Mobian Apocalyptica

by Fallen Violet Rose

Amy's high school days are numbered. Among other things, her number one aspiration is to gain the love of her crush and leader of their band of misfits, Sonic the Hedgehog. The cards are in her favor when a note signed by the blue blur himself slips from her locker. But on the other end of that note, Amy finds herself alone at the start of the apocalypse. Shadamy knuxouge Silvaze

8. 8 Can't Escape the Way I Love You

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 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 Billie Eilish's song i love you.

*Trigger warning: Graphic depictions of body parts, blood, and violence.*

8 Can't Escape the Way I love You

The house had collapsed on one side, the crumbling left side of the structure stunning the trio into a morbid silence as they sprinted across the street. With an empty driveway and two boarded front windows, the house seemed bleak and faded. Shadow opened the gate to the backyard as soundlessly as he could manage, ushering Knuckles and Amy through after scanning the fenceline. They followed the tiled path to the deck, each one holding their breath as they looked around for a sign of life.

"You sure someone's home?" Knuckles whispered.

Amy nodded certainly, knocking on the window of the back door.

"Silver said he would be here. He didn't respond when I asked him who else was with him, probably because there's no cell service over here," Amy explained, lifting the green phone in front of her as she tried for at least a bar.

Amy ignored the phone and tapped the window three times again, looking out for infected after she did. Shadow kept a hand hovered over his holster, eyes constantly searching the area while Knuckles crossed his arms and grumbled.

"No service? Then how in the hell did he message you?"

"I don't know, Knuckles," Amy snapped, flashing the echidna a look.

"We can't linger here much longer. If no one comes to the door in the next minute, we're moving on," Shadow said.

Amy's face fell, but she took in a deep breath and prepared to knock again. As her knuckles hovered over the window pane, a click made them all focus on the back door in earnest. Shuffling and heavy movement from the other side of the door kept them still, and when the door finally started to open, a blood-smeared grey baseball jersey drew Amy's attention. Her eyes climbed as her breath caught, and when she found the lifeless yellow eyes of her best friend, her throat tightened and the urge to hug him prompted her forward.

"Amy…" Silver muttered weakly.

She blinked once and her eyes immediately lined with wet beads as she stepped over the threshold. She looked up into his face, taking in his disheveled quills, scratched muzzle and sunken in eyes. She found herself hovering close to the white hedgehog and examining his face as if working to determine whether or not he was real. Silver let go of the door he held open and looked the pinkette over with a slow, lost look as she filled his vision. Silver didn't even flinch as she brought her hand up to thumb the faint trace of red on his cheek, but she stopped herself before she could.

"You're really alive," Amy breathed.

"Yeah… yeah, I am," Silver said, just above a whisper.

She sniffed and smothered him in a tight hug, covering her face in his jersey to keep from breaking down in front of the three boys. With her face pressed tight to his chest, his scent penetrated her nose, his body clearly covered with the build up of dirt and sweat and something else she couldn't quite determine. Even as she released a watery laugh into his shirt and breathed in his odor she didn't dare break from him, simply comforted by the fact that she could touch him at all. After a minute of motionlessness, Silver gently placed a hand on the top of her quills, his body relaxing.

"It's good to see you, too, Amy," Silver whispered.

She lifted her head, unwrapping her arms and bringing her hands to his shoulders, checking him for more injuries.

"What happened to you? And … Blaze?"

Silver's lost eyes hardened as he reached into his back pocket and dangled a red hair tie in front of her. Amy swallowed, not wanting to jump to conclusions until Silver explained, but her mind was already running with the thought of Blaze's brutal end. Amy slid her hand over the tie and bit her lip, searching for Silver's eyes only to find them directed to the ground. He seemed to look through his hands as he recounted something with shame tainting his words.

"I went to her father's mansion the night everything happened. She wasn't there. Her father was gone and so were most of his staff. I came across her tutor, but she was… turned. I've been looking for Blaze constantly since that night."

I can tell. It doesn't look like you've slept at all… or showered for that matter.

Knuckles and Shadow joined the reunited hedgehogs inside, looking around the stale home with uncertainty.

"And what about you? Your parents?" Amy asked.

Silver looked away, his mouth forming a hard line as emotionlessness took over his face.

"The others… they're waiting for you in the living room. Sonia has been pretty anxious to see you since I told her about your message. We'll catch up after, okay?"

Amy searched his face, unconvinced. She grabbed both of his hands between hers tightly and looked into his face.

"Promise?" she asked him.

He gave her a small, delicate smile.

"Promise."

Silver didn't move to guide them, but stepped aside and moved a thumb to the carpeted hall that gave way to the living room. Amy hesitated, afraid the white hedgehog would disappear if she so much as moved from his side. But the exhaustion in his face made her swallow and she finally nodded, heading for the living room with Knuckles following her trail after the echidna patted the white hedgehog's shoulder. Silver and Shadow stayed behind and as Amy looked back to question the two, she noticed Silver working to move a heavy table in front of the door only for Shadow to mutter something to him. The two exchanged a few words in hush and Shadow followed Silver back out, the ebony shutting the door behind them with a nod to the pinkette. Amy guessed that Shadow was likely anxious to secure their surroundings as usual, and she took a deep breath and focused on greeting the other occupants.

I'm not so sure I'm ready to face whatever is in that living room… but I need to know…

Amy took off her boots and padded the length of the hallway thoughtlessly, the path so familiar to her from the countless visits that her heart squeezed when she remembered whose home she was in as she froze at the end of the hall. The lifeless nature of the home made the place feel foreign suddenly, and thoughts of possibly seeing Sonic made the pinkette queasy. Her ears twitched in an effort to make out any voices of those that waited for them, but whoever sat in the living room was clearly just as distraught and speechless as the rest of them in this situation. The dim glow of a light stretched at her feet and before she stepped into it, she gave Knuckles a glance. His mouth was a stern line, but he eyed her reassuringly, his mouth twitching at a corner. They proceeded together.

The hall opened to the triplets living space, a wide area lined with tan walls teeming with framed family photos. At the center, the couch was angled in a way that they could only make out the profile of Manic as he sat at the edge of the couch, turning a drum stick mindlessly in one hand as his head slumped low. Across the room, Sonia paced back and forth in front of a bookcase, and when she did an about-face to continue her rigorous march, her face untwisted and melted into relief as she spotted the two newcomers. Amy smiled shyly and started toward the girl as the magenta hedgehog covered her mouth with both hands, clearly suppressing the urge to burst into tears.

"Oh!"

Before Amy could get a word out, Sonia crossed the room and had Amy bound in a tight hold, the older girl stifling her own fit of sobs. Manic jerked at his sister's sudden movement and got to his feet, blinking at the reunited girls before finding Knuckles, a genuine smile lighting up his ragged facial features. Sonia tightened her grip around Amy, causing Amy to shift uncomfortably as the taller girl sniffed. Amy felt Manic and Knuckles hover around them, the pinkette stilling as Sonia spoke with her uneasy, scratchy voice.

"By Chaos, I thought for sure you were…" Sonia mumbled into Amy's quills, the taller girl pressing the pinkette's head into her shoulder like a doting mother.

Amy returned Sonia's embrace lightly, doing her best to not feed off of Sonia's tearful state. She was through with crying, though she feared she wouldn't last long given the sullen air in the room. She analyzed the room behind Sonia, her jade eyes moving from the black, baby grand piano by the bookshelf on the right to the entrance to the kitchen on the far left. Between the two points, an entrance to the hall that led to Sonia and Aleena's rooms was flooded in shadow, but Amy could just make out the bloodstains in the carpet by that very hall, an end-table haphazardly covering the dark marks. Then, Amy realized that the crumbling section of the house was just beyond those walls and she swallowed, a sinking feeling coming to her.

Something terrible happened here.

Sonia breathed a shaky sigh and resurfaced, closing her eyes to recollect herself. Yet, when she opened her eyes to look Amy over, her face tightened and her eyebrows upturned. Amy was moved this way and that as the older girl checked her and scrutinized her rough state, but Amy was too concerned with the state of the home to be irritated with her overbearing actions. Beside the two, Manic greeted Knuckles with a fist bump and a grateful laugh.

"Knux, it's good to see you in the flesh, man," Manic said, his voice cracking.

"You, too. Your thumbs broken or somethin'? Why didn't you shoot us a text?" Knuckles asked.

"No cell or internet service out here, man. It's been a drag," Manic said with a weak chuckle.

Manic's try at humor made Amy smile, but her lips faltered as Sonia looked over her anxiously.

"My gosh, Amy, you look terrible. Have you eaten? How did you make it out of your apartment? And where is your mom? Oh, you must have been so scared. I tried to call you, but everything has just been a mess and…" Sonia said.

Amy tried for a reassuring smile as Sonia broke down and threw her face in her hands, the magenta girl working to take muffled deep breaths. Amy reached for Sonia's shoulder and when she made contact, Sonia lifted her head from her hands with a clarity in her frazzled face, as if coming back to reality from a bad dream.

"It's okay, Sonia. I'm okay and so are you. Just breathe for a second," Amy said.

Sonia took a few more shuddering breaths before finally regarding Amy with a more relaxed demeanor, but even her version of relaxed was riddled with worry.

"Oh, Amy. It's good to see you in the flesh. Normal, at that. You too, knucklehead," Sonia said, her voice stabilizing a bit.

Knuckles, moving closer to Amy's side, had just enough energy to give her a hum and a relieved curl of his lips, only for the magenta hedgehog to come over and take him into her arms just as she had to Amy. The startled echidna cringed in pain, but patted her back with his good hand in return.

"Hey, hey. Easy with the squeezin'. I'm glad to see you in one piece, too, Sonia, but I'm a little worn out. It's been a crazy couple of days, so take it easy on me," Knuckles said.

"Oh, just let me hug you, you big baby," Sonia mumbled.

Amy warmed at Sonia and Knuckles' interaction, the home starting to fill with the friendly air that usually circulated the triplets home on a Saturday night like this. Sonia released him with a little laugh of her own, but before she backed away from Knuckles to address the growing group, she took notice of his injured hand and visibly stiffened. Sonia reached for his wrapped palm and shakily lifted it to eye level. The room went somber again.

"Your hand…" Sonia whispered breathlessly.

Knuckles withdrew his fingerless hand from her grasp and backed away from her a bit, scratching the back of his head as he nodded to the hallway they'd come from.

"Shadow's with us, too. He stepped out for a second with Silver," Knuckles added.

Sonia frowned and muttered a neary inaudibly 'oh' and backed away from the echidna, finding herself by Manic's side.

"Hey, Ames," Manic said softly.

