Sonic The Hedgehog: The Series - Part 2
Knuckles was in awe. Echidnas. "I don't believe this! I'm not alone!" He paced the island eagerly. He had family, he had his own kind. He had been alone his entire life. True, he had friends, but no one like him. And fate had dictated that the first echidna he'd met, Tikal, was long dead. True, Rouge had flirted with him many times, but in the end, she wasn't an echidna.
"Saw you come here with the others," a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"What? Who was that?" he asked, turning.
A dark orange female echidna in a skirt approached him. "Hi. You're not from around here. I'm Karen."
"Karen? Hi..." A woman was talking to him. "No, I'm not from around here," he explained.
She tapped his chest. "Good muscle tone"
"Hey! That wasn't-"
She shouted, "RELAX! Can't take a compliment? You act like you've never even SEEN a woman before. You live under a rock or som'tin?"
He grinned, embarrassed to answer. "Actually... I'm from Angel Island."
"Oh... I see..." She wasn't impressed by his answer. "You're from the old tribe. The one that created the god of death." She turned away.
"NO! I mean, the tribe is gone. I'm all that's left. I thought I was the only one of my kind left on this planet. But now... I don't know what to think!" he shouted.
"I don't know... primitive and rough. Good body, but rough. I'm the island boxing champion. Come by the ring later and I'll put you to the test!"
"YOU?" he yelled.
Turning to face him, she carried a mean expression. "What, a girl can't be boxing champion? I'm seventeen, well beyond qualified to fight in the tournaments! I heard the men of the old tribe had big egos, but WOW!" Storming off, she left Knuckles alone.
"Way to blow it!" Sonic shouted as he ran over.
Knuckles gave him a nasty look. "Shut up..."
"They have been, they are, and they will be... that is the way of the Great Old Ones." Herb remained silent after that.
"We do indeed have the Chaos Emerald that fell here a month ago. I'll show you." The mayor led him to the vault. Behind the heavy metal doors, the Chaos Emerald sat, protected.
"Good. The Chaos Emeralds are their only key," Herb explained.
"The Necronomicon... Al Azif as it may be called... is not a book that exists in our world, so they cannot use it to their advantage. We should be thankful such a tome does not exist here. For even the Chaos Emeralds combined would be nothing before the evil will of that horrible book!"
The mayor led Herb outside. "Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, this is Mayor Periwinkle!"
"Periwinkle?" Sonic joked.
"Yes, that is my name," the yellow echidna replied. "Do you have a problem with my name?" Sonic shook his head violently. "NO! No, it's a cool name!"
Karen walked by. "I'm going to the ring to practice, be back later, daddy!"
"Okay, daughter, you be careful not to get hurt!" She ran off.
"She's your daughter?" Knuckles inquired, stunned.
"Ah, yes! My beautiful daughter, Karen. The island boxing champion for two years now. And you must be Knuckles, the islander of the old tribe. How... sad to hear."
Herb cleared his throat. "Knuckles, here, is the only one. Until an hour ago, he thought he was the last of his kind. I only told him due to the urgency of things. I know you value your seclusion." "Nonsense!" Periwinkle replied. "You should have told the boy about us some time ago! If he were willing to abandon the old ways and come here, he would find life vastly improved."
Knuckles flinched. "I'm not embarrassed of who I am!"
"Neither was she," Sonic interjected. "She was hitting on Knuckles earlier."
"Really?" Periwinkle mused. "My daughter doesn't draw herself to just anyone so easily. Perhaps... there may be hope for you, after all." Knuckles looked up.
"That means you go after her, my boy!" Herb shouted.
"Umm, sure..." He ran off.
"Knuckles is a bit slow, mentally, I'm afraid," Herb apologized.
"Oh nonsense! I was that way at his age," the mayor responded.
"Hrm... the matter of the Chaos Emerald. You do know it may not be safe here."
Periwinkle wiped his glasses. "I am aware."
"What defenses do they have here?" Tails asked.
"The Emerald is locked in a heavy duty metal vault, impenetrable by explosives. The door uses a key code, it can't be picked. But I suspect this cult will still try something. They have to know we're here." Herb tapped his cane in frustration.
"We can try to replace it with a fake," Tails suggested. "I can make a fake Chaos Emerald that is almost undetectable from the real one, but will cancel out the others. But... I don't have the tools to make one right now."
"What do you need?" the mayor asked.
Tails explained, "a lab with specialized equipment and material to make the crystal!"
"Oh, we have a fine laboratory on the island, I'm sure they have what you need. Come with me, boy!" Tails followed the Mayor.
Sonic was left alone with Herb. Westwood sat on the nearest bench. "Sonic..." He checked his watch. February 15th, 11:10 PM. "You've saved the world numerous times. But I... I've never done anything REALLY special like that."
"Hey, you're working your butt off to save the world right now! Don't give up yet!" Sonic gave him a thumbs up.
"That's not it. I am an aging man with a cane and a bad heart. Even in my prime, my abilities were merely adequate. I am just a human. I don't have your speed, I can't fly like Tails, Charmy, or Rouge, I don't have the strength of Knuckles... I am plain. I'm jealous of you and your friends. Just once, I want to save the world."
"Oh. I think I see what you mean. Actually..." Sonic held up a finger, a thought on the edge of his mind. "... you aren't plain. You know what's going on better than any of us! You've united us, even me and Eggman! You do have a skill. Your brain."
Herb smiled. "Even if I don't survive this, just knowing that I saved the world will be enough."
"I'm sure you'll live through this! I should go find Amy... she's wandered off again!" Sonic ran off after his friend.
Herb pulled out his phone. "Ivo!" "Yes?" the reply came.
"You monitoring that spot on the ocean floor?" Herb asked.
"Yes, no activity, no city. But I'll keep monitoring."
Herb sighed. "Tails is going to produce a false Chaos Emerald," he explained.
"Ah, an excellent plan! He almost fooled ME with that one once..."
Knuckles followed Karen to the boxing arena. She was practicing on a bag. "You showed up!"
"Yes, I... well..."
"Stop mumbling!" she shouted, annoyed. "You must REALLY have problems with women!" She tossed him a pair of boxing gloves. "Put those on." She replaced her own gloves with a pair of sparring gloves.
Knuckles asked, "what are those?"
"I wanna see how good you are. No bag, punch at me. I'll catch your blows."
Knuckles threw the gloves to the floor. "I... I can't." The look of embarrassment covered his face, his muzzle turning bright red. "I almost punched a defenseless woman yesterday. I'm sorry"-
A sweep of her foot sent Knuckles down. "You did WHAT?"
Fear plastered his face, he hoped it would cool her anger. "I didn't mean to! I was... I couldn't control myself!"
"You'd hit a woman? WOW! I mean, I'm a boxer, yeah? I box against men, I'm trained. It's a sport. But that... you need to leave that island. You're a throwback of the old ways we abandoned!" She helped him up. "Still... if you really ARE sorry... did you even apologize to her?"
He shook his head. "No. I'm afraid to go near her."
She jumped onto the ropes, balancing herself in a seated pose. "Well, maybe you should. You're afraid of yourself. I can work with you. Still, the great Sonic the Hedgehog is here, and that man is back, so I'm guessing the world is in danger?"
"You could say that," Knuckles sighed.
"Well... tell you what! Tomorrow, we'll both go, and you can apologize to her. I'll be there in case you do anything stupid! Hit her and I'll break your arm! You tell her you're sorry, and you MEAN IT... and MAYBE I'll go on a date with you!"
He considered the offer. 'A date, an actual DATE with a woman? But can I face Rouge?'
Rouge stretched. Grabbing her clothes, she dressed, slipping on her white boots. The necklace went on, followed by the gift bracelet. "Tom, you hungry?" she asked. No answer. She found him in the living room. A small book was opened beside him. He looked shaken. "What's wrong?"
"Huh? Nothing, why?" he responded.
She looked at the book. It was a book on bats, something she'd had on her shelf. The page was opened to the mating section. "I see..."
"You aren't like that" he said. "You wouldn't sit with me in the hospital if..."
She closed her eyes. "The nature of bats is to mate and raise our children alone without the father. I never even knew my own dad. And my mother..." she sighed, wincing at the thought. "She had a lot of boyfriends, most for a day. You don't like your parents much, I don't like mine." Taking his hand, she caressed his skin. "I'm not leaving you, no. Don't worry. I promised I would never do that to anyone."
"I knew it was silly to think that. Stupid book," he said, tossing it away. "Still, you do seem awfully... experienced and kinky for someone who claims to be a virgin before they met me!" She took an evil smile. "I can say the same about you. But I'm a bat, even abstaining, I still have my fantasies. Some so secret, I'll never tell you what they are." She rubber her hand through his hair. "Just understand that any fantasies I had before I met you, I can change my partner in the fantasy at any time to be you."
He stood, his eyes following her. "That's... I could stare in your eyes all day." Rubbing her ears, he smiled.
"Thank you. I never thought a man would perfer to look into my eyes... rather than at my breasts."
"We should get something to eat," he suggested, his stomach rumbling.
She shook her head. "No, that question about my sex life was a bit offensive..." Shoving him, he landed back on the couch. She flew, standing on the sofa, pinning him down with one of her boots. "I'll have to punish you!" She straddled him tightly, smiling her devil grin. "Hands to yourself. You do as I say! No arguments, no complaints, No disobeying! You're about to see one of my fantasies. Hands OFF or else I'll-"
"BOSS!"
It was the intercom from the casino. "Not now... what do they want?" She jumped off him, pressing the button. "This had better be good!"
"It's that red echidna you told us to look out for! He says it's urgent!"
She slammed her fist into the wall. "Stupid Knuckles, why now? He had to kill the mood!"
Tom rose. "I'll go with you in case he tries something stupid."
Downstairs, Knuckles waited. Rouge was angry. "This had better be good! If not I'll have you arrested!" she shouted.
Knuckles shuffled his feet. "Rouge, I- that is-"
"He's here to apologize to you," the strange voice explained. "You- you're an echidna? But how?"
Karen smiled. "You must be Rouge. I'm Karen. Knuckles, go on..."
The echidna puffed up his chest. "Er, right! Rouge, I am genuinely sorry for what I did. I had no right." He let his chest back in. "I hate myself for almost hurting you. I know we have history, not a very good one, but even if you liked me, I turned you away, and when you needed help I accused you of things and tried to hurt you. And for that... I am deeply sorry. Please forgive me."
Rouge considered is apology. "Well, you're a stubborn echidna, but... looks like you have a girlfriend now! Maybe you've learned how to treat a woman! I must say, I'm impressed. Maybe I'd have even been jealous of her at some point."
"Karen isn't my girlfriend!" Knuckles corrected.
Karen nudged him. "Not yet, anyway."
"I accept your apology," Rouge said, patting Knuckles on the shoulder.
"Thank you." He was proud of himself.
"Even if your timing was lousy. We were in the mid-dle-of-some-thing!"
Her expression told Knuckles that he should leave. "Eh, right, let's go, Karen!" he walked away.
"Knuckles has a hot body, but his personality needs work. But I'm a boxer, I told him if he ever pulls that with me, I'll break his arm!"
"Boxing, huh? I don't know... Knuckles might not like a woman who can beat him up," Rouge commented. "Or maybe he will. Tom is the opposite of Knuckles. A very good mind..." she patted him on the butt as he jumped. "But I'm working on his body still. I'll have him my cute muscle hunk soon enough!"
Karen turned away. Looking back at Rouge, and downward, she commented, "I'm a bit jealous of those." She walked off. Rouge was stunned. "Did she just..."
"Comment rudely on your chest?" Tom looked away. Rouge cocker her head.
"Does she even think before she talks? What a thing to say to another woman!" Tom grinned. "You don't get mad when I say nice things about them!"
She smacked his backside harder. "Upstairs, now! You're just racking up the punishments!"
"You call it punishment, I call it- HEY!" She smacked him much harder.
At the entrance, Herb waited for the echidnas. "Westwood! But-"
"I followed you when you left." He took Knuckles' spiked gloves from his coat. "You faced yourself and triumphed. You've earned them. Now, time is fleeting. Besides, I'm not comfortable here. It's barely eleven in the morning and it's dark out. I prefer sunlight during the day. You two get back to the island and wait for Tails to finish his task. I'm going back to the fortress to look something over."
Tom ducked through the doorway, the frame built for smaller animals, not humans, short as even he was by human standards. But the whole apartment was built more for Rouge, and adjusting to it hadn't taken much effort. "Now, then, where were we-AH!" A hard shove landed him onto the couch.
Crawling up onto him, Rouge stood, grinning, her eyes squinted down at him. "Bad boy... I told you not to talk! Remember the rules? No talking, no touching, no arguments, no complaints! You sit there and do as I say!"
Unclipping the heart-shaped chest plate, the tossed it gently to the carpet, sliding her fingers into the edge of her black spandex suit. Easing it down, her nipples popped free as her breasts became visible. "Keep staring like you know you want to..." she teased, easing the suit downward, stopping when she reached her boots. Feeling her naked skin seductively, Rouge ran her fingers through the small, trimmed patch of pubic fur, a neat heart-shape she kept neatly cut at all times.
"You like that, don't you? Mmmm..." Hunching forward, she rested her vagina barely an inch from her lover's face, explaining, "you slung a lot of dirt at me with what you said, Tom... now lick it off! I know your tongue is up to the challenge..."
"You mean lick your-" He was silenced as she pressed her love against his mouth.
"NO TALKING! Lick... slowly..." she ordered, enjoying this far more than she had a right to. With minor hesitation, Tom stuck his tongue out and began his punishment, gliding up and down the opening. His breath offered an extra bit of stimulation, tiny gusts of air against her exposed clitoris. Moaning, she leaned into it. "Yes, that's very good... keep going..." Sparks of orgasmic bliss began, his tongue now comfortable with the process, working faster and pushing inside her hole, dancing around the clitoris.
'Oh, wow... he's very good... damn...' she thought, fighting the temptation to finger herself, like she'd done so many nights before she'd finally slept with Thomas Adriani. Fondling her clit was one thing, but this mans tongue was different, so much more gentle, but so much more forceful. Soft, but invasive. Breathing heavily, Rouge was on the border of climax, resisting the urge to scream out. This was his punishment, after all, no need to make him like to too much.
