[Danish Ranger]

I've been working on this the last 6 months, its a couple chapters off completion at the mo, but I've been at this so long, should be done before the months out.

This is something of a ShadAmy story, but it ain't your typical beast. Why? Its got plot, and I've been doing my utmost to keep any romance happening at a realistic pace. Just a few notes about setting: this is Mobius not Earth, it picks up a few months after the Shadow the Hedgehog game ends. GUN has brought down Robotnik for good, so the Freedom Fighters have disbanded, Knothole's been ditched, and everyone's trying to make their way in the world. The old GUN Commander has retired, and unlucky for Shadow, he's eager to make a name for himself. Anyhoo, enjoy.

Inescapable Past
Part I

Dragging her heels up some anonymous dirt track, Amy Rose kept her gaze fixed on her muddied boots as she trudged along. The poor girl was in a sulk. After months of harassment that had oftentimes bordered on stalking, Sonic had finally rebuffed his most perseverant admirer. She could have sworn it was all just playful banter, but not to him.

Both hedgehogs had lost track of how many times Sonic had saved her from Robotnik's clutches, especially when badniks had kidnapped her four years ago simply because Amy publicly announced she was Sonic's secret lover. Alas, all was now perfectly clear - it was naught but unrequited love - her evergreen affection for him would bear no fruit.

Outside Station Square

Deep in the throes of another session of introspection, Shadow the Hedgehog dangled his legs over the edge of a cliff that overlooked Station Square. However, it was not the picturesque view that drew him here, but rather the promise of solitude, away from the prying eyes of everyday Mobians. He breathed a weary sigh as visions of Maria's demise replayed in his head for the umpteenth time. Was there no escaping this torment?

Falling back on the lush green grass, Shadow gazed up at the cloudless sky. Glimpsing the fair face of Maria in the sun, the hedgehog shut his eyes, groaning as he massaged his temples. Why did he still yearn so longingly to remember the great many details of his past that still eluded him whilst, at the same time, what few memories he did have haunted him so?

Caught up in this latest bout of angst, the usually-vigilant Shadow failed to notice a certain pink hedgehog coming up the long-forgotten path he thought only he was privy to. Nor did Amy, her emerald eyes downcast, notice the black hedgehog lying unnervingly close to the cliff edge.

Eventually, she stopped, craning her neck back to watch a flock of Flickies fly across the sun on their seasonal migration to warmer climes. Amy envied them. If only she could escape this place so easily. Sighing, she lowered her gaze, catching sight of a familiar face trying to bore into his skull with nothing but his hands.

"Shadow?" she called, her confusion evident. The interruption startled the prostrate black hedgehog, and within milliseconds, he was on his feet, brandishing the pistol he'd taken to carrying since the Black Arms invasion.

"Amy?" uttered Shadow in bewilderment as he made out her silhouette in the afternoon sun. As he lowered his pistol, the pink hedgehog walked timidly towards him.

"Hi…" said Amy quietly, still a little shaken.

"You… know this place?" said Shadow, only then realizing how being held at gunpoint may have spooked her. He wasn't apologetic though – for all he knew, she could have been a G.U.N. assassin – but Rouge had taught him the basics of empathy.

"I don't know where I am," she replied, shaking her head. Silence reigned for a moment as Shadow stood rigid with tension, unsure of how act. He was a bona fide expert at ignoring others, but this was a whole new experience.

"Can I sit with you?" asked Amy sheepishly.

"Err...sure?" replied Shadow. Why was she asking permission?

The pink hedgehog knelt down on the grass, her eyes fixed on the ground. Sitting down as well, Shadow re-engaged the safety on his pistol; he certainly had nothing to fear from this encounter. Not physically at least.

"…Shadow, what were you doing just then?" Amy asked after what seemed like an eternity.

"That's for me to know and you not to know," snapped Shadow in his usual guarded manner.

