle who still hung upside down by chains.
The two gave an annoyed look as Shadow summoned a chaos spear and tossed it towards the chain holding the two. Breaking the chain and causing the two to fall to the floor.
"OW!" Cried out the two, followed by a small "Thank you…"
Later, Shadow, Lanolin, Sonic, and Tangle exited the old Egg base as Lanolin just got off the phone.
"I just called into Restoration HQ, they'll send a team in to take care of Surge and Kit." Stated Lanolin.
"Yeah, we all got out in one piece. I'd say that's a good victory for today!" Cheered Tangle as she and Sonic looked over at Shadow and Lanolin who continued to glare at them intensely.
"Uhh… Yeah… We're really sorry about following you guys." Apologized Sonic as he rubbed the back of his head.
"We know it was wrong, but we just wanted the best for you guys. You guys work so hard to try to do the right thing. And we know that working with guys like us can be stressful for you. We just wanted to make sure everything went right and you guys actually had a good time." Explained Tangle as Shadow and Lanolin continued to glare at the two coldly.
That was until Shadow and Lanolin let out sighs of their own.
"We got out and nobody was hurt, that's the best we can ask for." Said Lanolin with a stressed look.
"You know… You guys should go back to the restaurant and enjoy yourselves. We won't follow this time, promise. And on top of that, anything you guys get will be on me. How does that sound?" Asked Sonic as Shadow and Lanolin silently glanced at each other for a moment, before nodding.
"What do you think?" Asked Shadow as Lanolin looked down at her dirty dress and tried to brush off the dirt accumulated.
"Eh… I don't think I'm in the mood for anything fancy. There's a burger place nearby, would you like to go there instead?" Asked Lanolin as Shadow smirked.
"Yeah, that sounds good."
Emeraldville: The Burger Place:
Shadow and Lanolin sat down in a mostly empty fast food restaurant as they both snacked on burgers.
"I'm surprised you already ate four burgers. I thought you just survived purely on coffee." Stated Shadow as Lanolin chuckled.
"I may be addicted to coffee, but eating fast food is a close second. I could scarf town ten burgers if I'm hungry enough." Replied Lanolin.
"You better, remember, Sonic is paying for all this." Stated Shadow.
"Heh, that's true."
"Look, Lanolin, I'm sorry this night didn't go as planned. I wanted it to go perfectly, but apparently chaos follows me wherever I go." Shadow said.
"Don't blow your own horn, 'Ultimate Lifeform', chaos follows me everywhere too. But, this night wasn't so bad. Beating up bad guys can be a good stress reliever, especially when I'm fighting alongside you." Said Lanolin as Shadow smiled in response.
"Yeah. Do-... I know we're not 'dating' or anything, and I understand we're both quite busy… But would you like to-... make nights like this a routine. I'd like to see you more often, and maybe get to know you a little more." Said Shadow as he looked away and scratched the side of his head.
"Are you asking if I would like to start officially dating the 'Ultimate Lifeform'?" Asked Lanolin with a smirk as Shadow started to blush.
"Uhh… Yes."
"Hehehe… Then the answer is 'yes'. Yes I would." Said Lanolin as she placed her hands on Shadows. "I'd like that very much…"
Silently, the two would close in and kiss.