Unfortunately, she remained on the border. As well as he licked her, as good as it felt, she could not orgasm. Her mind cluttered with the sensations, the small part that remained rational knew why. "Tom... grab my tits... grab my ass... NOW!" she screamed, her human boyfriend complying, fondling and squeezing whatever part of her he could grab. The touches, gentle, forceful fondling set her off. "Tom. I- I- I'm gonna.... oooOOOOOOHHHHH YEAH!"
Her body tensed and shook, knees giving way as she fell to the couch, straddling Tom, moaning in pleasure. Regaining minimal control, Rouge leaned forward, kissing him hard, her tongue down his throat, her hands reaching for her cunt, fingers dancing on her clit to enhance and extend the feeling.
Finally finished, she broke off her kiss, gasping for air. "Sorry... you know I was just playing a game, right... oh, yeah...."
"I know," he answered. "Feel good?"
"Yes, yes, it was... great! But if I EVER tell you not to touch me again, and I mean EVER, you ignore me! Damn, I thought I was never gonna cum..."
He asked, "I wasn't doing so great, then?"
"NO! You were doing a VERY good job... but I need your touch. Oh... I've been looking for love so long," she replied, running a hand through his hair, "I need you to touch me. Speaking of which..." She could feel his erection under his sweatpants. "Someone's ready for the real deal!"
"Not yet," he said, gently hoisting her and setting her on the couch. Pulling off her boots and stripping off the spandex, "I wanna do this the right way!" Kissing her inner thigh, he moved inward. "You taste good, Rouge, very good..." Making his way to the sweet spot, he kissed and teased her pussy as if he was making out with her.
"OH! Tom... oh, yes!" she screamed. "NOW! Use your fingers... and remember what I said, direct stimulation on my clit! Don't be afraid, I like it that way!" Teasing the opening, Tom slid in a finger, slowly feeling inside. Ever since he'd first made love to Rouge, he'd been wondering what a bat's natural body temperature was. It was very warm, not to mention very wet from the earlier orgasm. Her internal muscles seemed to fight back, squeezing down hard on is finger, but still he slowly worked it back and forth, twisting around, enjoying how she felt inside.
"I was wondering," he asked, "human women have what's called a g-spot. You bat women have that, too?"
"Of course we do! Just... I never got to play with mine... stupid hymen in the way," she said. Sliding an extra finger inside, he began twisting and prodding. Sparks went up her spine. "THERE! I think you... you just found it!" She screamed loud in delight, his lips kissing her, his tongue working her clit, and fingers ticking her newly-discovered g-spot. "TOM! Oh.... god.... that's it baby.... oh-oh-OHHHHHHH! I'M GONNA CUM! DON'T STOP! I love you, Tom... ohh...... YES!"
Muscles tensed, nerves reacted, Rouge screaming with a fiery passion as she climaxed, her legs closing in on his head like a vise, her tickled g-spot releasing a strong blast of ejaculate, squirting Tom like a hose. He choked and spat out the fluid, not enough to drown but enough to get in his nose and mouth. Pulling free of Rouge's love grip, he waited as she stopped shaking. Panting, she pried her eyes open. "Whoever said sex wasn't exercise... has to be a virgin... whoa, what happened to you?" she asked, noticing her boyfriend.
"I think you came on my face..." He was soaked, his hair messed and dripping, his shirt wet.
"Oh... I know what I did," she remarked. "I read about this in that sex ed book I have... I'll let you read it later. Come here," she waved a finger invitingly, Tom crawling up to her. Leaning in, she began to lick his face off. "You're right, I do taste good..." Reaching for his shirt, she tugged at it, pulling it over his head. Playfully reaching her foot out, she brushed against him, feeling his hard rod. "Enough of this... carry me to the bed. Your turn to get off!"
Lifting Rouge off the couch, Tom paced to the bedroom, setting her on the floor. The naked bat girl stood, looking up. Tom was nearly two feet taller than she was, though that fact never bothered her. It made it easier for her to pull down his sweatpants, slowly, gleeful as his cock sprung back up. Taking it in hand, she tugged slowly, sliding his foreskin back and forth. "Sit down..."
Resting on the bed and propping against the wall, Tom waited, Rouge mounting him, easing down on him. "Should go in easy... I'm SO wet..." she said, sliding his penis inside, rocking back and forth.
"Don't rush, huh? I'm in no hurry!" he said, enjoying the movement. "I love you, Rouge... take your time. I wanna feel this as long as possible." Thrusting his pelvis to bring her up slightly, she pressing against him, their noses touching.
"I know you love me... but it doesn't mean you can't grab my tits!" Taking the hint, he took one in hand, fondling her nipple slowly.
"You have really nice breasts... and a nice body, too.... and I love it when you smile... and hearing you so happy..."
"Happy, huh?" She gave him a seductive stare. "That mean when I'm screaming my head off when we're making love?"
"Part of it..." he answered. Pulling her as close as possible, he kissed her slowly, passionately, thrusting upward on his own. Getting the idea, Rouge responded by grinding up and down, her legs springing to give her the motion needed.
Their intensity increased, passionate noises buried under the kiss, Tom thrusting harder as he grabbed her ass to help. The vibrations tortured Rouge's clit, the hardened dick grazing her g-spot, Tom careful now to angle himself in such a way to do so.
She felt it. Sperm pumping out, gushing from the tip, filling her inside. Again, she came, the feeling of Tom's cum pushing her over the edge. Pulling back from the kiss, she screamed in pleasure, Tom forcing moans out under his breath, still thrusting her with all his might to prolong the feeling.
In minutes, the two began to catch their breath, Rouge leaning close, holding onto her man. "You got real good at this," she complimented.
"I had a wonderful teacher," he replied. "Any man who turned you down before you met me is an idiot... glad those guys were so dumb, though. I'm one very lucky man..."
"With what almost happened to you, you don't know the half of it, Tom..." she said, sliding up of him, leaning back on the bed, inviting him to join her. The two lovers looked into each other's eyes. "You tired?" she asked.
He replied, "not really, no... soaked, sweaty, dirty, yes.... tired, no..." Gently, he kissed her, running a hand through her fur. "You're sweaty, too... can't blame you." Wiping off her arms, the sweat dripped from her hand.
"They don't call it the 'fires of passion' for nothing." She felt slightly embarrassed, watchign her sweat drip so heavily.
"Fires... speaking of which, I know why they call it a 'bun in the oven' now... I mean, damn..."
Smiling, she said, "ninety-nine point seven."
"Huh?"
"Bat's body temperature. Higher than yours, human.... tub time. Come on, lover boy...."
Herb poured over the papers. "Something had got to be here..." Many of the documents were old and had begun to fade. He'd read the works of Lovecraft too many times. Taking the book in hand, he threw it in the garbage. "Racist, bigoted son of a..." Shadow looked at the wastebasket. "Sorry. Lovecraft was in tune with the Great Old Ones, but he was a typical hatemongering bigot of his world. He hated anyone who wasn't his skin color. How's Ivo doing?"
"The work on the attack robots is moving along. Do you really think they will be necessary?"
"They had a saying on that world I went to," Herb replied. "Never take a knife to a gun fight." Shadow left the room. Herb yawned, he'd been awake for well more than a day. Shortly, he fell asleep, the old books his pillow. His dreams flashed to the past...
It was the great Sumerian expedition. Herbert Westwood was the only human on the trip. Archaeologist Clara, a young brown cat, had hired him. A brown hedgehog named Spike was their photographer. A local eagle, Soar, their desert guide.
Herb adjusted his hat, the sun beat down without end. Under his thin jacket, the holster held his prize, a custom-made eight-shot Magnum revolver, chromed with a gold-plated handle. An 'emergency' weapon. The 26 year old "paranormal expert" never needed it, but he wanted to be on the safe side. "The vault is almost open."
Clara was standing beside him. "Good, good! The Sumerian tribe was led by the great Vulture King some 6000 years ago. All that remains..."
Herb swept his hand across the desert. "Hard to believe. You were careful of tomb traps?"
"Of course!" Clara replied. She was a four foot brown cat, two years younger than he was. Thick glasses hung off her face, betraying otherwise good looks.
"Why'd you drag me out here? You don't believe the old stories of the Vulture King haunting his old kingdom, do you? It's a myth to scare people away!" So far, in nine years, he'd yet to encounter a ghost.
"Ivo Robotnik recommended you. A good scientist, he'll have a bright future in robotics. His grandfather was a brilliant man as well," she explained.
"Shame all that had to happen on the ARK with that accident. You know, in nine years, all I've found are old writings, tablets, statues, NOTHING to prove a ghost! 'Paranormal', poppycock! They're all stories to scare people!"
She sighed. "Do you believe in the soul?"
His mouth cocked into a nasty curl. "Soul... a hope for people who want to live after they die. No ghosts, no souls... hey, I know why you hired me. You've been staring at me like a piece of meat since you walked into my office!"
Her tail fluttered. "So?"
He tossed his hat away. "Stupid thing... you're a cat! That's... it's creepy!"
"What? A human and a cat? The world won't end because of it!" she yelled.
"It's not that..." Herb sighed. "I had a pet cat. Died of old age last year. It's..."
She slid her glasses down. "I'm not some little animal that mews for food and plays with yarn! I'm a professional archaeologist and a determined woman. You think I'm not entitled to the same treatment you are?"
"Fine, I'm an idiot who doesn't see things the way you do." Patting his back, she started walking away. "I don't care what anyone thinks, I'll date any species I like. As long as both are consenting adults, there's no problem!"
"Wait!" She stopped. "Fine, after we get this treasure, I'll take you on a... date. An apology date! Not romantic! An apology!"
She paused for a moment before responding. "I pick the place. Lets go."
Inside the tomb, they opened the grave. "Wow, this guy was big!" Spike commented, taking pictures. Indeed, the Vulture King was a brute at over seven feet tall.
"No wonder this guy was in charge!" Herb mused, noting the inscriptions.
Clara saw the jewel in the crown. "Beautiful... give me a knife!" She dug at the rusted crown until the jewel was free. "The legend was that this jewel gave him great power."
"You mean like those... Anarchy Crystals?" Westwood inquired, still staring at the walls.
"You mean the Chaos Emeralds. Yes, something like that." Clara sighed. "It's mine."
That night, they rested in the desert. They would leave in the morning. The three animals slept, while Herbert sat awake. 'Scorpions, snakes, who can sleep out here?' The jewel was also under his watch. He knew why, of course- he had the gun. They didn't want desert thieves taking their prize. Checking the chamber, again, he closed the gun and returned it to his holster for easy draw. The night was boring, if a bit cool. The sun was down, at least.
He thought he heard something shuffling outside. Peeking out, he saw nothing. Closing the flap, a large blade tore his tent apart, barely missing him. 'Oh damn, raiders!' He grabbed the jewel and ran, away from the tents to lead these thieves from the others. Some distance away, Herb ducked behind a rock. The top of the stone went flying as the massive blade again assaulted him.
He saw his attacker. The Vulture King. The animated skeleton howled. "You-y-y-you're a... GHOST!" Pulling his gun, he cocked the hammer and fired. And again. Two shots that passed through. "Right, a gun against a ghost!" Running, the Vulture King gave chase.
Herb tripped over something unknown, sending the jewel flying. As it landed on a rock, the Vulture King flinched. Herb noticed. Taking out his flashlight, he found the jewel. A corner was chipped. "So... his power is this jewel." The King approached, sword ready. Setting the jewel down, he took his Magnum by the barrel. 'Hope the bullets don't go off,' he thought, smashing the jewel. Each hit caused the King pain. Finally, the jewel shattered. The Vulture King wailed, his bones crumbling to the sand.
Flashlights headed his way. "We heard gunshots and- and-" Clara saw the broken jewel. "What did you do? The jewel!" she grabbed him by the collar, shaking violently. Herb struggled.
"Hey, calm down!"
His shout caught Shadow and Eggman off guard. "Bad dream?" Eggman asked.
Herb shook. "You could say that." Grabbing his cane, he rose. "Nothing new in these papers to help us. I wasted my life. Know what I was doing when my parents died? Crawling around some jungle, or temple, or castle, or who knows where. I cut off all contact with them for my work." The cane was in his hand. It slammed the desk. "AND FOR WHAT?" The cane slammed down again and again. "An empty life? No love? No home? No happiness?" The desk had noticeable dents in the surface. "I wasted my life!" He dropped the cane. Both of them were staring at him.
"Herbert?" Eggman asked, afraid too approach. They thought they heard crying.
No, it was laughter. "Cthulhu has begun to influence my dreams. He found my weakness. I hate my life. My regrets, my misgivings, he has exploited them. I coasted along with no thought to being happy, and that is MY failing. And if I do not face that... Shadow, my boy. Contact Sonic. I want both of you to come with me."
The steam from the water was barely noticeable in the dim light. Rouge closed her eyes, leaning her head against Tom's shoulder. "Wanna go out tonight... or did I wear you out?" she asked gently.
"Wear me out?" He placed an arm around her. "I'm not that physically unable! Not that you don't try..."
The bath water soothed both of them, muscles tired. Bubbles covered them, not as if anyone could see them. Rouge had enough sense not to install windows in her bathroom. It wasn't as if the sun could shine through anyway. "You said you had problems with your mother..." he commented. "That have something to do with the jewel obsession?"
She answered, "I grew up poor. My mother had no ambition to do anything but work a cheap job to meet guys at. I didn't have much. What I had, my mother usually stole. You said you had problems with your parents?" She turned to place her arms around him. "My mother really messed me up. She made me selfish. When I was thirteen I ran off and started stealing jewels. I wanted to be rich."
"Money isn't everything... I know that. I think you do too," he said, kissing her forehead, asking, "Will you still be stealing jewels?"
"No, of course not!" she spat back.
"Sorry," he apologized, realizing he'd offended her. "It's not that I mind you being a thief, but it seems like an unnecessary risk... you could get hurt, or thrown in jail for it!"
