SSH - Chap. 28

"I…understand your commands sir. But-…."

"Mais quoi!? But what!?"

The man quaked beneath the hard, relentless glare of the being in the shadows, who continually watched him with piercing red eyes as he paced the floor, a long black cloak billowing about his ankles.

The figure swallowed hard and then attempted to speak again, intimidated by the man who sneered at him in the darkness, "….Do you not….s…t…think that….this plan….it…." The dragon stopped speaking for a split second, and before he could talk again the creature roared out, his frustration towards his underling coming out in a shrill cry, "Do I not think what? Do you doubt my cunning? Are you second guessing the flawlessness of my plan? Well, are you!?"

The dragon shook his head quickly, resisting the urge to lift his claws to cover his head as he hissed, "No sir, no sir, honest! I just.." "What is it, spit it out!!" He shook his head weakly, staring at his feet now, unable to meet the man's gaze directly. It took him a few moments to gather the nerve it required to speak again, "I believe that…..you're under estimating their strength is all. I've…I've always been around him, I know what he can do…"

Then Jeremy felt his nerve flee from him once more as, for the first time, the creature reached from the darkness and suddenly grabbed him by his front, pulling him close, but not close enough to view his face. Jeremy's body went rigid as the creature snarled at him, inches from his muzzle, elongated teeth bared in his face, "Oh? So you know him do you…? You know more than I? You…You're smarter yes?"

Jeremy shook his head hard, trying to pull from his grip, "N-no! No you misunderstand, I-" "I DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND WELP!!" Jeremy cried out in terror as the French speaking creature threw him to the ground, showing no pity as the red dragon curled slightly on the floor, hissing with pain. The creature seemed to regain his composure however and resumed speaking, in a low, raspy voice, "If you were smarter than me, you'd have them here by now. I'd be obeying your orders. They'd be dead. But no…."

Jeremy grunted as he felt long claws press against his side for a moment before the creature resumed pacing, Jeremy catching a strange odor from him with each pass, "You live only because you, as much as I'm surprised to admit, have been a value to my cause Jeremy." A low chuckle came from the darkness before he continued, "You provided me with plentiful information…..you've done everything I've asked of you thus far."

Jeremy nodded, "Yes sir…." "You led the young ones to my trap door….but then…." He snarled, kicking something from the junk pile in frustration, "They slipped from my clutches because some…'hero' decided to get in my way. No matter I told myself…." Jeremy listened hard, happy to keep him talking, for he had escaped death at least so far, "I'll just find myself other hostages. Easy to find, most easy….easy to capture as well I might add."

The creature went silent for a second, and then suddenly he snarled, "Get up."

Jeremy wasted no time scrambling to his feet, his whole body trembling with fear and exhaustion. He was slowly being worn thin by all these tasks that were being asked of him. Still, he had no choice to obey as the creature spoke again, the silhouette of his dagger-like teeth protruding from his jaws showing in the darkness, "Now, I need for you to stay here with me and make sure our guests behave themselves." Jeremy nodded weakly, and before the creature's mind could change he took off down a side hallway where the unfortunate hostages were being kept.

The creature bared his teeth in a sinister sneer that was something like a smile. Then with a loud crack he snapped his fingers, and almost instantly many small creatures scampered into the room, their long, wisp like tails wagging as they scampered up to their master.

They quite resembled dogs in the way they were acting, but they were like nothing of the sort. When set upon someone, they were much more akin to a shark let loose on a pool of helpless seals. They were jet black and looked almost as if they were made of shadow, with dripping black fangs and beady yellow eyes. The creature in the darkness commanding them pointed to the exit of the warehouse, where a thin trail of Tom's blood could still be seen on the concrete, "Go. Patrol the surrounding woods, alert me when you see them coming."

A few of the things barked and then took off, simply trembling with the anticipation of pleasing their master. Then the creature turned around and disappeared into the shadows behind the junk heaps once more, chuckling to himself, "They believe they know who's behind all of this….." He sneered, "They have no idea…"


--
--
--


"We're splitting into groups." The words tumbled from Sonic's mouth so quickly he couldn't seem to get them out fast enough. For once, everyone had been stunned into utter silence upon the news of the kidnappings. Sonic's entire being burned with hatred towards Eggman, frustration, and pure rage. He felt like….like….he had let them down, all over again. How in the world could they have been captured so….so quickly? And effortlessly, without them knowing? It was so nerve-racking Sonic could barely think straight.

