# Sonic The Hedgehog: The Series - Part 1 Author: diosoth Tags: Bat, Cunnilingus, Fanfiction, Human, M/F, Romance, Sex, Sonic The Hedgehog, Supernatural, Yiff Approximately twenty five years before Sonic first encountered Dr. Robotnik ------------------------------------------------------------------ It was a simple machine. Collect a test tube, place it in the wooden rack, collect a dirty test tube and place it aside for cleaning. Tiny arms, tiny wheels and a tiny circuit for a brain. It was all the robot needed to perform the task its creator had assigned. Ivo Robotnik was content in his new position. It was quiet in this lab, and all he was expected to do was let his imagination run wild. Imagination would lead to ideas, ideas would lead to invention and invention would lead to change. He didn't hear the door open but he was expecting his friend. "Herbert," he greeted. "I see they set you up with a nice lab. Your grandfather would have been proud." "Perhaps not enough, Herbert," Ivo remarked, "not until I create things that will revolutionize the world itself." Herb sighed. "It's never good enough as it is, right?" "Exactly." Shuffling his notes, pinning them to the cork board for easier reference, Robotnik began to mark on them with precision.  "Have fun. You'll be here..." Herbert Westwood envied this place. Quiet. Air conditioned. "...and I'll be in the Sumerian desert, baking my skin off to help that cat find that rock. All because she's superstitious about some dead king. At least the money's good." "Yes, have fun indeed," Ivo commented. He didn't have the heart to tell his friend that it had been HIM who'd recommended Herbert for the expedition. After all, Doctor Ivo Robotnik had it easy finding work. He had the brains, his grandfather's legacy... Herbert Westwood had a failing treasure hunting track record and an interest in paranormal studies that seemed to border on skeptical. But they had been childhood friends and Ivo was not going to allow the man to be out of work. Finding himself alone once more, the doctor focused more on his drawings. The robot design was promising, if only there was a suitable means to attach a water supply. It was a simple but efficient robot, as were all his ideas. Two legs, bent backwards with wheels for optional speed, with a single hand and a cannon. It was a fire fighting mechanism, capable of spraying water as would a live fire fighter.  But aside from a simple suppressive foam canister, it would not hold enough water in the main canister. A hose would be needed. As to how a hose could be attached, tethering the robot to a truck and maintaining the free movement and operation, that was the issue. --------------------------------------------- The bright lights awoke him as the building's night system engaged, automatically turning on the lights in any occupied room. He'd fallen asleep. Ivo Robotnik had fallen asleep. That was a sign that he had been working too hard. The problems never solve themselves, but if he didn't rest more often and end this habit of missing sleep, soon he would find that the problems were never solved at all. Piling his papers into a neat stack, he spotted the package. No doubt delivered while he was in dreamland, curiously the scientist opened the brown wrapping. Inside was a bound book with a note taped to the cover. The handwriting simply stated, 'belonged to your grandfather. You will want to read this.' It was unbelievable. Somehow, Gerald Robotnik's research manual had been located and sent to him. The mystery was only enhanced by the noted lack of a return address.  Opening the book, Ivo began to read. No doubt the contents found within would change his life forever. ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- Approximately ten years before Sonic first encountered Dr. Robotnik ------------------------------------------------------------------ Crayons. That was her world. Crayons and paper. The child scribbled, circles and lines, filled with glorious color. A curved line to finish, and scribbling the letters R-O-O-G, the child's artwork was done in time for the door to open. Running to greet her mother, the girl held up the sheet. "Mommy, I drew you!" "Whatever," the woman mumbled, heading for the nearest chair. Rouge had no idea why her mother did this. All the little girl wanted was for her mother to smile. Walking towards the chair, again to show off the art made with love, she never got the chance as the phone rang. "Yeah?" Maureen..." Marron screamed out, "no, I did NOT get that dress! You know fucking well why! They don't make them for bats! Our stupid wings get in the way! I would have to be born some freak thing that no one caters to..."  Saddened by the yelling, Rouge ran to her room and jumped on the bed, hugging the stuffed bear she loved so much. She was afraid. Afraid of her mother's angry screaming, afraid of being ignored. The bear was all she seemed to have. Hearing the old apartment door creak open, the little girl saw her mother. "Got this for you," she said, tossing a tiny green object to the bed and walking away. Picking it up, Rouge was amazed by the sight. A small, translucent object with points and solid lines, refracting the light. It was the prettiest thing she had ever seen. Maybe her mother did care. ---------------------------------------------------- Morning was a nasty time for Rouge. The eyes of a bat, especially a child were unable to handle the sun very well. Curtains stayed closed all the time in the apartment. Stepping out, hoping her mother MIGHT actually cook breakfast this time, she found the place empty. This was as it always was. Her mother would go to work, leaving her own daughter alone with the door locked. Grabbing a bowl of fruit, carrying her bear into the living room, she switched on the television to cartoons. They held no real interest for, unfortunately. The rock her mother had given her was all the little bat could think of. Her mother, the one who usually didn't seem to care, had given her something pretty. As Rouge looked at it, all she could do was think. Think about owning more of these someday.  After all, hoping someone might love her seemed to be a distant wish. If her own mother wouldn't do that, why should she expect anyone else to do the same? The jewel would never leave her or talk back. To the child, this jewel was her only friend. Except for her toy bear, that is. The jewel wasn't soft to hug and it didn't smile. The jewel couldn't be everything. The ideas were too much for her. Instead, she looked at the window. It was bright out and the windows bolted shut. The apartment was small. But someday, Rouge would grow up and fly. She would fly in the freedom from this place, freedom from what little she knew. Someday. ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- Approximately two years before Sonic first encountered Dr. Robotnik ------------------------------------------------------------------ The child was lonely. Birds and other small animals were his companions, and occasionally a calming voice would speak from somewhere unknown, but the child was alone.  His home floated above the sea, the edges dropping off into the clouds. Blue below seemed to stretch out. It would be easy to leave, to use the air under his quills and flee this place. Knuckles couldn't leave. He was the only one on this floating mass, the only one to protect the large emerald that stood on its pedestal. It was unbearable at times. No one ever came here anyway. Knuckles wasn't even sure if other people still existed. The echidna's only sign that other beings may even exist was the voice that spoke to him, taught him language and survival skills. Without that voice, he never would have survived these years. Memories of parents were vague. Dreams, almost. Had they left? Had they simply stopped living? No, they wouldn't have left him here, alone, when he was so young. They were gone forever. Hunger was all he felt. It was time to go find food. Insects and berries, as always. They were the only foods that the young boy knew how to eat. At least his home had plenty of clean water to drink. Knuckles didn't like the taste of many of the bugs but they were necessary.  Wandering off as always, deep into the forests, the ground gave way and he tumbled downward. His landing was smooth, the caves allowing his body to roll to a soft stop.  Standing up from the dust and rocks, Knuckles noticed a stone table, flat and old, spared time's passage in these hidden tunnels. Inspecting a pile of treasures placed upon the rock, Knuckles found a pair of spiked mittens and what looked like things that could be worn on his feet. The gloves slid on as if nature intended the boy to wear them. The shoes felt good and would no doubt offer decent protection to his feet. However, Knuckles was trapped in this dark place. The only visible cave leading out had crumbled long ago, leaving nothing but a pile of rock barring exit. Even if he could move them, it was no guarantee where the caves would lead. The gloves seemed to awaken an instinct. The spikes were the key. Walking towards the wall, punching forth, they dug in securely. Punching higher with the other hand, he found they gripped in tight, possibly well enough to even support the kid's body weight. The shoes were lined with rough bottoms which would aid in the climb. One by one, he punched, walking up the wall, upward to the surface.  Feeling a sense of strength this day, Knuckles resumed his quest for food. Would the voice tell him what he'd found? It didn't matter. The echidna had already learned their purpose. For now, that was all that was important. If anyone ever did come to his island, he now had a better means to deal with the problem. ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- Immediately after Sonic's first encounter with Dr. Robotnik ------------------------------------------------------------------ Unbelievable. To have lost to some woodland animal with a sense of justice. His first major offensive, his first plans, all ruined. He'd spent years building capital, founding businesses, gathering resources and finally, is plans were in action. Using animals as batteries for his robots was a perfect plan and the mythical Chaos Emeralds were almost in his reach, but that hedgehog ruined everything. He'd run off, beaten. And if it wasn't enough, his old friend Herbert Westwood was furious. Not that Herb had a clue what this was all about.  Westwood had called him on the video phone only an hour before to yell and scream. Robotnik was angry and was going to tell it to Herb's face, like it or not. Hovering near the wooded property, Ivo needed a spot to set down his small flying craft. Herb's house was small but there wasn't much clear, flat space around to set down. At the edge of the clearing, he thought he saw Herbert on the ground. The sight took seconds to register but it was painfully clear that Herbert Westwood was injured. Blood was pooling quickly. Ignoring landing procedures, Robotnik jammed his flying machine to the ground, jumping out to find Herb barely conscious. The chainsaw was still buzzing, blade soaked in red. Gushing from his old friend's thigh, the wound was deep and wide. Ripping his sleeve free, Ivo put his limited medical skills to use and tied above the gash. Lifting the man's body slowly, he jumped into his aircraft and ignited the thrusters. Pointing towards the nearest city, Ivo Robotnik only prayed that he was not too late. ------------------------------------------------   "He's stable but he's lost a LOT of blood!" the nurse shouted, pushing along the medical gurney. "We'll need immediate transfusions," the doctor screamed out. "I need to know his blood type!" Ivo knew he had a chance to do something useful. "O negative, same as mine!" "Good! Nurse, get him prepped for a transfusion and get what supplies we have. And do it five minutes ago!" ------------------------------------------------ "Well?" "You got him here in time," the doctor answered, "for now. All we can do is wait. Your friend lost a lot of blood and it will be touch and go for the next few days. His systems might have been sent into shock... look, another minute and he would have been dead. I can't make any guarantees. and if you hadn't been a matching blood type he would definitely have died. Even if he recovers, he'll never walk again without a cane. Unless he wants a mechanical prosthetic..." Pulling a book from his coat, Ivo handed it over. "If Herb wakes up, give that to him." ------------------------------------------------   The week passed slowly. Robotnik had simply been too concerned with his old comrade's well being to revise his plans. At least now he was certain that Herbert would be okay. Sitting upright in bed, he stared Ivo down. "The saw slipped. I was too mad at you, I shouldn't have been cutting wood. I wasn't paying attention." Tapping the book, he continued, "they killed Maria. They drove Gerald insane. WHY didn't you tell me?" "It wouldn't have mattered. I know you, there's no way you would have helped me." "Probably not. But I owe you my life now. I'm not going to support you." Turning to the window, Ivo asked, "so, what are you going to do?" "Look the other way." Tossing the diary back, he said, "don't take this too far. You don't want to become like the men who did this to your grandfather." "They have to pay. The government, this planet..." Leaning back, Westwood remarked, "never the innocent ones. Don't punish the innocent ones. What now?" "That hedgehog got in my way. But I plan to obtain the Chaos Emeralds again and I believe I know of something connected to them."  Herbert was annoyed. "Then go take care of your little plans for world domination. My leg hurts." Grinding his teeth, Robotnik inquired, "did they offer you a new leg?" "New leg..." He grimaced at the idea. "That's for athletes and young people. I'm too old to get new body parts." "Stubborn..." Grabbing the book, Ivo Robotnik left. There were preparations yet to be made. ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- Immediately after Sonic defeated Metal Sonic on Little Planet ------------------------------------------------------------------ The little girl didn't know which was worse- that her meeting with Sonic the Hedgehog had been such a disaster or that her mother was so angry. She didn't understand the problem. After all, Sonic had rescued her. Amy sat on her bed. No radio, no television. She'd been grounded for running off. Looking out the window at the birds, wishing for the same freedom, Amy Rose began to cry. In her little world, she could do what she wanted and her mother was being mean.  But what was keeping her here? She should be more like the one she idolized and be on her own. Grabbing a small backpack, the pink girl grabbed clothes and what money she had, unlatching the window and jumping out. It would be at least an hour before either of her parents brought dinner to the room, by then she would be on her way. ----------------------------------------------------- It was incredible. The carnival seemed to be where Amy needed to be. Purchasing more soda, the child wandered around, looking for new games to play. Handing tickets to the man, hammer in hand, she swung down, the crash of the bell ringing above as the weight flew. Taking her prize, a blue shape in the distant crowd held the girl's interest. Running out to see, it was merely a kid in a blue coat. Then again, why would Sonic even be here? He was probably running around on an adventure. A carnival? Barely enough to entertain someone like him. Back to the games. Back to the lights and music. She still had tickets to use. ------------------------------------------------------   Nightfall signaled the end of the games. Closed for the night, the carnival grounds were suddenly quiet. No people, no music, no machines. Cleaning up and unplugging the mallet game, the game operator jumped at the sight of a young girl, curled up asleep in a large shipping container. Feeling the urge to wake the child, the old man stopped. Here she was, asleep. No one was here looking for her. 'Must not have anyone,' he thought. 'Poor thing...' Grabbing the large novelty mallet, the kindly old man set it beside her and placed money in the backpack's side pockets. 'You'll need those.' ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- Shortly before Sonic encountered Chaos ------------------------------------------------------------------ Of all the places in the world to have never been, the city of Night Babylon had to be one place most suited to the bat's very essence. The very nature of this little night spot was unusual. To this day, no one knew why the sun refused to shine. Unfortunately, the wonder of it all was of no consequence.  