"I know... I don't need to steal anymore. Just that once I thought I could be independent," she answered, "for a long time I didn't trust men. Especially other bats. They always left before my mother woke up in the morning. They didn't care about her. That's why... that's why I could never just give myself away for sex. I didn't want to be some object that men threw away when they were done. I knew men looked at me, I made them want me... and they couldn't have me. I wanted them to see what they couldn't have..." Rubbing her ears, he began washing her fur with a sponge, forcing a "that feels good!" from her lips.
"But you couldn't keep that up, could you?" he said.
"No, I couldn't. Shadow... he was damaged. He needed emotional support. I tried to get close to him, but he wouldn't open to me. And then when I met you... I saw the same thing."
"You're drawn to damaged men."
She replied sadly, "yes. I saw you were lonely, and sick... and I wanted to help. I wanted to redeem myself. My selfishness, I couldn't stand it. I wanted to help a lonely, broken man be whole again, and I thought that it would make him like me- don't misunderstand me, I-"
"It's okay," he eased. "I think I know why you like me. I was the first guy to notice you back as a person and not a pretty object."
She ran a finger across his chest playfully. "When did you find me attractive?"
He thought for a moment. "At the hospital. I think that was the first time I really appreciated how pretty you were. I saw you before, but I don't think I really appreciated your looks until my mind cleared. Funny..."
"What?" she asked.
"... that I liked you for your persistence and your willingness to keep dropping by long before I cared how hot you were. And as much as you think otherwise... you're not dependent by having me around."
"I was... never really independent." Nuzzling him, she continued, "I had an obsession with material goods. I had a need to drive men crazy with my looks. I had my dependencies. But I prefer this. Now, don't think I'm keeping you on a leash-"
"We have been almost glued to the hip!' He cut in.
She continued, "-but after what happened, I am afraid to leave you out of my sight for too long. But... that will wear off. We've been moving fast, I did jump you that first morning I had you here. I guess I should have thought about that more, but-"
"It's okay! We're not moving too fast... just DIFFERENT than the norm, but... no, we're doing just fine," he assured.
"Really?" She kept her eyes closed. "Okay, hot stuff... what color are my eyes?"
"GREEN! That's an easy one!"
Opening her eyes, she met his gaze. "You didn't even have to think about that one! I guess we're moving at the proper speed then. Not too fast, not too slow..."
"I know when you like it slow and fast," he teased, forcing her to give him her devil grin.
"We'll never get dressed if we keep this up! By the way, I prefer the slow part... the fast part means it's about to end! What a joke, though... the part you work so hard to get to, means the fun's over."
"Nah, the fun won't be over for a LONG time... not with your dirty mind!" he remarked. "And I don't think I've ever heard you complain when it's about to end!"
She gently sighed, responding, "well, so much for getting dressed any time soon..."
"Clara." Herb entered the office.
"Well... I never thought I'd see you again." The cat watched him take his seat. Her fur as beginning to go gray. "You never took me on that date," she said. "Why didn't you get in touch with me?"
He looked away. "You DID threaten to claw my eyes out."
"You thought I was serious?"
"At the time, yes!" Breathing heavily, he finally spoke. "I wasted my life. Maybe I should have made contact with you, rather than continuing my work. But it's past. You've been happily married for 18 years, and I am a lonely old man."
"HA!" She threw her head back at the suggestion. "Happily... more like unhappily. I regret not making contact with YOU. I married a colleague that I didn't love to avoid loneliness."
Westwood played with his cane. "So we both have regrets."
She pulled a small box from her desk drawer. "For you."
Opening it, he found his old gun. "I left this behind in the desert. I wanted to get away from the Vulture King so bad that night... why'd you save this?" It still had the scratches from where he'd broken the jewel.
"For what its worth, what you did may have been a setback in my career, but you probably saved my life."
"And for what it's worth," he replied, "you're still good looking. I probably look like something an animal spat up."
"I thought you'd be back in my life," she replied. "And here you are."
"Too late to matter," Westwood finished.
"You could have had your work, and me. We were in the same line of work. You didn't have to settle for one." She removed her glasses and gave a faint sigh. "Sonic the Hedgehog is with you. I take it your theories of the Great Old Ones hold some weight?"
He answered, "yes. I once laughed at the idea of the soul. Now, I will save the soul of everyone on this world. Or at least I will try."
"Herbert... save the world. For me. For yourself. Do that... and your life will not have been wasted."
He stood. For once, he felt good about his life. In the hall, he found the to hedgehogs. "You heard us, I assume?"
"Yeah..." Sonic wondered why he was here.
"She had a point, my boy... that I could have had both. Amy, the pink one who follows you. Do you love her?"
Sonic jumped at the question. Shadow chuckled. "NO! That is, she follows me everywhere!"
"But you let her," Herb replied. "And I take it she's helped you. You like adventure, do you believe that if you fall in love with her, you must give that up?"
He pondered the question. "I always did..."
Herb began walking. "Then, my boy, you will end up like me. Old and alone, wondering on your life with regret. But I don't believe you would ever sit back so easily. I believe it would motivate you more than ever. Would you sit back and watch as your wife, your children were threatened? No, not you. You'd rush to stop the threat. You're young, a thrill seeker. You're a hero for the excitement, but you lack something... something to really care for."
The three landed on the island. "Sonic! The fake Chaos Emerald is done," Tails waved a metal box. "This box also shields the Chaos Emeralds from detection!"
"Good, my boy... then we make the switch tonight, no one will know. If they try to steal it, their fate will be sealed." Herb walked towards the mayor's office.
The door slid open. Herb stepped in, the Chaos Emerald beckoning him. 'Gotta do this quick,' he thought, opening the box, placing the false Emerald on the pedestal, and locking the real one away in a quick motion. Running from the office, he exited the back way. In the alleys, he slinked around, avoiding eyes. Thinking he was safely away, he stopped as a gun met his face.
"Herbert!" Sonic, Shadow, Knuckles, Tails, Amy, and Karen searched the island. Westwood was long overdue. No sign anywhere. "You think they got him? Amy asked.
"I don't know... just keep looking!" Knuckles saw something in an ally. Stepping forward, he pulled back in horror. "I FOUND HIM!" They ran to the alley. Westwood was lying on the ground.
"Is he..." Sonic stuttered.
Shadow felt Westwood's pulse. "No. Just unconscious."
He stirred. "I think a truck hit me..." Herb felt around. "It's gone."
Shadow asked, "what happened?"
He remembered the details. "Someone put a gun in my face. I think the gun jammed, because the kicked me in my leg wound. Set off a few fires in my nervous system too. Then they bashed my head in. Stop spinning me around!"
They stood back. Tails replied, "we're not."
"Oh... all that work for nothing," Herb muttered, feeling for his cane. Grabbing it, he tried to stand. He dropped the cane as his chest tightened. Air sucked into his lungs erratically.
"Westwood!" Shadow panicked. "Sonic, get a doctor! He's having a heart attack!"
Eggman waited. He'd been in this position before, sitting in a hospital while his only friend in his lifetime was dying. Spotting the echidna doctor, Eggman grabbed his coat. "How is he?"
The doctor shook Eggman's hands free. "Please! You're concerned about someone? How many times have you tried to take over the world now? How many people have you put in danger?"
Eggman stared downward. "It's because of pain towards people like him that cause me to hate the world. Are you done judging me?" he asked furiously.
"Ahem... we aren't equipped for HUMAN patients here, you understand. But he has a skull fracture and a severe bruise on his leg. His heart is a ticking bomb waiting to go off. The injuries, combined with recent heavy caffeine use caused his heart attack. He should be awake soon..." The doctor breathed in before speaking, "... but I would give his heart no more than a week before it gives out. If he does not receive a transplant soon, he will die."
Sighing, Eggman sat down. Sonic walked into the waiting room. "How's he doing?"
"Get lost you stupid hedgehog!" Eggman shouted, waving his arms wildly to shoo Sonic away. He calmed down quickly, saying, "I'm sorry. The doctors say he will be awake shortly."
The mayor paced. "No sign of any strangers by air," one of the workers reported.
"Nor by the mining tunnels," another said.
A third reported, "and no sign of any boat or flying craft having approached the island."
On the fortress, Knuckles communed with the Master Emerald once more. Karen touched the jewel, hoping to help. Focusing, Knuckles picked up the Emerald held by Shadow, as well as the fake on the island below. Suddenly, a faint blip appeared in his mind. A new Chaos Emerald. He had to now focus on its location.
"We found one!" Knuckles pointed at the world map, somewhere in the Amazon jungle. "I believe it's underground. We'll have to go before they can get to it!"
"I'll go!" Sonic said eagerly. "But how are we gonna get there?"
Knuckles thought. "Eggman has a few smaller jets on board, we'll have to take one of those! But I don't know how to fly them," Knuckles explained.
"I can figure it out! Let's go!" Sonic ran off, Knuckles in tow.
"What about me?" Karen was huffy over being left out.
"We've done this before! I'm... sorry, but stay here in case something happens!" Knuckles apologized.
In a half hour, the duo reached the jungle. "There!" Knuckles shouted, spotting a cave entrance. "I almost wish Rouge was here, she can find these things in her sleep!"
"Where is Rouge, anyway?" Sonic asked. "Don't tell me, you wish she was here! I knew it, you like her, don't you?"
"SHUT UP!" Knuckles was having none of Sonic's attitude. "No, not anymore! Rouge... that's none of your business anyway! Besides, Karen is- nevermind! Let's GO!" The two ran into the cave. The lights from the old mining team still worked.
"Hey, a mine cart!" Sonic jumped in.
"I hope the tracks up ahead are still intact..." Knuckles muttered, jumping in and releasing the brake. The cart rolled, speeding up down the hill.
Keeping ahold of the brake lever, Knuckles prevented the cart form gaining too much speed. Their trip went smoothly, until a small dip in the path and a bent rail sent the cart flying. Screaming, the two landed hard as the mine cart slammed into the wall. Sonic asked, "you okay, Knuckles?"
He rubbed his head. "Probably not..."
The wall crumbled as Knuckles dug through. On a ledge, the Chaos Emerald rested, waiting to be taken. "How'd it get here?" Knuckles mused. Indeed, how a Chaos emerald ended up this deep in a cave was a mystery. The two climbed through, slowly approaching the emerald.
A blue flash filled the room. "What the-?" Sonic watched as a robed figure picked up the Chaos Emerald and disappeared in a second blue flash.
"NO!" Knuckles punched the walls. "Ten more seconds! I HAD to argue with you about Rouge! Sonic!!" Knuckles gave him a death stare.
"Sorry! But wasn't that Chaos Control?" Sonic pointed out, hoping to avoid a beating.
"Wait, yes, that WAS Chaos Control! And that wasn't Shadow! Whoever that was, they were wearing some odd robes. And I don't think they were human, either. Too short. Unless it was a midget, but I'd doubt that. Humans can't do Chaos Control!"
"Another hedgehog, huh?" Sonic gritted his teeth. "Wonder who it could be?"
Knuckles shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Lets get out of here."
Shadow sat by Westwood's side. "Sonic mentioned that you didn't believe you would live through this... did you know?" he asked no one in particular, as he expected no real answer. He heard a phone ringing. It was Westwood's. Shadow found it in the coat pocket hanging from the wall. "Hello?"
"I take it from your voice this is Shadow the Hedgehog?"
His eyes narrowed. "Who is this?"
"That doesn't matter now. I have a close friend of yours captive. If you wish to see that person alive ever again, you had best present me your Chaos Emerald! I will be at the Station Square Casino. As I am aware of your ability with Chaos Control, I will expect you immediately."
"Station Square Casino? Don't worry, I'll be there!" Shadow said as the caller hung up. He thought about who it could be. Sonic and Knuckles were likely safe. Tails and Amy were still on the island, Eggman- even if hardly a friend- was here, which possibly left the Chaotix, hired by Westwood. It left only one person he could think of. "Rouge. They have her!" Vanishing in a blue light, Herbert awoke.
"Shadow? Station Square Casino what?" No one was there.
Shadow appeared near the casino. It was already late, probably past 9:30. He hadn't checked the clock in some time. "Come out! I'm here! You had better not hurt her!" No one answered his demands.
The casino noises masked the vehicle. Struck by a car, Shadow went flying as his Chaos Emerald bounced away. The driver stopped and retrieved the Emerald, speeding away. Shadow gave chase, but quickly lost the vehicle into the city night. "NO!" he shouted, panicking.
It had been a half hour. Shadow had searched for the car with no result. Tiring, he sat on a bench. A bright yellow flash landed Herbert Westwood in front of him. "I've never let Ivo teleport me anywhere before. That was unusual," he remarked.
"You're awake, I see," Shadow greeted.
"I woke up at the end of the phone call, actually. I haven't been to Station Square in some time. I'm lucky I landed near you, Ivo used long-range teleportation to get me here, I thought I'd have to search for you." Herb pulled out his phone and twirled it between his fingers. "I wonder how they got this number... this is a cheap phone I buy minutes for. My name isn't listed with it. My only listed number was the office. They have your Emerald, right?" Shadow nodded. "How?"
"I thought they had Rouge hostage. They told me to come here immediately," he explained.
"Did they say her name?" Shadow again shook his head 'no'. "Say it was a woman?" Again, he shook his head. Herb sighed. "Still, they COULD have her hostage, but they were awfully vague." Tossing his phone to the ground, he smashed it with his cane.
A pay phone beckoned nearby. Picking up the receiver, Herb pressed the operator button.
Rouge felt the sun on her face. Tom sat beside her in the fields of the winery. "I never thought the sun could feel so good," she said, eyes closed as the warmth took her.
"I know, I was at your home so long, I almost forgot what the sun was like." Tom took her hand and squeezed.
"Mommy, mommy!" Rouge looked down at the little bat child. "I caught a butterfly," the child said, the insect perched on her finger.
"That's beautiful," Rouge replied, smiling.
"I'm gonna play in the field! I'll leave you alone mommy and daddy!" The child ran off.
"I'm so proud of her," she said.
"I know, so am I." Tom squeezed her hand again.