The only major difference was that they were no longer at SSH. Well, inside SSH at least. They all had evacuated as quickly as possible, all the while watching their backs in case their foe had somehow already infiltrated the school building. Now they were huddled in a massive group, at least a mile or two away from the school, lest they draw unwanted attention to the highschool. The sun was slowly crawling its way across the horizon, and soon enough it would be nighttime.

Sonic sighed heavily and began pointing at each member of the gang in turn, splitting them up as evenly as he could. "Alright…Mist, Spark, Amy, Abby, Atoré, you five stick together no matter what happens. I'll go with Shadow, Anita, and Knuckles. Tails, you stick with Otto and Dream. Rockfire, Scythe and Silver, you had better go along with them too.  Uhh…who else…On second thought.." Sonic looked over at Radar, who stood anxiously beside Dream, tapping his claws against each other, "You'll be in my group as well. You've seen these…creatures right?"

Radar nodded quickly, turning slightly and pointing towards the east, "I saw them coming from that way, and headed through the thickest part of the forest. They're nasty looking little things, ravenous….and like I said, absolutely unlike anything I've ever seen in my life." Sonic gritted his teeth, but before he could respond Shadow spoke, "Splitting into groups like this is just going to get us picked off quicker if whoever this is has sent those things after us." Anita elbowed Knuckles in the ribs at that time, for seconds before he had muttered something about Eggman. Sonic growled at Shadow, "We're not splitting ways, we're just setting groups in case we get separated. If that happens, we'll be able to gather our groups so no one gets lost."

Shadow's ears flicked, but he said nothing more as Sonic turned back to the very shaken group of friends. Tails took Sonic by the arm suddenly, causing him to look over. The fox was very shaky, and his eyes were widened with terror not normally seen within him. He whispered, his voice cracking with anxiety, "Sonic…..Cream….you don't think…" Sonic shook his head and answered softly, "Everything's gonna be ok Tails. It always turns out ok, right? As soon as we find Cream, Sammi, and Malachi we'll be able to set them free. No worries." There were hesitant murmers of agreement from some, and others chose to stay silent.

Amy looked over at Abby and clasped her hands before her, "Oooh Abby….I'm so worried about poor little Malachi…" Abby gently rested a hand on her shoulder and replied, "I'm sure they're alright. I mean….we've been through this before…" Amy shook her head, unintentionally interrupting her, "No matter what everyone, er….Mostly Knuckles, says, I can't say for sure that this is Eggman doing all of this! Sonic doesn't believe me, but you heard what Radar said! Has Eggman ever been known to have creatures like that besides robots? I know this is weird to say but….its not like him."

Abby nodded in agreement, "It's like him to kidnap though. Whether this is Eggman or not, the thing we need to focus on right now is getting them home safe and sound, ok?" Amy nodded, though very unconvinced. Then Radar spoke, breaking the silence after a moment, "…I hope Sammi's alright too. ….she didn't deserve to get kidnapped like that." Knuckles chuckled and punched the bat lightly on the arm, "Aww, I bet she's taking care of Cream and Malachi right now. Well…of course that or she's…yannow, tied up or something—" "Knock that OFF!" Knuckles hissed with pain as Anita angrily stomped on his toe, casting a smoldering glare at him before looking up at Radar, "I'm sure they're all fine."

Sonic looked up at the sky, noting the sun's rapidly falling position, casting a bloody color across the former bluish grey sign. He hoped inwardly that it wasn't an omen of things to come. Then, just as Sonic turned back to the group, he looked over just fast enough to see Shadow's face contort into a snarl, and suddenly both he and Mist, who had been standing side by side, jumped back, eyes fixated on a clump of bushes several yards away. Shadow glared at the foliage and roared, Sonic unable to do anything but watch in bewilderment, "Whoever you are, show yourself! You're out numbered ten to one!"

Surprising everyone, a female voice came from the trembling bush, "No wait- please! I'm a friend! I recognized Mist!" Mist frowned, his ears falling back as he listened to the voice, and then he exclaimed, "Wait a second….Maadna?" Sonic looked up and watched Mist hold out an arm to stop Shadow from attacking the speaker. Then, Mist stepped forwards cautiously, shoving his forearms through the front of the bush. He grabbed the person's hands and pulled them into a standing position, and at once Sonic understood.