Amy already had her hand lifted for a small fist bump at the green hedgehog's approach, but her heart stopped at hearing the nickname Sonic usually called her. As Manic skipped her fist bump and opted to hug her instead, the pinkette's thoughts went back to Sonic, her unease returning. She returned his squeeze with a tight one of her own, her heart throbbing even more as she heard the green hedgehog sniffle. A sinking feeling continued to grow in the pit of her stomach.

Chaos, please, let him be okay.

Manic released her with a rub of his face and she placed a hand on his arm in a gesture of comfort. After giving the room a final once over, Amy steeled herself and stepped in front of Sonia, finally finding her courage to speak. Sonia already had her arms crossed and her eyes directed to the carpet, and as the magenta girl looked from Amy's shoes to her face, she recognized the pinkette's need for her undivided attention in her face. Sonia's jaw tightened.

"Sonia… what… what exactly happened here?" Amy asked.

Manic moved closer to his sister's side as she crossed her arms and gave the carpet a hard glare again.

"It's… hard to say. I'm still having a hard time remembering it all in the correct order… so much has happened, it's more of a loaded question than you think," Sonia muttered bitterly.

"Take your time. I'm not asking you to give me all of the details, just… an idea of what you guys have been through," Amy said softly.

Sonia grimaced, but found her attention drawn to the hallway behind Amy and Knuckles at the sound of the back door clicking closed. When Sonia's grimace deepened, Amy gave her a lift of her brow. Before she could verbally question Sonia, Amy turned to find Shadow and Silver emerging from the hall. Shadow stopped in his tracks, his eyes moving from Amy and Knuckles to Sonia's before holding her charged look with his own straight face. Behind him, Silver halted as Shadow did instinctively, his tired, almost uncaring eyes looking over Shadow's shoulder and realizing Sonia had spotted him already. Silver released a light sigh and looked elsewhere.

"Leave your weapons outside," Sonia said to Shadow.

"They aren't loaded currently," Shadow responded evenly.

"They better not be," Sonia said.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Silver. He watched me unload them on the deck," Shadow said firmly.

"Unload them into who? My infected neighbors? Or maybe you used the elderly lady down the street for target practice on your way over here?" Sonia snapped.

"Sonia," Manic reprimanded.

Shadow didn't respond. The magenta girl tightened her crossed arms and pulled out of Manic's hold as he tightened his grip, and Amy winced at the venom in Sonia's voice. The pinkette gave Shadow a look, but his hard and unwavering eyes still held Sonia's cold blue, as if he expected this from her. Amy watched Silver move from behind Shadow to the wall behind the couch, the tired boy ignoring the tension and crouching to a rugged blue school bag, a dirty wooden bat resting on its side. With the sound of the white hedgehog's rummaging breaking the thick silence, Amy used the noise to move into Sonia's line of sight, hopefully blocking her view of the ebony hedgehog.

"Shadow helped get me here safely. He also wants to know what happened to you guys," Amy said.

"Yeah, we all want to know what the hell is going on here, Sonia," Knuckles added.

Sonia focused on the younger girl, sighing as Manic fled from her side and greeted Shadow behind them. Amy broke from Sonia's harsh stare to side eye Shadow as Manic approached him. The ebony patted Manic shoulder's only for the green boy to bring him into a tight hold suddenly. Shocked, Shadow caught Amy's eye as if asking how he should respond, only for Amy to give him a small encouraging curve of her lips. Stiff, Shadow awkwardly hugged the boy back as Manic's shoulder's began to tremble. After a moment, Shadow pushed him back, clearing his throat and asking Manic if he were okay. Manic shrugged and instead started listing off the names of the chaotix. When Shadow shook his head, Manic lowered his head, and Shadow placed an arm on his shoulder and bowed his head in turn, closing his eyes in shared mourning.

Knuckles sighed beside Amy and moved to the couch to sit, Silver sluggishly joining the echidna and taking the other end of the brown sofa. Though her feet screamed for reprieve, Amy stood before Sonia with a swallow, not wanting to be the target of her ire, but knowing she'd never get her answers if she didn't continue to push the older girl. She reached for Sonia's hands and pressed them between her own.

"Sonia, please," Amy tried again.

"Fine. But you're not going to like any of it… or where any of this is going," Sonia warned.

"Going?" Amy echoed.

Sonia's face turned grim as she pulled her hands from Amy and turned to stare at one of the boarded up windows.

"Thursday night, Manic and I were watching a movie when mom came home, late as usual. There was something wrong with her, though. She had tears in her eyes and she looked like she'd seen a ghost," Sonia began.

As Amy's thoughts moved to Aleena, the motherly purple hedgehog and her usually caring disposition, she had a hard time imagining the woman spooked or in any form of shock. Manic moved to Sonia's side as she started to explain, rubbing her back and giving his own input.

"Sonia thought mom was having a panic attack or something and we couldn't get her out of it. It was so freaky that Sonia had me call EMS," Manic added.

"It was so odd. We couldn't get her to tell us what happened to her, and I didn't know who could really help. And right after Mainc called 911, she snapped out of it and started screaming bloody murder," Sonia explained, her voice raising a pitch.

"Sonia managed to calm her down and make her come to, in a way, but when we asked her what was wrong, she was speaking gibberish," Manic explained.

"I had Mainc draw her a bath and talked her into getting in and washing up. That seemed to help, but something didn't seem right. She had blood stains on her blouse and she was shaking even though the water was piping hot. I immediately called Sonic to see when he'd be home, but his phone went straight to voicemail, which only made me worry more, even though I knew what he was up to," Sonia said.

Amy swallowed as she mentally flinched at the thought of Sonic and Sally having their way with each other in the park. Though the feeling sunk to the pit of her stomach, she couldn't help the bitter anger that started to surface as a result.

If only Sonic had been with me…

"Mom came out of the bath all serious after that, started asking us questions like she wasn't just in the middle of having a crisis. We tried to get her to sit down, but when she realized Sonic wasn't home, she started putting on her coat like she was going out to get him," Manic said, baffled as he recalled the events.

Sonia's face lit with guilt as she rubbed an arm.

"It's my fault, really. When Sonic didn't pick up, I freaked out and went to tell mom. I wasn't thinking," Sonia said.

Amy's brow furrowed as a thought struck her.

"So, she went looking for him at the park and she never came back," Amy muttered, mostly to herself.

Sonia stilled and gave Amy an empty look, which unnerved the unsuspecting pinkette. Sonia crossed her arms with a stern purse of her lips, looking as if she were only a few seconds from getting after Amy.

"Yeah, the park," Sonia enunciated slowly under her breath.

Amy swallowed, but Manic kept going, oblivious to the rising tension between the two girls.

"We tried to call mom and tell her to come back home, but she never picked up. And things just got crazier after that."

Sonia kept her eyes on Amy, but continued to recall Thursday night.

"Manic saw lights outside, which should have been a relief, but mom wasn't home anymore. As we headed to the door to let EMS in and tell them mom had left, the ambulance came crashing through the house!" Sonia said.

Manic shook his head, eyes darting to the boarded up front doors.

"Sonia and I hit the deck, and then we heard one of the EMS guys crying out, like he was being skinned alive or somethin'. It was awful, man," Manic said, clutching his stomach as if simply remembering it would make him vomit.

"Manic and I made a run for it and hid behind the bookshelf when we heard the screams. All we heard after that were these disgusting wet noises and smacking. It took everything I had not to pass out once we realized the paramedic was eating his partner," Sonia said.

"It was too freaky. All I could think to do was try and chase him away, scare him somehow, but when I went for him, he started screeching and coming after me. I didn't have time to think. Luckily, Sonia was a step ahead of me and smashed his head in with a vase," Manic said with a grateful look toward his sister.

Sonia made an angry puff and stomped her foot.

"It was maddening! The very personnel that gets paid to help us crashed into our house and gave us more trouble than anything. To top it off, we didn't know about the infection yet, so I was more afraid that I would get arrested for assaulting a medical officer," Sonia said, guilt tainting her words.

An understanding look fell across Amy's face as she listened, eyes falling on the blood stains in the carpet, covered by the end table in the corner.

"We called the police and they were on the scene pretty quickly with another ambulance. They pulled out the crashed ambulance and took the paramedic and his partner away, and started asking us questions. When they started asking us about insurance, we told them our mom wasn't home to handle that part," Manic explained, his ears falling.

"And before we could put in a missing report for her, the police got called away for something else. And they just left us here, without answers, without help. Then, we started hearing screams and sirens in the distance, like the night was just… alive," Sonia said.

"So we took one of the couches from here to block the crumbling hole in the wall on that side of the house in the meantime. We boarded the windows and covered the bloodstains later. Mom's room was completely demolished and Sonia's room looked unstable, so we stowed away in my room, waiting to see if Sonic and mom would come home soon," Manic said sadly.

Sonia's lips upturned as if she smelled something funky.

"Then, at the ass crack of dawn, we saw the broadcast," Sonia said sourly.

"Robotnik's demands…" Amy muttered to herself.

Sonia slammed a fist onto the wall, everyone watching.

"That damn fat bastard! Those humans have been nothing but leeches to us since G.U.N. came here! We wouldn't even be in this mess if G.U.N. had just left us alone and stretched their greedy, intergalactic fingers elsewhere. All G.U.N. has done is take things from us! Even worse, that bulbous fuck of a madman wants to take these stupid gems that weren't anything but a myth up until now!"

Manic worked to calm his seething sister and Amy shrunk back, their story disturbing her. The pinkette stole a glance at the couch while Manic muttered assurances to Sonia, seeing Silver numbly watching his feet, while Knuckles eyed the coffee table as he leaned forward with his good arm on a knee. Shadow leaned against the wall behind the two, staring at the back of the couch until something to his left took his interest. His ears cocked to the noise first, and his instinctive urge to snatch his gun rushed over him a moment as he faced the dark hallway intently. Amy sighed, trying to slow her thudding pulse as she searched for the courage to ask the question that has been eating at her.

"I don't care if I'm being insensitive. G.U.N. didn't help us when they came, mom is still missing, and Sonic is… he's…," Sonia said in a harsh whisper to Manic.

Amy inched toward the pair, her softening eyes begging.

"Sonia, please. I know it's hard, but I need to know what happened to Sonic," she asked delicately.

Sonia refused to look at her as Manic grabbed both of Sonia's shoulders, rubbing them as they waited for Sonia to speak. Amy could feel herself on the verge of tears again, her shallow breaths turning watery. She backed away, head low.

"I see. Then he must be… d-dead," Amy whispered.

"It depends on your definition of dead."