On the corner sat the Sahara Club, tall Arabian spires adorning the sign and the blinking lights almost a siren's call for people to bring in their money. Pushing through the front doors, into the casino, Rouge The Bat kept her cool. Only seventeen, barely a ranking field agent, it was no wonder such a simple assignment had been handed to her rather than a more skilled individual. Go in, listen, get a feel for any illegal activities that may be happening. Spy on a suspected criminal front and possibly enjoy the moment. Ears kept careful listen to all sounds but maintaining her cover was also no stretch. Slapping money down on the table, she waved for cards to be dealt. Seven and queen. Her age, if only it could be a lucky number. "Stay." "Twenty. House wins." With a bit of annoyance, Rouge slapped down more money, asking to be dealt again. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Two hours of random poker, slots, roulette. At this rate her given expense money would be out. The life of a G.U.N. Agent, loyal yet poor. One more hour of this nonsense and she could at least go home to the small yet proud collection of jewels. She had also regretted her choice of clothing. The pink heart barely offered any real support, her chest bouncing as she walked. Rouge was also regretful of a decision to show off so much cleavage. True, the bat was looking for love on the side but the sheer number of older men staring at her was almost creepy. But that heart. This clothing may have demanded a needed redesign eventually. Perhaps a hard plate instead.  Clicking money into the slots once more, those bat ears finally picked up the key. Faint yet still worth something, the bat girl turned slightly to see the casino's owner headed up the stairs. 'I won't hear anything like this...' she thought, casually making her way for the front door. Outside, in the alley, flying up, Rouge The Bat suddenly felt thankful for unlocked windows. Slipping inside, keeping quiet, the spy heard everything. These men were not merely criminals. They were planning to kill the President. The hope was that the aftermath would lead to war and a full demand for weapons. Black market guns were big money, especially if sold to both sides. War could be very profitable for the right people. Slinking for the window again, the Agent felt cold steel at her temples. "Ah, shit..." Dragged into the open now, Rouge faced down her targets. "Hi, uh... I was looking for a job." "Is that so?" As if psychic, the taller, older man reached into the bat's white glove, tossing aside the communicator. "Looks like you just lost your job. Kill her."  Wrists grabbed tight, gun to her head, the leader said, "no, wait... tie her up and lock her in my bedroom. I think she might be useful to me before I get ridda her." "Can we have her too, boss?" one of the men asked. "Perhaps. First, we have business." Spared her execution for the moment, Rouge was hardly prepared to be raped. Killed, that was terrible. Raped and then killed, terrible and humiliating. The situation caused some sense of morality to shatter, snapped like glass, all bets off. Stomping her captor's foot, grabbing for the pistol, Rouge opened fire, two shots ot the stomach. Spinning and shooting again, two more and her other wrist was freed. Dodging bullets and aroudn the corner, the bat waited for an opening and shot into the air. Leaping across the open meeting room, making a play for the pile of weapons laying on a large wooden table, she'd had a rapid-fire automatic pistol. Spraying gunfire like crazy, Rouge took down three more men before the clip ran dry. Picking up another rifle and a shotgun, kicking the table flat, a heated bit of metal punched through the table's shielding and barely grazed her skin. Popping up, small body a small target, Rouge The Bat, a pissed off woman, blasted four more guards with precision, throwing the weapon hard at a fifth. In the brief confusion, pulling the trigger of her machine rifle, the gang's leader took several to the leg as the last of his hired men dropped.  Suddenly free of any danger, the seething hatred was all Rouge could feel. Stomping on the mob boss' wrist, she spat out, "you wanted to fuck me first? Like some little whore? Rape me then kill me?" Feminine fury, burning like magma, the bat stooped down, sharp teeth biting into her opponent's ear, ripping the lope off as his painful scream echoed out. Blood poured out as if a pipe had burst. That burning rage had yet to subside. They had planned to start a war, to kill the President, and the indignity of it all, to rape and kill her like some object. Grabbing a fallen bronze vase, swinging it down hard, swinging again, the metal dented with each ringing blow, cracking this criminal's skull like an egg. Anger felt broken as the door swung open. Pointing her gun, Rouge saw a horrified fox in casino clothing. "I'm a secret agent! STOP!" "They're dead?" "Who the hell are YOU?" the bat demanded. "I'm Victoria, floor manager... I'll call the police! Thank you." Shaking now, gun trembling as it dropped, Rouge begged, "you're thanking me?"  "I know what they were doing..." the frightened fox mumbled. "I'll call someone." Left alone now, mind suddenly mending the breakage and reason taking hold, red blood soaked her clothing. White gloves stained red, pink heart stained red. Her boots were splattered, skin and fur a mess. Worst of all, the taste. Had she really bitten a man's ear off? Running into the bathroom, scrubbing at the crimson stains, it barely washed away. Shaking violently now, scrubbing so hard her skin hurt, Rouge looked around as she tried to locate the communicator. Twelve men, all dead by her hands. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Coffee and a sandwich offered no consolation. The bat had murdered twelve people. Self defense, service to her government, call it what they could but it was murder. Rouge wondered if the blood would ever wash out. Maybe if she's been quieter. Maybe if she's been more serious. Maybe if she's not taken this assignment. Maybe if her mother had been a better parent. Maybe then this would never have happened.  G.U.N. had been picking everything apart. The killings were justified. More than enough evidence could be found which spelled out their exact plans. Those who had not been present would soon be found. The President's life had been saved and Rouge would likely earn an unexpected promotion for this show of bravery tonight. She didn't feel very brave. She felt sick as if she could vomit only if there was anything left. The bat had already expelled it all. Dizzy, unclean, like she was about to collapse from the strain. "Can I get you anything?" "Huh...?" Looking up, she saw one of the lower-rank soldiers. For whatever reason, a switch in her brain was flicked and an unknown instinct took hold. Perhaps a self-preservation instinct or some need to forget all this, but without warning, Rouge suddenly smiled. "Well, I could go for some dinner... maybe if YOU would come with me..." "Uh... I'll pass." "Shame, you're kinda cute!" Feeling unusually happy now, Rouge The Bat left the scene, hoping to find some possible companionship. ------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------   Immediately prior to Rouge's attempt to steal the Master Emerald ------------------------------------------------------------------ A bright, sunny day. Today of all days, she had to work. But it was important, apparently important enough for the President himself to call on her for this assignment. The mysterious island floated above the sea. The intel gathered so far was limited. The island had fallen to the sea only a month before, rising into the air almost as suddenly as it had plunged. No doubt it was related to the incident that leveled several blocks of Station Square. The Chaos Emeralds. The grand prizes which Rouge the Bat would love to own, but her employers had classified them as dangerous. But nothing worth owning came without a price. And this Master Emerald? It was believed to be on this island as well. A jewel almost as big as she was. And it may very well be hers today. Not that she was sent to add to her collection, no, the President would never order something like that. However, it was suspected that Ivo Robotnik was on his way to the floating island to gather it for himself. The criminal doctor, the one spotted aboard the abandoned space station only hours before. She would be damned if he would have it.  But the emerald's guardian concerned her G.U.N. superiors. Technically, she only had two superiors, but both of them were uncertain that the echidna would be suitable protection. What intel had been gathered showed him to be gullible and somewhat unpredictable. If Robotnik could trick this echidna into giving him what he wanted, who knew what evil plan Dr. Robotnik would engage in? Simple orders. Collect the Master Emerald and leave. If she was allowed to keep it for herself, it would be a bonus. Duty against greed, the eternal struggle. It was the echidna that her mind focused on. What did the reports say? Believed to be the only one left alive. No doubt lonely. Perhaps she could charm him if the need arose. Although, if charm turned to a mutual interest, Rouge wasn't object to it. Her big date two nights before. Almost perfect until the jerk tried to grab her chest. She had never broken someone's arm prior to that incident. The sound still echoed in her ears. How could she describe it? One of the witnesses in the restaurant compared it to a twig wrapped in bacon.  Oh well, it had served the jerk right for not respecting her. He could have had it far worse, no doubt. Her G.U.N. training was top notch. She knew ways to kill a person that some people would never imagine. Ten ways that used a spoon, for example. And she had killed before, the crime lords that ran the casino. Her casino now. Killing. She was labeled a hero that day. Those crime bosses were going to kill the President and she'd put an end to it. Awarded a top rank, a free casino and free reign to steal without her employers making a peep. Angling her flight downward, Rouge saw the pedestal, calling to her from the open. It was green and bright, inviting, gorgeous. The Master Emerald may as well have had her name painted on it. Grab it and leave. Mere seconds. Fingers floating above the surface, ready to snatch, she heard the grunt. It was the echidna boy in a defensive posture. "That's not yours!" "Is that any way to greet a beautiful woman?" Smiling, leaning forward to show off, Rouge could see her sex appeal was failing. 'Does this guy even LIKE girls?' she thought, backing away.  Punching the air, the guardian glared at her. "I said, That's NOT yours!" ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- Shortly after the defeat of the Biolizard ------------------------------------------------------------------ Earth had been so distant the past few hours, a blue and green ball beneath her. Rouge hated the Space Colony ARK. The mission had been a success by the barest definition. The planet hadn't been blown up, at the very least but every step felt like a failure. A chunk of the moon was destroyed. No doubt G.U.N. scientists were already hard at work correcting the problem, looking for ways to repair the damage before the planet's gravitational forces were interrupted. She did NOT envy the men and women already being sent to the moon for a proper damage assessment. Her job was in question. She had failed to obtain the Master Emerald and despite new orders, she could have stopped Eggman at any time. Prevented the cannon from firing, prevented the moon from being damaged, prevented it all. But she couldn't bring herself to kill Ivo Robotnik. The bat knew damn well that it had been her own organization that killed the man's cousin and drove his grandfather insane. Fifty years ago, before her time, but still a stain on her group's image.  In a way, she sympathized. Had she allowed Robotnik to do as he pleased? Then there was Shadow. She felt sorry for him the most. After all, Knuckles had been a washout. He simply showed no interest, even in their brief talk aboard the space station after the Biolizard was destroyed. What had the echidna done? Gathered his precious emerald and left. Didn't even say goodbye to her. Shadow. He's woken from his anger, saved them, and was most likely dead. There was no body, of course, but she didn't expect one. Atmospheric re-entry likely burned his body to dust. Still, she prayed that his power from the Chaos Emeralds lasted long enough to protect him. Not that anyone even had a clue where his body would have landed, although knowing the President, he had teams out searching. It was a disturbing thought- even dead, Shadow's body might still be useful, in purely scientific terms. Enough of that. She was home. Her job was in doubt, her desire to steal jewels was practically gone, but she was home. Literally. The old apartment she'd grown up in was intact, if perhaps no better than when she left. Hesitant, Rouge opened the doors and walked up the stairway. The apartment door was like a mirror of nightmares. She knocked. No need to hold back.  Swinging open, the door flew back. "You're back!" The old bat greeted. "You get any milk while you were out?" "Milk?" Looking at her mother with anger, she shouted, "I've been gone for years and you ask if I got MILK?" Marron was drunk. She stumbled, shook and her breath reeked. "Years? Huh... time flies! Now, get in here, mommy's going out to get herself laid! You should get on something slutty, too! You got tits, show 'em off to the boys! Flash your pussy! Short skirt and no panties, guaranteed party every time!" Shuddering, the suggestions clung to her like filth. "I am NOT going to be a whore! That's-" Gritting her teeth, Rouge was furious. "There is NO WAY I'm letting a man have my body until I'm sure he loves me!" Marron laughed. It was a joke to her. "LOVE? Yeah, right. Now, be a good girl and do as your loving mother tells you, I know what's best!" She mouthed, "you know jack shit." "HEY! I raised you!" Head spinning from the whiskey, the bat grabbed the wall. "I took care of you, now go out and make mommy proud! Make some men real happy! They'll like you if you suck their cocks on the first date!"  Rouge wanted to scream. To use obscenities, to smack the woman, anything. But restraint won and all the angry bat could do was turn around and walk off, ignoring the screams from the doorway. They didn't matter, she wasn't going back. Her mother hadn't even missed her. To the streets and through the back alleys, Rouge found the old neighborhood jewelry store. Closed for the night, no doubt a decent but inadequate security system. Adequate, perhaps, for a typical criminal, but not her. She'd been trained to break in to places far more secure than a store. Screw her new life and her promises. It wasn't as if Knuckles listened to her anyway. Besides, she might be unemployed if the President and her Commander needed to pin the blame on someone. She would need job security. The casino rolled in money but that was boring. No, Rouge the Bat needed excitement. Tonight, this jewelry store would be picked clean. Bigger targets would soon follow. ------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------   Present Day- sometime shortly after the Black Arms attacked Earth ------------------------------------------------------------------ Rouge the Bat, "treasure hunter", government agent, thief. The winter air was cold, but she flew on. 'I can't believe this, under my nose this whole time, a jeweled necklace sitting in an abandoned house! This will be to easy,' she thought. It was true, the winery only ten miles from Central City was abandoned, and one of the owners had left behind an expensive necklace filled with jewels. "Liberating" such a treasure when no one even wanted it seemed to be the right thing to do as far as she was concerned. And being a winery, maybe a few bottles of expensive wine remained that she could sell. She also wished she had worn something a bit warmer. This late on a January night, her wings were getting cold. But it didn't matter as the winery was below. Entering the main house was no problem, the window wasn't even locked. The temperature wasn't much improved inside either. The heating system wasn't running, indeed, the place seemed abandoned.  It took her mere minutes to find the necklace. "Come to mommy!" she muttered. A gold necklace with several smaller jewels, and a large blue gem at the center. She admired it for a few seconds. "Very nice... now, I wonder if there's anything else in this-" The light turned on. Momentarily stunned, she turned. A young man, perhaps only two feet taller than she was, stood in the doorway of the room. "I- uh oh..." "Just take it and go," he said. The man turned the light off and walked away. She was tempted to take the advice, after all, she had what she came for. But something nagged in the back of her mind. All reports said the property was abandoned for the past six months. That, and the cold air outside had already worn on her wings. Who was the man she'd seen? Had she seen him at all? Running through the house, she found him, sitting at the fireplace in the main room. He was looking at photos. She watched as he tossed them in the fire, one by one. Curiously, she approached. He seemed to either not notice her, or not care. She picked up a loose photograph. It showed the man with a young woman. The two didn't look like a couple, or at least not a happy couple. "Who is she?" Rouge asked.  "My ex-girlfriend. She left me when the winery went out of business. She only wanted me for the money anyway. Doesn't matter," he answered dryly. Rouge began to understand somewhat. "I didn't think anyone still lived here. What happened? This place was once a famous wine producer." He explained, "the land died. Nothing grows. The grapes lost their flavor and the vines died. We can't produce anything. The employees left, everyone left. I inherited this land a year ago. I inherited nothing. Why are you still here?" He hadn't once looked at her, he just threw the pictures away, one by one. Photos of friends, employees, the history of the business. "It's cold out," Rouge explained, or tried to. It was only partially true. "My wings... do you mind if I sit by the fire?" He waved his hand at a chair. Rouge felt sorry for this human. She knew why now. Shadow often had the same look on his face, a look of emptiness and despair, loss. Even his voice when he first spoke reminded her of Shadow. A lonely voice filled with uncaring. He acknowledged her presence and nothing more. Even so, she was shallow enough to look at him. She couldn't help it, as much as she seemed to think men as a whole were useless, she still checked them out. This human, she thought, didn't look too bad. He was clean cut, shaved regularly, and wore nice clothes, a remnant of his rich lifestyle. She could tell the hint of muscle under his clothes, likely from years of working here.  But his face betrayed his good looks, his face showed that he had lost the will to live and functioned on a basic level. He was showing signs of under eating. He was asleep as well. 'Typical,'she thought. 'Too self-absorbed in his own self-pity to notice an attractive woman paying attention to him.' Not that she's ever seriously considered a human male before, but flirting was her nature. Besides, between the hedgehogs, the echidna and others, crossing species borders was nothing new to her, when it came to checking men out. She sat by the fire until she was warm again. Even the fire felt minimal inside this place, it was so cold. Feeling well enough to fly, she left. It was sometime after she was over Central City that she realized she'd left the necklace behind. 'Damn,' she thought. Her home in Night Babylon wasn't far, closer than flying back anyway. 'Still, it would give me an excuse to go back there. That human did intrigue me for some reason. Though I wonder if maybe he's ill? He didn't look too well.' -------------------------------------------------   It had been three days. Rouge flew near Central City, bruised. GUN had ordered her to help an archaeological mining team after a mine collapse. She needed to check herself over for injuries. The Central City Winery wasn't very far, at least. She reached the house in a few minutes. In the daylight, she could see the land clearly. It was true, the land was decaying, the plants turned brown, except nearest the house where only faint living plant life remained. She thought it was a tragedy that such a business could fail because of natural disaster. She found the young man in the main room, reading a newspaper. "You should lock your windows and doors," she greeted. He looked at her. "What happened to you?" "Oh, nothing... but I do need to check myself in a mirror." "Second door down the hallway," he said, returning to his newspaper. 'That was odd,' she thought. 'He showed concern for me when he saw me. He LOOKED at me, then went back to his newspaper.' She found the bathroom. Like the rest of the mansion, it was well decorated. The mirrored cabinet was the type in which the sliding mirrors could be removed. Taking one out, she stood it opposite the other mirrors. Her initial inspection showed no injuries from the front. Her back, however, was scratched. A sizable scratch between her wings. 'No wonder that hurts so much.' She found the man in his chair. "I have a cut on my back."  "...and?" he asked. "I need it cleaned and bandaged, what do you think?" His stupidity had not impressed her. "Oh..." he stood, following her to the bathroom. She sat on the counter as he ran a washcloth under the sink. He gently cleaned the wound. "It's not bad. Probably won't leave a scar. This is going to burn," he said, wiping the scratch with alcohol. Rouge winced. She could have turned around and smacked him, it burned terribly. She resisted the urge to scream, but her eyelids shuddered and air slipped out from between her teeth. The pain subsided quickly, however. "That was... don't do that again. Can you look my wings over for any scratches?" He didn't say anything, but looked them over anyway. "I don't see any. You have a tail. That's odd." "You've never seen a bat before or something?" she joked. "Yes... small bats," he answered. "I bet none of those little cave bats were as attractive as me, right?" He looked stunned. "Oh... I'm sorry. It was just a joke." She had overstepped the comfort zone. Aside from being a human, he had also left an unstable relationship. Flirting probably made him angry, not to mention uncomfortable. She wasn't even his species, after all.  "Whatever." He left the bathroom. Rouge followed. "Hey, wait! I don't even know your name!" He ignored  her. "I'm Rouge," she said. "Rouge... that's a... nice name. Tom." He had replied. "I didn't mean to... no one visits. You're the first visitor I've had in a long time. I don't have any friends. I have nothing." "That's not true," she replied. "You still have a nice home." "Why did you come here the other night? To steal that necklace?" She was a bit stunned by his change in tone. "Yes. But it's not important." "No, go ahead and take it, I don't need it. It's not worth much," he explained. "I'm very tired right now. But... if you want to come back, feel free. I'll leave the windows unlocked so you can come as you please." He was reaching out to her. "I'll do that, when you're feeling better," she said. He quickly fell asleep. Rouge left quietly, though she doubted any noise would wake him. It was evening, and the air would soon be cold. Curiously, she picked a grape from one of the few remaining vines near the house. Tasting it, she spat it out. 'Eww, tastes like ashes," she thought. She wasn't sure in the low light either, but the color of the vines seemed off. And maybe it was the light playing tricks with shadows, but she was almost certain the trees were moving. There was no wind.  ------------------------------------------------- She's decided to poke around and find out more about the winery. The Central City Winery was owned by the Adriani family, until a year ago when Thomas Adriani, the only child, inherited the land at age 20 after his parents died. The winery continued operation, until six months prior when the land began to fail. Orders cut down until production halted. The winery shut down, the staff left, and for all anyone knew, the property abandoned. However, Tom had remained behind, living reclusively. The wines held by the owners had all been auctioned off recently. 'Why do I care about this? There's nothing in it for me, aside from that necklace,' she thought. ------------------------------------------------- It had been a week since she'd met him. She sat by the fire. "I don't like wine. Funny that I'd inherit this. I don't like alcohol. I hate wine, it tastes like rotten grapes. But it's been our family business. I worked here, and I hate wine..." "Then why continue here? You could have sold the land," she said.  "I hate wine, but there's a lot of money to be had in selling it. People pay good money for rotten grape juice. I don't understand the rich," he answered. "They think that paying lots of money for something makes it special." She thought it an odd attitude for him to have. "Aren't you rich?" "Technically," he replied. "But I save my money, I don't spend it on luxuries." She asked, "what about that necklace?" "You're obsessed with jewelry. My old girlfriend wanted it, she begged for it. I bought it, and when I tried to give it to her, I found a letter waiting for me. She was out of my life. I didn't care. I honestly didn't much like her. My parents hooked us up. After a point, I started ignoring her hoping she'd leave, and she finally did, but not because I wanted it... she left because I wasn't making money. Why do you like jewels so much?" he asked. "OH! I- it's hard to explain. But, they're pretty. I like looking at them," she replied. "Then why aren't you out collecting more? You're a treasure hunter, sitting here with a lonely, broken man doesn't get you what you want."  She became agitated. "I'm trying to be nice to you! If you don't like it, I can just leave right now!" "That's not what I-" He looked her in the eyes, briefly. Turning away in embarrassment, he continued, "I think you have a heart. You try to hide it with a tight body suit, a flirty attitude, and your obsession with material goods. You want the world to think you're tough, but here you are... taking pity on someone, expecting nothing in return. And I think you've done this before." She was amazed, he had looked through her. "I'm tired. I don't hate you, Rouge. Don't think I do because I yelled at you." He fell asleep. It had been a month. Rouge had seen her new friend off and on. Things went well, as Tom seemed to show more interest in life now. He wasn't as depressed as he was, although at times he still seemed to push Rouge away. A part of him still seemed to want to avoid her for some reason. She sensed this, his pushing away. He also seemed to be getting worse as time went. He was tired more and more, often falling asleep during conversations. Rouge was starting to worry. It was then she noticed it, as she flew above the property. The death of the plants seemed to form a ring. The worst centered around a well at the edge of the property, near a river. It was odd, and perhaps too strange to be unrelated. She had come to believe that whatever was making Tom sick was related to the land.  She needed to consult someone about this. ------------------------------------------------- Dr. Eggman didn't flinch as Rouge snuck into his base. "What do you want, bat girl? I don't have any Chaos Emeralds for you!" "Very funny, Doctor!" she insulted. "I need your expertise on something." "Oh? Are those idiots at GUN finally useless to you?" She gave him an angry look. "Bring up the Central City Winery on your satellite view." "Ah, I know the place," he said. "Why you would want that brought up is beyond me- hmm, interesting. I knew that place shut down because nothing grew, but am I seeing this? The death forms a perfect ring around the well! That's not natural at all!" "And your opinion?" she asked. "I don't have one right now." "There's more. The owner of the property is tired all the time. I tasted one of the grapes, it tasted like ash. And I think the trees are moving on their own at night without wind. I've seen it several times." Eggman thought the evidence over. "I have a friend I should consult on this."  "You have a friend? That's funny!" Eggman gave her a cold stare. "It was a joke, don't get psychotic on me!" she said. ------------------------------------------------- Central City was home to a private investigation firm. an odd one at that. The sign in the window read HERBERT KOLCHAK WESTWOOD PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR. Herbert was inside. It was after hours anyway, but he lived here. Stacks of books, artifacts, and newspapers littered the small apartment. He was busy working on a broken lamp. "Home is my heaven, home is my hell... why can't I figure out what's wrong with this stupid thing?" His video phone activated. "Herbert! Are you even there?" Herb grabbed his cane, and made his way to the phone. "Yes, yes, Ivo, what do you want?" "I have a small job for you," Eggman explained. "A job, that means money. Okay, send one of your flying machines to pick me up, because I'm sure I have no ides where your base is. Not that it wouldn't be easy enough to find since you paint your logo on them!" Eggman wasn't appreciative of the comment. "It will be there to pick you up shortly."  At Eggman's base, Herbert Westwood hobbled to the control room, walking slowing as his right leg begged the cane's support. He noticed Rouge, and jumped back slightly. "Ivo, there's a..." "That's Rouge. An annoyance, but harmless, I assure you," Eggman explained. "Harmless..." he stared at her with disgust. 'He doesn't like me at all, does he?' she thought. "Look at the screen, what do you see?" Herbert checked the image. "That... isn't natural. No sir, not at all. Something is in the ground, sucking the life out. I've read of this before, but I can't off hand remember where. Is anyone living there?" "Yes, a friend of mine," Rouge explained. "Then you would do well to get that person away from there, as soon as possible! Now, Ivo, you know where to send my money for this consult." Rouge was walking away, the warning ringing in her mind. "Then you would do well to get that person away from there." Her friend was dying and his land was killing him. However, she could hear the two men arguing. "That... thing. With the wings. She's probably responsible for that in the first place."  "Oh, really, Rouge may be a thief and a spy but she's hardly-" Herbert cut him off. "I've studied things like her, humanoid creatures with wings. Things that drain a man's soul for life. Listen or not, you still owe me. I'm returning home." Eggman sighed. Herbert had hobbled off. Eggman followed Rouge. "I should apologize for that. He... he didn't mean to-" "I don't care what he thought. I have a friend who may be dying. I have to go," she said angrily. "WAIT! Normally I don't take interest in such matters, but if Herbert feels strongly about something, well... I can't very well take over the world if it ends. I don't have a Chaos Emerald, but I know someone who does. That stupid echidna Knuckles has one..." "And how would you now that?" she asked. "Because, my dear Rouge, I have been trying to pry it away from him for the past week! Stubborn fool doesn't understand science! Besides, I would assume that you would want that fool Shadow to help you. At least, I doubt you can carry an adult human, especially if he doesn't want to go."  Eggman was right. If necessary, Rouge would have Shadow use Chaos Control to take him away. Rouge may be the closest Tom had to a friend, but he was stubborn. "Just who was that odd man you brought here?" she asked. "Herbert! Oh ho, he was an old childhood friend of mine. He's been a paranormal investigator for 30 years. We have our... philosophical differences ever since I took to my current hobbies, but he still works for me. He does research on the various older buildings I use, after all, if it's haunted, he'll know how badly. Now go. You don't have much time!" ------------------------------------------------- Rouge headed to Angel Island immediately. It didn't take her long to find Knuckles. He was sitting patiently over the Master Emerald. "ROUGE!" he shouted. "You're not taking the Master Emerald!" "Oh shut up, I'm not here for that. I'm here for the Chaos Emerald you have," she said. "How'd you know-? Like I'd give it to you, you thieving bat girl!" She flew towards him. "I don't need it for myself. I need it to help someone!"  He grinned. "Help someone? You? You'll say anything..." Rouge lost what shred of patience she had. Walking towards the echidna, she grabbed the quills on the sides of his head and pulled. "I am in a hurry, and I have had it with you! I have to save a life! Now give me that Chaos Emerald or... or I'll tear these off!" Knuckles was shocked. The anger was more than he'd ever seen out of Rouge, and he was almost certain he heard a tinge of sadness in her voice. He pulled the Emerald out and handed it to her. She let go. "I'll give this back when I'm done with it." She turned. "Rouge, wait, what's going on?" She flew off without answering. ------------------------------------------------- It was night. Rouge found Shadow near Station Square. "I need your help." "Oh?" he replied. She handed him the Chaos Emerald. "You're giving away a Chaos Emerald? It must be important." "I need you to help me save someone. A friend of mine might be dying. He-" Shadow cocked an eyebrow. "He?" "Yes, my new friend is a man. He's not my boyfriend. Does this bother you?"  He replied, "why should it? If you want to date someone, it's no business of mine." "I just said we're not-" "Where is he now?" Shadow cut in. It was past midnight when they arrived at the winery. "Nice place," Shadow commented. Even now, he could tell the land was decaying. The air and ground were unusually cold. "He's inside, we should hurry," she said. They ran to the house. before they could enter, they heard the loud thud inside. "What was that?" Shadow asked. They found him. Tom was lying on the floor, unconscious. He had fallen off the ladder in the library. "No, we're too late!" Rouge screamed out, horrified at the sight of Tom's limp body. Shadow checked his pulse. "No we're not. He's still alive. Barely." Rouge stooped to check on him. "He'll die here. I... I failed him." Shadow reeled. Maria was in his mind again. Watching her die. He was certain he would never forget that. "No he won't!" Shadow said. "I won't let him! Chaos CONTROL!" In seconds, the three were in Central City Hospital. They had startled the staff. Shadow looked one of the doctors in the eye. "This man needs care. NOW!" Quickly, the staff had Tom to the emergency room. "He should be fine. Lets go," Shadow said.  