It was Maadna, a friend of his and apparently Mist's as well, a hedgewolf that he hadn't spoken to in a long time. They had parted company after he had been forced to attend highschool, but undoubtedly she had heard of the things that had gone on and must have come looking for them. The brown furred hedgewolf brushed her headspikes over her shoulders, sighing heavily as she swayed, regaining her balance after Mist helped her up. She frowned at Shadow, curling her lip at him, "Some welcome…." Mist smiled a little and addressed the newcomer, "What are you doing here Maadna?"

Maadna's ears flicked and she quickly scanned the group once over before she responded, her eyes glinting with hidden frustration, "I came to find you all of course! These….these….animalistic, black things with dripping jaws have been going through this forest in groups, and I have no idea what they are. To be sure they can't be anything good, because all of the wildlife around has been run out." Radar nodded, his tail lashing with anger as he crossly folded his arms, "I had just told them I saw the same exact thing. So they're farther through the forest than I had once thought…."

Sonic looked back at Maadna, gently taking her by the arm and leading her towards the rest of the group, "Maadna, we have a problem. A very, very big problem. I hate to mix you up in all this, but we could really use your help." Maadna nodded, her expression becoming fierce, "Of course Sonic! Just say the word and I'm there!" Sonic glanced at Tails and grimaced, seeing the sadness in his face. He would have to hurry with his explanation…..



--
--
--



After telling Maadna the entire story, she stood in horror, her hand over her mouth, "Oh my goodness,….what kind of….of horrible person would kidnap like this?" Maadna and everyone around her jumped violently as Anita suddenly yelled at Knuckles, who quailed beneath her relentless gaze, "Say Eggman and that'll be the last thing you do!" Knuckles held up his hands in defense, "Fine, I wasn't going to in the first place!" Anita laughed scornfully, "Oh like heck you weren't!"

Sonic snarled at them both, "Would you knock it off with all that bickering you two!?" Anita turned on her heel and folded her arms, glaring daggers at the blue hedgehog, "Oh ho, you're one to talk with you and Amy having a falling out every five minutes!" Sonic's face burned red as he barked back, "Just shut up alright!?" Anita opened her mouth to retort, but then, out of nowhere, a horrific howling came from the distance, accompanied by the sun being nearly absent in the sky. Everyone became dead silent as they listened, and before long another howl followed the first. Sonic held his breath and glanced over at Radar, whose wings were slightly fanned with apprehension. He looked towards the east and then hissed, "Sonic, we're running out of time! After what Maadna here saw, I'm almost certain that those creatures are hunting you guys down. We have to double around them and try to find a way to wherever Samii and the others are being held captive!"

At that moment, Maadna seemed to be stricken with a thought, for her face had lit up with understanding. She looked at Radar and exclaimed, "Hold on- I….I think I've actually seen where you guys are talking about." Silver used a free hand to anxiously brush back his headspikes as he inquired before anyone else could, "What do you mean…did you see like….like a base or something?" Everyone perked as Maadna nodded, pointing in a direction that was just to the northeast, "It was like….a really old warehouse of some sort, kinda in the middle of the most overgrown part of the forest. People from the city used to dump metal scraps and waste there, but it's so old and dangerous inside nobody has been there since."

Everyone simultaneously exchanged knowing glances, and then they looked towards Sonic as he murmered, "That's the base then. Whoever is doing this to us, whoever has captured Samii, Malachi, and Cream…..they have them there. I know they're probably waiting for us, because they sent those creatures. But we're ready. We've handled worse!" Everyone nodded as Sonic exclaimed, "We are going to go to that warehouse and solve this once and for all. And if they won't give them up, we aren't going down without a fight."



--
--
--


"….Hello….? ….sir…..are you……?"
….

"..hello….?!"

….The entire world was nothing but darkness. Blackness….horrible silence. But then the voice. That quiet, young voice……it seemed to echo like a siren's call within his head, but it seemed so far away….

Then he drew a shuddering breath that sounded like a death rattle, and his eyes flew open. Tom met an unbelievable world of pain all in an instant, after being in that period of wretched darkness for so long… But the pain meant nothing to him now. He had felt pain, immeasurable pain, so much that every nerve in his body had become dead and unfeeling. He blinked hard as unwelcoming bits of light blinded him, so much that he couldn't determine where he was or who was speaking to him. Yet….did he even know who he was anymore?