"Oh…" she murmured, regretting having even asked. It wasn't any real surprise. She was just feeling a little fragile. Naturally, Shadow was unmoved. His thoughts were his and his alone. Another silence followed, but soon enough curiosity began to fester in his head as well.

"Why are you here?" he asked, though it came off as more of a demand.

Even so, after a long silence holding his gaze, Amy just looked away, back at the ground.

Finding this exercise tiresome, his usual disposition on such trivial social interaction, Shadow slumped backward onto the grass. He decided having that child sitting there made no difference; she was too lost in her own thoughts. He knew the feeling.

Minutes passed, and the only sound that passed between them was the soft rustling of the grass in the wind. Then, Amy peered out from behind her braided quills to see Shadow once again kneading his forehead.

"Why are you up here, Shadow?" she asked.

He immediately sat up, an intense glare meeting her meek gaze. "You expect an answer?"

"Sorry," Amy whispered, bowing her head in apology. He had every right to be mad, she decided. He, Shadow, had done the unthinkable and showed an iota of concern for her plight, and she'd gone and blanked him. Just like with Sonic, she'd been too blind-.

"Escaping," said Shadow flatly, lying down once more.

"Do you mean Maria?" Amy blurted, not quite realizing what she was saying until it was too late. She'd heard from others he responded badly to even the mention of that name. True enough, Shadow's natural reflex was to stare daggers at the girl, but he relented. For some reason, he didn't feel utterly repulsed by the notion of sharing his thoughts with another. Perhaps it was the isolation, or the fact she was in a similar predicament.

"Yes," came his predictably clipped reply.

Crawling over to kneel beside him, Amy sought one of Shadow's hands, massaging it in a consoling manner with her own gloved palms: "It'll be okay, I'm sure. For me and for you."

Shadow shot her a piercing sideward glance, his blood red eyes glinting in the sun.

"You're wrong," he said dismissively, snatching his hand away. It would be alright for her, whatever it was that was troubling her – something to do with Sonic no doubt – but she hadn't lived the life he had. She hadn't seen her dearest friend, still only a child, shot down in cold blood. She wasn't immortal. Then again, for all her innocence and naivety, at least she cared. Shadow was grateful for that.

G.U.N. HQ, Metropolis City

Peering out of his office window, Brutus Danzarotti was 'treated' to a panoramic view of Metropolis City, the onetime stronghold of Dr Robotnik. To make amends for the havoc wrought by GUN during the Black Arms invasion, the last act of Brutus' predecessor had been to eliminate the threat posed by Robotnik. In practice, this meant invading Metropolis. Then, with the scientist detained and his powerbase destroyed, the old man had at last retired, clearing the way for Brutus to assume the post of Commander of the Guardian Unit of Nations. Keen to keep favor with the masses, his first order of business had been to relocate GUN HQ to the newly liberated city. This made the Commander de facto ruler of Metropolis City.

Many had been quick to point out the implications of such a move, but as the most vocal of said critics, Sally Acorn, had abolished the monarchy in favor of devolved government, they were powerless to stop him. Good riddance, Brutus had said.

The Commander's brooding was suddenly interrupted by the crackling voice of his secretary on the intercom: "The Vice Commander to see you, sir."

"Let them come," said the leopard, sliding into the chair behind his desk.

The office's steel doors opened, making way for a portly warthog to come striding in. Garbed in dress uniform, his chest adorned with the many medals he had earned, he was accompanied by a slinky lioness, also in dress uniform, with a manila folder tucked under her arm. Stopping ten paces from his desk, the duo saluted.

"Vice Commander Hugo, report," ordered Brutus.

"We understand you requested our agent's field reports on the tracking device, sir," the warthog began. "Sergeant Topaz duly consented to your request."

On cue, the lioness stepped forward, placing the folder in Brutus' outstretched paw.

"Very good, Hugo," said the Commander as he flicked through the dossier. "Are these reports confirmed?"

"Our technicians say there's 95% chance of successfully tracing the subject," replied Topaz.