Rouge turned away. "I can't. I have to stay here." Somehow, Shadow understood. He had told her that her friend would be fine, but he didn't believe it. Even now, he wondered if they were too late. "Find Eggman. He can help you now." ------------------------------------------------- "There you are, doctor," Shadow greeted. "Shadow... this had better be good, I'm busy!" "Rouge sent me. Her friend may be..." Shadow explained. "So you were too late," he replied. "Or were you? He's still alive?" Shadow nodded. "Not that I particularly care about Rouge's friend, but... I did some further research. Wait one minute..." He punched keys. In seconds, the vidphone to Westwood's office came to life. "WESTWOOD!" "Hyello?" Herbert called. "I found something interesting about the winery," Eggman said. "Oh? And that would be, what, Ivo?" "A meteor fell there six months ago. The fireworks last July, to be exact. No doubt it was ignored because of the festivities, but my satellites recorded it. It made an impact dead center in the well!"  In his office, Herbert stumbled around, looking for something. "No... not here... where is it..." He reached an unorganized cardboard box and drew out a large black book. Finding the page inside, he read. "I knew it... it's happening. I'll be at that winery in ten minutes! Meet me there!" He ran off, hobbling on his cane. Down the stairs and to his van in the parking garage, he sped off with a fury. "Oh boy... oh crap, this isn't good..." ------------------------------------------------- Herbert Westwood wandered around the winery grounds. The air was cold, moreso than it should be. Stooping, he felt the ground. 'Yes,' he thought. Pulling a radio form his overcoat pocket, he dialed into Eggman's communications. "Ivo! IT is happening," he said, emphasis on 'it'. "We're on our way. My fortress is flying to you now, we should arrive in twenty minutes." "Dammit, Ivo! We're on borrowed time, and I mean BORROWED! Push the engines if you have to! I will need supplies. Something to capture this thing with. Nothing glass or silicon," he said.  "I have the perfect container," Eggman replied. "A special box used for... the more dangerous specimens. Safe against radiation, sound, air leakage, anything." ------------------------------------------------- Rouge huddled herself on the chair inside Tom's room. He was still unconscious. 'Why do I care? Why does this hurt so bad?' she thought. He hadn't improved since they brought him here, and the doctors were unsure if he would. He was malnourished, and had fallen a good distance off the ladder. She couldn't sleep. ------------------------------------------------- Eggman hovered his craft downward, a large metal box hanging from the tether. "Drop it near the well!" Herb ordered. Shadow jumped down. "Whatever this is, it's down the well. A meteor of some sort. I can't go down there with this leg," he explained. "I'll go," Shadow replied. "What are we dealing with?" Herb answered, "it's too horrifying to talk about right now. Feel the ground." Shadow did so. Even through his glove, he could feel how warm the ground was. "The air is cold. why is the ground..."  Something flew down towards them. Small, red, and angry. "Where is she? You know where she is, Shadow! I want my Chaos Emerald back!" "I don't answer to you!" Shadow shot back. "You... Rouge took that Emerald, and I want it back!" Herbert was annoyed. "WHO IS THIS" "This is Knuckles, a confused echidna. Rouge isn't here, and I don't know where she is right now." "I don't believe you, Shadow, Rouge will do anything to- HEY!" Herb poked him with his cane. "You want any help? Then make yourself useful. You a digger?" Knuckles nodded. "Good. Get down that well and get the meteorite at the bottom. I can't do it on this leg." "What? Meteor? Do I look like- OW!" Herbert poked him again. "It's like talking to a ROCK! You heard me! We do not have time to argue, get going!" Knuckles decided to go along. He ran to the well. Westwood walked back to his van. "Nice guy... needs a good smack upside the head," he commented. "Knuckles isn't exactly a friend of mine. He usually associates with Sonic," Shadow explained. "You're Shadow, correct? I highly doubt Sonic would be the one with Ivo. Rouge must be the bat. You and her...?"  Shadow shook it off. "No. She's a business associate. Nothing more." Westwood opened a large case. Inside was a weapon. "This, my boy, is an elephant gun." He cocked open the weapon and loaded both barrels. "Will this be enough?" Shadow asked. "Hardly enough to kill this thing, if it is indeed what I fear... but enough to knock it back." Near the well, Knuckles noticed Eggman hovering in the sky. "I knew it! You told Rouge about my Chaos Emerald!" "Shut up and get down the well!" Eggman shouted. 'Just great, a Chaos Emerald is missing, Eggman's here, and some weirdo's with them...' he thought to himself. Figuring he'd go along for now, he climbed down the well. It wasn't very deep, maybe 50 feet down. Embedded in the bottom he found the small meteorite. A bit larger than a Chaos Emerald, it was glowing an unusual color. It was warm down here, and even through his thick gloves, the rock felt hot. Pulling it from the stone, he tucked it under one arm and climbed out. Once at ground level, he dropped it. "Thing's hot, what is it?"  "A horror from beyond the stars. Quickly, seal it in the box!" Westwood waited while Knuckles carried it to the large contained. The metal box waited, the flap resting on the ground. All Knuckles had to do was toss the meteorite inside and lift the panel to latch it. An unearthly scream cut the night. Herbert welt flying back as something hit him in the jaw, his gun sent somewhere into the night. Stumbling, he yelled, "don't let it get away!" Their opponent was barely visible in the dark. Knuckles was sure he was hitting something, but what, he did not know. Shadow lept into the air, curling into a ball and flying at the monster. Westwood found the elephant gun. He could barely see the monster, a faint swirl of an unknown color, something beyond his own ability to recognize. Tracking the movement and noise, he lined up a shot with the box. The gun sounded like a cannon going off, sending the horror flying back several feet. 'Keep it steady...' Lining up again, he cocked the second barrel and fired. Whatever the creature was, it had been sent into the box by the force of the blast. "LOCK IT! LOCK IT NOW!" Shadow and Knuckles did so, sealing the crate before the creature could escape.  Westwood forced himself up, using the gun for support. Shadow found the old man's cane and handed it to him. "You're bleeding," Shadow commented. Herbert was bleeding from the mouth. He spat something out. "And I was hoping to get through life with all my teeth. All that dental care for nothing..." One of his molars had been knocked out. Pulling a tissue from his coat, he wadded it up and stuck it in the empty space. Breathing heavily, he dropped to one knee. He clutched his chest. "There's... there's a bottle of heart pills in my van... now" Shadow gasped, running to the van. He found two bottles. Grabbing them both, he ran back. "The... blue pills..." Shadow opened the bottle and took out a small blue pill. Herb swallowed it. "Thanks. I have a bad heart. I'm okay." "What was that thing?" Knuckles asked. Shadow grunted. "Who's watching the Master Emerald? Rouge might take it!" Knuckled cocked a worried expression as he ran of. "Gullible fool." "Yes, he is a bit slow. Strong, but slow," Herb said. He gave a thumbs up. Eggman grabbed the metal box with his craft's tether and carried it away. "I didn't want him to see this," Shadow stated, pulling the Chaos Emerald out.  In a flash of blue light, Herbert and Shadow arrived in Eggman's flying fortress. The metal box was aboard. "I need to observe this thing in the light." "Hmm, I may have something... YES! A blast chamber I use to dispose of bombs that go bad. Think of it as a large version of the metal box! Fully inescapable!" Eggman explained. "DO IT!" Eggman transported the box into the blast chamber. Once inside, he set the time release latch to open and sealed the chamber. The box opened. The cameras inside fed them images of the monster. An odd hue moved across the screen. "I can't really see the thing" Herb said. "Allow me..." Eggman replied, playing with the light filters. The altered spectrum better showed the monster, roughly humanoid, several feet tall, if holding much of a solid form. Shadow set the empty meteor down. The inner layer was like the creature, a hard substance composed of an element of an indescribable color. Herb asked, "should I tell him?" Eggman nodded. "Shadow, what we are dealing with is what I can best call a multi-dimensional entity. I've been in my business for 30 years or so, studied small hauntings, various gods of our world... the Master Emerald, yes, I remember, the god Chaos. So that little red doorstop guards that, does he? Anyway, to get back on track...  "I used to find signs of greater entities, things beyond human understanding, things much older than anything we know of. Things that exist in numerous dimensions at once. Lesser being, perhaps such as our captive, which pass between worlds, and far greater horrors, so far beyond evolution that they can exist simultaneously in several realities. Things that existed before time lines split. "Five years ago, Ivo built a special device which allowed me to travel to a separate Earth. Same planet as ours but with a different history. A different society indeed... all humans, the other animals were unevolved. Hedgehogs such as yourself were... well, small animals." Shadow looked curious. "Think of it this way... we have small cave bats, and we have bats such as your friend. In their world, they have nothing like your fried, just the small ones. Same as with all animals. "I'm getting off track again. The important thing is, their world knew far more about these beings. I was able to study, and even bring back artifacts and books to help me. And now... now, it has happened." He pulled a thick black book from his inner jacket. Shadow read the cover. H.P LOVECRAFT. "An author in their world, long ago, became connected to these entities and their doings on that Earth. Flip to page 92," Herb said. Shadow did so. The story was titled THE COLOUR OUT OF SPACE.  "Lovecraft detailed similar events. A meteor impact let loose a creature on a farm, and drained the very life from the land and the residents like a parasite. And I believe that we have now captured that very same entity." He removed his overcoat. "I would suggest reading that story, it may tell you more... more than you ever wanted to know about our meaningless existence. I believe my van will be fine down there. I will stay here tonight. It is..." he checked his watch. "1:30 in the morning. I haven't slept in three days. It's a wonder I sleep at all in my line of work. Ivo, I'm sure you have somewhere on this flying crate to sleep?" ------------------------------------------------- Knuckles reached Angel Island. As he approached the Master Emerald, he noticed someone. A human, perhaps, as it was far too tall to be Rouge. "Hey! Get back here!" He gave chase, but the individual was too fast. At the edge of the floating island, the stranger jumped on a waiting hang glider and took off. Knuckles lost sight of his target before he could take off himself. "That was...odd."  ------------------------------------------------- The next morning, Knuckles found Rouge in Central City. "There you are! About that Emerald you forced me to hand over, can I have it back now?" "Get lost," she said. "That's not gonna happen until I get that Chaos Emerald back!" She wanted to turn around and punch him. "My friend is dying. If he lives, I promise you, on my life, that I will never try to steal the Master Emerald again. But if he dies... if he dies I will do whatever I must to take it from you. You hear me? If he dies, I will take what you have to make you as miserable as I will be, do you understand?" Knuckles stepped back. He wanted to believe her. "Nice trick," he replied. "I'm going inside. Follow me and you'll be glad we're at a hospital." She went inside, leaving the confused echidna to wonder what was going on. Inside, Eggman met her in the waiting room. "Ah, Rouge my dear bat girl, how are you this fine morning?" She gave him a nasty look. "Ah, right... I thought I should tell you that we found the thing that was making your friend sick. And I have COMPLETE confidence that Herb can help your friend now!" 'I'm going to burn in the afterlife for that,' he thought.  "Why are you here, fat man?" she asked. "I, well, I was once in this situation, watching a friend dying in the hospital. He was much worse off, but came through fine. I'm sure your friend will be better than new very soon. I should go!" ------------------------------------------------- "Why does it look so strange?" Shadow asked. "Its color is beyond our ability to see or understand. You're the 'ultimate life form? well, this thing isn't really alive. Not what we'd call life. These beings Lovecraft knew of were beyond our level of existence, so much that to merely look upon some of them would drive one insane." He turned to the black book again. "This seems to be all we have on this particular monster, my boy... I should stop calling you that, you're older than me! Anyway, in Lovecraft's account, the creature sucked the life out of the land and the people, and then fled into space. The land never healed." Shadow asked, "can we do anything?" "I don't know... maybe there's some incantation or something in my files that could help. I admit I have very poor cataloging of my research, what with all the books and such I have. It would take ten lifetimes. But if you want to do that trick with the light again, head to my office in Central City." He handed Shadow the key. "There's a box labeled 'otherworldly research', dig through and- no, just bring the whole thing. And some memory sticks beside my computer, the little ones that plug right into the ports, you know those?"  Shadow nodded. "Good, bring them. Be quick about it. If we have any hope of saving that man's life, timing is key!" ------------------------------------------------- Hours had passed, and they still hadn't found anything useful. H.P. Lovecraft had written of hopelessness. The gods would arrive, do whatever it is they were destined to do, and leave. Nothing showed any evidence of being useful. Strange music played from Westwood's radio. "Nothing. Nothing at all helpful. It's as if the being has a mental hold on whatever it drains, even if separated from the victim." "You've been listening to that awful music all day," Shadow said. "Oh, that..." he replied. "A band called Aerosmith. They aren't from our Earth. Hey, if you're gonna go to a different Earth, you may as well bring back souvenirs. Different things. I brought back a lot of music and movies with me. I like these movies called 'Columbo, a detective with the police. A bit like me without the paranormal, I guess. Why did you join GUN?" Shadow considered the question. "I wasn't alive at the time, but I know the stories about GUN troops invading the ARK, and shooting that poor girl. Maria, Ivo's cousin. They kidnapped Gerald and drove him insane. It's why I forgive his plans, in a way it's his revenge against the world."  "Things change," Shadow answered. "You only put up with Ivo because he's Maria's only living relative, don't you?" Herbert asked. "You could say that. But he also serves a use sometimes." "Fair enough," Westwood replied. Reaching for the coffee pot, he shook around the few drops in the bottom. "Coffee's empty. Probably time to get some sleep, I won't be up much longer." "You shouldn't be drinking all that coffee anyway, with your heart condition," Shadow replied. "Probably not." He checked his watch. 3:12 AM. But the date caught his attention. "You have gotta be joking... oh god no." "What is it?" Shadow asked. "It's the 14th." Shadow looked puzzled. "February 14th! Valentines day! And your friend is watching someone die. The universe is a cruel joke, and I stopped laughing a long time ago." Shadow asked, "is that it?" "Yes, that's it. He will die. I have no way to help him. Nothing here will help him. I am utterly USELESS! Why... why understand the vast meanings of the universe and the things that should not be, of knowledge of these beings is meaningless? I know what this disease is, and I have no way to help! No one can! We are all so useless, so meaningless in the vast meaning of all things! I don't care if we work for another 10 years! we will never find the answer, because it does not exist!"  