He felt, not the touch, but the pressure of a creature's hand against his chest, and was helpless to move away as it strayed over his ribs, the fingers searching nervously for a heartbeat. They found it after several moments of feeling, but it was faint and distant. So weak was the drum behind the young feline's bones that surely he had seemed well and truly dead an hour before as he limply hung above the heaps of metal… After a moment he opened his eyes a sliver, and at once he was met by the sight of a hovering face feet from his own. There was a spot at the center of the face as bright yellow as the sun, with a deep brown that hugged its sides. The voice met his ears again, causing them to flick subconsciously towards the disruption, "Sir….sir please…..can you….hear me?"

Tom closed his eyes and let his head fall to his chest in a feeble nod, and was answered by a shaky sigh from the stranger. The person who kept him company was drawing quick, frightened breaths that were in stark contrast to the shallow ones that Tom was struggling to draw into his lungs that couldn't seem to get enough air in them. He heard the person speak again, but the rush of blood in his ears caused the words to mix into a meaningless blur of mumbles.  Tom's eyelids fluttered, and then the person repeated itself, "…oh….I…..you're very hurt…."

For the first time in what felt like years, a small smile cracked the weakened vesture of Tom's expression, and in an attempt to get a glimpse at his new friend in the darkness, he forced his tired eyes open once more. He held them open and blinked furiously until finally it came into view, and Tom was shocked to find himself only mildly surprised that a dark brown hawk with piercing yellow eyes was kneeling beside him. He then discovered that the blinding bits of light before were streaks of moonlight that broke through the canopy of trees above. He was outside. Once he realized this he soon began to catch the sounds of whippoorwills calling to each other through the gloom, and the high whine of crickets in the tall grass. Tom smiled again and looked back towards the hawk, who had pressed his hand against his chest again, the expression on his face telling Tom that he had feared that he had passed on during his lapse of silence. The feline's jaws worked as he tried to form words, but they were clumsy in his mouth, and his body refused to spend precious oxygen on speech; but he ignored this and forced out a raspy groan, "……y…..you're………..t…..ha….t……hawk……"

The hawk nodded and answered before Tom could speak again, "…I…I know. You gotta believe me though….I'm different now. I'm not in that gang anymore." A look of disgust flitted across the hawk's face for a split second, and then he continued, "I left the school….and I found this warehouse….and heard those people talking about you. So…when that female cat was dragged off and the other guy left, I snuck in and cut you down. He was going to throw you to those creatures of his, leaving you for dead." Tom chuckled weakly, closing his eyes again, "……m…might….as…..well….be….."

Rano bent closer to the cat and lifted his head slightly, gently keeping him as comfortable in the grass as he could. The old guitar lay still in its case not far away, as did the beret Tom always wore. Rano lifted his hands from Tom's body and leaned back on his talons, his eyes searching his broken body, terrified and unsure of what to do. This hawk was not a bad person in the least; he had just been drawn into the wrong crowd, and after realizing what it was managed to escape from its clutches before it was too late. Now however, his conscious was like a hungry wolf eating him relentlessly from the inside out. So saving this poor man's life was the best thing he could think to do, but it may already be too late….

The night air was suddenly rent with a horrible sound as Tom choked, coughing hard as a sudden hardness seemed to enclose his throat. Rano jumped violently and came closer to Tom again, crying with terror as he struggled to draw breath again, "Oh…Sir, are you alright? Sir!?" Dark crimson suddenly flowed in a fountain from his jaws for a split second, staining his front, and then it was over, and his head fell again back against the grass. Tom remained this way and made no attempt to move anymore, his eyes locked onto the pale image of the rising moon. A permanent smile etched upon his face, he took a measured deep breath and murmered softly, "…..you….done good for….me kid. …..Thank you… ….we…..we'll……meet again."

Rano's body trembled as he watched Tom blink once, and then smile with such a look of happy radiance it was unbelievable. If not for the bloody stains all about his body, and the way parts stood at odd angles from how they should, it would be thought at first glance that Tom was mearly lying beneath the stars on a cool summer's night. The light slowly, but suddenly, left the feline's eyes, the only spark left being the reflection of the lonely moon above in them.