"Tracing? This says the device can make an exact fix on his location."

"Those are the agent's own claims. We were unable to verify them."

"Good enough," sighed Brutus, handing her back the folder. "Sergeant Topaz, you are clear to proceed with the strike. You have operational control."

"Thank you, sir," said Topaz, struggling to suppress the smile threatening to dance on her lips. This would be her first operation since the previous Commander's retirement. Throwing her superiors a parting salute, the lioness turned on her heel and exited.

Watching her leave, an obvious spring in her step, Hugo turned round to face his commander: "Are we sure that's a good idea?"

"Not entirely," said the leopard. He had only one good eye, but even Brutus had noted the sergeant's barely-contained excitement.

"We only pulled her out from behind a desk two weeks ago," said Hugo, a little unsettled by his Commander's admission.

"Breath, Hugo. She got us those reports, didn't she?" countered Brutus.

"Yes, but-…" the warthog trailed off, accepting he was speaking above his station. He'd been second-in-command to the previous Commander, and was like him in many ways. But there was one glaring difference which had persuaded Brutus to keep him on.

The old man had been very trusting of his intelligence agents, and it was a trust neither he nor Hugo shared. However, they did have their uses, as Topaz's contact had proven.

"Besides, it's him we're after," the leopard remarked, glaring at his subordinate. No GUN Commander in the history of the organization had been without his personal demons. His predecessor had let his evolve into a full-blown vendetta. And yet, when presented with the opportunity to settle that vendetta, he'd called off the hunt, later decreeing that Shadow the Hedgehog no longer posed a threat.

Brutus hadn't believed it then, and he didn't believe it now. Shadow was a menace, and so long as he lived, no Mobian was safe.

[Danish Ranger]

Inescapable Past
Part II

Metropolis City

Driving through a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Metropolis City, Shadow grimaced. These slums were never a pleasant place to be; the air thick with pollution, streets strewn with dirt and garbage, almost deserted but for the occasional huddle of street urchins sheltering from the cold. All in all, the perfect place for one of his hideaways.

Even with GUN no longer on his trail, the hedgehog had found it impossible to settle in any one place. The Space Colony ARK was the closest thing to a home Shadow had ever had, and that had been the scene of one too many traumas. Nowadays, he maintained a network of hideouts and supply caches throughout the planet's cities. That way, he always had a refuge nearby if the need arose.

Steering his motorbike across an empty intersection, Shadow crossed into one of the city's old industrial districts, relics of its tenure as Robotnik's base of operations. His local safehouse was located in the basement of an old Badnik processing plant, so there was only a miniscule chance it might've been discovered. Even now with the one known as 'Eggman' languishing in a prison cell, only the bravest Metropolitans dared go near his old haunts.

Station Square

After parting ways with Shadow on the clifftop, Amy Rose had practically sprinted back to her apartment, driven by an impulse to purge her living space of any trace of Sonic.

Now, the hedgehog was sat in her bedroom, head in hands. She wasn't crying, just... perplexed. Slumped on the floor was a black bin bag, overflowing with Sonic mementoes she'd accumulated over the years: newspaper cuttings, old concert tickets, posters from magazines. Up until yesterday that damned blue hedgehog had been Amy's life. Where did she go from here?

Find a new idol? Maybe, but who was there? Tails was too young. Knuckles was spoken for, thanks to Julie-Su. Big... well, that went without saying. Shadow? The thought had crossed her mind more than once, but she'd put that down to the striking similarities with a certain someone. If she couldn't have the original, she wasn't about to settle for an inferior clone. That said, Shadow had come thirty or more years before Sonic...

As Amy realized the nature of the thoughts going through her head, she slapped herself hard across the face. Even if she was no longer blinkered by her obsession with Sonic, it was too soon to be contemplating, let alone deciding who the next object of her affection would be.

Less than twenty four hours ago, she'd still been in love. She needed time to recuperate.