Rouge woke, squeezing the pillow. "A dream... Tom?" she asked.
"In here!" She found him sitting in the kitchen, reading the newspaper. "You looked like you were having a good dream for a change! I thought I'd let you sleep and enjoy it." she looked at the clock. A bit past 10:30 PM. Smiling gently, she walked over and gave him a gentle kiss. "What was that for?" he asked, slightly confused.
She kept smiling. "I need a reason to kiss you now?"
"That's not what I mean," he stated, setting the day's newspaper down. "Wanna tell me your dream?"
Taking a seat, she grabbed a banana from the basket on the table. "Well... maybe later. But it felt so good what I saw, that... I never thought it could. But now, I know that we will have a long and happy life together. I know I've been playing the dominatrix lately, for now, let's do things a bit slower and gentler, okay?"
He took her hand and squeezed. "You must be in a good mood, you're wearing those light blue pajamas again. Usually you wear some naughty lingerie. So, that piece you bought the other day... how much does that cloth cost per YARD anyway?"
She laughed at the thought. The pants were baggy and let her tail poke through. Her shirt, however, let her show off as it was barely large enough. "This time... if you wanna say nice things about certain parts of my body, I won't smack you on the butt for it." The laughed at the private joke they shared.
Their joy was cut off by the wall phone. The light indicated it was the casino front desk. "It's the casino, I'd better see what they want," she explained, rising to take the call.
"Boss? We're not interrupting anything are we?"
"Of course not," she said calmly. "What's the problem?"
"We have a gentleman on the line who wants to speak to the manager! He sounds angry," the employee explained.
"Put him through."
The call clicked. "You the manager?"
"Yes," she replied.
"GOOD! I was in your club an hour ago, and I think someone stole my wallet! And no one has been any help at all! If I don't-"
"Sir! Sir, calm down!" She twirled the phone cord eagerly. "I'll have security check the tapes, can you tell me where you were and what you look like?"
"Thank you! I'm an eagle wearing a brown sport jacket and a hat, I was at the bar all night! I expect something done about this now!" the irate caller yelled.
"Of course, I'll take care of this right away!" The caller hung up.
"Trouble?" Tom asked.
"No. Just some drunk, probably drank so much he can't remember WHAT bar he was at! He wasn't even here, we don't even have a bar or a liquor license!" she laughed heavily, rolling the number of times in her mind. "We get these calls though on occasion. It's nothing."
Picking up the newspaper, she turned the pages slowly. "I think in the morning, I'll get you started on helping me run the club. My staff respects you enough I think, and they'll do as I ask."
"You sure about that?" he asked. "I don't have a lot of business experience."
"The staff here is perfectly aware that you and I are a couple, and they know damn well what we're doing up here. They'll have to get used to it eventually, BOSS! And I can't just let you sit around and leech!"
"Leech?" he shouted. "I DO have several million dollars in the bank, you know!"
"So do I," she responded. "I like you being here though." Grabbing a pen, she tapped the newspaper gently. "Wanna do the crossword puzzle?"
"Sure," he answered. "We haven't done a nice QUIET activity together for a while."
She chuckled. "You like the noise we make, admit it!"
He gently stroked her tail as mild shivers hit her spine. "What? I can't help it, your tail is just SO cute!"
"Do you even have an interest in human women?" she asked, her spine still tingling as he kept fondling her tail.
"It's... I haven't thought to look at another woman since I met you. And yes, I find your tail very, very cute. Your wings and ears too, I don't care what anyone says! They're a part of you, an attractive fireball of a woman!" Lifting from her tail, he twirled a finger through one of her fur spikes.
"You haven't done that before," she said, eyes closing slowly. "I like it. You know how to turn me on with the slightest touch."
"I know why you prefer love making to sex," he remarked. "The emotion."
"You understand," she replied, eyes still closed. "The emotion makes it so much better. I feel your touch, even the gentle ones, and know it means something. Like the jewels you gave me. They mean something. The ones I already had, they have no emotion attached."
"What about you, you have any regrets about falling for a human over a bat or something else?"
She looked at him, her eyes still narrow. "You're NOT the first human I ever found attractive! A man is a man. But physical attraction isn't everything! But I... TRY not to stare at other men now."
"Don't worry," he told her, "I won't get mad if your eyes wander. Bat's nature, after all." She rested the pen on the table. "The crossword can wait. Why don't we sit on the couch and cuddle?"
"No request for intimacy?" he asked.
"We did that two hours ago! Now, lets just sit and hold each other." He led her to the couch. "You want to watch TV?" he asked, resting her against is body.
"Why? I wouldn't pay attention to it anyway!"
Herb hung up. "Rouge is just fine! Rather calm, actually, and I TRIED to be irritating. I doubt she or that guy are in any trouble!"
Shadow banged his head against the back of the bench. "Stupid, stupid, stupid..."
"Don't be hard on yourself, my boy," Herb told him.
"You're not mad?"
"NO! You thought you were doing the right thing! You never had a real father, did you? I never had kids, and I wish I had... my father was a good man, always encouraged me, never got mad when I screwed up. He was proud I was alive. That's what you needed, I think... pity how the world works at times... and I know you will do whatever it takes to fix things."
Shadow looked up at him. "You have faith in me? You met me a few days ago, how could you know me that well?"
"We all have to have faith in something, my boy, no matter what it is. Without faith, we have nothing to look forward to!"
Midnight. 'What an awful night,' Herbert Westwood thought. "How hard is it to do this Chaos Control, anyway?"
"Shadow can do it as long as he has a Chaos Emerald. I've done it before... but it wasn't easy," Sonic explained.
Herb picked up his revolver and handed it to Shadow, ordering, "point it at my face. It's not loaded, don't worry." Shadow did so, Herb noting the angle. "That's what I saw. I dropped to my knees when I got kicked... maybe punched, but whoever attacked me was short. I didn't consider it at the time because you usually don't notice the small details when someone puts a gun in your face! So they have at least four of the Chaos Emeralds now..."
"...I understand," Shadow muttered into his wrist communicator. "My contacts in GUN report that a Chaos Emerald went missing in Soleanna. They now have five."
"We have to find the other two!" Knuckles shouted as he punched the air.
"You see what you can do," Herb replied. "Meanwhile, the rest of us should get some sleep. If they had all seven by now, the world would be over. But depending on where they are, all they need is the night sky. Unfortunately, until we have SOMETHING... we can't do anything."
Morning came as Herb Westwood rolled himself off the desk, mumbling incoherently as he checked the clock. February 17th, 9:02 AM. Forcing himself from his groggy state, he found Knuckles. "Any luck?"
The echidna gave a sad sigh. "No... they're blocking my efforts somehow."
Tails and Eggman found him wandering around. "We built something for you," Tails explained, leading him into the work bay.
"We modified one of my walkers to suit you," Eggman explained, pointing to the mech. Painted brown, it rested with the side door opened.
Tails pointed out, "there's a clip for your cane, and a holster for your gun. Go ahead and try it out!"
Herb climbed into the mech and closed the side door. His cane snapped in the right side. Activating the device, it came to life, legs rising. Herb played with the controls, learning how to operate the machine. "Thanks," he said, "this might come in very useful!"
Rouge walked along the casino floor. "This early, we don't have a lot of customers..." Her hand swept across the room. "Blackjack, slots, poker, we have it all!" She led Tom across the floor, stopping at the female fox that had been there the morning Tom had come to the casino. "This is Victoria, she runs the floor. Vic, show Tom around, will you? I have to check the night's take," she ordered.
"Of course, boss!"
She walked away to the main office. Near the door, someone waited, a human female she recognized from GUN. "Agent Rouge..."
"I wish you hadn't told me this..." Rouge was miserable.
"I'm sorry, I honestly didn't know you were inactive," the agent explained apologetically. "Shadow is involved, so I thought it was odd they'd left you out of the loop."
She felt sick. Rouge had just learned that Shadow and the others were trying to stop the end of the world. "Just... call my private number if you hear anything else. I'll decide what to do then."
Elsewhere, Victoria was showing Tom how the casino ran. "It seems all the employees here are women," Tom pointed out.
Vic nodded. "Yes, actually, all except the janitorial service. Security is handled by robots. In this town, most women used to end up as pole dancers, cooks, or worse. The boss made changes and made us important."
"You could at least call her by her name," Tom stated. "I didn't mean anything by that, it's just..."
"We call her boss out of respect," Victoria explained. "I guess we'll call you that soon, as well."
"Yeah, Rouge said something about that, actually. I don't know what to make of it. We've been a real couple for four days now, and already-"
"You're lovers, I know." Victoria sighed. "I had a husband, until last year. Automobile accident. If not for the boss, I'd be raising my son alone without a job OR money."
Tom rubbed the back of his head. The conversation was getting awkward. "Son? Ah... I never thought about kids myself. Not that it matters, I doubt Rouge and I can have kids. We're not the same species, anyway."
Victoria let out a light laugh. "You'd be surprised. Face it, you're passionate with her already. Human, bat, fox, whatever... we're a lot more alike than you would think! My husband was a raccoon!"
"A raccoon?" Tom asked.
"Yes, but the kid was a fox. We discussed it with the doctors, they said that pregnancy has a lower chance in mixed species pairings, but the mother's genetics are dominant whenever it occurs. Still, some of my husband can be seen in our son..."
Rouge walked by. Tom asked, "you okay?"
"Yes," she lied. "I just drank something that didn't agree with me."
Tom took her hand. "Lets go upstairs. Vic, thanks, we'll continue this tomorrow."
"Gah! The Chaotix!" Eggman shook in fear as the jet approached. "They want clearance to land..."
"So let them dammit!" Herb shouted, annoyed. "I'd go get the money you owe them, NOW!" Eggman pressed the button signaling them to dock.
The group met the Chaotix in the landing bay. "Eggman!" Vector shouted, approaching fast.
"I... I have your money! BUT, I will NOT give you a dime until our mission is complete!"
Vector gave Eggman a hateful stare, shouting, "you cheapskate, I knew it-"
Herb waved his cane between the two. "Ivo has a point. If the world ends, you won't really need any money, will you?" The investigator gave the Chaotix an evil grin. "You have a point," Espio noted, pulling out a small wooden statue.
"We didn't get the Chaos Emerald..." Charmy muttered sadly.
Espio continued, "but we got this!"
Herb took the statue. Wooden and unpainted, but unmistakable. Wings, tentacles, and a humanoid physique. "Cthulhu. See, PROOF!" He waved it around. "I have never seen this statue before. I know they probably took things from my apartment before the bomb, but not this. Where'd you get this?" he asked, handing Vector money.
"Five bills?"
"For this, yes. It's NOT a Chaos Emerald!" Herb shouted.
Espio smirked. "Robert Judas."
Most of the group looked confused.
"I've heard that name before, I think," Sonic uttered.
Shadow responded, "so have I, in GUN's files, but I don't know why."
Herb smiled. "Ivo, you remember, right?"
"Oh, yes!"
Everyone looked at the two for an explanation. Eggman explained, "Sonic, you might only vaguely remember, but Robert Judas ran for mayor of Westopolis a few years ago."
"So, what's that got to do with this?"
Herb waves his cane. "He lost miserably. Guy was a real loon too, favored corporations over people!"
Eggman sighed. He said, "yes, I remember that. He tried to by out Robotnik Corp, and threatened to KILL me when I wouldn't sell. Loon."
"He was also into the occult, evil stuff," Herb said. "His own political party was afraid of him. They hired me to investigate him. The guy was already crazy, and after the election, he lost his mind completely." Waving the statue again, he spoke, "at some point, he found this and learned what it was. And when he found out what happened at the winery, he set his plan into action. Judas is crazy, real crazy, and I doubt he cares if the world ends!"
"We were lucky we got that!" Espio commented. "Guy's mansion is crawling with armed guards in heavy suits."
"Nothing WE couldn't handle!" Vector boasted.
"Yeah!" Charmy hovered happily.
Herb took more money from his pocket. "We'll need some more muscle, you in?"
Vector took the cash. "You bet!"
"The downside," Herb pointed out, "is that we can't be guaranteed that they'll carry out the ritual at his mansion. I hope he does, because we'll have several hours to prepare. He can't do anything until nightfall! Knuckles!" The echidna jumped to attention. "Try to commune with the Master Emerald again, see if you can pinpoint where they are! I don't wanna go to his mansion and find he isn't there!" Knuckles ran off to do so. "Ivo, Sonic, Shadow... Tails, Chaotix..."
"What about me?" Karen asked, upset over being left out.
"Karen..."
"And me!" Amy waved her hands in the air.
"Sorry Amy, this might be TOO dangerous this time!" Sonic pointed out.
"Aww, no fair. HERB!" Westwood sighed.
"FINE! We need all the help we can get! Everyone, let's prepare for the battle. No point slacking off or going in unprepared! This isn't just our lives, but our souls on the line!"
He checked the clock. 5:47 PM. In 2 hours at most it would be night. Herbert hadn't eaten all day, the stress was eating him. Fidgeting through his belongings, he again checked the contents of his computer memory sticks. 'Hey... I did salvage these!' Running, he found Eggman. "Wait here!" Eggman stared at him as he ran off. Westwood found Sonic in the labs. "Sonic, my boy, would you come with me?"
"Sure thing!" he replied, following the old man.
In the main room, Herb motioned them towards the screen. Placing the memory stick in the reader, he brought up the menu. "These are some video files I brought from other Earth. I want you to watch them. I think they sum up the two of you nicely.
"I think I understand what he meant now..." Eggman was amazed. Sonic had found the cartoons funny at first, until he realized their meaning. "The coyote, as brilliant as he is, loses to the fast blue creature with no hope of winning. The coyote is a fanatic who has lost his goal to blind revenge... much like us." Sonic couldn't believe it. His life with Eggman was in those Road Runner cartoons. "Are we destined to repeat the story until the end?"
"I don't know, doc..." Sonic felt as if he'd been living in these cartoons, a player in a series of jokes and gags.
Eggman felt ill. "No matter what I try... I will lose to you. I only win when I do good. This isn't what I wanted out of life..."