The color left Amy's face.

Though the voice of the girl interrupting their gathering was unstable and filled with remorse, Amy felt no sympathy the moment her eyes rested on the red-headed chipmunk. Materializing from the darkened hall, Sally stepped into the light with her hands clasped in front of her, her body working to stand tall as all eyes fell on her. She still wore the very cheerleading skirt that Amy distinctly remembered riding up and barely covering her as Sonic had pressed his hips in between her legs just a night ago. She had covered the top half of herself with one of Sonic's sweaters, the golden brown one Amy loved to see on her blue hero. But on Sally, it simply looked dull as it blended in with the color of her fur and clashed with her white and blue skirt. Sally sniffed, her puffy red eyes welling with fresh tears.

"Hey everyone," she said.

Sonia rushed to Sally's side, immediately making an effort to comfort the chipmunk that was clearly working to keep herself together. Even as Sonia coaxed the chipmunk into the living room with a rub of her back, Sally only moved so far, as if chained to the dark hallway behind her. Sally gave Sonia a sad smile as she wiped her eyes with a sleeve.

"How is he?" Sonia muttered.

Amy's ears protected her, almost refusing to pick up the conversation as she backed away, her head filled with angry, white noise. Shame flooded Sally's face and Amy's face twisted to that of scrutiny.

Sally made it out of the park without getting infected… then does that mean that Sonic made it out as well?

Sonia moved to let Sally step forward and face everyone on her own, Manic taking the other side. Amy frowned at the protective gesture as they flanked her, but crossed her arms as Knuckles got up from the couch and stood by the pinkette's side in response. Amy side eyed the echidna and found genuine confusion. She moved her glance around the echidna and found Silver's head bowed, his eyes closed tightly though. Shadow was glaring at the darkened hall Sally had emerged from, his body tensed as if ready to pounce.

"What's all this about?' Knuckles asked.

"Sally brought Sonic to us yesterday morning, not long after that fat man's creepy broadcast," Sonia explained.

"Can we see him? If he's in rough shape, we get it, but at least let us see how he's holdin' up," Knuckles spoke up before they could explain further.

Manic and Sonia shared a worried glance, but Sally stepped forward, looking Amy, Knuckles, and Shadow in the eye one time each with a brave countenance. She sighed wetly and nodded to the hall.

"This way," Sally said.

"Wait, Sally - ," Sonia started.

Manic grabbed his sister's shoulders as Knuckles passed them by, the echidna following Sally eagerly.

"They need to know, Sonia."

Amy caught their exchange, but followed behind Knuckles quickly, her desperation to see her blue hero taking over. She felt Shadow trail behind her as they breached the dark hallway, the light of the bathroom seeping from underneath the furthest door on their left. Amy picked up the subtle rush of water, but Knuckles verbalized the question she was thinking first.

"Is he showerin'? We can wait if–," Knuckles said.

"Not… not quite," Sally murmured.

Sally pulled out an allen wrench from her pocket and carefully pressed it against a small hole behind the door handle. Knuckles furrowed his brow at this, but he didn't have time to question it as Sally pushed the door ajar and gestured the three of them inside.

"Just try not to make a lot of noise. He's sensitive to it," Sally said.

Knuckles swallowed and stepped in, Sally waiting on the outside of the door. Amy didn't make eye contact with the chipmunk as she passed through the door, but as the familiar layout of the bathroom stretched in front of her, she found her curiosity take over. The sink on the right gushed with water, the separate tub and shower combo against the opposite wall catching her attention next. The tub's rushing facet dueted the sink's flowing melody, flooding the space and their ears with dissonance. Behind the frosted glass of the stand-in shower, Sonic's quills bristled and Amy felt her heart surge.

"H-hold on. Is he–?" Knuckles started.

"Sonikku!" Amy called in relief.

Reaching with shaking hands, Amy's excitement took over as she rushed to the shower doors, too blinded to notice the wooden plank wedged into the space at the shower's base. As she slammed her palms into the glass and steady herself, she peered into the blurred surface, eyes filled with the blue she knew too well as her questions piled to the top of her throat. Yet, those questions would stay there, as the moment she tried to voice them, Sonic turned back with a jerk, his bloodied teeth and foggy emerald eyes staring back at her.

"SKREE!"

The pinkette's pulse shot to the roof as she swallowed her gasp and tripped in her efforts to back pedal. She hit the tiled floor with a whimper, her bow clattering to the floor as Knuckles stepped in front of her with a fist up, weary of the blue blur that threw his body maniacally at the shower doors. Through her panic, Amy felt Shadow's presence before he gingerly touched her arm. She looked up at him with frightened and betrayed eyes as he held an arm out for her. Sally stepped in, her form glued to the door frame as she watched them with an eerie stare.

"He was with me Thursday night. We were on our way back from the park and stopped for a pizza at St. John's. I realized I left something behind and Sonic went back to the park to get it for me," Sally voiced.

Shadow pulled Amy to stand, but each shove and cry from Sonic made the girl wince, her legs weakening with each blow. She dared to watch her hero's desperate try at escape, each press against the frosted glass revealing bits and pieces of his infected state. He was littered with scratches and missing patches of fur, his athleticwear ripped and stained with what he'd done. Amy swallowed hard as Shadow held her up by the arms, the pinkette unable to break away from the sight.

"Then, it started raining. I didn't think anything of it, but then a group of people came into the parlor screaming. They barricaded the door and told the owner to call the police. No one could tell me what was happening when I asked, but they wouldn't let me leave when I tried to go looking for Sonic. But I didn't have to go far, because when I looked out the window, I saw him in the street, tearing a small child apart with his teeth," Sally continued.

Knuckles kept his fist up, but shook his head and looked back at the chipmunk in disgust.

"Are you fucking serious? Why… no.. H-how… how did you bring him all the way here like this?" Knuckles asked.

Sally shrugged, eyes vacant.

"I couldn't tell you if the situation just made me go mad, or if I was just in denial. All I know is that seeing him like this hurt me and I couldn't watch him hurt innocent people. I had to do something," Sally said.

"The child wasn't his only victim," Shadow stated as Amy withered in his hold, still stun-locked.

Sally turned and pressed her forehead into the wall, rubbing her arms as she recalled that night.

"I tried calling his name from inside the pizza parlor, hoping that would snap him out of it, but when I finally managed to get his attention, the police cornered him in the street," Sally explained, her throat tightening up.

The chipmunk pushed off the wall and fearlessly stepped to the shuddering glass doors. Sonic's cries were already lowering, but as she pressed a hand to the glass and shushed the blue teen, he quieted and stilled. Amy watched on with her heart still thudding hard in her chest, a dark, somewhat possessive feeling taking hold of her as she watched Sonic press against the glass where Sally rested her hand.

"They drew their guns and I was terrified that they might actually shoot him. The people inside still wouldn't let me out, so I took a chair to the window until it broke, but by the time I made it out to the street, Sonic had already attacked all the officers that had been dispatched. H-he… didn't leave any survivors."

It was then that Amy noticed Sonic's arms seemed to be stuck behind him, his previous efforts to escape facilitated by his shoulders alone. As the blue blur twisted in his glass enclosure, the glint of the light reflecting off of something metal around his arms caught her attention, but she regretted her observation, for she found the red of what she thought was fresh blood around his wrists. She could only imagine his struggles caused his restraints to bite into his skin, rubbing them raw. The thought alone made her sick.

"W-when he saw me, I wasn't sure what he was going to do to me, so I ran, like a coward. I tried to get into one of the police cruisers and get away, but he was too fast. He stuck his arm in the door before I could close it and I couldn't get him to back off. While I was trying to fight him off, I found some loose handcuffs in the seat and snapped one side to his wrist. I tried to cuff him to the door handle, but he was too strong, so I jumped out of the other side and tried to run. But he followed me. He got his arms around me, but he didn't bite me like he had the others, so I used the opportunity to grab the other end of the cuff and cuffed his arms behind him."

Knuckles took a few slow steps back until he was next to Shadow and Amy as Sally seemed transfixed on the blue blur behind the glass.

"I almost left him there, but his cries broke me. And when I looked back at him, he looked like he was pleading for me not to leave him. So, I cut a seat belt from the cruiser and tied it to his cuffs, dragging him with me."

Knuckles looked at the chipmunk as if she had a screw loose, but took note of the way Sonic seemed at ease now that Sally was near.

"I managed to bring him all the way here, infected, but not dead. And every bit of me thinks that, on the inside, Sonic is grateful to be here. I can see it in his eyes."

A low whine from deep in Sonic's throat, fighting against the torrent.

"Sorry. I just need a moment," Amy mumbled.

She pulled from Shadow's hold and stumbled away as she covered her mouth, passing Sonia and Manic who had collected right outside of the bathroom door. She fled back down the hall as Sally and Knuckles continued to talk about Sonic's sorry state. Once in the empty living room, she veered right and slid through the opening to the kitchen. Passing the island sink and heading straight for the fridge, she opened it and reached for a bottle of water, snatching one and hurrying to get it open with shuddering hands. She chugged it quickly, but her stomach lurched and she threw herself to the kitchen sink, emptying the liquid into the drain as she heaved.

I can't believe this. Sonic… my hero… my beloved. He's gone.

Flashes of Sally's story flooded her brain as she glared at the bottom of the sink, vividly imagining Sally's struggle with Sonic in tow against the stainless steel below her. Then, she remembered his bloodied teeth she saw through the foggy glass and imagined him gnawing on the organs of an officer. She turned on the sink as a bout of nausea climbed her throat.

I hate this! I don't want to admit it… but Sally must really love him to have risked her life to save him. And she was smart enough to bring him all the way here and survive at that. I guess I don't have to wonder why he chose her.

Frustration turned her face sour and she shut her eyes.

No. It should have been me! He should have been with me! Had he come to the park for me, maybe this wouldn't have happened to him in the first place. No, I should have admitted my feelings to Sonic sooner, tried to harder to make him mine… I should have…

Doubt immediately pooled in her stomach, along with something else Amy could only guess was guilt mixed with jealousy.

Who am I kidding? The note was obviously meant for her. And even if by some miracle it wasn't, Sonic made his choice. I saw that with my own eyes. I can't unsee it. Chaos, I wish… I almost wish I never opened that note. I should've listened to Rouge and maybe I wouldn't feel this way.

Resolute footsteps joined her in the kitchen as she turned off the sink and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, looking up from the sink exhaustedly. Sonia waited at the kitchen entrance unenthused, hands on her hips as her eyes fell on the recovering younger girl. Amy could see it on her face, the all-too-familiar facial expression that told her the older girl was preparing to have a hard conversation with her. Amy stiffened as she leaned over the sink, but did her best to keep her emotions from floating to the surface.