Shadow grabbed the Chaos Emerald. "Where are you going?" Herb asked. Shadow didn't answer as the blue flash filled the room. ------------------------------------------------- He found Rouge in the hospital room. Tom was breathing thanks to a machine. He wasn't ready to die yet, but Shadow could tell he would die soon. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "I wanted to see how he was doing." "He's not going to make it, is he?" He didn't answer. "I don't know why I care, Shadow. I thought all I cared about was gems, but..." "You've helped me before. I believe you can care about more than trinkets," he said. "I... it hurts so much. I feels like there's a knife in my heart, and someone's turning it. Is this... is this what it felt like when you watched Maria die?" "I don't know," Shadow answered. "You wouldn't," she said. "You watched her shot to death. She died quickly. I have to watch this slowly." "You have feelings for him, don't you?" he asked. "I- maybe. But... Shadow, this could have been us. But you would never let me close to you. And now I know why. You lost Maria, and I am losing him. It must have left a hole in you that could never be filled. Maybe I should leave, maybe if I don't watch him die, it won't hurt so much."  "NO!" he yelled. "That is the worst thing you could do! If you care about him... wait here!" In a blue flash, he was gone. ------------------------------------------------- Shadow woke Herbert. "Come with me!" "What? Where?" he asked. "Are you glowing?" Shadow was glowing a bright red haze. They entered the room housing the blast chamber. The monster still remained inside, huddled, waiting for escape. "Open the door, and close it when I'm inside!" "Are you insane?" Herbert shouted. Shadow shot back, "DO IT!" Herb sighed. He opened the door. Shadow entered, the door locking behind him. "So, you're the one responsible for this. It's time to end this!" Westwood watched on the monitor. Shadow floated, the Chaos Emerald hovering in front of him. A blast wave let loose, the camera feed cutting off. "Holy hell, what was that?" Herb opened the door. Shadow stood where he had been. The creature withered in the corner, a faint scream of pain tearing away as its body crumbled into a fine pile of dust and flakes. "What the-"  "I killed it. It should break the creature's mental hold on its victim. And if not, then it's still dead." Herb bent down and examined the remains. "You just- just killed one of these things! That's incredible! I didn't think it was possible, people have banished or sealed them away, but you- you are the ultimate life form to be able to do that!" He chuckled, stomping his foot on the pile. "That's for my tooth, you jerk!" ------------------------------------------------- "Rouge?" She was barely asleep. "Where am I?" the voice asked. Quickly, she shot up. "You're..." Running to the bed, she ripped off the mask so he could talk. "You're awake! I'll get the doctor!" ------------------------------------------------- Morning had come. "Looks like you've made a full recovery! I want to run one more test to be sure, but I think I can discharge you today, Thomas!" "Thanks, doctor," he replied. Rouge had fallen asleep, the first comforting sleep she'd had in some time. She stretched on the waiting room couch, waking up and headed straight for Tom's room. "The doctor wants to run one more test, then I can go," he explained.  "That's good. I don't think you should go home, though. I want you to go home with me, for now. I don't know if your house is safe to go back to yet." She had told him that something poisonous was on his property and made him ill. Which, as far as she knew, was true, as no one had really explained to her what was going on. "I'll go to your home and gather some clothes while you wait here." ------------------------------------------------- Rouge reached the winery mansion. Finding his room, she took a suitcase from the closet and began grabbing things. Shirts, pants, socks, stopping to pause a bit when she found his underwear. 'Oh, embarrassing,' she thought. 'Oh well.' "I take it your friend is doing well?" At the doorway stood the strange man she'd seen with Eggman before. "You're Rouge. Herb Westwood. You really have to thank Shadow, he was the one who helped your friend." "I see. What really happened here?" she asked. "Oh... well, it may be best you don't know. Just know that it's over." He stepped to the window. "I can see this better now. The dead plant life by the well is a dried shell that crumbles. But the living stuff nearest the house, the color has returned. As has the flavor. The grapes taste like grapes. Shadow couldn't resurrect the dead, but he performed a miracle. I have to apologize to you," he said. "I didn't have any right to treat you the way I did when I met you."  "It's okay-" "NO, it's not okay..." he shouted. "I judged you because you have wings. I blamed you. And you sat by that man's side hoping he would be okay. You care for him, deeply. I guess humans still have prejudice. It's not right. If we can't rise above such primitive ideas, then what good are we? Certain things in my studies have had wings... and I grouped you with them because of how you look. And I hate myself for it." "You're the one he was talking about," she said. He asked, "who?" "Eggman. He said he once watched a friend in the hospital, dying. You're his only friend. It was you, wasn't it?" "Oh, that," he answered. "It was, well... it was right after he was first beat by the green hedgehog." "You mean Sonic? He's blue, actually." "Blue, green, all the same to me. I'm colorblind, literally. Blue is green to me. I don't know what the color blue even looks like. Anyway, we'd been friends since childhood. He went into science, and I... didn't. But when he had his first world domination plan, we had a large disagreement over it. Back then I owned a large house in the woods near Westopolis. I was cutting up a tree that had fallen in my backyard. And the chainsaw slipped. Took me in the leg, cut the artery. I'm a vegetarian now. After seeing your own leg muscle sliced up like that, you lose interest in meat."  "I wouldn't know," Rouge said. "I'm a fruit bat." "Yeah, I guessed as much," he replied. "Vampire bats tend to be rather... unpleasing to look at. Ivo had come by to argue with me and he found me bleeding to death. He got me to the hospital in time. We're also the same blood type, his donation helped me live. It wasn't all perfect afterwards" he explained, waving his cane. "The wound was messed up. I have to take pain pills for it. I can barely walk without this. Ivo isn't all that evil, he has a conscience, even if he buries it behind an anger at the world. By the way, do you know a red echidna named Knuckles?" "Yes, I do, unfortunately," she answered. "he showed up the other night, ranting about that Chaos Emerald. I think he hates you," Westwood explained. "Possibly," Rouge remarked, "can you believe I had a crush on him? It wasn't his personality though." "I sympathize. I don't like him." "Prejudice?" she asked. "No, he's an idiot." She continued packing. "Still... I like Tom, but..." "But what?" Herb asked.  "He's a human, and I'm a bat. I don't know if it could be that way between us." Herb paced a bit. "I see. You didn't sit by his side in the hospital because he's someone you play checkers with. You sat by his side because you feel strongly about him, and I think he feels the same. You wouldn't have been visiting him for a month otherwise. He did ask you to visit, right?" "He did," she answered. "I'll put it this way. You're an attractive young woman with a body most men can't ignore. I'll admit, if I were younger... no matter. If he were to turn you away because of who you are, then he doesn't deserve you." She was a bit startled by this. "You're a person, like me. You're not a human, but you own homes, hold jobs, pay bills, and talk with us as equals. You are people. You should not be denied the same rights as us! Civil rights are... well, I've been to places where humans were the only people. And still, they held prejudice over skin color, heritage, religion, beliefs, and other things. Prejudice is a poor personality trait that has to be overcome."  He tapped his cane lightly. "I, uh... a nice cat once had here eye on me about 20 years ago. It was the expedition into the old Sumerian kingdom." "I remember that," Rouge said. "The expedition to find the sacred gem once belonging to the king of that tribe." He continued, "Clara the Cat, an archaeologist who'd hired me to go along. Well, the expedition went south, and she blamed me for it. Said if she ever saw me again, she'd claw my eyes out. Then, as Ivo did, I married my work. You should finish packing. You found a place for him to stay, I assume?" "Yes," she answered. "With me, for now." "Good. I don't think anyone should stay here for some time, actually. I'll leave you- oh, right, I forgot." He pulled the Chaos Emerald from his coat. "Shadow told me to give this back to you. Bloody thing, I should lock it up somewhere, these Chaos Emeralds are dangerous." She took it as he walked away. Outside, he noticed Shadow chasing after someone. "Hey! HEEEY" Shadow!" It was no good. Shadow kept chasing the man, who jumped on a motorcycle and sped off. Down the road, Shadow followed, only for the bike to cut off into the woods.  "Damn!" He raced back to the house. "What was that, my boy?" Herb asked. "Someone was snooping around. I couldn't catch them." Westwood looked into the distance. 'This isn't at all good...' ------------------------------------------------- The cab let them off at the entrance of Club Rouge, the busy casino in Night Babylon. Here, it was always night. "It's only 10:30 in the morning," Tom remarked. They went inside. A female fox in a black vest stopped him. "Sorry sir, you have to pay the cover charge before you-" "Move aside, honey, he's with me!" Rouge ordered. "Boss! I'm sorry, I didn't know!" the fox apologized. "It's okay. Treat him as you would me," she demanded. Rouge led him upstairs. "how do you like it?" she asked. "You... own this place?" "Every inch!" she replied. "The casino and this apartment! The whole second floor is my personal space!" Jewels lined the apartment. It was luxurious all over. "Make yourself comfy!" He sat down on the couch. "Wow, this is soft," he exclaimed. She sat beside him. "There's... there's something I want to talk to you about. It's about the past month. I need to know what you think of me as," she told him. "You probably think I'm just a friend. I couldn't be more than that, I'm a bat and-"  "You're an angel from heaven," he told her. "What?" she asked in disbelief. He took her hand. "I said, you're an angel. I don't care if your wings don't have feathers. You came to me when I was lonely, and you saved my life. My mind has been hazy for months now, I almost lost everything, but you came along and made everything better." "I- I- that's the nicest thing I've been called. Humans usually insult me. But... I've had crushes on two men before. One doesn't like me, and the other will always be more like a brother to me. You're the... first who ever..." "I see," he replied. "I would've thought you'd had several boyfriends. No offense." "I'll flirt with men to get what I want. I can distract them. But I draw the line at trading my body for what I want. I won't do that" "So you're, I mean, you're-" "I've never been romantic with a man, no," she said. "I don't like sex." He replied, "I see... I think." "You don't understand. Sex is physical. No, that's not what I want. Love making interest me. I couldn't go that far with someone unless I loved him, and it's never... I'm not ashamed of my body. I know men look at me. I'll wear clothes to show off, but... they can look all they want, but if they want to touch..."  "I don't think our talks went this far," he said. "But I haven't gone that far either. You remember I told you about my ex, she was, well, my first date but I never liked her anyway. And any woman who showed interest in me was after the family money. Not that... no, I know you aren't like that. You have these jewels, and this casino, you have money." She forced herself closer to him. "You look like you're about to cry, did I say something bad?" he asked. "No. No, I'm not going to cry. I don't do that. I'm too strong to cry. But I thought you were going to... I thought you were going to die and..." He pulled her closer. "Let it out. I'm the only one who will know. No one else will see it. Let it out, don't hold it in or it will hurt you." She began sobbing. Her tears soaked his shirt. He was right, she had bottled up her sadness and it was wearing at her. He held her close to muffle the crying. No one but him would see, and he wouldn't think she was weak for it. After a few minutes, she stopped. "I'm sorry I made you cry. I know it must have been difficult." Rising, she looked him in the eyes. Acting quickly, she pressed her lips to his. She pushed herself into it, running her fingers through his hair. He responded by pulling her towards him. After a short while, they let go.  "You're... a ball of emotion right now," he said. "I couldn't help it. I just... I- I- I think..." He pulled her close. "I know. I love you too, my little angel." She rose from the couch. "You haven't eaten in days. We should go out and get something. It's still early" she said. "I haven't eaten real food in days, actually. Or eaten well in some time, I think," he replied. He stood, picking up the suitcase. "You can put that in the bedroom. I have an empty drawer I can keep your clothes in," she told him. He sat the case on her bed, opening it. On top of his clothes rested the necklace, the one that Rouge had tried to steal when she met him. "Oh... I guess I packed it without thinking." "You still love these things, don't you?" "Love? No... well, they are pretty, and I've always liked them. But, when you were in the hospital, I realized that... they can never love me. They can't talk to me, they can't make me feel good. All they do is sit there and look nice. They aren't a companion. I've never watched someone close dying before. It hurt. I would have traded every one of them to save you."  He slipped the necklace around her neck, fastening the catch. "It's okay. I told you that it was yours now." She removed her gloves and ran her hand over it. "No one has ever given me something like this before. Everything I have, I've taken, stolen... no one has given me a gift like this before. I appreciate it, but.. I don't know if I want it." She turned to him. A devious smile was on her lips and her eyes pierced him. She pushed him to the bed. "I want you." ------------------------------------------------- "You get what you want, when you want it, don't you?" he said. "I know," Rouge replied. "This morning I thought I was going to lose you. Now, I want to keep you close. I just hope this wasn't awkward for you." "No," he said, "it was... just... unexpected. Although, the wings and tail were a bit- well, different. I was afraid I was going to hurt you." Rouge was on her stomach. She stretched her limbs out. "Don't worry, you were gentle with me. My wings and tail are tough, you didn't hurt them," she said.  "My back might be another matter," he explained. "I should have thought this out better," she apologized. "You are a good deal taller than me." "I might not get the curve out. I don't think your lips left mine the whole time." He checked the clock. 1:47 PM. "Does this change anything between us?" he asked. "Why would it?" "We did get intimate rather quick, I just don't want it to-" She squeezed his hand. "It made us closer." He rubbed one of her ears. "I would have thought you'd have had some fur for being a bat, but..." he traced his finger down her spine. "Your skin is smooth and nice to touch. Just your head is covered in it... and your, uh... yeah. And your tail is cute. The wings give you a certain... bad girl look too." "Oh? I thought I was your little angel?" she remarked.   "You are! A sensual angel," he kissed her, "but an angel." Pulling the covers down a bit, he looked at her back. You remember when you came to me with that injury?" he asked. "Yes, I remember." "No scar," he explained. "I remember that alcohol. It burned. I thought I was gonna pass out. But, you took care of me. There's something else..." She briefly considered telling him about her employment with GUN.  