"What's going on?" Knuckles asked.
"Nothing much," Sonic replied, feeling no need to let him in on their discovery. They'd spent the last hour watching those cartoons.
Knuckles took no interest. "I have an idea!" He gathered everyone around the Master Emerald. "I'm being blocked from the Chaos Emeralds' signals. But with Karen's help, I seem to get through just a little... if you all help me, concentrate, I think we can do this! I don't know if it will work, since only echidnas can usually do this, but I don't have any other ideas!" Each one put their hands on the Master Emerald. With deep concentration, the haze slowly faded. An image appeared in their minds, a mansion somewhere, isolated.
"Robert Judas... he's at his mansion." Herb was certain that was what he'd seen.
Eggman ran to the bridge. "I'm setting course now!"
The rest waited for Herb's suggestions. "Vector, how well guarded is that place?"
The crocodile responded, "he has a small army."
Herb planned something. "We'll go in three groups. One mech walker to a group. Tails, you're with the Chaotix. Shadow, Knuckles, Karen, you're with me. Sonic and Amy, you're with Ivo. Think you can handle that?"
He heard no complaints. "Okay! Shadow, alert your GUN superiors what's going on, in case they can get troops there. Every one of you, you saw what I did, correct?"
"All seven Chaos Emeralds in their possession..." Shadow stated.
Rouge dressed. She felt despair over the situation, but her mind was made up. "Rouge?" Tom saw her. "What's going on?" She wore her usual adventure suit.
"I have to go out for a little bit. Something important. Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
"What's going on?" he asked again. "You're not looking me in the eyes."
She let out a loud sigh. "Its my friends. Something's happening, and they'll need my help."
"Knuckles and Shadow... and I'd assume Sonic the Hedgehog, then? Is it that important to risk yourself?"
Pulling her gloves on, she replied, "it's bad. The world is in danger. I think you deserve to know about the dream I had... it was about our child." A look of shock hit his face as he dropped to his knees.
"Our... are you pregnant?" "NO! It's not that..." she caressed his cheek, smiling. "But someday, we will. and that's why I have to go. If the world... I'm doing this for us. I want that to happen."
He kicked the couch. "That- I thought your friends weren't going to put you in danger? I thought they knew you were giving up being a thief and an adventurer?"
Sitting, he placed his hands over his head. "I can't explain it right now," she said, "but I have to do this, for us. I promise you I'll come back. I'll come back in one piece, this will be the last time I do this."
"One piece!" he shouted. "That's comforting... that's not good enough! I don't want to have to bury the one piece that comes back! And I don't... if you lost a limb..."
"Would you hate me if that happened?" she asked, a tear in her eye.
"NO! That's not what I meant. A limb, you in a wheelchair, no, not now... I wouldn't leave you if that happened, you know that! I would be here to take care of you, no matter what! I owe you that, I don't care if you end up so bad I have to feed you, I couldn't abandon you. But... is this worth the risk? Is it that bad?"
Running her hand through his hair, she told him, "if you tell me not to go, I'll stay."
He looked away. "I can't do that. If I tell you to stay, then I look weak and selfish. I know I'm not the tough guy you pictured yourself with... but I can't tell you to go, either. It's your decision."
"Try not to worry, okay? I didn't want to put you through this, forgive me, okay?"
"Worry..." he shook his head. "I'm going to stare at that clock, every second feeling like an hour, fearing I'll never see you again!"
Turning his head to face her, she replied, "find something to take your mind off this! Please! Do the dishes, sweep the floors, I don't care, just please... don't worry about me. I've done this before!"
He picked the necklace up from the coffee table. "You were going to leave this here. Take it, take a part of me with you." Placing it around her neck, he latched the clasp.
She grabbed his head and forced a deep,long kiss which lasted beyond their ability to tell time. "Be strong for me."
Rising from the sofa, he unlatched the window. "I'll leave it unlocked."
"I love you, Thomas Adriani." She pushed the window open.
He replied, "be careful, my little angel!"
The group approached the entrance to the mansion. Two echidnas, a hedgehog, and an old man in a mech. Herbert Westwood stared at the guards. "I need to see Mister Judas. Now." The guards grabbed their guns, approaching the group. Herb ordered, "dust 'em!" Knuckles and Karen rushed them, knocking both out cold with punches to the gut. Herb pressed the radio button in his mech. "Proceed! Find Judas and the Chaos Emeralds, tear this place apart if necessary! We have fifteen minutes before the stars are out! Move your butts!"
The mansion lit up in a sound fury of breaking wood, gunfire, and screams of battle. Sonic rushed through the halls, knocking guards down as he went. Shadow searched the building, grabbing the guns of the fallen to aid his search. Espio, without thought, threw his knives into the rifle barrels, disabling the guards ability to fight as Vector and Charmy took care of them. Tails and Eggman tore down doors and searched rooms. The three-story mansion was taking far longer to search than anticipated.
Sonic stopped. He'd found a body in the bathroom. Hey, this is a hedgehog!"
Herb's mech stopped. "I know him," he mused, thinking of the face. "That hedgehog... he's old. Spike. He was a photographer who worked on excavations and such. I worked with him a few times. An easy mark for someone like Judas to draw into a cult. Probably used the Chaos Control, and it killed him. Probably so brainwashed, he didn't care."
Karen screamed a battle cry as she charged a guard. The butt of the rifle caught her jaw, sending her to the ground, blood gushing from her nose. "That's it for you, missy!"
Before the fatal shot could be fired, Herbert aimed his revolver and pulled the trigger. A spray of blood flew from the helmet as the guard fell dead. Herb sighed. "I just killed a man without hesitation. And I doubt you'll forget the sight. Poor girl..."
Knuckles helped Karen stand. "You okay?"
"Not really, no," she said, still bleeding. "I guess I should've left the island sooner too. Things are different here. I'm not as tough as I thought."
Herb jumped out of his mech. the door before him was far too small. The library, one room yet to be searched. Sonic followed him in. The shelves contained all manner of occult literature. "Wacko..." Herb was in awe, yet afraid at the same time.
The sound of guns took their attention. Turning, they found themselves surrounded. Five guards aimed at them. "I can outrun them!"
"No you can't, my boy!"
Before the shots came, a bright light cast a shadow upon them. Wings. The guards dropped to their knees, shouting, "Ia! Ia! Cthulhu f'thagn!" They repeated their chant to the dark god.
The shadow fell, a force kicking the guards each in the face. The blur finally stopped as Herb's eyes widened. Sonic was impressed. "Rouge? Didn't think I'd see YOU here!"
She cocked her head. "Sonic. Sorry, but if you want to flirt with a pretty girl, I'm sure Amy will be to your liking. I'm spoken for!"
Sonic stood there, stunned, as Herb followed her out. "We've searched this entire house!" Eggman shouted.
"And no sign of Judas or the Chaos Emeralds!" Knuckles pointed out.
Herb checked his watch. "Three minutes until nightfall!"
Shadow looked at Rouge. "I thought you... how'd you..."
"An old GUN contact told me this morning. I thought you could use my help. Tom didn't understand... I didn't expect him to. But I heard this was bad. A real understatement." She tapped the walls. "Oh BOYS..." She leaned against the wall, cocky as she could be. "Be thankful I'm here. Bats have excellent hearing, you know! This wall is hollow!"
Tails shouted, "stand back!" Rouge moved as the wall was splintered by a missile. Behind was a stone walkway, stairs leading downward.
"No time!" Herb shouted. "Sonic, Knuckles!"
They descended the stairs. At the base, a large room waited. Cultists chanted, "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl f'htagn!" over and over. The Chaos Emeralds sat in their places, each one starting to glow.
"Will that work without the altar?" Sonic asked.
Leaping forward, Knuckles shouted, "I hope so!"
Standing in the center, Knuckles pulled the Master Emerald and held it aloft. The Chaos Emeralds glowed brightly, hovering in the air. "The servers are the seven Chaos! Chaos is power, power is enriched by the heart! The controller is the one that unifies the Chaos! Only you can do this! Stop the Chaos Emeralds!"
A bright flash filled the room, a shockwave sending the cultists flying. As the light cleared, Sonic could see the Chaos Emeralds lying on the ground. The cultists, lying helpless against the walls, did not move.
"Did we make it?" Sonic asked, examining one of the cultists. "Unconscious."
Knuckles panted, exhausted. "I think so... grab the Chaos Emeralds!" The two collected the gems quickly.
The air felt warm, as if full of static. The wind picked up inside the chamber. "Hey, what's going on?" Sonic felt uncomfortable. The room was suddenly filled with a feeling of dread and evil. As the air began to distort, the two ran.
They could hear the passageway being torn apart, as if something big was trying to follow them. Knuckles shouted, "Something's following us! Get out of here!"
Reaching the top floor, the two bolted. "RUN!"
"Did you stop it?" Herb asked.
"I think so, but we weren't fast enough!" Knuckles shouted, terrified.
Eggman checked his monitor. "There was a small disturbance on the ocean floor!" he explained frantically.
"Okay... let me think..." Herb strained his mind. "You stopped the ritual. Cthulhu is... but something DID make it through to our world! The doorway was open too long!"
The creature burst forth from the wall. Green with tentacles flaying, the large figure wailed a horrific cry as it found its targets. "Is that... I thought you said Cthulhu was stopped?" Shadow asked, amazed by the creature.
Westwood panicked. "It... NO! It's too small! It's a star-spawn of Cthulhu, a child! Not mature, it's to small!"
The creature wailed as it smashed the walls. "We have to stop it! If we don't, who knows what damage it will cause!" Pulling his revolver, he fired. The bullet ricocheted off the creature. "Everyone, get out of here!"
The crowd fled outside. Gathered, they considered their options. "Weapons won't work, I take it?" Eggman asked.
Herb sighed miserably. "Guns, no... the missiles in these mechs might just make it mad. In cases like this, one might use a spell of binding... but I was never big on magic spells."
"So we use these!" Sonic shouted, pulling his Chaos Emeralds out. "Shadow, you up to it?" The black hedgehog nodded.
"We should let them handle this!" Knuckles ordered. The crowd left the mansion. The Chaos Emeralds gathered, powering both Sonic and Shadow into their super forms. "The creature will die here!" Shadow yelled, heading into the mansion.
Herb shook his head. "It's up to those two now... I hope they know what they're doing!"
"Sonic will be just fine!" Eggman responded. "He always has."
Rouge picked up one of the machine guns. "They made it personal this time. Before, it was just my friends in danger, now... even if we can't do much, I'm still going to help them!" She flew off into the mansion.
"I'm going to regret this... Tails! What do you say we distract this creature?" Eggman suggested, the fox giving a thumbs up. The two mechs entered the mansion.
"Well," Espio muttered, "I'm not sitting here and waiting!" He twirled one of his throwing knives, leaping forward.
Vector puffed his chest out with practiced bravado, shouting, "I'm tougher than that freak!" Charmy followed him.
"I'll do it for Sonic!" said Amy, rushing with her mallet ready.
Knuckles looked at Karen's bruised face. "I almost got myself killed," she mused, rubbing the wound. "But I knew the risk. You coming, my muscle hunk?" He nodded, the pair entering the fray.
Westwood looked down. "They have their strength, their courage to fight the beast... and I don't. I see why they work to save everyone. I can't face this." A figure moved near the walls. "No, I can..." Unlatching the side door, he grabbed his cane. "I know what I have to do."
Westwood followed the mansion to the side door. The battle could be heard even over his own heartbeat. The muddy footprints led him upstairs to the mansion's security control room.
The room was empty. Checking the monitors, Westwood could see the battle. "They're actually doing it! Standing up against the horror! Go Sonic, kill that thing!"
A swift kick to the back sent him stumbling, the gun skidding away. "You. Herbert Westwood, the man who ruined my standing with the Party!" Grabbing his cane and balancing himself, Westwood turned. "Robert Judas. You fool, did you honestly believe Cthulhu would reward you?" He laughed at the politician. "And that robe looks ridiculous!"
"Reward? No, my poor, unemployed investigator... this was punishment!" Judas shouted, waving a fist. "They didn't want me, what I had to offer... then let the Earth and everyone on it burn! When that brown hedgehog brought me that statue, and I learned what it was... the ultimate entity, unlike that black hedgehog, a life beyond time, beyond moral limitations, beyond-"
Westwood swung his cane. The wood connected with the cultist's shoulder, sending him to his knees. "That... is for my CAR!" The cane swung again, connecting with the man's skull. "And that's for my HOUSE! And this is for trying to-"
Judas grabbed the cane and yanked it away. Westwood stumbled, barely balancing on his left leg. "Poor old man, can't do anything without this cane! I will leave you here, HELPLESS! And I will go and watch those worthless, meager heroes fall before the child of lord Cthulhu!"
"Oh?" Herb watched the monitors. "I don't think so!"
"Chaos SPEAR!" The blast tore into the monster, burning its flesh a sickly brown.
Rouge aimed her weapon. "You tried to take away the most important jewel I've ever known! Go back to hell!" she screamed, firing. Tails and Eggman fired their rockets, annoying the creature, but distracting it as Sonic slammed into it.
"Lets see how tough that skin of yours is!" Vector screamed, sinking his teeth into the monster's arm. The star-spawn screamed in pain, flinging its arm around in a futile effort to unlatch the croc.
Amy rose her hammer. "This is for Sonic!" was her cry as the hammer smashed the creature's foot. It let out a horrendous howl of pain.
Espio tossed his knives quickly. One caught the creature in the eye. Karen, furious, climbed the wall and glided, holding the creature's tentacled mouth. "Lets see how you like it!" Her fist punched through the wound, a sick black blood spraying forth. Knuckles followed suit, latching into the chest wound and digging his spikes into the thick muscle.
"It's time to END THIS!" Shadow shouted, looking to Sonic. The two hedgehogs rushed the beast, the impact connecting dead center. The child of Cthulhu gave one final scream as every muscle in its body went lax. Slowly, like a old crumbling tower, the monster fell to the floor, the fall shaking the house. The light dissipated as Sonic and Shadow reverted.
"Is it...?" Eggman asked.