Chaos, not right now.

"Hey," Sonia greeted.

"Sonia," Amy responded through tight lips.

Sonia sighed and moved to the other side of the island, eying the marbled surface before regarding Amy with concern. This made the pinkette relax just a bit, but it was too soon for her to let her guard down completely.

"Look. I'm glad you're alive. Ecstatic, actually. You're like a sister to me and I'm not sure what I would have done if I knew you didn't make it," Sonia said.

Well, I would have liked to have been your potential sister-in-law, but it looks like someone else took that title before I could. And you didn't do a thing to stop it.

"I'm glad you're alive, too. I'm not sure I can handle losing anyone else," Amy said tightly.

"Agreed. It's already hard enough seeing Sonic in the state he's in. We're just lucky Sally was strong enough to bring him here. It must have been an impossible trip for her."

Amy clenched the edge of the sink and directed a hard stare at the counters on the far right wall.

"Yeah. Poor Sally."

Sonia crossed her arms and moved into Amy's line of sight. Amy realized Sonia's facial expression had hardened and her hip cocked to the side as she frowned deeply with distaste at Amy's snarky response. Rather than feel shame, Amy's blood started to boil at Sonia's disposition.

"Sally told me you were at the park."

Amy's mouth went dry.

What?

The kitchen faucet dripped. Amy didn't dare blink as her face emptied of color and Sonia watched her with a knowing lift of her brow.

"She said Sonic noticed you, too, running away. She feels awful that you had to see them like that. If you give her a chance later, she wants to apologize to you," Sonia continued.

Amy scoffed.

"There's no need for her to apologize," Amy said as evenly as she could manage.

"Maybe not, but I think you should hear her out. I want things to remain civil right now. I don't need the drama between you two to make things harder than they already are."

"Do you feel bad that I saw them?" Amy asked just above a whisper.

"Sally certainly does. That's why I think you should talk to her and–"

"I didn't ask what she thought. I'm asking what you think," Amy snapped.

"It doesn't matter what I think! They saw you, Amy, and what they were doing was something they felt bad that you had to see!"

Amy threw her hands up, rolling her eyes.

"Ha! Well, it's good to know they really weren't too busy fucking to notice me! That makes me feel so much better!"

"Don't get snappy with me, Amy Rose! You really want to know what I think? I think you had no business spying on them in the first place!"

Amy reeled sharply at the accusation, leaning over the sink in a crouch as if preparing to launch herself over the island at the older girl.

"I wasn't spying on them!"

"Oh? Then what exactly were you doing in the park late at night, hm? At the same date, time and venue Sonic planned to ask Sally to be his girl?" Sonia asked, her voice rising an octave.

"I was–!"

Amy's rebuttal caught in her throat, which only made Sonia huff and tap her foot impatiently, an irritating trait she shared with her brothers, but reminded Amy of Sonic more than anything. The pinkette clenched her fists and looked away.

Chaos, that damn note…

"Who cares why I was at the park? It's a free country and I can go where I want."

"Oh, don't give me that! I know you all too well. I'm not even sure how you figured out that they were going to be in the park, but I'm not letting this go until you explain yourself," Sonia said.

Amy's brows upturned at her comment, knowing she was right in a way. Had she truly learned Sonic and Sally were planning to get together, part of her would have been pressed enough to spy on their moment, or at the least question Sonic about it to see if it were true.

Better for me to know and back off than to be oblivious and lose my mind as Sonic continues to give me the run around.

"Hello? You still in there, or are you going to get stuck in la-la land like you usually do instead of facing reality like the rest of us?"

Sonia waved a hand in her face and Amy's dazed look was quickly overtaken by her rising resentment.

"Whatever. I don't need to explain anything, and I am not listening to Sally's half-baked apology, okay? Just leave me alone!"

"Like hell, I'll leave you alone. First, you're going to tell me why you were snooping, or I'm going to chalk it up to sabotage on your part. Second, you're going to apologize to her for ruining their moment. Third, if you plan on staying here tonight, you're going to leave Sonic's room to Sally. Got it? Don't even look in the direction of his bedroom."

Amy felt her anger soar to irate levels of ticked-off, the feeling stunning her into silence as she stared deep into Sonia's burning glare. When the pinkette finally spoke, it was just above a whisper.

"Is this what you wanted? Was this your goal when you introduced them to each other back then?"

"Excuse me?"

Amy fell silent and her neck grew cold, immediately regretting the words the moment they left her lips. Sonia's quills lifted and her arms started to shake at her sides as she grit her teeth, staring daggers into the pinkette. Amy swallowed and pursed her lips, preparing for her next words, knowing she deserved what was coming to her.

"How dare you! You know, for someone who loves my brother so much, you act like a real brat when it comes to his happiness and it doesn't involve you! Have you ever thought about anyone but yourself when it comes to Sonic? How can someone so sweet be so selfish at the same time?" Sonia shouted.

Sonia grabbed the granite edge of the island between them. Amy backed into the fridge, rubbing an arm, her voice small as a fridge magnet or two clattered to the ground.

"I-I'm not being selfish. I just… I want… I've always wanted…"

"Oh, you're not selfish? Then why is the first thing out of your mouth I want, huh? Jeeze, and you even have the nerve to point the finger at me like my introducing Sonic to her back in 9th grade made him lose interest in you, let alone turn him into a flesh eating monster! What, you think I asked for all this? Do you think this is my fault?"

"I-I'm not trying to blame you! I blame…" Amy started before trailing.

Myself.

Sonia shoved off the island, flustered tears spilling.

"Ugh, whatever, Amy! If you want to blame anyone for the mess you're in, blame yourself!"

Sonia stormed out of the kitchen seething, clipping her shoulder against the wall in her haste. Amy couldn't watch. All she could do was squeeze her own burning eyes shut as she slid down the fridge door to crumble on the ground.

I just had to open my big mouth…

She brought her knees in, traitor tears spilling though she worked to keep them at bay. It was there, on that grimy kitchen floor, that the impact of the last two days began to pulse against her body. The scratches from the infected's claws, the muscle fibers she'd ripped from the climbing and running for her life, the bruise on her stomach from hitting that mezzanine. She went slack in her position and her body pulsed, the pinkette letting the tears stain her ruffled jeans as the sound of Manic talking Sonia down in the living room lulled her into a trance.

When a different set of voices made it to her ears, she realized sitting on the hard floor would only worsen her pain. As Knuckles and Sally's voices trailed into the kitchen from the living room, Amy got up from her grave of hardwood, displaced fridge magnets and crumbs and headed for the conversation, using the island as a crutch. She halted at the entrance, mentally preparing herself with a wipe of her nose.

"I can guess why you would bring Sonic here. Still, kinda dangerous to bring an infected person in here when Manic and Sonia are perfectly healthy."

"I was low on options and I didn't want to lose him. Plus I had something around his mouth when I got here; we just thought it was inhumane to keep it on him once he was locked away. Sonic was clearly suffering and I thought the only place he would be safe was at home. And I couldn't take him to my house, with my dad and all–"

"Right, right. Your old man hates his guts, thinks he's a bad influence on you, yada yada. We know. But what if he gets out? You sure that water is enough to keep him from flipping his shit and going rogue? You saw how he reacted to Amy."

Amy surfaced from the kitchen, finding Sonia, Manic, and Sally across the room sitting on the piano bench and facing the couch. Manic was rubbing Sonia's back again while the magenta hedgehog quietly seethed, her face in her hands. Sally was perched on the other side of Sonia, eyes on the three boys across from her as she thoughtfully engaged Knuckles in conversation. Amy eyed the back of Silver and Knuckles' heads, the two boys taking the same seats on the couch from before. Shadow had found his place as well, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall behind the couch.

"We've been taking turns looking after him, Knux. Chill. Sonia takes first watch at night so we can get some sleep and then we rotate. No biggie," Manic interjected.

Sally found the pinkette from across the room and gave her a small smile, but the young hedgehog would not have it. She gave the chipmunk an emotionless look, before keeping to the back wall and finding her place beside Shadow, mimicking his posture. She felt Shadow's gaze fall on her for a moment, but shame kept her head low. Silver shifted on the couch in front of them as Knuckles sighed heavily and shook his head.

"Ah, whatever. The real question is what are we going to do about everyone else?" Knuckles asked.

Sonia sighed harshly into her hands, but didn't raise her head to address him. Sally shared a look with Manic over the magenta girl and Sally looked ready to say something, but the others began to speak.

"I need to find Blaze and make sure she's safe. I'm not saying that everyone else is not important, but Blaze is my priority."

Amy's ears twitched at Silver's scratchy, weak voice, his words refreshing to her ears after getting an earful from Sonia. Knuckles nudged Silver's shoulder with a grunt.

"Hey, I'm with you, man. Rouge and her mom come first for me," Knuckles admitted.

"The Chaotix are out of commission. Blaze and Rouge are still unaccounted for. And … my aunt has not called me back," Shadow said.

"I still need to find my mom. Cream and her mother are out there as well. I was on the phone with them when G.U.N. was evacuating their area. And has anyone heard from Tails?" Amy asked carefully without looking across the room.

When no one responded, her head fell as the awkward silence prevailed.

"We need to find our mom, too," Manic muttered.

"Mina, Julie and I were supposed to have a sleepover at Bunnie's new apartment, now I can't tell you where they are. And I haven't seen my brother and dad in a week. I know my dad is in town somewhere, but Elias was supposed to be back from a business trip Thursday night. Who knows if he ever made it back. I've heard the barrier over the city is hard to see and some of the people driving in and out of town have crashed into it…" Sally said somberly.

Amy winced at the thought of Bunnie and Julie-Su, but kept her mouth shut. She side eyed Shadow, who hadn't moved, but his face seemed to harden at Sally's words. Knuckle's aggressive shifting against his spot on the couch caught her attention then and her stomach dropped as he started to speak, afraid he would mention Julie's fate.

"Okay, well we know we've got some work to do, people to find. But then what?" Knuckles asked.

"We all go to a safehouse and wait out this nightmare," Silver said.

Sonia finally lifted her head, her eyes bloodshot as she frowned at Silver. The magenta girl sighed and raked a hand through her bangs before sitting straight with a dignified cross of her legs. Manic gave her a lift of his eyebrow and Sally waited expectantly. Sonia cleared her throat.

"We think that there's a way to bring Sonic back."

It took several heartbeats for anyone to speak up again. Silver groaned and his head slouched low. Amy's brow furrowed at Sonic's mention. Knuckles sat straight, his back stock still. And Shadow, though he moved little, scoffed and twisted a sour look in the trio's direction.