Curious, he asked, "yes?" "It's..." Thinking otherwise, she finally said, "you need a bath. No offense." "Well, no offense either, but you need one more than me. You'd been in those clothes for a while. The boots especially could have been lethal." "I'll smack you if you're not careful. But you're right. Lets get in the tub and hit the town. Come on, loverboy, my tub is big enough for the both of us." Pulling a sheet around his waist, Tom began to crawl out of bed. Playfully, Rouge tugged the sheet away, revealing his naked body. "Don't be so shy, no one's gonna see you... except me!" She eyed him seductively. She'd never been close to a man before, given herself away, and as much as she loved Tom right now, the desire to stare was overwhelming. "Besides," she said, tossing her own covers aside, "I'm naked too... and we'll have to be to get in the tub!" "Fair enough, can't say I have some hunk body though, so- hey, is that..." Tom's eyes were fixed on a red stain on the mattress. "Did I hurt you?" "No... do you know much about female anatomy?" she asked, her eyes turning upwards to meet his.  He answered, "not much, no..." "Women of some species, humans... bats... they have a certain... I'll explain it when we're in the bath, okay?" Taking his hand, the bat led her lover into the bathroom. The tub was nested in the corner, not very high. It wasn't made for a human, but the basin was wide. Easily large enough for both, assuming Tom lie somewhat flat. Running the water, Rouge grabbed her favorites soaps, pouring them into the splash from the faucet. "The soaps and bath oils I use might soften your skin, not very... manly, I'm afraid." "I don't really mind," Tom replied, slipping into the bath. The water was hot, soothing. Easing in herself, Rouge activated the hot tub jets, turning down a dimmer switch beside the bath. "There... you like this?" "Yeah... very nice, Rouge. You know how to live in style. Now, about that red stain... you were saying?" Tracing a finger down his chest, she continued, "women of some species have a membrane in their vaginal openings. It's called a hymen... and when you and I made love, you took my virginity... do you understand now?"  "I think so," he replied. "So, when you and I... did it hurt?" Responding, "yes, a little. But only for a second. It's gone now, I gave myself to you, to no one else... my virginity. That matters to me. I'm not letting you go now." "A woman's life has a lot of pain, doesn't it?" he commented. "Yes," she responded, "deflowering... childbirth... heartache, conflicting emotions, our periods... oh, the periods, I can be a bit moody and unbearable during my period. Say things I don't really mean... but enough about that. I'm happy now, you're here, alive, healthy..." "Thanks for not dumbing it down for me, huh? I mean, about the blood stain." She nuzzled him gently. "I'm not ashamed of my body, or talking about it. Not with you. You need to know," she said. He replied, "you didn't even flinch when you told me. That shows guts, to talk about that so honestly, without trying to make it sound like it was nothing. Never feel you have to lie to me or sugar-coat something, okay?" "This is still new to you... but you're an adult. It's still a bit strange to me, too," she stated, pressing her forehead against his. "You'll find I have... well, when it comes to certain topics, I have no shame."  Turning the lights up, Rouge rose slightly from the water.  "Now that we're lovers, we didn't get much chance to enjoy the first time, all that emotion in the way... do you like my body?" The light reflected off her breasts, almost to taunt him. "You have an amazing... can I?" he begged, stretching a hand forward. "Go on..." she responded, inviting him to touch. Feeling her breast, Tom eased his hand forward, thumb playfully grazing the nipple. "Still a bit shy... first time feeling up a woman?" Rouge asked, enjoying the touch. "Yes..." "There's something else. It's the species difference, right?" Slowing his grab, he looked her dead in the eyes. "Well," he replied, "in a way... to hell with it though! You're beautiful, you're mature, and we love each other. We're adults, species be damned!" Pulling her close, Rouge barely had time to react as Tom kissed her passionately, fondling her bosom harder, the other hand making a reach for her butt, squeezing firmly. She moaned through the kiss as her lover gently stroked her tail. As the kiss broke, Rouge remarked, "you have a pervert buried in you... I like it! You mind?"  "Not at all, fair is fair..." he said, inviting Rouge to touch him. Her finger slid under his foreskin, gently playing around the head. "I've never felt up a man this way... and humans, you poor things, your reproductive organs are aways on the outside... just like bats. Not like those other, fur-covered men who don't need pants." "I'm not very big for a human, am I?" he said. "Probably just average." "Oh, I wouldn't say that... your penis..." she giggled slightly saying the word, "... it fits fine. Proportions to species... tell me, how did it feel being inside me?" "Amazing. I didn't want it to end." "Good, very good," Rouge said back, smiling. "I liked the way it felt, too. So... forceful, but so gentle, too. Touching nerves I didn't know I had, in ways I never could touch myself... now then, we need to talk about a few simple rules if we're gonna be making love, okay?" He shook his head. "Okay, first, no anal. You are NOT putting that up my ass! Second, I'm a fruit bat, and that means I can't digest or process protein. So..."  "Sperm is protein... that much I do know," Tom said. "Don't worry, I wouldn't want you risking or harming yourself for me." Running a finger through the fur, he continued, "I won't miss it. But don't expect me to lick up my own stuff, okay? That's not gonna happen!" "Fair enough," she replied, "but one day soon, I'll get you licking me, okay? Third rule, I'm not making love to you when I'm on my period. I don't feel good then, and I won't be in the mood." "Eww, blood... gotcha. Anything else?" She thought. "No... that's all, really. Now then, one more thing to do." Sitting on the edge of the tub, her legs spread. "Men are a bit simple, unlike women. We're more complex. So... the vagina is more difficult to please than what you have. So, I'm going to show you what's there so you can better understand it. You ready?" "Oh, wow... school was never this fun!" "Glad you like the show," she said, smiling at him. "You have such pretty eyes..." Staring back for a moment, she finally broke off the glance. "Hey, gentleman, my reproductive bits are down here!" In a way, she was flattered that he would look her in the eyes at a time like this. Pulling back skin, she began her tour. "This is my clitoris... you'll get to know her well..."  ------------------------------------------------- Herbert paced in Eggman's lab. He had been pinning papers to the noteboard, with tape holding yet more on. Shadow was watching curiously. "What is he doing?" Eggman asked. "I don't know," Shadow answered. "He's been obsessing over those for hours." Eggman approached him. "Really, Herb, the case is over!" "No, it's not." He paced the collection. "Someone was snooping around the winery. If I had to take a guess... when that thing, the Colour out of Space as Lovecraft called it, entered our universe six months ago, it no doubt left hole between the time lines. And there is a cult in our world which worships these old gods. This isn't over." He waved the cane, pointing to a picture of a being with wings. "This is just begun. And I can guarantee you, this is gonna be a party to remember! An end of the world bash to go out on! Because the big green guy is gonna be the main guest if he wakes up." "What in the world are you talking about?" Eggman asked. Herb waved his cane again, stumbling briefly. "The name that haunts me. The image that haunts my dreams. A being beyond us. Dead but dreaming. A name that fills me with fear and dread just to think it..." Eggman and Shadow glanced each other nervously.  "Cthulhu." ------------------------------------------------- HERBERT WESTWOOD. So, GUN did have a file on this guy. Shadow read the data. FULL NAME: HERBERT KOLCHAK WESTWOOD AGE: 47 HEIGHT: 5' 11" KNOWN RELATIVES: None living KNOWN MEDICAL CONDITIONS: Right leg injury in chainsaw accident. Permanent use of cane. Must take regular pain medications. Heart condition, must take regular heart medications. NOTES: "Paranormal" investigator for 30 years. Known ally with Dr. Ivo Robotnik. Suspected in numerous robberies but no substantial evidence. Also suspected of assault numerous times. Professional business rival with the Chaotix Believed to be mentally unstable. The last line caught his notice. Westwood had been right, so far. Eggman noticed Shadow at the terminal. "Doctor... is your friend crazy?" Eggman took offense. "Of course not! He's a bit... eccentric, but who wouldn't be studying what he does? And he did save that man's life, with your help, anyway. And mine," Eggman said. "What is Cthulhu? He mentioned it," Shadow asked.  "I'm not fully versed, but... Cthulhu is believed to be a god so great that nothing can stand against it. Nothing human, anyway. Cthulhu wants to rule Earth and regards us as pests. He was sealed away long ago, but waits to wake once more. Aside from that... I don't really know." Eggman left. Shadow switched off the terminal. Herb was asleep in his pile of books. He woke with a start. "GAH! Oh... I'm still here. What the hell time IS it?" He checked the desk clock. 2:11 PM. "Oh, man, I hate sleep, all I have are nightmares. Shadow?" Shadow cocked an eyebrow. "You mind if I ask you something? Well, answer if you want, but... why help that man if Rouge liked you?" "I told you, we had a business relationship, nothing more" "I see," Herb replied. "She didn't give me that impression. You could have let that man DIE, and been with her yourself. Why?" Shadow punched the wall. "I can never be the lover Rouge would want. And I've seen how Knuckles treats her. That damn echidna... he might... I've been afraid if she were to ever be with him, he might hit her. He has anger problems. And I never want you to talk that way again! I will not allow an innocent to die!"  "I'm sorry," Herb responded. "But you must hate that man for what he has." "No, I don't," Shadow said. "I envy him for having what I will never know. But I don't hate him. I will protect him as I would her!" "Would you do anything it takes then?" Westwood inquired. "Because if Cthulhu rises, my boy... will you help me stop this? You have the attitude I need. If you had said you would have let that man die, I wouldn't have a use for you. I would have sent you away. But you said you would protect a stranger who has become close to a woman who once liked you. You're mentally stable, and it will help you! Cthulhu can't taint your mind!" He stood, hobbling on his cane. "You are a weapon, yes, but you are in control of what that weapon is used for! NO ONE ELSE! I cant make you do this, it will be your decision!" Herbert held out his left hand. "Tell me I have your support, because aside from Ivo, no one will believe me! How can I tell the president, or GUN, or anyone else that our world, our lives, our SOULS are in danger if I am alone?"  Shadow took his hand and shook it. "Thank you. I have faith. You defeated the Black Arms, you chose your own way in life! You have a soul, a good one!" "Maria... if I could forget her, maybe-" "NO!" he shouted back. "You think that if you could let that go, you could lead a normal life, but if you ever forget her, then you will have lost your soul! Your ability to care about someone binds your soul to the side of good! You're immortal, and you will watch your friends die... but as long as you remember them, as long as you CARE... they don't go away!" The screen on the wall flipped on. "Herb, you're awake! You may want to see this!" Eggman explained as the screen changed. "-again, earlier today, a Chaos Emerald was taken from the Westopolis Museum as a terrorist explosion-" Herb paced. "A Chaos Emerald... if that was taken by your friend, I will personally eat my cane. And I can guarantee you that she didn't. An explosion? No professional thief will blow up a place to steal something! I know, I used to be a good thief, probably better than bat girl anyway. I can guarantee you that it was the cult of Cthulhu, as I said."  ------------------------------------------------- "I wish you could see this more often," Rouge said. The small automated aircraft carried them towards Angel island. "Don't worry, this won't take long," she explained. "I just have to deliver something and we can leave." The jet touched down. "I've never seen something like this," Tom explained. "This was once the home of the ancient Echidna tribe. Only one resident remains. Why don't you go look around while I take care of this?" He took off to see the island. "Knuckles?" she called out. No answer. She looked around. The Master Emerald was sitting in its base. "Don't you dare!" he shouted. She sighed. "I told you I wouldn't take it. Here," she said, holding out the Chaos Emerald. "It had better not be a fake!" "I'm giving your damn rock back like I promised! Now take it back you stubborn fool!" she shouted, quickly becoming irritated. Knuckles grabbed it. "It's... real. Who's that HUMAN with you? He the one who was here the other night?" She gave him a nasty look. "How dare you! How DARE you? He was in the HOSPITAL! DYING! And you still... he's my boyfriend." He was shocked. "What's wrong? You had your chance! I flirted with you, I even almost liked you, maybe I could have even been close to you and ignored that emerald, but... you just don't get it. You're not any better than I am, obsessing over a jewel! Can you even love someone? Your tribe almost wiped itself out because you're all stubborn! And you're the last one, the last of a legacy of idiots! War and hate seems to be all you male echidnas know!  "It must get to you that I love someone for who he is and not a jewel he had! That he loves me back! Enough to MAKE love! To be intimate! To be gentle! All you worry about is your muscles and your task in life! I gave you your stupid rock back! Is nothing good enough for you? I never want to see you again, and I never want you to talk that way about Tom or I will-" He shoved her. Cocking back a fist, a look of fear overtook Rouge. "NO! Don't, please I-" The punch never came. Tom had grabbed Knuckles' arm. "You... what's wrong with you? She sat in the hospital by my side, she cared for me when no one else was there to be my friend! You DARE lay a hand on her and I will..." He wrung Knuckles around, tossing him to the dirt. Knuckles' expression turned from anger to fear. "Rouge? I- I- I'm sorry, I didn't..." Breathing heavily, he ran off. "Rouge? ROUGE?" She looked up at Tom. "You okay?" "Yes, yes I think-" she was breathing hard. Her heart was racing. He stooped down and embraced her. "It's okay, he's gone." He felt her pulse. "You sure you're okay?"  She felt his heart rate. "What about you?" "Yeah, I think he would've kicked my butt, actually. He weighs a lot for his size! I'm surprised I threw him down," he said. "He threatened someone you care about. The adrenaline probably-" He placed a finger to her lips. "Don't think about it. Let's get you home." ------------------------------------------------- "Eat something, my boy!" Shadow took the bowl of chili. "Finest diner in Central City, at least after the Black Arms attacked," Herb said. "It's... acceptable," Shadow commented, taking a bite. "They took a Chaos Emerald! In the middle of the day, with a bomb, and no regard to lives lost. That's messed up! That is seriously messed up!" Westwood grabbed the cracker bowl and filled his chili with them. "Tell me more about Cthulhu." "Got a few hours?" Herb joked. "Well, the basic summary, Cthulhu came to earth, oh, 200 million years ago, give or take a few millennia. 50 million years ago, he was sealed away by a group called the Elder Gods. Cthulhu was part of a group known as the Great Old Ones. The Elder gods were good, and the Great Old Ones... well, good and evil didn't have the same concept then. Cthulhu and his kind are... what's the best word?"  He snapped his fingers. "AMORAL!" The diner patrons looked at him. "Anyway... do you think about any ants step on when you run? I don't when I walk." Shadow shook his head 'no'. "Cthulhu is highly evolved. Humans, to him, are tiny insects. He doesn't hate us, but he doesn't like us walking around. We're pests. And we taste good." Shadow widened his eyes. "That is, Cthulhu doesn't eat us. He eats our souls. Our life force. But 50 million years ago, the Elder Gods sealed Cthulhu away in his city of R'lyeh under the ocean. But even their seal wasn't meant to last. It seems that a constellation would appear in the sky one night that would undo the seal and Cthulhu would rise. Lovecraft recorded one such event in a story he called... well, the Call of Cthulhu. But the bond hadn't broken long enough for Cthulhu to remain and he was sealed away again." "What does this have to do with our world?" Shadow asked. Herb sighed. "You remember I said something about multi-dimensional? Cthulhu existed before time lines split. In many worlds which followed a similar path, Cthulhu, all of them, they have a stronger bond to. Our world, not really. Until now, when the color from space found its way here. And now a pinprick between the realities has opened. Cthulhu has always had some minor reach into our world. Artifacts and evidence remain. And even here, a cult exists."  "What does this cult want with Cthulhu, if he will devour the souls of man?" Shadow asked. "The cult is misguided. They believe that the loyal ones will be spared and allowed to reign alongside him. The truth is, they will be wiped out regardless. But still... they want the Chaos Emeralds to try and force the constellation of unbinding. And it may be possible. And with the Chaos Emeralds in... their... poss... oh NO!" He ran out of the diner. Shadow followed. "What's wrong?" "I gave that emerald to your bat friend like you asked! She's in danger, we have to-" The two found Knuckles sitting on a bench. He seemed worried. "YOU? What's wrong, my boy?? Herb asked. "Rouge... I..." Herb stooped. "ROUGE? What happened?" "I- I almost punched her. She said something and I... oh god..." Shadow grabbed him. "YOU WHAT?" "Shadow, I didn't mean to, I just lost control! I thought the human she was with was the one who-" Before Shadow could lash out, the cane thrust between them. "Human?" Herb asked. "Let him go, Shadow. DO IT!" Shadow released his hold.  "Yes, a human was on my island the other night, I think he was trying to take the Master Emerald! I chased him off but... Shadow, I'm sorry, I didn't..." Westwood was worried. "Knuckles, listen to me very carefully. Terrorists bombed a museum today and stole a Chaos Emerald. That group may have been trying to take the Master Emerald. As I understand, it can be used to locate the Chaos Emeralds, right?" "Thats right," Knuckles replied. What are you doing here then?" Herb asked. "I- her friend stopped me and I ran. I was scared of what I was going to do and-" "Nevermind that!" Herb shouted. "The Master Emerald, go back you your island and make sure it's still there! I'll have Ivo collect it, it's not safe there." Knuckles shouted, "I'm not giving the Master Emerald to Eggman! That's cra-" "Dammit boy, these people will KILL YOU if necessary to get it! Neither you or the emerald are safe there! They bombed a museum to get a Chaos Emerald! Go! We have to find Rouge and get her emerald back before they target her or worse-"  "Rouge? Oh..." He pulled the Chaos Emerald out. Herb's eyes widened as he looked to the sky and mouthed a 'thank you'. "How'd you get this?" Shadow asked. "She bullied me into giving it to her the other day. She brought it back. I guess she really does care about that man, to give this back as she promised?" Shadow didn't respond. "No matter, get to your island, you don't have time to stand here! GO" Knuckles scaled the nearest building and glided off when had proper height. Westwood pulled his phone. "Ivo. IVO!" "Yes, what is it? Eggman asked. "Get to the red echidna's island, NOW! He's waiting for you, get the emerald and take it to your base! And don't steal it! This is the apocalypse here, I don't have time for your goals right now!" "Okay, fine, I get it! Eggman out!" he shouted. "What now?" Shadow asked. "We get my van and get to my office. I have more things to collect. Ivo has better computers than I do, I can work best there!" ------------------------------------------------- Rouge stepped into her apartment. "You're still shaken, aren't you?"  She looked up at him. He was almost two feet taller than she was, and she reached his midsection when standing. "Yes, a little." He sat on the couch, taking her hand. He placed the other on her pink chest plate. "I can still feel your heart through this. You sure you don't need a doctor?" he asked.  "NO! I'm... fine... really. Knuckles never threatened me like that before." He pulled her close. "He was one of the men you had a crush on?" "What? Oh..." she looked away. "Yes." Tom gently brought her head back up. "It's okay. He must not like me very much. He's probably jealous." "I said some things to him, personal things. I told him we made love. I taunted him when I shouldn't have. It was my fault," she said. "No, it wasn't. He had no excuse to do that, even if he was jealous," he replied. "Thank you. I... I couldn't bear the thought of you having to sit in a hospital if I was hurt." She brushed the thought away. He thought about what had happened. "Those gloves he wears, they had spikes? Will he come HERE and try something? He's kind of a brute if you ask me."  "No, she assured him. "Knuckles isn't that... and if he does, security will deal with him." He checked the clock. 6:40. Pulling her onto the couch, he rested her head against his shoulder. "Get some sleep. I'll be here. Nothing will hurt you. At least, I'll do my best. I'm not some tough guy but..." She placed a hand on his chest. "I know." She considered her future with GUN. She hadn't even told him that she worked for them. ------------------------------------------------- Shadow hated Westwood's office. It smelled of old books and coffee. The front office was tidy, if dusty, but the living space was a mess of fast food wrappers, candy wrappers, and a thick layer of dust. His bed was just the couch. Most of the space was dedicated to storage of books and artifacts with little dedicated to a home. "Why did you stop me?" Shadow asked. "Stop what?" "You stopped me from injuring Knuckles," Shadow reminded him. "Oh... as much as he needs it, I believe that your friend- or whatever you prefer to call him- may have been influenced already." Shadow forced a slight look of interest. "Cthulhu reaches out to people in their sleep, through their dreams. Knuckles displayed an unwarranted outburst of anger. Cthulhu drives men insane, and his outburst was the first sign."  "So," Shadow said, "he is going insane." "Maybe not," Herb stated. "If we can get to him in time, train his mind, we can save him. He's a braggart, a tough guy, and socially awkward. An easy target for driving nuts. "I really shouldn't have parked in the garage. Can you drive it out front for me? I have more things to pack!" Shadow nodded. Westwood tossed him the keys. Shadow found the van in the underground parking garage. It was the only vehicle. After all, Westwood was the only one in the entire building. Shadow got in and turned the key. Herb loaded the cardboard box with more papers. Shoving smaller books, papers, and computer sticks in his pockets, he heard the explosion. Running downstairs, he found the remains of his van. "SHADOW!" In the wreckage, Shadow sat, unharmed. "Good thing you had that Chaos Emerald! What happened?" "I turned the key. The car exploded. That's what happened," Shadow said, almost disinterested. "Cars don't explode like that. We've been here..." He checked his watch. "20 minutes. Enough time for someone to sneak in and wire a bomb to the ignition. They blew up my car. This is... bad and great. They see me as a threat. ME! They're actually scared! This is good! I means they know-"  Shadow heard something. Without thinking, he ran. He picked up Herb, using momentum to carry the old man out of the garage as the office exploded. He stopped when they were a safe distance. Herb shielded his face against the heat. "MY HOUSE!" he yelled. The entire first floor was gone in an inferno. "I don't believe this... DAMN! Damn damn damndamndamn!" he was tapping his cane against the sidewalk. "I survived the Black Arms invasion, and now this!" "It's not safe here!" Shadow reminded him. Herb hobbled away as fast as he could. "This is Shadow," he said into his communicator. ------------------------------------------------- Some time later, firefighters were dealing with the blaze. GUN troops had been called in to sweep the area. "Blow up my car to kill me, that's business. Blow up my HOUSE... that's personal." "You're taking this well," Shadow sighed. "That's- that's a joke, right? You do have a sense of humor! I can't replace those books, those artifacts! I can't replace all those songs and television shows I took from other Earth, not now! We can't involve Rouge, not now, not ever, you understand me? You stay away from her, or they may hurt, kidnap, or kill her to intimidate us! As far as they know, you know no one named Rouge the Bat!"  "I understand," Shadow answered. Herb said, "but we will need help. Maybe if we can condition Knuckles' mind... we need Sonic the Hedgehog. You hear me? We must find Sonic!" ------------------------------------------------- Rouge was curled up in the hospital room, sitting silently in the chair. She was watching him die. No. She heard the long wailing beep from the monitor. His heart had stopped. Thomas Adriani was dead. She ran to his bed. "Tom? TOM! NO! Wake up! LIVE! You can't die on me..." "It's over," the voice said. Shadow stood in the doorway. "Now I can be yours." "What? Shadow, he's... he's dead. Don't you care?" she yelled. "Why should I?" he replied. "You've been staring at me for some time. You want me. You think I'm handsome and attractive. Forget him and come with me. It's what you want. You don't really have a choice now." "NO!" She woke up. No hospital room, no Shadow. Just her apartment. The lights were off, the illumination from the city's nightlife the only highlights in the dark. "Tom? Wake up!" He woke as she shook him.  "What's wrong?" he asked, still half asleep. "Please," she said, "please touch me. Just... let me know this isn't a dream." He took her hand. With his free hand, he stroked her ear. She placed her hands on his chest. "You don't look so good, what happened?" he asked, confused. "It's... nothing." He stared at her and said, "no, something happened. You had a bad dream, didn't you?" She nodded her head. "It was that... red guy. He freaked you out too bad, I swear I'll... tell me about it." She shook her head 'no'. "It can't have been that bad. Tell me." "You were in the hospital... but you died. You didn't wake up... and-" "It didn't happen! I'm here! I'm not dying. Whatever was wrong with me, the doctors said I'm fine. I know how it feels... I had to watch my father die of liver failure from his wine habit. My mother died of a heart attack from the stress. I know death is painful, but I'm not dying. I don't know... you must have been in a living hell watching me in there, but it's over! You're through that, now... think good, happy thoughts. Stop thinking about the pain, its over. Why don't we go to bed? I'll help you get those boots off and we'll lay down in that nice bed and get some real sleep."  Standing, he tried to pick her up. "Umm..." he struggled slightly, finally hoisting her. "OW!" He set her back down. "What's wrong?" she asked. "It's..." he rubbed his right shoulder. "I think I hurt my arm throwing red guy to the ground. It's funny, I used to be able to lift crates of grapes and bottles all day without hassle, now... I guess I let myself go," he said. "I'll get something for that," she responded. "Wait." Rouge asked, "what is it?" "Can I ask you something?" Tom replied. "Of course." "It's... am I inconveniencing you somehow? It's just, I've noticed you've changed your personality. You gave up your interest in jewels, and I- no, it's stupid, forget it." "No, it's okay," she replied. "Well, you have become a bit more... submissive. I mean, you had a certain... dominative personality when I met you, and you've softened a lot. I know you took charge last night when- and I enjoyed it- but I don't want you to think you have to change who you are to make me happy. I like you as you are. And I like the attitude you wear. It's very sexy."  She sighed. "I guess I do put on a certain demeanor around most people. But I feel different when we're alone. I guess I have been forcing myself to be a bit nicer though. I was that way with Shadow, too. But you're right, I should be myself," she said. "That's what I wanna hear! I'll get some ice or something for my-" She pushed him back down to the couch and gave him a hard kiss. "Sit down and shut up. I'll take care of you," she softly spoke. "That's what I-" she kissed him again to silence him. "I said sit down and shut up. Be a good boy. Speak again, and it won't be a kiss." She gave him a sly, almost evil smile as she headed to the kitchen. Rouge located the pain medications. NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION in big letters almost ruined her mood. Opening the freezer, she found the cold pack she'd used before, after many GUN missions and thefts. Taking it to him, she wrapped it around his shoulder. "You can talk now." He kissed her back. "I like you being dominant and all... but I'm not totally submissive. I'll give as I get," he explained.  "Well, you do have a bad side after all. I can see this relationship won't get boring," she responded. "Not tonight though. This glacier on my shoulder is killing the mood." "I understand," she said. "I'm not putting out for you every night, either, as I said, I don't have sex. I make love. I want you to be in the proper mood." He shouted, "yes, ma'am! And after last night, who wants something quick? I liked it, three hours of emotional bliss." She took his hand, leading him to the bedroom. "It's late. This tight suit isn't very... sleep-worthy. I'll change and we can get some real sleep." She grabbed a small shirt. "Hmm... no, I'll change right here." Rouge gave him a sinister look. "And we're starting you on a workout program. I'll build your muscles back up. For you, and... for me. Eye candy, yummy!" ------------------------------------------------- Knuckles found the older gentleman. "It's past midnight, shouldn't you be asleep?" "SLEEP!?" Herb yelled. "I'm too wired to sleep! They blew up MY HOUSE! I'm not gonna sleep for a week! I'm gonna read over what I was able to salvage tonight, then in the morning, I have to hit the bank and take out all my money. THEN, I have to go to a store and buy new clothes, because I am WEARING every stitch I now own! Then... someone else about business."  He grabbed his cane and paced the room. "I didn't get much but it's enough... I hope. Where's Shadow?" Knuckles replied, "wandering around. He's been a bit distant with me." "That's understandable. He was in a car explosion, which he took rather well I think. That, and you did admit to trying to punch out a friend of his. Be thankful to be ALIVE at this point in time, my boy. He'd have killed you for that if I hadn't stopped him." Knuckles shook his head. "He told me what was going on. I... I want to help!" he shouted. "I- I can't sleep thinking about what I- I could have seriously hurt her! I never trusted her but still, she was being sincere this time and I just..." Herb tapped his cane to silence the echidna. "You want my help. Your body is strong but your isolation has left your mind weak. You have a good heart, an honest soul, but you don't interact with others very well. They tried to take the Master Emerald once and you stopped them. They targeted you through your dreams and made you more violent than normal.  "You are arrogant, untrained, unleashed, and that, my boy, is your failing. If you can face what you are, face what you will become, and challenge yourself, then you can be saved. I can only do so much for you. They cannot taint those who have a strong will. Give me time, do as I say, and I can strengthen your mind and preserve your soul!" "I'll do it!" Knuckles shouted. Herb said, "good! You have the will to break from the influence of this great evil! Give me your gloves. They're your dependence, you rely on them too much. Give them to me. when you are ready, you can have them back." "My gloves?" "YES BOY!" Herb screamed. "You do without them. You should use them to supplement what you are, rather you use them to define yourself! I told you to trust me! If you aren't willing to face yourself then you will lose!" Knuckles pulled his gloves off and threw them down. "Good. Ivo has books on this flying heap. You do know how to read, right?" Herb asked. Knuckles nodded. "Good. Find a book. Any book, and read it. You have worked your body, now work your mind. Read it, understand its meaning. GO!" Knuckles ran off.  Westwood tapped the button on the comm-panel. "Ivo! I'm out of coffee!" The reply took some seconds. "What? I was asleep, was this necessary?" "You have a flying battleship loaded with robots and guns, you have to have more coffee too! I'm out!" Herb shouted. Ivo was furious. "No. I'm not giving you more coffee. All that caffeine isn't good for you! I'm not letting you kill yourself! I'm going back to bed, you do the same!" ------------------------------------------------- The door kicked open as the cane strode across the floor. "Westwood! Didn't expect to see you!" Vector greeted. "We heard about your office last night. Hard to believe," Espio remarked. Westwood stopped at the desk. A wad of bills landed dead center as Vector's eyes widened. "Someone tried to kill me. They blew up my house and my car. They'll try again. Find whose responsible, and I want NAMES!" He turned away. Espio asked, "got any leads?" "Just one," Herb replied. "They took that Chaos Emerald in Westopolis yesterday. Oh, and your lives may be on the line if you take this case, just so we're clear on that. If you can get that Chaos Emerald back from them, it'll be worth extra."  