Knuckles approached the monster. "Dead. I hope."
Sonic punched the air. "That wasn't so tough!"
The group looked at him. They were all breathing heavily, covered in sweat and black blood. "Speak for yourself, Sonic!" Knuckles replied.
Charmy sat on the rubble. "I never want to do that again!"
"I know what you mean," Espio agreed. "I think I am OUT of knives! That's never happened before."
Rouge wiped the sweat from her face, Her fur was soaked. "I'm gonna need a long bath when I get home..."
"YOU need a bath?" Karen shouted, offended. "It's gonna take me a WEEK to scrub this goo off!" She was covered in the monster's blood. "Stuff's like tar!" she commented, pulling a thick chunk from her quills.
Eggman surveyed the room. "Where is Herb? I thought he'd have followed us!" Leaving his mech, he separated from the group to find his friend.
"HA! Ha ha heh HA!" Westwood laughed. "You fail at everything! Elections, ending the world, I wouldn't wanna taste your cooking! You lost!" He had watched the creature die.
Judas fumed. "I'll have one small victory," he said, grabbing Westwood by the collar. "Take to the skies!" Judas flung his arms, sending Westwood through the window. "Gloat now, INVESTIGATOR!"
Eggman stood in the doorway. "You killed him... you killed my only friend!"
"Yes, and what will you do about it?" Judas taunted, an evil smile on his face. "Eggman, a perpetual loser, you're worth NOTHING! I will destroy you in the public eye, I will take everything you have, I will RUIN YOU! Death isn't good enough for you!"
Spotting the gun by his feet, Eggman grabbed it. "I don't think so!" Pulling back the hammer, he fired without hesitation.
Robert Judas fell to the floor. Blood spurted from his shoulder. "Me and my big mouth..."
Knuckles approached Rouge, a Chaos Emerald in his hand. "I don't know why you're here... but thanks. If it wasn't for you..."
She held up a hand to silence him. "You're a bit late, echidna!" He jumped back in offense.
"That's not- I wasn't-"
"I know," she stated. "Like you or not, Knuckles, I don't regret what I have. Besides..." she motioned to Karen. "She might get jealous!"
Knuckles eyed the Emerald. "Here. You earned this. I know you've wanted them for a long time, and I owe you for the way I've treated you in the past. Actually... I don't think anyone would mind if you took them all!"
She considered the offer. "No..."
Knuckles was confused. "But I'm GIVING this to you! I don't get it, you keep trying to steal these, and now you don't want them?"
She shook her head. "There are other things that matter more, I know that now... anyway, they're too dangerous! I might get robbed. You wouldn't want someone to hurt me over these, would you? You keep them and guard them!"
Tails looked around. "Hey, where'd Eggman go?"
"Yeah, where DID he run off to?" Sonic asked, suspicious.
Shadow looked at the Chaos Emeralds on the floor. "He didn't take them... strange. Wait!" Shadow looked around. Ten of them were in the room. Eggman was gone. "Westwood. Where's Westwood?"
The group began searching for the two missing humans. "His mech's out front," Sonic pointed out, "but he's not in it!"
They heard the glass shatter as a body landed on the ground outside. The group watched as Herbert Westwood landed on the driveway. Running to his aid, they heard a gunshot. "What was that?" Knuckles asked.
"Nevermind!" Shadow wasn't concerned about the noise.
Herb twitched. The group surrounded him. "Sonic... Shadow... my boy... you did it. You did it... we saved the... world."
"Take it easy!" Sonic was worried for the old man. Lights approached the mansion.
"GUN is here! Hang on Westwood, help is coming!" Shadow took his hand.
"Shadow... I can't move... can't move my legs.."
The hedgehog noticed blood under the body. "Turn him over!" Sonic and Knuckles gently lifted Westwood. Shadow saw it. A chunk of glass embedded in the man's back. "He has something in his spine!"
"Well pull it out!" Sonic shouted.
Shadow examined the wound. Blood flowed heavily. "NO! He'll bleed even more!"
Herb took Sonic's hand. "You... did it. You saved us all... I guess I, I was right..."
Sonic shook his head. "No, you won't die! You CAN'T die!"
The GUN troops approached. "Get a medic, NOW!" Shadow ordered.
Eggman joined them. "HERB!"
Shadow looked at the doctor apologetically. "We'll save him, I promise!"
Herb's eyes rolled back. "Don't cry for me... Sonic... I have lived my... life... you have a long life... ahead of you... goodbye, Sonic..."
'God... where is she?' Tom Adriani sat in the casino restaurant, fidgeting in worry. The clock read 8:33 PM. Playing with the salt shaker, he paid no attention to anyone else.
"I take it the Boss went on an errand?" He looked up to see Victoria.
"Don't you have a kid to look after?" he asked. "Thought you'd have left by now."
"He's asleep. School tomorrow. I heard the Boss was out on some adventure or whatever. You're taking it..." she saw his game with the salt shaker. "...well."
He sat the shaker down. "We had our first fight. I don't see why she has to run off on some dangerous thing like this. She left that GUN group for me, I know that much. I just thought... she was giving that dangerous stuff up..."
Her eyes widened. "You knew?" she asked in surprise.
"I'm not a total idiot, you know!" he shouted. "I found the communicator in her glove the first night here. Then her commander called her after she quit, got me on the phone."
"Did you tell her you knew?" Vic asked, amazed.
He replied, "what for? She kept it a secret from me to try and protect me, so.."
"She was on Space Colony ARK, helped keep it from hitting the Earth. And other things I know about. She's strong, she knows what she's doing. She'll be back."
"I must look like I'm either weak or outright selfish for sitting here worrying instead of being... I don't know, out there with her or something..."
"No, you're not weak," she replied. "If you were, you'd have given up on her. You care about her. She has something to fight for now, something to come home to. I like you. I respect you, and I think you'll be good as our new Boss."
"Well... I never thought about running a casino. But I guess I never thought about dating someone who isn't human, either... don't take this the wrong way, but full body fur doesn't do much for me! But Rouge has... such smooth skin. Most of you... foxes, birds, whatever, you all have something covering you, and... probably makes me sound like a bigot or something..."
"No, it doesn't," she answered. "If you hated me for being a different species, yes, it would. But it doesn't mean you have to be physically attracted to everyone either! Besides... I think you like Boss because she's more human than you ever thought!"
He asked, "what do you mean?"
"Think about it!" She sat at the table, grabbing the pepper shaker for no reason. "You do know about female human anatomy, I'd guess?"
"That's a personal question... but yes, I admit, I looked at pictures and such when I was younger."
"And?" she tapped the salt shaker he held. "How does Boss compare?"
He thought the question over carefully. "She has those ears, and those big, beautiful eyes... furry head and the wings. Plus that tail which I seem obsessed with. But I guess... her body is quite a bit human when you think about it. I mean, I know she's shorter than me, but I'm... five foot two, short for a human."
"Yeah, I guessed," Vic said, "Boss did a pole dance one night here to boost business. No stripping, but even the human customers were driven wild!"
"I think a lot of the humans I knew disappointed me though," he explained. "My parents, the butt-kissing winery staff, my gold digger ex..."
"Adriani... I thought I knew that name. Your family's wine brought my husband and I together that first night."
He smiled slightly. "Who knew..."
A plate hit the table. The largest burger Tom had ever seen sat in front of him. "I thought you'd be hungry so I told the kitchen to get you something. Y'know, Boss has lightened her mood some the past few days. She didn't seem to much like kids before, but yesterday... she asked me how my son was doing."
He explained to her, "she said she had a dream about us having a kid."
"Then I would take that as a good sign for both of you!"
Picking up the burger, he halted to ask, "why doesn't the sun ever shine in this city?"
Her answer, "I honestly don't know," trailed off in thought. No one knew why Night Babylon was always dark. Tom looked at his arms and hands. "I think I'm already starting to get a bit pale."
The group waited in the Westopolis Hospital. Eggman picked at the bandage from where he'd given a blood donation to help Westwood. "This couldn't have gone any worse!" he shouted.
Shadow pointed out, "actually, yes, it could have!" "SHUT UP!" Eggman paced the room.
Karen walked out to the group, clean. "They let me shower off that blood, and checked my face, but I think I'll have to wash in perfume for a month to get the smell out!" Sonic took a whiff, reeling. Karen stank of the star-spawn's blood still.
Vector shuddered. "That had to be the WORST tasting thing I've ever had in my mouth!"
"Oh, god..." Espio gave a disgusting smirk. "You're gonna make me throw up!"
Knuckles entered the waiting room. "He's... stable. But..."
The doctor followed Knuckles out. "I'm afraid mister Westwood is bad off. He suffered a broken rib in the fall along with the glass shard severing his spine, not counting numerous bruises. If he lives, he'll be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. But I also got the report from the echidna doctor... his injuries last night... and with his heart attack... his chances are low."
Tom sat in the apartment, waiting. It was past 9:30 now. A pair of arms wrapped around him causing him to jump slightly. "I'm back." Rouge's wings wrapped around both of them.
"I don't think you ever did that before," he commented, "I like it."
"I'm sorry it took so long, I had to stop somewhere first. I have something for you," she explained, kissing him.
"Is that... cherry?"
She smiled. "Yes. I bought some nice lipstick. I thought you'd like it. I stopped to do some shopping, I didn't think you'd mind waiting more." She pulled something else from the bag. "New sheets. Silk."
"Oh... just as well, I put the bed sheets in the wash. I thought they could use it after all the... well, you know."
"I'm sorry I went off like that, but they needed me after all," she apologized, taking his hand.
He pulled her close. "I shouldn't have- I should've known you'd be safe. You were in GUN."
"You knew?"
"Yes, since you brought me home, I found the communicator in your glove. I know you quit for me, but I wish you'd told me."
"I didn't know what you would think if you knew," she said.
"You don't have to keep secrets from me-" sniffing her, he pulled back.
"I need a bath, don't I?"
Shaking his head in agreement, he pulled her close. "But I'm gonna hold you anyway!"
Leaning in, she nibbled his ear lobe. "You've been playing with my ears, so... I thought it was time."
"That felt... good," he said, caressing her ear in return.
She rubbed her hands down his back. "I know you can't fly, but I like your back. It's flat and smooth and I can hold you without hassle! Now... tomorrow, we get you better acquainted with running the casino! You know any card games?"
He replied, "I know the rules of solitaire."
"That won't do at all," Rouge scolded. "Then we teach you poker!"
"Poker?" he asked. "What for?"
She nibbled his ear again, teasing, "So we can play STRIP poker! I think it might be more fun if we have to earn it... I also bought some new nail polish. Blue or purple?" He gave her a puzzled look. "BLUE, or purple? The color!"
"OH! Well, the purple would go with your clothes, but the blue would go with your eye shadow better."
"But what if I wear the purple eye shadow?" she asked.
"Umm... have you worn purple?"
"Not lately. I guess I'll give up the gloves for a while... and I do have sandals I can wear, I think... I'll need your help, especially with the toes, think you can do that?"
He picked her up and cradled her in his arms. "Earlier, I said I would feed you and any other thing if you were helpless! Baby, I'll paint your toenails and I'll kiss your feet while I do it!"
"Bath first!" she commanded. "Although... I like being held like this..." They looked into each others eyes, lost in the emotion.
"We could sit here and do this all night, just looking into each other," he offered.
She blinked in ecstasy. "I do need a bath though... as nice as this would be."
"You wanna?" he asked, his eyes finishing the sentence.
"I don't know... I'm not really in the mood right now. But I think we'll get around that, we always do. And you know how I hate to waste bath water..."
He undid the clasps that kept her chest plate attached. "I can see why you wear this thing... who knows how much those babies would jiggle if you didn't!"
"Ooh, already started, aren't we?" She licked her lips to edge him on.
He slowly lifted the plate with his finger. "You've been telling me about your naughty fantasies lately, and I haven't... I said I'd give as I got, so..."
She gave him her devil grin. "I did run off on you tonight. About fantasies... maybe you should tie me up so I can't run off again!"
His expression turned sour. "Bondage? I don't know... sounds a bit mean and dangerous!"
Rubbing her hand under his chin, she explained, "no, nothing like that! No heavy ropes or leather costumes. Just... gently tie my wrists to the bed. I have some soft ribbons you can use..." She removed a glove and rested it on his shoulder. "What do you say?"
"Okay. Might be fun... you think things will ever get boring between us?"
"I have lots of ideas," she replied, "so no, not for a long time. Besides, love making isn't everything. We have other things we can do. Next month we'll have to start work replanting the grapes on your property."
Pulling her slightly closer, he said, "about that... I don't know if I want to make wine."
"You wanna sell the land instead?" she asked, puzzled.
"No... actually, I might have other plans for that property... I could never sell that place. It's where I grew up, and where we first met. And it would make a nice private second home for us, with some sunlight too."
She muttered gently, "you should probably check me for scratches." Looking her over, he found a small scratch on her right bicep. It had already begun to scab over.
"Just a small one, nothing important."
"You should probably put some alcohol on it!"
"Alcohol?" He remembered the rubbing alcohol incident. "You hate that stuff!"
A small kiss eased his mind. "It's okay, I know it'll burn, but I trust you to do it right."
The group remained in the hospital. Karen held Knuckles' hand. Amy seemed to be crying. Eggman, his arms crossed, looked around as if he was waiting to be hit by a truck. "Where is that worthless doctor? Oh, and while I'm thinking about it..." he handed a wad of money to Vector. "There's your stupid money, why are you hanging around here?"
The Chaotix stared at one another. Vector pushed the money back, stating, "you keep it!"
"What?" Ivo asked.
"Your friend needs medical care! You should pay for THAT, it's more important right now!" Espio explained, wondering why he was refusing money to help out a business rival.
"You should go back to your island," Knuckles suggested. Karen closed her eyes.
"No. Daddy's concerned and wants me to stay here. That man was the first outsider our island ever had. And he did keep that guy from shooting me."
"Sonic, will Herb be okay?" Amy asked, her eyes still watering.
"I don't know... how about tomorrow, we go see a movie so I can take your mind off this?"
She shook her head. "I don't feel like it."