"Bring him back? You seriously think that monster in the bathroom is still Sonic?" Knuckles said, looking pointedly as Sonia.

Sonia crossed her arms and kept her poise as she prepared to speak, but Manic leaned over, his arm hovering protectively in front of his sister.

"It's just a hunch, Knux. Cool it," Manic said.

"Sally and I were comparing notes last night about the infected. The ones on the news, the ones Sally ran into on her way here, the paramedic, and Sonic. Yes, they're all flesh-eating monsters, but the fact that Sonic seemed to calm down once he was with Sally made us think the infected may actually be alive to some degree. Well, Sally thinks so, at least," Sonia said lowly, hard glare directed at the carpet.

Shadow and Knuckles' eyes found Sally as she tugged on a sleeve, a hint of shame floating around her as she met their scrutinizing faces. Amy looked up and Sally found it easier to look at the pinkette than the judgemental eyes of the other two boys, hopeful that the information would bring life into the pink girl and maybe gain her favor. Yet, Amy's emotionless stare made Sally think otherwise as Amy stared straight through her before grimacing and looking away. Sally bit her lip, her confidence waning.

"The chaos emeralds. They can fix this… all of this. Just one emerald could bring him back," Sally whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Amy shook her head and closed her eyes.

First Project S, these flesh-eating monsters, and now the emeralds? There's no way… When am I going to wake up from this nightmare?

"You're both insane," Knuckles said.

Sally winced at his words, but Sonia let out a disgusted noise and put an arm in front of the chipmunk, pointing accusingly at the echidna with the other.

"Oh, can it, Knuckles. You'd be desperate to bring Rouge back if she were in Sonic's position. And you have no business calling us insane when you three were just out gallivanting through the streets, doing chaos-knows what," Sonia spat.

Knuckles growled and clenched his good fist, preparing to stand and physically challenge Sonia, but the girl remained in her seat, turning her nose up at the echidna. Shadow leaned forward and placed a hand on Knuckle's shoulder in an attempt to keep him order. Sally's eyes glistened with a plea as she regarded the three newcomers.

"Sonic is still in there. I just know it. If we can get our hands on just one emerald, then maybe he can be normal again," Sally told them.

They didn't speak, and as the silence between them persisted, Knuckles flicked Shadow's hand off his shoulder with a grunt. Finally, Shadow spoke.

"So, what is this plan you've concocted?"

Sally gave Shadow a small smile, but it faltered at the corners as she interpreted his look.

"I get the feeling you don't actually want to hear it, or to be a part of it for that matter," Sally said.

"I won't entertain it, but you three seem to have already agreed on a course of action and I'd rather not be blindsided when you start to enact your plan, if you haven't already," Shadow responded plainly.

"Right… well, I –" Sally started.

"The emeralds that Dr. Robotnik demanded in his broadcast… you think they could reverse Sonic's condition," Amy stated, giving Sally a blank stare.

Sally turned her hopeful gaze to Amy with a nod, happy to have finally gotten a response from the quiet girl.

"Right. We–"

"The chaos emeralds are just a myth. And if you were paying attention to the broadcast, you would have caught that the doctor isn't exactly sane. You know, I don't know you too well, Sally, but I didn't take you as the type to put stock in the words of a literal psychopath," Amy spat.

Sonia scoffed and got to her feet in an effort to defend the chipmunk, but Sally stood herself, beckoning Sonia to back down. Sally sobered as Sonia roughly threw herself back on the bench, Manic giving his attention to the chipmunk that stood tall and took on three pairs of unenthused eyes valiantly.

"The chaos emeralds are real. I've seen them. Well, I've seen one, at least. The rest are trapped in stories passed on through my family."

The four across from her had their eye on her, even Silver, though unlike the others, his eyes weren't filled with judgement. Instead, Silver's worn eyes were low and dull, and he almost looked as if he expected whatever story Sally was going to tell. The chipmunk took a breath as they waited for her to speak. She brought her eyes to the coffee table as she recounted a memory.

"When I was little, my brother Elias got sick with a near incurable sickness. It was so severe that he was pulled out of school for months and I was only allowed to see him at any given moment for ten minutes at a time because that was all he could handle. He was frail and could hardly speak. I prayed to Chaos every night for his health, because everytime he closed his eyes, I feared he wouldn't open them again. It was a pretty miserable time in my life," Sally began.

Knuckles pressed his back into the couch cushions and Shadow crossed his arms and leaned a hip on the side of the couch, but both boys listened. Amy huffed, but eyed the chipmunk unwillingly. She noticed Sally seemed tormented by something as she worked to remember. The pinkette's heart grew heavy for a moment, but she shook off the feeling.

"My late grandmother stayed with him most nights and eventually took over our in-home doctor's efforts to save Elias. When modern medicines weren't working and Elias' body started to rapidly deteriorate, my parents realized we were running out of options and decided to give ancient healing a try, much to the delight of my grandmother," Sally continued.

Knuckle's brow furrowed and a thought seemed to strike him. Amy tried to keep her look neutral, but couldn't help but perk her ears up at Sally's story, especially after noticing Knuckle's odd movement. She made a mental note to ask the echidna about it later, if he didn't say what was on his mind before then.

"One night, I got up from bed because I couldn't sleep. I was… hearing things. Strange noises and voices. I thought they were ghosts or spirits of some kind. So, I ran to my parents room, but on my way, I saw a strange light coming from Elias's bedroom door. The voices I had heard in my sleep seemed to be coming from his room, and I thought that his time had come and the spirits were coming to take him away. So I opened the door, hoping I could save him somehow."

Sally's eyes seemed to dilate as she spoke. Amy worriedly watched her movements, and scooted down the wall closer to Shadow.

"That's when I saw it, a yellow gem floating at the center of the room and casting a powerful, burning light everywhere like a second sun. My grandmother was chanting something and the whole room was vibrating. And Elias… he was floating in the center, just below the emerald, the muscle fibers of his body threading through him and restructuring themselves. It was both terrifying and exhilarating, even though I couldn't fathom what was happening to him. To this day, the whole ordeal feels like a fever dream, but I know it was real."

As Sally's description of Elias's body repairing itself made her stomach churn, Amy side-eyed the ebony hedgehog on her right, watching as he shifted uncomfortably at the chipmunk's story. Amy made another mental note as Sally pressed on.

"My grandmother saw me and stopped her chant. She never explained what she was doing, but she told me to never speak of it or the emerald to anyone. She said it was a family secret and if anyone knew about it, they might take it away from us. That was the last time I spoke with her, because she passed not long after that night, and a week later, my brother walked out of his room, completely healed."

Amy felt her neck grow cold as Sally's blue eyes caught hers. The chipmunk didn't blink as she finished her tale, her stare holding Amy in place.

"Dad says my grandmother died of natural causes, but I can guarantee it was the power of the emerald that overwhelmed her. Whatever she was doing to harness the emerald's energy put a strain on her old heart. Had my parents valued the ancient ways before Elias' sickness, I too would have been taught in the ancient medical ways of my family. And part of me wishes I had, because then I might have been able to fix all this, maybe even prevent it," Sally finished.

Knuckles placed his chin in his good hand, turning to stare at the many family photos in thought. Amy watched Sally intently, the chipmunk holding her head high as she finished reconouting her story and waited expectantly. Still unenthused, Shadow shifted his weight to a different leg, levying an eyebrow at Sally.

"And I'm guessing this plan of yours involves this particular gem?" Shadow asked.

Sally nodded firmly.

"I want to go back to my estate and get the emerald that has been under my family's care and bring it back here. I… haven't seen it since that night with my brother and we've never discussed the emeralds' existence between one another nor with my parents, but I'm sure it's hidden somewhere within the Acorn Estate. And while I'm there, I can scan the archives and look for something on the ancient medical enchantments my grandmother used on my brother. I figure, since it runs in the family, I might be able to replicate her work on Sonic if the emeralds exposure alone doesn't turn him back," Sally explained.

Sally eyed the three skeptics positively, though Knuckles wasn't looking at her and Amy was looking through her, as if in a trance. Shadow was the only one that seemed to regard her with any emotion, so she focussed on him, waiting for his approval. Unfortunately, it never came.

"Hmph. Fantastic. I'm guessing you, Sonia and Manic are just going to waltz down the street to the Acorn Estate and pick up the emerald like the city isn't littered with monsters and G.U.N. soldiers at every turn," Shadow said.

Manic's eyebrows lifted and he gave the ebony hedgehog a sheepish grin as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well, when Silv told us you were comin', Shads, we thought it might make sense, well, for you to go with Sal to get the emerald. With all that gun safety and military training, you'd be the best person for the job after all," Manic said.

Manic's tired, but youthful smirk toward Shadow kept him from replying, Manic's genuine compliment making him rethink his response for a moment.

"Yeah. If you're going to be trigger happy, you might as well do it out there," Sonia chimed in.

Shadow kept his retort behind his lips, but Knuckles stood abruptly, his good fist in front of him.

"You serious, Sonia? You know, you've gotta funny way of asking for help. And what, you guys too afraid to go out and get your hands dirty yourself?" Knuckles asked with his arms out.

"I'm just being practical. Shadow loves shooting things and I don't want him putting a bullet in Sonic's head. He can blow some steam out there while he escorts Sally home and back here safely. We all win in this situation. Don't look at me like I'm the crazy one," Sonia said, sparing Shadow a flash of her icy eyes.

"Oh, get your head out of your ass, Sonia! You've got a fucking freak in your shower and you think some sparkly, mystical rock is going to fix him! Even worse, you want someone else to do the heavy lifting for you to go get the damn thing! What are we to you, your fucking messenger boys?" Knuckles shouted.

"Well, what do you suggest we do, huh? Wait around for G.U.N. to fix this when all of this is their fault to begin with? Those bastards already tried to evacuate us yesterday and the moment they were cornered by a few infected, they ran with their tails between their legs. Like hell I'll wait!" Sonia cried.

"Well, if you aren't willing to wait for G.U.N. to help you, but you don't have the balls to help yourself, why don't you take a fucking hike! Jump off a cliff while you're at it!" Knuckles screamed.

Sonia's wicked growl made Amy press deeper into the wall, and she wished she could make herself smaller as her friends quarreling unnerved her. Silver jolted from his seat, getting between Sonia and Knuckles as the echidna stepped around the coffee table toward her. The white hedgehog put his hands up to keep them apart, standing firm as Knuckle's rising chest pressed into his palm.

"Guys, guys! Come on. We're on the same side here," Silver said.