Rano couldn't stop the tears that rushed down his beak as he helplessly watched the poor creature breathe his last, shuddering breath, and was powerless as his chest rose and fell for the final time. The muscles in his face relaxed, and almost at once his body seemed visibly cold and lifeless. The hawk tremulously wiped hot tears from his face, and then lowered his hand to the chest one more time, with a dim hope that he may again be able to find the pulse of life. Rano's body convulsed in a sob as he found nothing, and with his entire body shaking so violently he could hardly see straight, he leaned back from Tom's body. He was dead, his spirit gone from his body, leaving behind his body from this earth.

Rano took careful time to put him to rest as best he knew how, by digging a shallow trench with his claws beneath an oak tree and laying Tom within with some difficulty. Before covering him with soil and leaves, he gently put the tattered, black beret where it would remain forever entombed with the one who had worn it his entire life. Then, the hawk's last act was to cover him and lay his guitar atop the grave, his body still stiff and trembling with shock. Then, his feathers caked with clay and his clothes dirtied with soil and blood, he stood and stepped back, viewing the humble hump of dirt where the kind cat was buried. Rano brushed away the fresh tears as they came, feeling a surprising amount of remorse for someone he had only seen once in his entire life. But he, if anyone, deserved a proper final resting place such as this one.

Rano was at least happy in the fact that he had been able to save Tom from dying a horrible death in a warehouse strung up by chains, where perhaps the only thing that would have been found of him in later years being his skeleton, still bound and hanging. He shuddered at the thought of such a thing, yet he still had been to late to save his life.

Knowing that he had done everything that he could for him, Rano turned and took flight, his body framed by the moonlight as he quickly gained altitude and soared above the trees. There was only one hope left, and he was determined not to have them suffer the same fate as Tom had. No matter if they were enemies before. This was a matter of life and death, and Rano feared that if he didn't catch up to the group that he knew to be somewhere in this forest soon, it would be far too late.

The many pairs of yellow eyes watched the bird as he flew off, and discretely they followed, clamping their jaws shut like bear traps in the air, their fangs dripping hungrily.



--
--
--


Meanwhile….

Jeremy restlessly paced before the chambers that held the captives within, his job to guard them so they didn't try to escape. After hours of crying and trying to get out they had fallen into a silent stupor, leaving the red dragon with time to think. He had done what he was told….he led those brats to the snake's den, but had they died? No. Worse, they had been rescued even, and he had been punished harshly for it. Now his master deemed it prudent to begin to take matters into his own hands, and leave Jeremy the simple task of guarding the bait.

Sure. What else could go wrong? Hundreds of things, things too painful for him to count. He couldn't even remember how he had gotten himself roped into this, but there was no way of getting out now. He had been doing this work for far too long, far too many months. Even if he tried to escape he figured he would be killed on sight anyway. Sure, an ambitious person like him had relished at the fact of obtaining the alarming amounts of power he had been promised. He jumped at the chance to apprentice beneath the mysterious being cloaked in darkness, just to possibly get a taste of such a power. But soon, the power had proven to be much more than he had first bargained for. Jeremy growled to himself under his breath as he paced, balling his fists so hard that his claws dug into his scaly palms.

He heard the faint whimper of one of the hostages, but he ignored it. The shadow hounds had to have found them by now…. Jeremy sighed heavily and gazed towards the heavy iron door that separated this chamber from the main warehouse, where the horrific creature now stood amongst the metal heaps, his muzzle pointed due west, simply waiting now for either the group of do-gooders to arrive first, or to be dragged back by his loyal pack of shadow hounds.

The dragon's lip curled as he thought of all this, but he now regarded their arrival as a prime chance for him to escape. Surely there was to be a fight, and during the confusion he would flee. Under normal circumstances he would have relished the chance to stay and fight against those idiots, but this was different. They had no idea what kind of madman they were up against, but to Jeremy it didn't really matter what happened to them. He just needed to get himself out and fast.