Espio sighed. "Where can we reach you?" Herb tapped his cane lightly. "Ivo Robotnik's flying fortress. It's the safest place for me right now." Vector slammed the desk. "Eggman! That cheapskate STILL owes us for a job!" Herb turned his head. "Oh? Funny, he's never skipped paying ME for the jobs I did... I'll see what I can do." ------------------------------------------------- The four met on the bridge. Westwood asked, "any luck finding your friend?" "No," Knuckles answered. "But I believe he was racing the Babylon Rogues." "Doesn't matter, we can't find him," Eggman sighed. Herb thought it over for a second. "From what I understand, Sonic is a hero and an adventurer. But also predictable. I guarantee you, Ivo, if you make a scene he'll beeline right for you. Oh, and Ivo, I promised the Chaotix you'd pay them what you owe. I'd do it. We're business rivals, but I don't want to get on the bad side of that crocodile. Keep them happy. They'll try to get the stolen Chaos Emerald back for us." "Are you positive this... Coo-loo cult is behind this?" Knuckles inquired.  Shadow corrected, "Cthulhu." "I don't care if you call him Nancy!" Herb shouted. "NO! No, I am not sure. For all I know, the Chaos Emerald theft and my apartment blowing up are unrelated! I've certainly ticked off my fair share of people in 30 years! But it FITS! A horror from space crashes in a well. It drains the life from the land. It matches PERFECTLY with the story from a book I found on another Earth with a different history! It has to be the same entity! And I... I've never..." He sighed. "Shadow, I need to meet with the President about this, outline what's going on. I doubt much he'll believe me, but... can you get me a meeting?" "I'll see what I can do." "Good," Herb replied. "Ivo, start planning a way to get Sonic's attention. Make it noticeable. And resist the urge to hurt him. I know it'll stress you out, but we need him. Not like I can stop you if you don't listen to me..." "And what's that supposed to mean?" Eggman shouted. "This... this is not what you wanted out of life!" Westwood fired back. "You grew up wanting to be like your grandfather. You wanted to be a good scientist, a man people looked up to! This... now you're an aging criminal who lives on a flying death ship because he's wanted by the governments of the world!"  Eggman was mad. "As if you got what you wanted out of life, old friend." "FINE! No, I did NOT get what I wanted! I had ambitions in life too! I wanted to be a race car driver! Also wanted to be a dinosaur when I was five, but... no, I didn't get what I wanted. I became a lonely man with no life who chases invisible things for money! But I don't complain like you did, old friend! I lived with the cards life dealt me, and I do what I do well! Knuckles, you stay here and help... Eggman plan his surprise. And see if you can get the Master Emerald to find the Chaos Emeralds while we still have a chance. Shadow, come with me!" Westwood stomped off, Shadow following. Knuckles looked around. "Who is that guy, anyway?" "Oh, Herbert... we were childhood friends in school, long ago. We... maintain our professional differences. I guess he is right, in a way... no matter. Where are your gloves? I didn't think you ever took them off!" "Oh," Knuckles pouted. "He took them from me, said he'd give them back when he can TRUST me... guess I can't blame him."  ------------------------------------------------- Rouge stopped Tom at the clothing store. "You need new clothes. Not those business suits you have, some real clothes. Good shirts, some pants... sweat pants. Better athletic shoes. Umm... we'll worry about tight jeans when I get you on a decent workout program." "What?" he asked. "Are you staring at my-" "No!" she shouted, blushing. "Now, you get shopping. I have some of my own shopping to do, I'll meet you in a half hour." "Why are we in the capital to go clothes shopping?" he asked. "Well, I thought you needed some sun. And I have a day planned for us. Besides, I know a good clothing store here that caters to... my kind of buyer." "You have lots of good clothes already," he stated. "Yes, but..." She gave him a wink. "It's... for you, tonight. Now get going, a half hour!" He entered the store. As he left sight, she tugged at the envelope in her glove. In ten minutes, she reached the White House. Shadow sat in the waiting area. "Shadow?" "Oh, Rouge..." he muttered.  "What are you doing here?" He looked at her. "Westwood wanted a meeting with the President. I arranged it." "Oh? Where is he?" she asked. "He had to use the restroom. I could ask the same of you, but something tells me... you never told him you work for GUN." "That's right," she muttered. "I'm resigning. Today. I won't endanger myself, I won't... put him through the same thing, or worse." "You're changing your life for him, then?" Shadow remarked. "No. He told me not to do that. He likes me being in charge. And... our personal life isn't your business. But, we're equal. This is my decision. Tell me, Shadow, what do you think of this? Do you envy Tom? Would you..." His expression turned. "What? No, why would I? I DID save his life at the risk of my own, when I had no business doing do. Maria would never have forgiven me otherwise. I wish both of you the best. That's why I'm here." She smiled. "I heard about the explosion. Is this... that bad?" He nodded. "You would be best to stay out of this if you don't want to get hurt. Westwood wants you out too. And for what little it's worth... Knuckles is sorry for what he did to you."  She asked, "Knuckles?" "Yes, he's helping us. Westwood doesn't trust him, but he said he can help Knuckles. I think he IS jealous, but he'll have to deal with it. After all, he had numerous chances to be yours, as I understand." She checked her watch. 1:30 "I have to go. Thank you, Shadow. And whatever you're doing... good luck." She entered the office. "Agent Rouge. On time, I see. This sounded important," he said. She tossed the envelope on his desk. "My resignation from GUN." Pulling the communicator from her glove, it joined the letter on the table. "Why? I'm not sure I understand..." She looked away. "I've found someone special. And I can't put myself in danger anymore." "I see." The President took the envelope and tore it up. "What are you doing? This isn't negotiable!" "I'm not accepting your resignation... I'm going to do something better. I'll mark you as an inactive agent. You won't be called upon for anything, but you will retain access to information files, in case you need them. And you will have the full support of this nation if you are ever in any trouble. I wish you and your special someone luck. You were a good agent."  She closed her eyes and breathed in. "Thank you. Can you do one more favor for me?" "Of course," he replied. "Shadow the Hedgehog is meeting with you. Please, listen to what he has to say." She opened the window and flew out. ------------------------------------------------- "YES! We did it!" Herb shouted as their craft entered the flying fortress. "I don't know why but the president listened to us! And he agreed to help!" Herb was almost dancing. "Well have full access to GUN files, and in the event of something big, GUN military forces! Shadow, my boy, you did it! Oh, and Ivo..." "Yes?" Eggman asked. "I got the president to agree to something. A full pardon and deletion of all crimes on record. IF, and I man IF, you play along. No taking over the world, no littering, no NOTHING! You have to play this one honest, old friend. The President wasn't too happy with you for threatening to blow up his country, you understand, so don't mess this one up. I can't help you if you mess up!" "We have our plan ready to lure Sonic out!" Eggman shouted.  "Good" Herb answered. "I'll notify the president of our plan so he won't unleash the dogs on us... let's get going!" ------------------------------------------------- Rouge sat with Tom at an outdoor cafe in the capital. Tom was sucking down a well done steak. "Tom... I know you haven't been eating well, but cool it a bit, huh? You need to gain some weight, but I'm not letting you get fat!" "Oh?" he smirked. "You've had three pieces of cherry pie already!" She looked down at her plate, frowning a bit. "So I have..." "If you want my butt to look good in a pair of jeans, I expect yours to look good in a bikini! I give as I get!" She dangled the shopping bag from her finger. "Don't you worry about that, I've got something here you'll love. Speaking of which, I assume you took my advice?" "Yes," he replied. "Nice easy clothes. Pants that don't need a belt. My parents, they... they led a rich lifestyle. They didn't like comfy clothes, they wanted to look the part." "You had issues with them, didn't you?" He pushed his plate away. "They were a bit strict."  "Oh... but I thought you liked me being assertive?" She dangled the bag again, looking at him with a sly expression. "This is different," he pointed out. "You're assertive, but you let me do the same. With them, it was their way! But you..." He leaned in close to her, and with a faint whisper, "for example, your ears are so sensitive, I can whisper all kinds of dirty things to you and no one will even now." Her teeth showed through her devilish grin. "Bad boy... I'll have to punish you for that." He closed his eyes for a brief moment. Pulling a small box from his pocket, he handed it to her. She opened it. "Is this..." "You wear those gloves a lot. I thought a bracelet might look better," he explained. "You don't have to give up jewels. They look nice on you. You've been wearing my necklace a lot, and..." She pulled her gloves off and slipped the bracelet on. "I know I can't get you earrings because piercings might mess with your flying, so I got you something just as nice." "Oh, Tom..." she admired it. "You didn't have to..."  "I know. But I wanted to." ------------------------------------------------- "There he is!" Tails shouted, his Extreme Gear flying above the ground. "Wonder what Eggman's up to this time?" Sonic wasn't sure, but it was sudden. Leaping form his board, Sonic tore into a robot. It fell apart quickly. "Hey, what the...?" Amy pushed one of the robots over. "These robots aren't even real," she commented as the head rolled off. The three turned to face Eggman. "What? Shadow, Knuckles? What's going on?" Sonic asked, bewildered.   Westwood stepped forward. "Sonic the Hedgehog. I finally get to meet you." "Who are you, and what are you doing here with Eggman? Why the fake robots?" Herb tapped his cane, turning to Eggman. "Less than an hour." He approached the three. "Sonic... and you must be Tails, the boy genius." He looked at Amy with an expression of confusion. "I don't know you, I'm afraid." She seemed to take visible offense. Sonic wasn't having it. "Eggman! Shadow... will someone tell me what's going on?" "Of course," Eggman muttered. "We need your help, and thought this the fastest way to get in touch with you."  "Yes," Herb muttered. "Knuckles and Shadow have agreed to help, I would hope you do the same. We need to save the world. I know you and Ivo have teamed up before in the name of the greater good. This isn't about your rivalry, this is about the world!" "Eh, I don't know..." Sonic looked the newcomer over suspiciously. "Fine. I thought you would be up for the adventure of your life, but I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry to have wasted your time. Come on, men, lets go. Leave SONIC to whatever he was up to. He doesn't want to help an old man." He turned and started walking away. "Hey, wait!" Sonic was anxious to find out what was going on. "This is IMPORTANT, Sonic!" Knuckles shouted, frustrated with the hedgehog's attitude. Sonic sighed. "Okay, I'll play." "Me too," Tails stated. "I'll go too!" Amy shouted. "Good, good..." Herb turned to them. "Well, I don't know about you," he said, pointing at Amy. "I'm not sure I should involve a kid." "Hey, I'm a kid!" Tails pointed out. "Er, right... I guess in the situation we face, I'll take all the help I can get. Come on, we're going to Ivo's flying fortress, it's the safest place for us right now!"  ------------------------------------------------- Rouge grabbed Tom's arm and dragged him to the door. "Come on, that movie I wanted to watch is gonna be on soon!" "Oh, right... we should be in time!" Opening her apartment, Rouge led him in, the two sitting on the couch. She grabbed the remote, flipping through channels until she found it. "It hasn't started yet. I'll get us something to drink!" Grabbing two sodas and glasses, she joined him in front of the television. Handing him a glass, she said, "you don't HAVE to watch this with me... I don't know if you're into old romantic films..." "I don't mind," he replied. "You seem agreeable to everything I want to do..." Placing his glass on the table beside the sofa, he explained, "It's my parents. They... all they ever did was fight. Both of them. I... I'd heard they were an arranged marriage. Money and land between the families, as it was. I think the only time they ever... well, you know... was when I was conceived. They put on a good face for the business, but behind closed doors... BAM! It was like a wrestling match between wild bears every day in that house!"  "I understand," she replied gently. "You don't want to fight with me. I appreciate that, but still, I'm not going to get mad if you don't want to do some little thing with me! I've seen this movie twenty times... tomorrow. You'll pick what we do. I won't help you decide! I said I was going to make you stronger. Muscles, and mind... You're the best jewel I have, but you're still rough. I can polish you." Pulling her close, he rested her head on his shoulder. "Okay, okay... your movie's starting, you gonna look at me all night? We can get lost in each other's eyes later!" "That's a little better," she replied. "Speaking of which, you don't have to accept my requests to make love every time, you know... I know I probably ask it a lot, bats are just like that, and I know humans aren't like us, so-" "Rouge... think what you want, but I would have to be INSANE to turn you down!" he shouted. "It's the one thing we can both really enjoy and both put some real effort into it to make each other happy!" She commented, "you definitely aren't lazy when it comes to that..." "Shhhh... your movies starting, naughty talk later!"  ------------------------------------------------- In the sky, the group gathered in the main room. Herb worked the view screen. The first picture was of the winery. "This is the Central City Winery, where this began. A creature from another dimension invaded here. Shadow and I defeated this abomination." He clicked the screen. "This is the Westopolis Museum. A cult associated with this evil stole a Chaos Emerald in broad daylight with explosives!" The screen clicked again. "My apartment. They blew it up to get rid of me. Shadow saved my life." "Okay, so..." Sonic was confused. Herb clicked the screen again. A painting of a green winged monstrosity loomed over them. "This, my boy, is Cthulhu. A great evil, beyond your imagination." Sonic eyed the picture. "Ha, doesn't look so tough to me! Looks like Rouge on a bad makeup day!" "HEY!" was shouted in unison by Westwood, Eggman, Shadow, and Knuckles. "Fine," Westwood replied. "Imagine all life on Earth ending to this horror. Imagine all happiness, all emotion, every dream, every desire, every precious moment in our lives ending suddenly in a torrent of hatred and madness as mankind claws itself apart! I don't need your smart mouth, my boy!"  Sonic was embarrassed. "Sorry about that. Go on..." "A cult is trying to awaken this monster, and if they succeed, we are all going to die. Or only hope is to stop it. They have a Chaos Emerald. I do not know how many they will need, but assume all seven!" Knuckles stepped forward. "We have one ourselves, plus the Master Emerald! I can null the Chaos Emeralds if necessary, but we should try and obtain as many as we can ourselves to make sure they fail!" "Right, Knuckles. Have you had any luck?" Westwood asked. "Not much," the echidna apologized. "Something is blocking my ability to track them. I located the one we already have, and one more." Knuckled pointed to a world map. "There, a small island two hundred miles south of my island. Uninhabited. We need to get there before anyone else!" Westwood tapped his cane. "I'm afraid that island is NOT uninhabited. An echidna society lives there." "What? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Knuckles was showing his anger. "I would have but they are a private people. They splintered from your tribe long ago, ashamed of what your tribe did. They favor technology. They don't have a chief, but rather an elected leader. I studied with them about the history of the Chaos Emeralds, Chaos, and the Chao at one point..."  He cleared his throat. "I fear I must take partial responsibility for the Chaos incident, Ivo had hired me... no matter. I know the current mayor of the tribe. We will have safe passage into the island." Knuckles shook his head. "So... I'm not the last one..." Source: https://sofurry.com/view/709012