Sonia and Knuckles glared viscous holes into one another as a muffled screech pierced through their ragged breathing. Amy stiffened and inched down the wall and away from the hall that led to the infected blue blur. Sally deflated and headed for the bathroom and Manic got to his feet, forcing Sonia to sit and stepping around Silver to look Shadow in the eye. Shadow was still guarded, but the genuine look Manic gave him made him relax just a touch.

"Shads, I know you're not all that willing to risk it all for my bro, but if this crazy shit works, then we may be able to turn the Chaotix back, too, man. And maybe anyone else who may have had the same messed up fate," Manic said.

Silver dropped his arms as Shadow and Manic faced each other, their exchange civil.

"I'm not gonna beg you to do this crazy shit, Shads, but I'll be the first to admit that we could really use your help, man," Manic said softly.

Shadow held Manic's worn, pleading stare, ignoring the fuming Sonia behind the green hedgehog and the worked-up echidna that reached into his bag for his flask and headed out the back door. He closed his eyes with a deep sigh and shifted to walk away himself.

"I'll think about it."

~aAa~

Even in the light of the enhanced garage lamp, the den still seemed lifeless and haunting, though nothing had changed.

In the corner opposite to the entrance, two sturdy bookshelves bordered an area furnished with purple bean bags and one weathered loveseat, placed strategically on a fuzzy rug. Amy let a sad smile lift her muzzle as she saw where she and the other girls had left their mark, the bookshelf littered with her crochet tools, and half-finished projects she'd started with Cream, the lower shelving of the book case holding cases of nail polish and several books. She could already see Rouge sitting on the arm of the love seat as she perfected her polish, right before showing Blaze in an effort to get the cat to let her do the same to her own nails, all the while Cream cuddled up next to Amy as she read to the little rabbit.

Next to their bookshelf border was a pinball machine Vector had scavenged from a salvage yard and the air hockey table Sonic challenged everyone on. On the wall to the right of it, a flat screen that the whole group scrounge up money to buy and mount rested, a long couch and two worn lounging chairs framing the space. A fridge Sonic and Manic had dropped when they brought it in waited hummed nearby, filled with drinks and long expired leftovers and frozen meals. Behind the couch, closest to the door, a long table stretched along the wall, its chairs bent and stitched together, no thanks to the frequent brawling between Sonic and Knuckles. She imagined all her friends sitting around the table, boxes of take out scattered across the surface. All the while, she sat as close as she could to Sonic, her eyes glistening as he told a wild story, Manic and Knuckles chiming in to tell their versions while Rouge filed her nails and Blaze rolled her eyes at their theatrics, sipping her drink. Cream and Tails would laugh at their stories, both younger members huddled around Silver as he held a few cards in his hands, sitting across from Espio and Mighty as they scanned their own hands. Shadow would watch their game from his dark corner by the wall, shooing Charmy away as Sonia cleaned up after everyone, snatching Charmy to deposit him on the couch and throw on a movie that would hold his attention.

She imagined Manic getting up from the table when they were done messing around, heading to his drum set in the corner, next to the bikes Amy was sure he'd stolen. He'd tap the dent in the garage door for luck, the dent Shadow had punched into it the first time he lost it over Sonic teasing him, before drumming up a quick beat. Mighty and Espio would join him, Mighty accompanying him with hearty slap bass and Espio with some killer guitar riffs, while Charmy grabbed his tambourine and slammed away. Then, manic would call for a lead singer, their search for their final member a never ending one. Amy would take a stab at it, her voice too sweet for their style; Sonia would decline, claiming to prefer her keys; Blaze would hesitantly give it shot, her voice shining, and the only sign that she enjoyed expressing herself in that way was the excited twitching of her tail and the passion in her voice. There was a time where Shadow got up to sing, and that was one of Amy's fondest memories. He was a natural, but the moment was ruined when Sonic got up and sang just to outperform him. Shadow never touched the microphone again.

That is what tonight should have looked like.

Before she cut out the light to go back inside and face everyone else, she noticed the TV screen was black, but still on. She sighed and headed for the couch, searching for the remote. As she approached, a green blanket draped over the couch seat caught her eye and triggered a memory. Sonic's emerald eyes and trademark smirk floated to her mind and she stilled.

I remember… I remember being with him here, the few times we were ever alone together. It was nearly three months after my father disappeared and it was my first time coming over here after the incident. Sonia had invited me over for the millionth time since everything happened and I finally felt comfortable enough to stay the night.

Amy smoother out the wrinkles in the blanket as she knelt to the couches level, feeling for the remote as her memories overtook her.

When I told Sonia yes, I thought it would just be me and her, like it was when we were little, before Cream and Rouge and Blaze came along. But when I showed up at the door, Sonia was heading out. She said it was a cheerleading emergency, but promised she'd be back. She asked Sonic to keep me company until she got back. Everything in me was screaming for her not to go. After what my father had done, I was petrified of being with a guy alone, even if it was just Sonic, my hero. Even though my mind told me I'd be fine, my body told me otherwise.

Her fingers tapped the remote and she picked it up, moving to stand, but found herself sitting on the couch for a moment as she reminisced sullenly.

Sonic brought me in here to watch a movie. He was so relaxed and nonchalant about sitting on this very couch, sharing a blanket with me, even though I was on the other end of the couch, clearly avoiding him. He told me Manic was out with the chaotix, likely getting into trouble, and once Sonia got back, he was going to head out and get him. Then he asked me what I wanted to watch, but I didn't have an answer for him. So, he put on one of his favorites. It was the distraction I didn't know I needed, the normalcy that I was missing after everything my father had done. Sonic was a breath of fresh air to me, but I didn't know how to handle it.

Amy squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep, shuddering breath.

I don't remember what came over me, but one moment I was fine, I was holding it together well, and the next, I couldn't stop the tears. I was practically screaming while I cried and remember saying that I wished I hadn't come over. I was so embarrassed, so vulnerable, but when I looked for Sonic through my tears, he was so calm and opened his arms. It took a minute, but I fell into him and he held me, letting me cry my eyes out over nothing, without judgement.

She clicked the power button on the remote and got to her feet, heading for the door. She stole one glance at the couch and TV area before heading inside.

I woke up the next morning in Sonia's bed. All I could remember was Sonic's smell, his reassuring smile, and his emerald eyes filled with concern for me. I was so in love after that, more than I had been before, especially once I realized his touch didn't send me into a mental frenzy. It was then that I decided Sonic was the one, my only exception.

Amy clicked the door to their den shut lightly and locked it behind her, hoping no one would know where she'd been hiding from them.

But now, after Sonic and Sally's moment in the park, I think, if anything, he just pitied me. Thinking about it now makes me feel pathetic.

Amy ducked under the clothes hanging to dry and stepped into the short hall that led to the living room. She spared a glance at the light coming from the bathroom ahead, the one Sonic occupied, before looking beyond into the crumbling section of the house, the couch Sonia and Manic had moved to cover the hole just barely evident. She turned right and hugged the wall, taking notice of Manic and Shadow conversing almost inaudibly by the piano. She passed the first entrance to the kitchen and turned right, padding along the wall across from Manic and Sonic's room. The light was on in Sonic's room, and right as she passed the second kitchen entrance on her right, she heard voices coming from his room.

"Ugh, his room is a mess. You know, if every girl that was interested in my brother could see his room, they'd probably never talk to him again, I swear."

A corner of Amy's mouth lifted as she picked up Sonia's silly banter as she talked to herself. Amy headed for the opposite wall, inching toward the door frame, preparing to peek into the room, imagining Sonia reaching under Sonic bed, searching for something. It seemed like something she'd do. Guilt from Amy's earlier words plagued her, and she sighed, preparing to step inside.

I should apologize to her…

"If it makes you feel any better, Elias is a businessman and he still sleeps with his teddy bear Mr. Snuffles. I even caught him stuffing it in his suitcase once."

Sonia laughed shortly.

"You know what? That does make me feel better."

"Hey, I think the light in the closet is out. I'll go get a flashlight."

Amy did an about face and headed for the other kitchen entrance in an instant, holding her breath as she held still in the darkness as Sally passed by. She placed a hand on her heart once Sally's footsteps faded and envy started to float to the surface. She moved to exit the space, only for a light cough to catch her attention. She moved deeper into the kitchen and crept past the small partition wall, a familiar figure sitting at the small breakfast table.

Click.

"Hmm?"

"I don't think this is what Sonia meant by lights out at ten."

Amy stood by the light switches, her finger hovering over the switch for the singular light that hung above the small breakfast table. Silver barely moved in his seat, but lifted his head to look at her. Though Amy felt the air lighten at the sight of her best friend, she couldn't help but notice how helpless he still looked. She couldn't find the right word to describe him, but with his white fur dingy and ragged, his jersey covered with smeared mud and blood, and the way he slouched in the small chair like he forgot how to sit straight, she couldn't help but compare him to a child who'd lost his mom.

He looks so numb.

"Amy. I… um… Hey," Silver mumbled.

Pulling out the only other chair, the pinkette gave Silver a friendly smile as she lowered herself into the seat across from him. She spared a look at the full bowl of soggy cereal in front of him, before finding his tired eyes. There was a big smudge on his cheek and on the left side of his head, close to his ear, she noticed the faint purplish color of a bruise that had formed there. She cleared her throat, trying for humor.

"I think you're going to need to eat more than that, Silver," Amy said.

Silver didn't laugh as she'd hoped, but he blinked a few times.

"I mean, you're not very fun to be around when you're hangry. Want me to make you something?" Amy said with a tilt of her head.

Silver lowered his head and moved his spoon along the edge of the bowl, catchin the sopping wet pieces of colorful cereal.

"I, uh, haven't been able to eat much since everything happened," Silver said.

Amy reached over the table and placed a hand over one of his. The white hedgehog found her jade eyes, and it was then that Amy caught a glimpse of life in Silver, just for a moment as his brows furrowed. The concern in Amy's face broke him and he started to recount the last few days.

"Thursday was probably the worst day of my life. Classes were already pretty terrible, but I had no idea just how much worse it would get."

"You had practice after school," Amy said knowingly.

"Coach kept me behind to rerun some drills on my own. Said I hadn't been giving a hundred-and-ten percent and it was affecting the team. It was the single most painful hour of my life. I almost walked off the field, but I could hear Paul's voice in the back of my head, calling me weak."

Paul. That guy is not qualified to be a dad. Not sure how he and Martha managed to get approved to adopt Silver when they did.

"When coach finally let me go, I hurried over to the basement to make my robotics meeting, only to get chewed out by my VP for showing up late… again," Silver said.