Jeremy sighed heavily, and after a few more fitful rounds of pacing he came to a stop not far from the iron clad door, and sat against the wall, eyeing a torch flickering lazily in its wall bracket. It was strange….in this sort of chamber, it was nearly pitch black save for the bit of moonlight streaming through the barred window, and then inside the warehouse it was fitted with old, barely working lights. Jeremy had a feeling that this damp chamber of sorts wasn't originally here…

Then, suddenly, a horrible din came from the door, causing Jeremy to nearly jump out of his skin. He quickly scrambled to his feet as someone from the other side rapped on it viciously with their knuckles. Without waiting for them to enter, Jeremy scurried to the other end of the chamber, folding his arms behind his back and resuming his pacing just as he heard the tumblers in the door turn. It swung open slowly due to its weight, but in its frame stood Jeremy's mysterious master, always cloaked in shadow, careful not to show his face in the moonlight. His black cloak trailed the floor as he stepped forwards, stopping a few feet away from Jeremy. Jeremy looked at his feet warily, and stiffened as he spoke, "Nothing has happened to my friends while I was away, Oui?"

Jeremy shook his head slowly, chancing a glance up at the man, but again his face was in the dark, and he could only dimly see the flash of his eyes, "No sir. They've been pretty quiet, one of em' crying out every once an' a while." The man seemed to nod, and then he drifted over to the window, sighing almost wistfully. Jeremy watched his back cautiously, and subconsciously stiffened again as the man spoke once more, "My good guests are closer, Jeremy. The shadow hounds are on their scent as we speak. In a half hour, they will be here. Then…." He chuckled grimly, "Then the true fun will begin."

The dragon swallowed hard and watched as the man crossed the hallway again, never looking back to see if Jeremy was listening or not. He stopped just short of the door with his claws on the handle and murmered, "Besides….Miss Nora and Tom have had so much fun tonight, am I not correct? Wouldn't want them to, shall you say, miss out….heh heh heh…." He laughed darkly and then slipped through the door, shutting it with a slam that reverberated through the small corridor.

Jeremy stood stock still in his wake as the sound echoed, and finally dissipated into total silence once more. If Tom had been murdered already…. Jeremy shuddered and sat back down, looking out the window. He hated to see what he had done to Nora.



--
--
--


Maadna crouched low to the earth and ran alongside Radar, who was flying just above her at the head of the following group. She cried up to him from the ground, cupping her hands around her jaws, "See anything yet Radar?" Radar looked down at her for a moment and then back straight on, crying, "I can see more of those creatures in the distance Maadna! We must be getting close by now."

Sonic clenched his fists as he ran at a measured and slower than normal pace behind Maadna, with the others at his heels. They were close. His heart leaped in his chest at the thought, on the one hand with apprehension and the other with excitement, for they were getting closer to rescuing Cream, Samii, and Malachi. The blue hedgehog glanced up into the sky at Radar, watching him as he glided effortlessly above their heads. His expression was stony, but determined. Sympathy flashed across Sonic's face for a moment….he seemed to fancy Samii from the moment he met her, and it had to be awful to have her ripped away like that, possibly never to be seen again.

No. He mustn't think such thoughts. So far, they had never failed in a rescue mission, and this one shouldn't be any different. Still though….what happened with Amy came to mind once more….


Sonic shoved the paper away with a growl of disgust. "I can't say for sure this isn't Eggman trying to stir something else up but…how can we be so sure it really is? I don't know for sure how he has recovered from our last battle with him." Amy sighed and turned to face Sonic again, her arms still folded firmly across her chest, "Again, you of all people should know how quickly Eggman rebounds from a fight. Plus, he always comes back bigger and badder than he was the last time."

Of course he always came back bigger and badder….but…..something just seemed strangely different about this situation. Now that he thought more about it, it would have seemed that if this really was Eggman on the move, he would have showed himself to them in some way by now. It was always like him to be prideful in his work, and ready to get the jump on them as quickly as possible. Then these creatures that Maadna and Radar had spotted….certianly unlike anything Eggman had spawned recently. He was more of a man of technology, and according to description they didn't sound like any kind of robot he had ever encountered.

Sonic caught someone catch up with him out of the corner of his eye, and saw that it was Atoré, the very person who had practically saved Tails, Otto, and Dream's lives in that horrible snake's den. Atoré cracked his knuckles as he ran, commenting dryly, "I have the strangest feeling we're going to have another fight on our hands." Sonic rolled his eyes mockingly and chuckled, "Tell me something I don't know Atoré…." The maroon hedgehog flashed him a small smile before dropping back in line with the others, getting beside Abby to talk to her for a bit. Everyone was still together and safe, so that was good….

Everyone except Samii, Cream, and Malachi… Sonic remembered grimly, gritting his teeth.