Shadow entered the room, stating, "GUN finished their cleanup. The creature is being taken to be studied. Judas is alive and in custody. All the guards at the mansion were human, the only one not was the dead hedgehog they found. The cultists in the basement were also human. They have the Chaos Emeralds locked away."
The group saw a female cat approaching, an older woman in glasses. "I heard what happened, I thought he could use my support."
"You must be Clara," Eggman greeted, "the one he seemed regretful over. Though you did threaten to blind him once..."
She failed to return his accusing glance. "My stupid husband was picked up drunk driving. Again... so I'm here instead of going to bail him out."
The doctor entered the waiting room, holding a sheet of paper. "Excuse me, are you Ivo Robotnik?"
"Yes, what do you want?" Eggman asked, disinterested.
The doctor explained, "I wish I'd known it was you here, we've been trying to get ahold of you."
"So, GET ON WITH IT!"
Clearing his throat, the doctor continued, "The patient, Mister Westwood, has an order on file giving you sole decision over his medical care in the event he is incapacitated or otherwise unable to decide for himself. I'm afraid... as it is, he will die. His heart can't take anymore. However, we have a donor heart available, a close to perfect match. But in his condition, I can't guarantee much."
"So, you want me to decide his fate. If I agree to this and he dies, then I have his death on my conscience!"
The doctor nodded and said, "but if you do nothing, he's guaranteed to die. I need your decision now."
Rouge held Tom's hands, gently pulling him towards the bed. Both were still damp from the bath. Reaching into a drawer, she pulled out a long pink ribbon. "Here we go..." Tying one end around her right wrist, she sat on the bed, leaning back. "Come on, Tom... tie me down..." she ordered, raising her arms. Slowly kissing her naked skin, he moved his way up, enjoying her nipples on his tongue, finally feeding the ribbon through the headboard slots. Gently securing a bow, Rouge was held down.
Feeling her, he brushed his hand over the bare patch above her pussy. "I wish you hadn't shaved this... I kinda liked it," he said disappointed.
"But it was starting to itch from all the sweat," she complained, "besides... you like it..." She cooed as he kissed the spot. "So smooth..." She said, moaning from the gentle touches, "I'm sorry I ran off... I'm not leaving the apartment for a week! I'm not leaving you for the rest of my life..."
"You don't need to apologize." Moving downward, he slowly parted both legs, running a finger over her slit, slowly and with purpose. "Just tell me you love me..."
"Tom... I love yoOOOOOO-OO-OO-OO!" The words stuttered as he kissed her vaginal lips, driving his tongue inside. "Da-damn..." she muttered.
He said, "it's nice being able to give you a deep kiss while you talk. Now... just lie back and I'll take care of you..."
Her legs arched up, giving Tom a good look at her tail. Gently ticking it, she laughed slightly, the laugh turning to pleasure as he flicked her clit with his tongue. He enjoyed the feel of her soft skin, the way she moaned, how wet she got when she was turned on. He also enjoyed her dual nature- strong yet gentle half the time, but very naughty the other half. "Tell me, baby... how often did you masturbate before you met me?"
She looked down at him. "You dirty boy... getting personal now, are we?"
"Just a simple question," he answered, pausing to tease her clit. "I don't need to know what- or who- you thought about, just... how often."
She closed her eyes, enjoying his fingers inside her, brushing against her sensitive g-spot. "Once or twice a week..."
"Really?" he asked. "I don't believe you..." he responded, suddenly ramming her with full force, fingers pushing in and out like a jackhammer, twisting around, sending off every nerve in her cunt at once.
"O-O-OKAY! TOM! I-I-I-" he slowed down. "Wow... once or twice a week when I was busy. Alone, nothing to do... maybe three or four times a day, in the bathtub, in bed... you wanna do that again?"
He sucked her opening, tongue punishing her clitoris, licking up and down, fingers curving to reach the g-spot better. "You're so wet and warm and tight," he complimented, "I love you..." The words hit her as strongly as the physical sensations did, Tom speeding up his assault of pleasure, the three words still in her mind. He could feel the internal muscles clamping down, he knew she was ready. Dodging in time, he managed to avoid the squirt, a blast of pussy juice that cleared ten feet.
Shaking and moaning loudly, Rouge shuddered like an earthquake, every muscle in her body tense, pulling hard enough to break the ribbon binding her arms. As her orgasm came to an end, she lay there, gasping for air, worn out. "Oh... wow..." Noticing the ribbon snapped, her hands reached for her cunt out of instinct, rubbing away. "Oh, damn, I'm wet..." she said as Tom untied the bows. "And you're so hard, look at you!" Springing upright, Rouge jumped him, grabbing his cock, stroking it hard. "You wanna cum now? Ah, I like your dick, so hard and big..."
While he wasn't anything but average for a human, Tom Adriani was more than enough for Rouge's smaller statue. Mounting, she guided the head of his penis, the tip coated in pre-cum, sliding in easily. She began to grind and bounce, slamming up and down with full force. His breathing heavy, moans letting her know she was doing her job, Tom grabbed her hips and began thrusting. "NO! Tom, you let me do this... grab my tits and squeeze them! You know you want to! You wanna- OOH- fondle my boobs, my big, wonderful tits!" she screamed, Tom, more than eager to grab her chest, fondling the nipples, making her moan louder as she arched her back, grazing the g-spot.
She could feel him explode inside of her, ejaculating hard, coating her vaginal walls. The feeling pushed her over the edge, a powerful orgasm, a powerful squirt all over Tom's crotch, two lovers screaming in pleasure. Once he gained control, Tom kissed the love of his life passionately. "I love you, baby..."
"I love you, too, Tom," she managed, still panting. "I'm worn out... too much tonight... bed time!"
He pulled down the covers, helping her crawl into bed, sliding in beside her. She latched onto him, nuzzling close, kissing his chest. "So... about that question you asked me..."
"Oh, right," he replied, "you want me to answer too... sorry, guess I got carried away."
She smiled up at him. "Wouldn't have it any other way, lover boy..."
He answered, "five times in one day is my jerk record."
"FIVE!?" her eyes widened. "Well... wanna break that record tomorrow? My pussy's got to be better than your hand... though it, ah, does have it's uses," she commented, recalling the finger banging.
"Break the record?"
"Yes... I'm too tired for an all-night love making session, or we'd try right now," she said, grabbing his penis. "My new toy... I know how to wake you up in the morning. Early start?"
Kissing her deeply, he responded, "early start. But... we could slow it down a bit... enjoy the feeling."
"Deal," she agreed.
Thomas Adriani awoke, sounds of complaining coming from the bathroom. Opening his eyes to find Rouge in the doorway, her bathrobe bundled up and a pitiful expression greeting him. "Something wrong?"
"Oh... just my- Tom, you DO know what my 'time of the month' means, don't you?" she asked.
"Yes, why wouldn't I, baby?" he replied.
She shook her head. "I'm sorry... just I get so crabby... I took something for it, but it'll be a bit before they work. Just ignore me if I say anything nasty, okay?"
Waving her over, he hugged Rouge, pulling her close, the bat wrapping her wings tightly around them. "Breakfast?" he asked.
She answered, "just some juice for me. I'm not too hungry right now." Pulling on his clothes, Tom headed for the kitchen, reaching into the fridge and producing two small bottles of orange juice. Twisting the lids free, he made his way to the couch, handing one to his lover. Grabbing the remote, Rouge took a sip, flipping through channels. "Sorry," she apologized.
"For what?" he asked, confused.
Looking up at him, she explained, "for not making good on my offer from last night!"
"It's not important," he responded, kissing her on the forehead. "Doing it with you is nice, but it's not everything."
Curling up beside him, she commented, "you wanna go out and do somehting on your own? I'm not gonna be up to much anything right now. All the blood loss this time leaves me a bit sluggish..."
"No, I'll stay here with you in case you need anything."
"Tom, I got by just fine on my own every month, you go out and have fun while I-"
"No," he said, cutting her off. "You're my girlfriend now. You took care of me, now it's my turn to repay that!"
Her eyes widened. "Girlfriend..." Rouge latched onto him hard, a vise grip on his torso. "You don't know how long I've waited for someone to call me that..." Tilting her back, Tom kissed her passionately, the two lovers intertwined for what seemed like forever.
"I'm just happy you came back to me after last night..." he comforted.
"You're my boyfriend," she said, "I'm not gonna let some otherworldly horror take me away from you!" Smiling up at him, she considered the day's activities. "We should go to your mansion, pack up what you'll need for your stay here. Besides... I've wanted to get a nicer look at the place. We might be living there someday."
"Yeah," Tom agreed. "Probably not a bad idea."
Opening his freezer, Tom sorted through the contents. "Well, everything in the fridge is beyond consumable... but the frozen goods, some of that is salvageable." Steaks, ground meat, frozen vegetables all sat, unused. He handed her a frozen popsicle. "Try this, made it myself out of frozen juice. Healthier than that store-bought sugar crap". Rouge tasted it, fruit punch. Seducing him, she slid it in her mouth and out, scrunching her eyes, looking at him. "Thought we agreed you couldn't do that to me?"
"We did," she replied, "doesn't mean I can't tease you with the idea, though! Anyway... come on, show me your room!"
"Hold on," he said, "You have some freezer space, right?"
"A little," she answered. "Good... we'll pack some of this and take it with us, give me something to cook. Speaking of cooking..." Opening the cabinets, he finally found it.
"What's that?"
Holding it up, he explained, "it's a small electric home grill. Cooks both sides. Makes some smoke though... I'll cook meat when you're out, anyway, since you can't eat it. Come on, you wanted to see my bedroom!"
Leading Rouge through the house, Tom stopped at his door. Inside was a large bedroom, well-decorated with a few posters that seemed out-of-place amidst the high-class furnishings. Rouge took particular interest in one, a well-muscled bikini girl. "So... that's the type of girl you like?" she teased, ripping the poster down before he could grab at it. "Come on, tell me!"
Sighing, he said, "okay... yes. Happy? It's just a poster. Anyway, muscles... look good on a woman. Not too many, but some..."
She looked back and forth from the poster and Tom's stare. "Really?"
"Yes, really!" he defended. "Beats fat or ribs... you already have some good muscle tone. But you could work on it. Maybe those arms too, they are kinda of... thin..."
She mulled over the idea. "Okay... you're gonna work out and become my muscle hunk, so... maybe I'll work out with you."
"You can throw that poster in the garbage," he said, sifting through his drawers, taking out clothes.
"Nah, I think I'll keep it... for motivation. To see what a woman can do if she puts the effort into it!" Rolling it up, she tapped his rear with it. "Just don't wanna ever catch you looking at it, you got me?" The smile and look betrayed her, indicating her playful teasing despite a strict tone.
Perching on the bed, she stretched. "You okay?" he asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, fine... a bit tired, you know how it is- well, maybe you wouldn't, actually..."
Looking out the window, Tom said, "yeah...a woman's life is pain, pain a man can't know..."
"But you make it better... more bearable! And without pain, there couldn't exist pleasure! So, what was your big idea for this place?" she asked, curious as to his goals.
"Get a cleaning crew through the house, for one thing. Then... planting next month. Dig up all the old grape vines and start over."
"How long will new grapes take to grow?" she asked.
"Grapes?" He turned towards her. "Grapes are trivial... no, I have bigger plans for this place."
She cocked an eye. "Really?" With a yawn, she stretched, grabbing a pillow. His scent was all over the bed, it perked her senses. "I can tell this is your bed, smells like you..."
"Huh? How'd you-"
She cut him off, "bats have better senses than humans do. Come over here." Tom left the window, joining Rouge on the bed. "Humans have such odd faces... that nose just sticks out," she commented, drawing in for a kiss, nibbling on his lower lip. "I am a bit tired... I think I'll take a quick nap. You finish packing."
Wrapping an arm around her, Tom slid onto the bed. "No... think I'll stay here with you. I can pack later."
Four Days Later
The shriek of the alarm clock woke Tom. "Huh? Why'd you set that?" he asked. No answer. Looking over at Rouge's spot in bed, he found a note taped to the pillow. 'Meet me at the mansion. A ride is waiting for you outside,' it read. 'Wonder what she's up to now?' he thought, grabbing his clothes.
Arriving at his mansion, the car left, leaving Tom alone. On his front door, another taped note. 'Your bedroom. Now!', a scribbled heart and lipstick imprint below the words. Opening the door, he walked through the empty house, echoes of his footsteps the only sounds. Approaching his bedroom door, he found it cracked. Pushing open, he saw Rouge sitting on his bed, wearing a button-up blouse, a short skirt and high heels, the open toes showing off her painted blue toenails. "Right on time..." she greeted.
"Oh.... wow..." he gawked.
"What's wrong? Pretty girl waiting on your bed?" she teased, kicking off the heels. A finger waggled, calling him over. She explained, "I couldn't help myself... this bed, this room... it smells like you. And this room... you could fit most of my apartment in here!"
Bending down, Tom embraced her, kissing passionately, leaning her backwards. "Doesn't take much to excite you, does it?" she complimented, gently chewing on his lower lip.
He said, "you saved my life... gave me a reason to live. All the money I have, this house... you're really all I have, Rouge."
"Tom, you're a real sweet-talker, you know that?"
Gently kissing her neck, he replied, "you got treated like crap too much by too many guys... no more. I'm not letting that happen anymore, not to you. You don't deserve that!"
A tingle ran up her spine, wings stretching out. "I love you so much, Thomas Adriani..." "
I love you too," he said, reaching for the buttons on her shirt. "I'd ask you out somewhere, but that's not why you dragged me here, is it?"
"No," she answered, "it's not. This is our day. My period's over... I'm going to show you how much I love you!"
"Over?" he asked, smiling as he unbuttoned her shirt, kissing her breasts, sucking the nipples. Rouge moaned softly. "I wanna see!" Moving downwards, Tom gently tugged on her skirt, pulling it to her ankles. Hooking a finger into her panties, he pulled them aside, taking a long look at her slit. "Clean..." Playing with the lips, his tongue glided up and down. "Tasty, too!" he complimented, sliding in a finger.