"Wave is pretty bitchy on a normal day. Chaos, I can't imagine what she said to you," Amy mumbled as she thought of the purple swallow.

"Well, I certainly don't blame her with a competition around the corner. We had a practice run go badly last week and our second robot is in shambles because of it. Kinda makes me look bad as president to not be there at such a critical time," Silver admitted.

"Tails didn't try to bail you out?" Amy asked.

Silver shook his head, letting the spoon float into the bowl as he placed his other hand flat on the table.

"Tails was in hot water for being late too. Honestly, he was pretty quiet and seemed kinda distracted during our meeting. He was probably still bummed about that calculus test he failed."

A thought came to Amy at Tails' mention, not just the fact he was unaccounted for at present, but she had received a text from the fox that same night, though it was well after their robotics meeting. She wondered if his behavior during his club meeting and his text to her were related.

"I ended up staying behind to finish some work with Wave. After she left, I hung back to update our engineering notebook and that's when I heard the rain. I wasn't expecting it, so I didn't have a jacket and I hadn't remembered to put my umbrella back in my locker. So, I packed up, but decided to wait it out for a bit. I didn't want to call Paul or Martha to come get me, so I decided I would walk once the rain let up," Silver explained.

"Didn't want to get another earful, I'm guessing?" Amy asked.

Silver nodded with a sigh.

"They reminded me six times this week that they invited the new neighbors over for dinner and told me not to be late. I was already looking for a way to skip out on the dinner, so I was kinda relieved I had several excuses to stay at school, even if it was complete and utter torture. I mean, I'd rather be trapped at school than sit at the dinner table while all these people talk about me like I'm not in the room."

"Your parents are still obsessed, then."

Silver scoffed lightly, a frown wearing down his features.

"That's an understatement. Since the school year started they've both done nothing but post my grades and medals on their socials. And every other week, they either have a camera in my face or they're hosting another gathering at our place. I'm honestly getting sick of everyone fawning over me without actually speaking to me like a normal person. I feel like a trophy behind a glass case."

Silver's eyes hardened and both hands balled into a fist as he glared into his bowl.

"I'm sorry, Silver. I can't imagine what it's like to constantly feel like a stranger in your own home," Amy said.

"It's not like it matters anyway. Nothing matters anymore."

Amy leaned forward in her chair, waiting patiently for him to continue, placing both hands over his balled fists.

"The rain started to slow and I headed out to start the walk home, kept under the awning to keep from getting wet. After I passed by the main building, I noticed someone sitting on a bench by the walkway. It was Wave. She was shivering and her clothes looked soaked. I went over to check on her, see if maybe she needed me to call Jet to come pick her up or something, but the moment I called her name, she got to her feet and hissed at me."

Amy swallowed. She wasn't sure how to respond, so she stated the obvious.

"She was infected," Amy whispered.

"I ran like a coward. At the time, I thought she was playing some sick prank on me. That's the only way I could rationalize her behavior, but a part of me thought that something else was happening. I just couldn't figure out what, and I didn't have time. Not after she extended her wings and took off after me."

Silver adjusted in his chair, intently examining the cracks in the wooden table as he remembered.

"I ran back into the main building to avoid her, but she followed me in through the door somehow. She managed to snag me with a claw and when I tried to get away, she let me go, but I hit my head on a locker. It hurt like hell, but it gave me an idea. The next time she came diving for me, I threw open a locker door and shut her inside. I didn't stick around to make sure she stayed put, which was a mistake. As I made it to the back doors of the building, I heard this awful scream and knew she was on my tail. I made it out and stuck my bat through the door handles, praying to Chaos that would keep her inside. I didn't look back after that. I went straight home, hoping things would go back to normal after a hot shower and bite to eat. Boy, was I asking for too much."

Amy watched her best friend's face twist painfully as he fought with his memories.

"I hadn't even made it to the door of my house when I saw the broken bottles of wine in the driveway. The front door hadn't been shut all the way and when I found the guts to go inside, I saw blood all over the floor. The new neighbors… they were standing over Paul and Martha in the living room, and neither of my parents were moving."

Amy's stomach dropped and her mouth went dry. She'd been to Silver's house a handful of times, but she remembered the layout well enough to imagine what he saw.

"I hit the stairs without a second thought. One of them grabbed my ankle and dragged me back down, and that's when I saw their creepy eyes and their disgusting teeth, my parent's organs stuck in the gaps. I kicked the neighbor in the head before he could do anything else and made a beeline for my room, locking myself in. It didn't take them long to come banging on my door, but I didn't know what to do. For a moment, all I could think to do was hide under my bed and call the police. But every time they slammed on the door, I knew it was only a matter of time… so I snatched an extra bat, threw whatever I could get my hands on into my backpack, and climbed out the window."

"Chaos, Silver. Where did you go?" Amy asked.

"I got as far away from my house as I could manage, then I stopped at the park to think. Tried to wrap my head around what was going on. I wanted to call Blaze, but remembered how late it was and didn't want to risk getting her into trouble, even if it felt like an emergency. So, I called you, but it went straight to voicemail. Same thing for Mighty, Espio, and Sonic. Right as I tried to call Shadow, Blaze actually called me, but her call didn't bring me the relief I needed."

Amy's heart sank.

No. Blaze.

"I'd never heard her sound so scared before. I heard screaming and glass breaking and her dad ordering people around on the other end of the line. I tried to understand what she was saying, but my connection was awful. But the way she called my name… chaos, Amy, I felt so useless, so helpless. Then, the call dropped before I could say anything to her. I couldn't take it. I headed straight for her father's mansion, without a plan. All I could think about was finding her. I decided I would figure everything else out after that."

Silver pulled he fisted from underneath her hands and crossed his arms, an uncharacteristic gesture that made Amy uncomfortable as the white hedgehog turned his hardened and serious look to the light above them.

"I took the route Rouge had shown me to get inside undetected, but I didn't need to do that. No one was there; no security, no kitchen staff, no chauffeur, and no Blaze. I climbed up to her window, but all I found was a mess and this."

Silver slipped a hand behind him and placed the red hair tie on the table, regarding the band solemnly. Amy eyed the band as well, pursing her lips as she recognized the tie Blaze always used to put her hair up.

"I spent the whole night searching the mansion, checking every nook and cranny, even though my gut told me her dad had gotten her out of there the moment things turned to shit. I ran into her tutor during my search, but she was… infected. S-she… was my first casualty."

Amy's eyes drifted to the bat below them, the wood smeared with a faded red as it rested by Silver's feet along with his school bag. She eyed Silver's unruly quills and disheveled appearance for the umpteenth time and gave him her worried eyes.

"You didn't get any sleep that night," Amy guessed.

Silver looked away, rubbing an eye with his palm.

"I haven't slept at all since then. I've just been so restless since this whole mess started. And it only got worse when I saw that broadcast from that doctor guy," Silver said as his voice cracked.

"You saw Dr. Robotinik's broadcast."

Silver nodded shortly.

"I saw it on a TV in the mansion before I left. Even if I hadn't, Sonia would have filled me in plenty once I got here. The fat guy and G.U.N. were all she talked about once I made it here."

"What made you come here?" Amy asked.

Silver stiffened and Amy lifted a brow at her friend's behavior.

"I was looking for traces of Blaze. Decided to try and find a safehouse to check for her first. I… actually ran into Sally and Sonic during my search. Sally convinced me to come here."

"Oh… I see."

Silver was quick to try and explain himself.

"I-I actually almost bashed Sonic's head in when I realized he was infected. I saw Sally across the street inside of a trashed convenience store and rushed in. Right when I busted through the door, she had this petrified look on her face, so I told her I wasn't infected. But then Sonic came at me, screaming and my first instinct was to swing. Sally protected him, of course, and I just narrowly avoided knocking her out in the process. It… took a few conversations for me to understand what she was doing with him."

Amy quelled her bitter feeling and tried to respond reasonably, placing her hands in her lap.

"Ah.. that must have been mortifying to see, especially after the night you had," Amy said.

Silver scratched his forehead with a finger.

"I was so laser focused on Blaze, that it hadn't even occurred to me to go to Sonic's house and see if anyone else was alive, or to get help in finding Blaze. Of course, when I got here yesterday, I asked if anyone had heard from Blaze, but nothing. I didn't want to leave them, with everything going on, so I tried to be of some help. I went out for supplies, looking for Aleena and anyone else I could find in the process. Then, I got a text from Espio, which ended up being from you," Silver explained.

"And now we're here," Amy whispered.

Silver slouched in his seat again, his exhaustion showing as he shrugged.

"Yeah. Too bad we're all too busy screaming at each other for any of this to matter."

Amy winced, thinking of her argument with Sonia before shaking it off.

"We'll smooth it out, Silver. We're all… just trying to figure out how to cope with this situation. This isn't something any of us have had to prepare for, so it's only natural that we're at each other's throats."

"Yeah, and what if we don't smooth it out?"

"We will, Silver. We always do. Besides, I'm not going anywhere. Chaos knows Shadow and Knuckles aren't going to take me with them if they decide to leave to find Rouge, so it looks like you're stuck with me. I'm glad though. With the way things are, I'm not sure I could handle being on my own with Sonia and Sally on my case."

Silver cleared his throat and picked at a scab on his arm.

"Actually…" Silver mumbled.

Amy crossed her arms and waited, giving her best friend a brow.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"I don't think I'm going to wait around to see how this emerald thing goes. If Knuckles and Shadow decide to bail, I'm going with them to find Blaze," Silver admitted.

"What?"

"Shadow asked me to go. He said they needed backup to go after Rouge and that he would help me find Blaze in exchange. I couldn't turn down his offer."

A silence hung between them.

"Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense."

Silver glared at the table, looking as if he tasted something bitter.

"I'm definitely not sleeping tonight. All I can think about is potentially leaving to find Blaze tomorrow. I need to be ready."

Amy perked up abruptly, scowling at the white hedgehog.

"Hey, you can't keep doing that to yourself, Silver. You need to rest."

Silver's glare softened and when he looked at Amy, his shoulders relaxed.

"You only ever look at me like that when you're about to get after me."

"I just need to hear you say that you'll shower at some point tonight. More than that, I need you to get some sleep. If not for me, then for Blaze's sake. You won't be able to look for her with eyebags to the ground," Amy said.

Silver pulled his lips to the side of his muzzle, ready to protest.

"Amy, I'm fine."

"Don't be stubborn, Silver. Say you'll at least sleep for six hours tonight."

"No promises."

Silver wasn't looking at her, but he felt her grab his wrist, sliding something over his hand twice. When she let go, he examined his wrist and found Blaze's hair band. His heart twisted painfully for a moment as her cries for him echoed in her head. Amy's voice of reason broke him from his morbid reverie.