Suddenly, in the sky, a massive figure burst from the trees and let out a horrific shriek, causing everyone below to cry out in pain. The thing faltered in flight as it nearly collided into Radar, who was trying to get out of its way. It let out another ear piercing squawk, and flew in a wide but awkward circle, trying not to hit tree limbs as it tried to get out of Radar's path as well. Then, it was stopped dead in its tracks as one of its long wings got snagged in the tree bough, swinging it sideways in midair. It let out a shree of surprise as its back slammed into the trunk, and then limply it flopped to the ground, its wing being ripped free just as gravity took affect.


Fearing that this may be one of their unseen foes, Sonic came to a stop, holding out a hand and signaling for the others to stop as well. Radar had managed to land safely, and at about this time Maadna was cautiously approaching the base of the tree where the thing had landed. Mist called out shakily, "Hold….hold on Maanda! You don't….know what that could be!" Maadna ignored his warning and kept going, and fell to her knees beside the tree. Sonic caught sight of who it was just as Knuckles cried out in rage, "Look! It's one of those punks from Greg's gang!!"


Rano had been being helped up by Maadna just as he had been noticed, and before they could act he squawked, fanning his wings in surprise and half hiding behind Maadna, "Aahh! Wait, hold on a second! I'm on your side!!" Knuckles snarled and beat his fists together angrily, stepping forwards, "Tell that to someone who cares roadkill!" The brown hedgewolf spun around and stood in front of the hawk, glaring harshly at Knuckles, "Hold on a second!! I don't know what all this guy has done, but hear him out for goodness sake!! Shadow nearly killed me last time!"


Shadow snarled from somewhere in the middle of the group before Sonic then stepped up, addressing a very shaken Rano, "….how can we be so sure you're not on this…this 'guy's' side, trying to get to us?" Rano shook his head and pointed in the distance, "No, I promise I'm telling you the truth! I saw what has happened back there….Jeremy's been working for him this whole time!!" There was an audible gasp that rippled throughout the whole group, and then Anita yowled, "That no-good scumbag!! I should have known this was all his doing!" Rano looked at the group with desperation in his eyes, "Please, you guys have to believe me. T….Someone's been killed already because of all this. I wouldn't lie to you about something like that!!"

Silence speared the air like a white hot lance, and for the longest time nobody said anything in the shock of hearing that someone had been murdered. Sonic swallowed hard, and looked towards the group, "….ok…..well. ….I'm thinking this may not be Eggman after all. No matter the signs, Eggman's tried, but he's never actually killed any of us. ….and….remember those shadow creature things Radar and Maadna mentioned? Nothing like ANYTHING Eggman's ever come up with. …."

Sonic looked back at Rano, "Anyway…..I think we should believe you Rano. You really never were that bad back when the gang was having its rounds, and I never saw much of you. Is everyone ok with him coming along with us?" After a pause, there was a general murmer of consent, no answer from Shadow, and then a mumbled yes from Knuckles after Anita had grabbed him roughly by the arm.

Rano smiled a little, "Thank you Sonic. I can't thank you enough." Sonic chuckled softly and rested a hand on the hawk's shoulder, "It's not a problem. Now….did….did you just come from the warehouse?" The hawk stiffened, and then nodded slowly, "….yeah actually. It's just in the distance there. You guys were getting quite close." Radar, Tails, and Amy exchanged glances, and then Radar asked, "…did….did you see the hostages?"

Rano frowned, "I…I didn't see them myself, but I heard talk about them. They're still there, and they are alive." Sonic balled his fists and looked towards the direction of the warehouse, which now could be seen looming on the horizon. He spoke accompanied by the howl of what sounded like hundreds of those creatures, "Right then. …we're coming guys. This is almost over."






--
--
--






There was an ominous creak of the double doors as Sonic pushed them open, stepping into the huge warehouse for the first time. As they cautiously filed in, they were at once met by piles upon piles of scrap metal, heaped up to nearly the ceiling. The walls were rusting, and there seemed to be water damage everywhere. Abby gasped and pointed out in a hushed whisper, "L…Look up there…!"

Everyone felt their blood turn to ice as they spotted the massive chains hanging from the wall, and a huge blood stain that splotched the metal and ran down in a line, leading out to a door at the back of the warehouse. Rano felt bile rise in his throat as he thought of poor Tom, who had passed on at least an hour ago….