"OOH, yeah... that feel SO good," she moaned, "let me taste..." Pulling his finger out, he held it up to allow her to suck her own juices off. She said, "you're right, I do taste good. But don't lick me... please, take me now! On your bed! Take me NOW!"
Without argument, Tom tugged down her panties, removing them, sniffing the crotch. "Been horny all morning, haven't you?" he noted, tossing the undergarment aside.
Pulling the blouse off her shoulders, she responded, "of course... thinking about you... inside me..." Tom pulled his shirt off as Rouge drew down his pants, grabbing his penis with anticipation, jerking back and forth slowly. "I love foreskin..."
"Keep that up," he said, "and you might get a faceful you didn't expect!"
With her devil grin, she replied, "and what makes you think I wouldn't want you blowing it on me? Might do that later... but first," she commented, perching on the edge of the bed, "do me. Please..." Her legs parted, inviting him. "Make love to me, this way... make me scream your name!"
Kneeling down, Tom grabbed the love of his life, sliding his hands downward for a better grip on her hips. Looking into his eyes seductively as he slid into her, a hot moan squeezing from her lungs. "I'm in charge so much... Tom, it's your turn..." she explained, breathing heavily as he began thrusting, slowly but gaining speed as he went.
In a steady rhythm, Tom panted, "I... I can't last... much longer... I'm too damn horny!"
"YES! YES! Oh... fill me up!" she screamed in pleasure. Rouge didn't honestly care if she got off at this point, she was enjoying this too much. Quickly, Tom slid a hand around, thumb on her clit, rubbing violently. "Not- uh... without you!" Her clit burned, her g-spot grazed by the thrusting, she was finally sent to the brink as she felt his load firing into her, wad by wad. Screaming, her orgasm drowned out his own moans of pleasure. Slowing down, Tom stopped, nearly out of breath. Sliding out and crouching, he pulled her close, the couple making out, tongues changing mouths in a fury.
"That was great!" she complimented.
"You were great!" Tom replied.
She felt him brush against her leg, staring down at his erection. "Still ready, I see!" she slyly commented, smiling feverishly.
Grabbing her breasts, he said, "yeah... only this time, you're on top!"
Picking her up, he slid into the bed, lying back, perching Rouge on top of him. Taking his dick in hand, she carefully eased down onto him. "Oh, yeah... Tom, you know how much I love you?"
"I can only imagine," he responded, his hands sliding over her skin.
"I'm going to give you the ride of your life!"
June 27th
"Fun birthday?" Rouge asked, smiling.
"I guess," Tom replied, "but I don't see why we didn't have a huge party..."
"We already have that grand opening party next week!" she reminded him. "Why drag everyone around for both?"
"Yeah, good point," he replied. The two had been out all day celebrating. Rouge had spared no expense. He'd lost count, lost track of all they'd done. Movies, dinner, anything she could drag him to.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she eyed him with a smile on her muzzle. "I forgot! You have one more present... it's on the couch. Go get it, and be quick!"
"ANOTHER present? You got me more crap today than I'll ever know what to do with- not that I don't appreciate everything you got me-"
"Go get it!" she shouted. He obeyed, leaving the bedroom.
Nothing was on the couch except the cushions. "Present on the couch... I don't see anything. Maybe it's under the cushions! She IS tricky..." Lifting the cushions, all he found was a few coins. "NO! Now what is she up- UNDER!" Stooping, he checked underneath. Still nothing. Giving up, he wandered into the bedroom, defeated. "I didn't see anything in there, you sure-"
He was silenced as the bedroom door slammed. Turning, he found Rouge against the wall, wearing a legless, sleeveless body suit that showed off a good amount of flesh. High heel boots to her thighs and gloves to her biceps, the entire outfit made of black shiny vinyl with zippers. "Um... Rouge? Is that... is that a WHIP?"
"I'm sorry... your last present was already in here." Gripping the whip in her right hand, she dangled handcuffs from her left middle finger. "See this? This rude gesture is what I intend to do to you ALL NIGHT! You scared, boy?"
"Yes," he replied. "Possibly terrified!"
Striding forward heel to toe, the whip flew, grabbing his ankle. A quick jerk sent him to the bed, a sensual yet forceful "You should be!" her only response. Straddling his chest, she placed the handcuffs around his wrist, latching the other end to her own arm. "Now you can't run!"
"This might be forceful, even RAPE... if I wasn't willing to see where this leads!" he shouted as she leaned closer, placing his free hand on the zipper down her chest.
"So... you do have a devious side. You wanna dig and see how much you like it?"
"Like it, and fear it!" he said.
"Perfect... then be a good, obedient boy and unwrap your present!"
July 4th
The cemetery beckoned as Shadow waited for his partner to arrive. "Shadow. Been a long time..." Ivo Robotnik didn't look at the black hedgehog. This place depressed them both. Eggman said, "the reaper comes for all of us eventually..."
"But if we keep them in our memories," shadow replied, "they are never really gone."
"yes, I suppose so... we should go pay our respects."
"Why do we do this?" Shadow asked. "Do the dead care if we go to their graves?"
Eggman answered, "this isn't for them, really... but for the living." The two entered the cemetery.
Night had come. For an unknown reason, he attended the fireworks festival in Central City. Perhaps he was hoping to have fun and forget about his troubles. The explosions filled the air with bright colors in cheerful patterns. Out here in the grass, away from the city, the lights of the buildings added to the festivities.
"Shadow! Long time!" Rouge the Bat greeted him, sitting in the grass watching the fireworks.
"Not since the mansion, no. Where's your boyf- where's Tom?"
She looked at him with a faint smile. "Thank you for calling him by his name. He went to get us something to drink. I didn't think I'd see you at a place like this..."
He replied, "no... but I thought I would try and have fun for a change." She returned to the fireworks. "Tom and I are holding a party tomorrow night at the winery. Will you be there?"
He pondered the offer. "I'll think about it," was the reply as he walked off.
Tom brought their drinks, saying, "I hope you like slushies, best I could get."
"I've never had one before... but I'm sure it's delicious!" He handed her the cup.
"Careful, its cold. Come on, let's go see the city, place looks good after the repairs and they have some carnival games going!"
They walked through the city holding hands, pausing to play the games along the streets. Lost in the excitement, Rouge bumped into something. "I'm sorry!" she said, looking forward. The wheelchair turned.
"Rouge the Bat! Long time!"
She smiled at the sight. "Herbert Westwood. Another person I haven't seen since that night at the mansion!"
"Oh?" he asked, stumped.
"I saw Shadow earlier," she explained.
"Shadow... yeah, he and Ivo went to see Maria's grave this morning. I'm surprised he came here, I thought he'd be moping about it all day!"
"Herbert Westwood, huh? I guess I owe you my life," Tom said, shaking his hand.
"Oh, that... no big deal. Just my work." Herb let out a hearty laugh. "Not anymore though, I gave all that up."
Tom rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Yeah... uh, Rouge eventually told me all about that. I guess I came close on that one."
Taking the mallet, he swung, the weight flying up and hitting the bell. "She has helped me improve my life though and get back on track!"
Rouge stroked Tom's bicep. "He's got some muscle on him now. So... how have you been doing?"
Herb placed his ice cream on a napkin in his lap. "I get around. The wheelchair isn't so bad, really. My new heart is working good. No more pain pills or heart meds. Just the pills to keep my body from rejecting my heart, but I'm almost off those now."
A cat appeared from the crowd. "Friends of yours?"
"Clara, yes... Rouge the Bat and her lover. Err, boyfriend. Err, significant other... whatever." Clara pushed her glassed further up her nose. "Clara and I..." Herb explained, "...we're not really dating. More like old friends. We're too old for that, really."
"I left my idiot husband," Clara muttered.
Herb took her hand, claiming, "every day after that mansion has been a gift to me. A new life. One I never got to live before. I'm thankful."
Rouge put an arm around Tom. "We're holding a party at the Winery tomorrow, you should come. Both of you!"
"Why not?" Herb replied. "Birthday, is it?"
"No, just an announcement party," Tom explained. "My birthday was last week, actually."
"Who else is gonna be there?"
Rouge thought briefly. "Sonic and Amy, Tails, probably Knuckles and Karen... the Chaotix said they might show up, I found Omega, Cream and her mother might be there... a few friends from work and such... and maybe Shadow. I mentioned it to Eggman, but he didn't seem interested."
"Yes, I know," Herb said. "He's been working with Tails at the GUN labs, but he's been avoiding the old group a lot. Bad blood and all."
July 5th
Knuckles entered the mansion. Despite being invited, he'd not been looking forward to this at all. "Knuckles..." Tom greeted him.
"Uhh... hi."
Tom asked, "you okay? You look nervous..." Knuckles grinned like an idiot, trying to hide his fear. "Well, the last time we talked, things weren't so good between us, as I recall you and I-"
"I'm willing to put the past behind us."
Karen nudged Knuckles. "Give him the present..."
"Oh, right! I heard your birthday was last week, so Karen and I got you this." The echidna handed him the box. "It's a home movie player!"
Karen smacked him on the back, shouting, "you don't tell him what it is!"
Rouge noticed Amy pacing the room, likely looking for Sonic. "Did you check the snack table?"
"Oh, Rouge! No, where is it?" She pointed Amy towards it.
"Amy... I know you and I never really got along before. But I know that someday, you will grow up to be a fine, strong woman. Now, go find Sonic!"
"Thanks... Rouge. I'll follow in your lead and get Sonic to be my boyfriend, just watch!"
E-123 Omega stood motionless. It didn't really understand why it was invited. "Do you expect trouble tonight?"
"Of course not," Rouge answered it. "I invited you because you're a friend!"
"Understood," the robot replied, even though it didn't fully understand the meaning of the party. It watched Cream play with her pet Chao, Cheese, though it chose to remain standing in its predetermined spot.
Herbert Westwood gathered with Shadow and the Chaotix. "So what's the deal with Judas, anyway?" Espio asked.
"The news said that crackpot was going off to a mental institution!" Vector chuckled.
Shadow replied, "hardly."
"Yeah, you don't try and feed the souls of the people to a dark god and get sent to the funny farm," Herb explained. "He's going to prison for the rest of his life."
Charmy looked stumped. "Prison? But the news said-"
"GUN is covering up the event," Shadow pointed out.
Herb rolled his eyes. "They'd about have to! The guy was screaming his head off into the news cameras about Cthulhu! But... the public will buy it. Robert Judas LOOKS crazy."
"Hey, Sonic!" Tails found the hedgehog filling his plate with food. "Tails! Did, uhh... Eggman show up?"
"No, he said he wasn't feeling well. Which means he didn't want to see you."
"Guess we still have the past between us," Sonic muttered, grabbing more food.
Tom pulled Shadow aside. "Shadow... hello. Listen, I need to ask you something about Rouge... in private."
He shook his head, hand to his forehead. "For the millionth time, I am not jealous of you and Rouge being together... why does everyone ask me that? I never had romantic feelings for her, she was always like a distant sister to me, nothing more!"
"That- that's not what I wanted to talk about," Tom explained, slightly confused. "I know this is the first time we've talked, and well, you have been avoiding us, but still, if you wanted me out of the way, you wouldn't have risked yourself for me. That much I know, and I know you'll do whatever you can to keep us together and safe. Rouge told me I can trust you. And you've known her longer than me... I just need to ask your opinion on something."
Shadow turned away from the crowd. "Very well."
The crowd gathered around their hosts. "So what's this big announcement you two dragged us out here for, Boss?" Victoria asked.
"Yeah, I've been waiting all night to hear this!" Sonic agreed, still stuffing his face.
Tom addressed the room. "Tomorrow, we officially resume business here! However... the Central City Winery no longer exists!" A wave of confusion poured from the crowd. "My parents ran that business... it's not my legacy. I don't like alcoholic drinks."
"I've never been big on them, either," Rouge shouted, "they don't mix with flying."
"Anyway," Tom continued, "tomorrow the Adriani Rouge Fruit Company opens! I know you can't see outside for the dark, but we have grapes, strawberries, cherries, and apple trees growing! We will produce a wide range of jellies, jams, juices, and packaged fruits for sale! I know this may not be as profitable as the wine business... but this is my decision. And it is my decision to sell our produce at affordable prices. My parents prided themselves on charging high prices for their goods... I'm not them. I make the decisions in my life now!"
The crowd cheered and applauded him. He continued, "and also... Rouge not only saved my life... but she restored my will to live. That is why... that is why..." Shadow gave him a thumbs up to encourage him. Pulling a ring from his pocket, he kneeled. "Rouge the Bat... you're the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Will you... will you... willyoumarryme?"
Slipping the ring on her finger, Rouge admired the jewel in the center. A pure diamond. "YES!" Her arms wrapped around him tightly. "YES! I will..."
Loud cheers and applause filled the room. "Wow, Rouge is getting married! I'm so happy for her!" Amy cheered, grabbing Sonic's hand. Speaking of which..."
"Oh no... can we talk about this later?"
Knuckles extended his hand. "Congratulations, you two..." Tom shook it.
"Knuckles, thanks. I'm inviting you, of course-" Rouge shouted out, "everyone in this room is invited! I want this to happen soon... but I want to plan first, I want this to be perfect."
"Yes, and it might take some time to find a wedding dress that'll accommodate a set of bat wings, I think..." Rouge nudged Tom gently for the comment.
Shadow stepped forward. In his best effort, he forced a smile. "Uh... close enough, you'll get better at it," Tom encouraged.
"I almost forgot... your ex-girlfriend," Shadow said.
"Yeah, the gold digger... what about her?"
"I arrested her and her current lover. They were selling drugs. I thought it would be a fitting birthday gift, and with this... it's my gift to you. Congratulations, I wish both of you the best."
"I know this will work," Tom said.
Rouge replied, "we have a long life of happiness ahead of us."
"That, I don't doubt... and Shadow..." The hedgehog turned to face them. "I know you'll be on watch to protect us. Besides, if I ever do anything bad to Rouge, you'll be there to kick my butt the hard way. But don't worry, if I ever do anything like that, I'd be disappointed if you didn't do something."