Metropolis City

The hour was getting late. As dark descended on Metropolis City, the slums' streets emptied - even the aforementioned street urchins slunk off to their makeshift shelters for the night – the city became a veritable ghost town. This pleased Shadow. In the absence of onlookers, he was free to indulge his only real vice in life: speed.

Gunning the engines of his motorbike, the hedgehog shot off towards the main road out of town. The wind whipped through his quills, provoking something resembling a smile to flicker upon his lips. Whenever Shadow tried to rationalize the adrenalin rushes these velocities gave him, he always drew a blank. In the eyes of logic, for the owner of hover skates able to match Sonic's preternatural speeds to be so attached to a comparatively primitive vehicle made sense whatsoever. It was just...fun.

Slowing down as he approached an intersection, a sudden ricochet rang out that wiped the smile from Shadow's face. He glanced down to check his bike, and saw fluid spewing from a hole in his main fuel tank. Then, another ricochet - the hedgehog whipped his head around to check the bike's rear. As suspected, the reserve fuel tank had been perforated too.

Knowing where any good sniper would aim next, Shadow squeezed the brakes, leaping clear of the bike in time to avoid being engulfed by the ensuing fireball. Nevertheless, the force of the explosion hurled the hedgehog into a nearby wall.

Dazed from the impact, a prostrate Shadow watched as two grenades landed on the pavement beside him. They exploded with a blinding flash. Shadow staggered to his feet, wondering why how we was still alive. Were they flash-bangs? He heard no ringing in his ears.

His questions were answered as he dived out the way of a hail of automatic gunfire. His hover skates should have propelled him to safety, but a bullet had caught him in the leg. The grenades were EMPs.

For the first time in half a century, Shadow genuinely feared for his life. GUN had upped their game. Never one to accept fate, the hedgehog struggled to his feet and threw himself through the window of the nearest derelict building.

He lay sprawled on the building's concrete floor, grunting in pain from the myriad injuries he'd sustained. He disliked it, this feeling of vulnerability. Already, he was cursing his decision to leave his pistol at the hideout. How could he have let himself be wooed into a sense of such security knowing GUN was still active?

"Shadow," said a voice from behind him. Utterly bewildered, Shadow whipped his head around.

There, standing in an empty doorway, was Rouge.

"How the-…" started the hedgehog, but he was silenced by a wave of the bat's hand.

"There's no time. Those boys will be down here pronto," she reminded him. "Take this."

From behind her back, Rouge produced the blue Chaos Emerald. Shadow's eyes lit up. Setting it down, she kicked it across the floor.

Practically pouncing on the priceless jewel, he nodded his thanks. She acknowledged it with a wink.

CHAOS CONTROL!

In another explosion of blinding white light, Shadow vanished.

"Good luck," said Rouge before making her exit.

Station Square

In her impromptu mission to purge her apartment of all things Sonic, Amy had moved onto her lounge. There too, the walls had once been plastered with all things fast and blue. But thus far, the only thing involving Sonic to escape her cull was a group photo of the Freedom Fighters, taken years ago back in Knothole. It was a pleasant reminder of simpler times, when half of Mobius had shared her love for the hedgehog.

At present, Amy was stood pondering the fate of particularly tasteful piece of Sonic memorabilia. It was an oil painting depicted the old Tornado biplane flying across a sunset, a very distinct silhouette standing on its upper wing. On one hand, it had been painted to celebrate Sonic's heroic exploits, and thus qualified as just the sort of thing she was looking to dispose of.

But, and this was a big but, she'd paid good money for it. The painting had become one of the most famous pictures on Mobius. With that in mind-

Amy's inner discourse was interrupted by a violent banging on her front door. A little startled, the hedgehog went to investigate at once. But the fright the banging had caused was nothing compared to the shock Amy would have once she answered the door.

She found a barely-conscious Shadow slumped against the wall outside her doorway, his body covered in cuts and scrapes, with a pool of blood forming under his leg. So taken aback was Amy by the number of his injuries, she failed to notice the Chaos Emerald sitting in his lap. She listened intently as the battered hedgehog went to speak.