Radar folded his arms over his chest and scanned the ominously empty warehouse, save for the obvious piles of junk, "….Strange. …I was expecting…..a fortress in here….with hoards of enemies….and….where's the big baddie? Nowhere to be seen apparently…." He looked up at the ceiling, which was adorned with old lights that flickered weakly, barely managing to stay lit. It gave a horribly creepy feel to the dilapidated place, and yet would prove to be the perfect hideout for a villain of some sort…Knuckles had finally given up on his Eggman theory, but without the Doctor to fall back on he was clueless as to whom exactly it could be.


Cautiously, Radar took a hesitant step forwards, careful to stick relatively close by the group however. He frowned and called out carefully, "….Samii?" He winced as his voice echoed loudly, magnified by bouncing off the massive heaps of metal. With frustration the bat fell silent, all the while scanning the room for a door, or something….somewhere that they could possibly be being held…..


Then, besides that, there was the problem of these shadow creatures tailing them. Even now as they got closer to the center of the warehouse, they could hear their ominous howling that sounded almost as if it were coming from directly outside the building. They were barking at each other too, excited that they could smell the strong scent of their prey, so very close….it sent chills up their spines.


Still…..no sign of….anything really. All it appeared to be was a dark old warehouse that looked ready to collapse at any second. Nothing horribly special…. Amy frowned, "Are….you sure this is the right place?" Rano nodded, stepping out of the group a moment, "I'm positive…..I…..saw them talking right about here…." He walked over a few feet and pointed to a spot just beside a mound of metal, and then turned to face the group. "Jeremy was here….and the man was here…" He pointed to the spots in turn, "…and he was yelling at him….very angry he was. Apparently something wasn't going right….so…."


Rano shrugged his shoulders, "I…think he said something about-"







Then, Rano broke off with a loud, audible grunt, and everyone scattered partially as they all jumped in unison as a sudden spray of crimson blood coated the floor in front of them. They looked up in dead horror at Rano, who was standing a few feet away, his eyes wide and staring, and his arms bent at his sides. Everyone's eyes followed and locked onto the spearlike knife that jutted from the hawk's chest, causing blood to pour from his flesh and splatter in alarming amounts to the floor. Amy let out a terrified cry that broke the silence, while they watched as Rano weakly grabbed the ends of the front of the knife, scrabbling with it, trying to find where it was coming from….trying to get it out….


Sonic went to step forwards, but suddenly six shadow hounds jumped from the shadows, as if out of nowhere, and drove them back, leaving them powerless to help Rano at all. Sonic gritted his teeth and looked up as Rano screamed suddenly with agony as he realized that there was no way of getting the knife out, though he tried to pry at it, his feathered fingers slipping off the smooth metal edges.


Then, his beak went slack, blood dripping from the corner as a hand burst from the shadows, grabbing him by the shoulder for support. Then, with a sickening squelch the unseen assailant jerked the massive knife out, and then let go of Rano, who fell forwards into a pool of his own blood on the cement floor.


Then there was a horror struck silence through which they had seen the tragedy unfold in seconds, and there was nothing they could do as they watched a massive hooded figure step carelessly around Rano's dead body, holding up a hand to stave the hounds who were trembling with anticipation, wanting to leap onto the carcass and feast. He chuckled deeply as they barked and growled restlessly, rubbing briefly against his ankles as he stepped forwards. Then as soon as he stopped, they all adopted their fighting stances once more, bearing jet black fangs at the huddled and horrified group.


Jeremy stood in the shadows, and had watched the scene occur with absolute shock. He knew someone would die, but….Rano…..?



The man lifted his bloody dagger, his black cloak smeared with Rano's blood, and wiped the hilt and steel on his sleeve, and then he looked at the group with eyes that couldn't be seen beneath the hood. Sonic looked up at the tall figure with disgust and revulsion, absolutely unsure what to make of this situation. This man was obviously a killer, and did it with ease…..



"Who…..who are you?" Sonic murmered through a growl. Another deep chuckle erupted from the man's chest, and he whispered back, "….Who am I…..? ……..I'm sure you all would like to see, Oui?"



With a savage snarl that rippled into another laugh, he grabbed the edges of his cloak's hood and threw it back.






Standing there….completely transformed…..The very look of a monster.


















With a horrendous grin that exposed his fangs, one that contorted his features, Malachi cackled,







"Surprise."