"You're not alone anymore, Silver. You're among friends. You've got me. I'll watch your back and keep you company, and I'll help you find Blaze. She's my friend, too, after all."

Silver moved from eying the red band to searching Amy's pleading face.

"Sleep. Please."

Silver sighed, but gave her a playful smile in return.

"Okay, mom. I'll try."

A knock on the wall alerted them. Silver and Amy found Shadow leaning against the kitchen entrance closets to them, eying the pair neutrally.

"Sorry to interrupt. The bathroom is free now. You should get in before Manic beats you to it, Amelia," Shadow said.

Amy smiled gratefully at him before turning to Silver.

"Hey, why don't you hop in first? You seriously look like you've been playing in a dumpster," Amy told Silver playfully.

Silver chuckled, but shook his head.

"Ladies first. While you do that, I'll go get a change of clothes from Manic. He'll probably need my help finding something clean, anyway. I'll go in after you," Silver said.

"Promise?"

Amy extended her hand, pinky poking out. A cute smirk lifted the corners of Silver's lips as he linked his pinky with hers.

"Promise."

Amy got up from the table and followed Shadow down the hall, past Sonic and Manic's room to the bathroom in the back corner of the house. In the shadow of the hall, she found her previous depressive feeling returning as Sonic came to mind. Right as her thoughts started to consume her, Shadow stopped ahead of her and she looked around him. Her bag was already by the door and she could hear the rush of water behind the door. Amy moved around him and placed her hand on the door before she froze.

Did Shadow prepare this for me?

Remembering he was right behind her, waiting for her to enter, she faced him with confusion.

"You'll have to take a bath. I… kind of broke the shower head a moment ago," Shadow explained.

"You… got this ready for me?" she asked in hush.

His eyes were low as he searched her face.

"Yes," he whispered.

"Why?"

A muscle in his forehead twitched at her question as he hesitated to answer. Amy noticed how conflicted he seemed by such a simple question and rubbed her arm.

"You don't have to answer that if you don't want to. I've just been kind of curious about you lately," Amy said.

Shadow seemed to still at her words, his eyes continuing to search her face as he looked down at her. His attention started to make the pinkette feel self conscious, so she tucked a quill behind her with a nervous laugh

"Um, well, thank you, Shadow," Amy said.

He cleared his throat, hoping she didn't see the slight flush on his muzzle. Still, a deep frown formed on his muzzle.

"Don't thank me."

Amy's confusion returned for a moment until Shadow let out an irritated sigh and extended an arm to her, revealing a folded shirt that she instantly recognized as one of Sonic's. Her face lost its color for a second.

"Where did you… and why?" Amy said breathlessly.

"Sally wanted to give it to you herself, but was advised against it. Manic planned to give it to you, but he chickened out and asked me to instead. I'm assuming it's a peace offering of some so–"

"I don't want it," Amy grumbled lowly.

Amy's face turned dark as she burned holes into the fabric with her eyes. Shadow shook his head before rolling up the shirt and tucking it under his arm.

"I didn't think so."

Shadow turned to walk away, but Amy caught the sleeve of his shirt. Shadow felt her tug him back and when he turned his head to look at her, her face was alight with shame and uncertainty.

"Wait," she muttered.

Shadow didn't respond, but twisted his whole body to her, finding himself a bit closer than before as she whispered to him.

"I didn't mean to snap at you. I know you were just passing along a message," she murmured.

"No harm done. I didn't expect you to respond well to their offering anyway. I certainly wouldn't have."

Shadow moved to leave, but found her finger still hooked under his sleeve. He eyed her and she looked as if she had something to ask him. Her bangs covered her eyes and the hand that touched him began to shake a bit.

"Amelia?"

"Please let me go with you."

Shadow held still as her grip tightened on his sleeve.

"I know you're still planning to leave… to find Rouge. Even if you decide to help Sally, you're going to leave eventually. So, please…"

Shadow didn't say a word; he simply watched the way she struggled with her simmering anger and frustration as she begged him.

"I'll do what I can not to get in the way. A-and you can drop me off at the first safehouse you find. No questions asked. Just, please… I can't stay here."

Amy squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for him to tell her 'no,' knowing it would hurt more when he said how he was feeling about her uselessness out loud. Ready or not, she needed to hear his answer so she could decide how to proceed.

"I guess I have a lot to think about tonight, huh?"

Amy's heart surged as Shadow lifted a corner of his lip to her. She beamed at him as she nodded back at him, letting him go as he headed into the living room. She turned to enter the bathroom, catching Shadow's lingering conversation before she secured the door behind her.

"Catch."

"Hey!"

The sound of the shirt smacking against something, or someone, made Amy's ears twitch, as they protested. Her guess was that Manic was still in the living room waiting for Shadow to return.

"...I'm guessing she didn't want it."

"I need some air. Don't follow me and don't wait up for me either. Just go to bed."

"Aw, come on, Shad. We've still got some catching up to do."

The pinkette chuckled to herself as a small flush lit her cheeks. She backed into the bathroom and cut the water. Once she was among the steam and the stifling heat, she slipped into the hot bath and marinated, her aching body going slack. Her eyes shot open when the shivers started to wrack her body and she realized she'd fallen asleep. She drained the bath and prepared for bed, being careful to keep from staring into the mirror for too long.

Once out of the bathroom, Amy placed everything in her bag, started down the hall with Rouge's blanket in hand, her thoughts on Knuckles. As she started to search for him, intending to return the blanket, she walked past Sonic's bedroom, the door ajar and the space beyond swathed in darkness. She hesitated, examining the familiar room as a pang hit her stomach. She couldn't fight the urge to walk in, so she promised herself she'd be quick and entered, a small light on his desk illuminating the space.

After looking over his opened closet door and running a hand over his desk chair, she found herself next to his bed and in front of his dresser. There were several frames across the dresser's surface, photos of their friends in all of them. Amy focused on one; it was of her and Sonic when they were little. They were at Twinkle Park, sitting together on a white horse on the merry-go-round. She was looking up at him with pure admiration in her eyes while he pretended to ride like the wind.

She reached for the small framed photo and sat on the edge of the bed as she thumbed the casing, dropping her bag on the carpet beside her. Tears started to well and she couldn't contain the wet laugh that escaped her a moment as she reminisced. She leaned back, resting a hand atop the sheets only for her hand to slide under one of the pillows. A slip of paper licked her fingertips and Amy grabbed the sheet with two fingers, bringing a loose photo to her eyes. Her stomach churned.

On a small, sturdy square photo, Sonic and Sally smiled up at her. They both looked no older than fifteen, and they pressed close to one another, Sally looking into the camera while Sonic looked at her. Amy nearly crushed the photo in her palm, but settled for simply creasing the edge as traitor tears began to well.

It's always been her.

She dropped onto her side, curling into a fetal position over the covers. She drew Rouge's blanket to her chest, the picture frame and the loose photo resting beside her. She breathed a wet sigh and squeezed her eyelids tight

"I didn't know loving you would hurt this much."

~aAa~

A/N: I overdid it. Like waaaayyy overdid it.

Apologies for the wait. I had a pipe burst in my home and I had to relocate to my parent's house. Ugh, not to mention the tablet I use to write during my breaks at work kinda just stopped being useful to me. It won't hold a charge for more than 20 minutes and it's super slow. Guess it's time to save for an Ipad. I also worked another small bout of overtime to combat the recent surge of resignations. I was guilted into it this time. Alas, I am back from the dead to update…. And as I update this, I am recovering from snapping my pinky toe nail CLEAN off my toe. Yeah, this year is kicking my butt.

Sorry this is so long. I didn't realize I had so much to cover and I'm kinda wishing I had cut this in half. I also really want to stick to my chapter outline right now, though. But hey, let's just say the length of this chapter is a reward for being so patient? I had to go back to edit this waaaayy too many times, seriously. There were alot of conversations to fine tune and it took longer than expected, even after I had the fun of writing all the drama.

WE'VE GOT PINKISH GIRLIES AT IT AGAIN!

… although these two aren't exactly on the same wavelength right now. I think it's only natural that Amy and Sonia find themselves at odds with each other as they each have different visions of Sonic's future. Too bad Sonic isn't in a position to tell them what he wants for himself. Tell me if you think Sonia's frustrations were expressed too strongly or not here. My intention was not to make her the mean girl or anything; just the older, responsible girl that doesn't take any shit and takes charge in order to protect her brothers. As the emotional center and heart of the group, Amy not only nurtures all of her friends, but she also makes decisions based on her emotions, so I want to show Amy clashing with others as her desires conflict with Sonia's somewhat pragmatic approach to things.

IDK, still trying to work on my characterization of Sonia. I don't plan to write her into many stories, so I want to make sure I do her justice in this one. In Sonic underground, I love Sonia's boss-babe, responsible sister vibe and I love how she wrangles Sonic and Manic together when they get out of hand, but also relies on them when she finds herself in a bind. She also has an agile combat-style/skillset I'm trying to hint at, hence why she is a cheerleader and closer to Sally than Amy, having met Sally during try-outs and finding a closer bond with her. (Sally is also seen flipping around and throwing around some martial arts moves in the early Archie comic and SATam, so her status as cheerleading captain seems to fit.)

Sorry if Sonic is your favorite and you were expecting him to be awesome in this story. To be honest, focussing on Sonic and his awesomeness is not really my style. I think the games, comics, and all other media do him enough justice. I am here to highlight the characters I love that I don't think we get enough of. So, yes, Sonic will be taking a back seat in this one. It's okay. He may do something cool in his zombie form.

We get to see our dead bodies in the next chapter. Just a couple…

Our next line up of chapters:

Chapter 9: Leave to find the others/Shadow remembers/Amy finds a dead body/ Shadow and Amy are taken (the list of the fallen)

Chapter 10: Trapped in a safehouse/Tails, truth of the note, and the emerald/Escape

Chapter 11: Truth of Twinkle Park/Moment in the park/ (chaos control?) Meet with Silver and Knuckles

Chapter 12: Rouge's rescue(I'm playing it safe and giving this its own chapter)

Chapter 13: A moment to mourn/Blaze, Cream, and the will to fight

Chapter 14: Changing Silver's mind/Emerald 2/Escape

Chapter 15: Everyone together again/Race to the Acorn Estate/Robotnik closes in

Next = Chapter 9: You Grip my Wrist, I Let Go

Our Cast

Amy 16 (Junior)

*Shadow 18 (Senior)

(I'm just gonna, um) Sonic18 (Senior) (shhhh)

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)