"Sorry to drop in like this…" was all Shadow could manage before he blacked out.

For the second time today, Amy found her mind clear of all thoughts of Sonic as she dragged her unexpected guest inside. For better or for worse, it was getting to be an interesting day.

[Danish Ranger]

Inescapable Past
Part III

6:00 AM, Metropolis City

"You had our best snipers at your command and yet you still aimed for the fuel tanks first?" barked Brutus Danzarotti, tossing the report on the failed strike against Shadow on his desk in disgust.

Stood the other side of the desk, garbed in her dress uniform, Sergeant Topaz answered the question with a sheepish nod.

"Well, Sergeant, this puts us in a difficult position," the leopard mused. "I took a gamble giving you control of this operation, and it would appear to have not paid off."

The slender lioness winced; she didn't at all like where this was heading.

"Sir, if I may?" chimed in Vice Commander Hugo, from his seat the other side of the office.

"Go ahead," said his superior.

"Perhaps it would be prudent for someone more senior to supervise this operation?" said the warthog.

"What're you suggesting, Hugo?" asked Brutus. Topaz suppressed a groan – did he really have to ask?

"It's been so long since the Sergeant was last out in the field. Maybe she would benefit from the oversight from someone more experienced," the VC continued.

"And you're volunteering?" asked the leopard, finally clocking on.

"I am," replied Hugo, rising from his seat. He crossed the room, stopping alongside Topaz. She glanced at him out the corner of her eye – he was looking more pompous than usual.

"Very well," affirmed Brutus, before looking to the lioness once more.

"Sergeant, you will stay on as the Vice Commander's intelligence liaison. He is to be given full access to any documents or agents he requires," said the Commander.

"Sir," replied Topaz with a stiff salute.

"Dismissed."

The warthog and lioness gave parting salutes before turning on their heels and marching out the mahogany doors. In the office lobby, they were met by a sprightly meerkat in a black jumpsuit – the uniform of GUN helicopter pilots.

"Timo, is our command centre good to go yet?" asked Hugo, walking out into the hallway.

"Wired up and awaiting inspection, boss," replied the meerkat, following one step behind. Topaz dropped back momentarily, exchanging farewells with the Commander's secretary before running to catch up, keeping a few paces behind the duo.

"Do we have the team I asked for?" asked Hugo.

"Every last one, boss," replied Timo.

As she listened on their conversation, it dawned on Topaz what had happened. That pot-bellied, tusk-faced bastard! The warthog had effectively already hijacked her operation; getting the nod from Danzarotti had been a mere formality. The lioness clenched a paw, fighting an overwhelming urge to maul her superior.

Grudgingly, she followed the VC and his lackey into a room at the end of the hall. Inside, it was veritably buzzing with technology. The floor was carpeted with wires and power cables, linking a dozen computers, manned by the best and the brightest of GUN's technical staff, to a central mainframe computer. This was where Timo took a seat.

"Sergeant, may we have the tracker?" asked Hugo, looking to the lioness.

"But of course," she replied. Reaching inside her dress uniform jacket, Topaz produced what looked to be an ordinary cellphone. Pressing a few digits on the keypad, she negotiated her way across the wire-strewn floor and delivered it into the warthog's gloved hands.

"This is the famous tracker?" said Hugo, furrowing his brow as he examined the device with a look of scepticism.

"Yes sir," said Topaz, suppressing a grin. She'd had similar doubts.

"How exactly does it work?" the VC enquired, looking at the device's screen. It was currently displaying a map of Station Square, with a red dot flashing just left of the centre.

"According to her report, our agent retrieved one of the original DNA samples Gerald Robotnik developed to create Project Shadow. It can somehow detect anything on Mobius with the same DNA signature."

"So this blip is Shadow?" asked Hugo, pointing to the flashing red dot.

"Yes sir," replied the lioness, trying her utmost not to sigh. How much explanation did it take?

"Good. Timo, give me an address for these coordinates," said the warthog, handing the meerkat the tracker.

"No worries, boss," said the meerkat as he set to work.

"What are we going about any civilians?" asked Topaz.

Hugo looked up from peering over Timo's shoulder, giving the Sergeant a look that suggested he hadn't even considered that eventuality: "Does it matter? Our priority is the termination of Project Shadow; it'll either be the hedgehog's fault for shielding himself with civilians, or their own fault for sheltering a known fugitive."

The lioness felt her jaw almost detach itself from the rest of her face: "B-but sir, Shadow's not a fugitive."

"No, not officially, but the security of Mobius is at stake," the VC countered.

As Topaz stood in silence, dumbfounded by Hugo's ruthless – no – downright callous attitude, Timo handed him a printout of the address.

"Ladies, gentlemen, we have our next strike point; 93 Sunset Plaza, residence of one Amy Rose," proclaimed the warthog.

"We're hitting a Freedom Fighter's home?"

"Correct. Have me a strike team assembled for 0800 hours, Sergeant."

"But sir, she's the idol of thousands. If she were to die..."

"Sergeant, need I remind you are here to advice me on intelligence matters, not PR. You have your orders," said Hugo firmly.

"Sir," said Topaz through gritted teeth, grudgingly throwing a parting salute before exiting.

Station Square

Shadow regained consciousness with a sharp intake of breath. The pain in his leg was suddenly worse than ever. He opened his blood red eyes, only to be blinded by the morning sunlight pouring in through the open window. Giving his eyesight a moment to adjust, the black hedgehog looked down to see Amy Rose knelt at his bedside, unwrapping a bandage that was covering his gunshot wound.

"Might want to be more careful," said Shadow, his voice low and gravelly.

"Sorry," said Amy, smiling sheepishly as she looked up.

Shadow gave a faint smile back before dropping his head back on the pillow, looking around the room. "Where am I?"

"My bedroom," replied Amy, peeling away the dressing covering Shadow's wound.

The black hedgehog groaned quietly; that much was obvious. Then again, compared to the floral patterns decorating the bed, upon which he was laying, the walls were almost bare. Not exactly how you envisaged a teenage girl's bedroom to look.

"So, how did this happen?" enquired Amy.

"Huh? Oh, GUN," replied Shadow, wincing as his hostess dabbed at his open wound with an antiseptic wipe.

"I thought you and GUN patched things up after Black Arms."

"So did I."

It was only as Amy turned away to dispense of the bloodied dressing that Shadow noticed his hostess was wearing nothing but a towel. How the hell had that escaped his notice? Whatever, such things were irrelevant anyway. The problem now was how he was going to keep his eyes off her scantily-clad frame.

"Where did you learn to do this?" asked Shadow, keeping his shut in light of his sudden discovery.

"I was with the Freedom Fighters, remember? This is like the first thing Sally taught us," replied Amy as she applied a fresh dressing.

"Ever done a field dressing?" he enquired, eyelids still firmly clamped. Hours of exposure to Rouge's cleavage and he'd never so much as blushed, so why was this suddenly different?

"Nah, the war ended before I was old enough," said the pink hedgehog, wrapping a clean bandage round Shadow's thigh before falling back on her haunches. "All done."

"Thank you," said Shadow. He was reluctant to make eye contact, but it was really the only polite way to convincingly express his gratitude. But what he failed to take account of was Amy's change in posture, which now meant Shadow was able to clearly see where the towel ended and Amy's legs started.

"So, just how did you get here?" his hostess asked, seemingly unaware of the awkwardness she was causing.

"Rouge gave me that Emerald," replied Shadow, straining to keep his eyes from straying below her neckline.

"Rouge was there?"

"Yeah," murmured the black hedgehog, raising his eyes to the ceiling in relief. At last, something to distract him. And it was a valid point; just how had Rouge been able to find him?

"Err, Shadow, can I ask something?" said Amy, her voice suddenly meek.

"Yes?" said Shadow, looking up to see Amy peering shyly through her braided quills, like she had done at the cliff.

"Why did you choose here to run to?"

"Because-" Shadow started, but was cut short by an explosion. The black hedgehog sighed. Less than twelve hours on and they'd already found him.

"What was that?" squeaked Amy, looking over her shoulder towards the door in alarm.

"It's GUN."

"How did they find you so quick?" she asked, but Shadow had no answer to give. His mind was on more important things.

"Amy, where's the Emerald?" asked Shadow. Amy looked back round as if to answer, but was suddenly distracted by the soft thudding of combat boots out in the hallway. Before Shadow could repeat his question, the bedroom door exploded in a shower of splintered wood, and through the lingering dust cloud emerged two black-clad GUN Commandoes.

Diving across the floor, Amy swept the first intruder's legs out from under him with a low kick. Then, rising to her feet, she evaded a swing of second's shotgun butt and grasping the gun's barrel with both hands, she pulled her adversary towards her. Dropping the commando to his knees with a fierce headbutt, she detached the shotgun from its sling with another hard yank and clubbed it's wielder over the head with own gun. Doing likewise to his comrade, Amy robbed the masked intruders of their pistols before turning to face Shadow.

"The Emerald's in my kitchen safe," said Amy, tossing her patient the guns.

"Not taking one for yourself?"

"I was never a good shot," the pink hedgehog replied, stripping her fallen assailants for ammo.

"Down!" yelled Shadow, firing off three rounds as Amy hit the deck. The bullets flew unnervingly close to her ear before taking down a pair of commandoes who'd appeared at the bedroom doorway.
"We need to move."

"Ok, one second," said Amy, scrambling over to her wardrobe. Grabbing a blue backpack, she stuffed it with clothing before returning to her bedside.

"You sure?" said Shadow, eyeing Amy's left arm which was braced across her chest in support of her towel.

She nodded. "There'll be time later."

Impressed by the absence of doubt or fear in her voice, Shadow reluctantly accepted Amy's assistance in getting to his feet. With one arm over Amy's bare shoulders and a pistol in both hands, the unlikely duo inched slowly towards the doorway, ever vigilant of the next commando team's arrival. Leaving her patient to gather up the ammo as per his instructions, Amy put her head round the singed doorway, out into the hallway.

"Not good!" the pink hedgehog squeaked, pulling back just in time to avoid a shotgun blast.

"Where's the kitchen?" asked Shadow, stuffing the looted ammunition and spare pistol into Amy's backpack.

"At the end of the hallway," said Amy, studying the black hedgehog's face for any glimmer of hope.

"Think you can repeat what you did to those two?" asked Shadow, nodding toward the unconscious commandoes who'd destroyed the door.

"I... guess so," said Amy, understandably apprehensive about whether her luck would hold with the towel.

"Then we'll need a smoke grenade," said Shadow.

"You mean this?" asked the pink hedgehog, holding up a metal cylinder clearly marked with the letters S-M-O-K-E. Shadow felt himself almost smirk.

"Right, I'll throw this, and the second I start shooting, you make your run," explained Shadow, watching his hostess' face intently. Whilst noticeably shaken, and understandably so, he could detect not a hint of the panic or dread he would've expected.

"Okay," replied Amy with a firm nod.

And so, fuelled by the same reckless determination with which he'd thrown himself through that window the day before, Shadow hurled himself into the hallway. Tossing the smoke grenade, the hedgehog fired what bullets he had left by way of covering fire as bolted past him, dashing towards the smoke cloud at a pace that would've made Sonic take notice.

As his ammunition ran dry, Shadow could only watch as his guardian angel vanished into the smog. He heard no gunfire, which was positive, but then again, even the likes of GUN weren't stupid enough to risk killing their own men. Too bad that didn't extend to bystanders, not that she counted as such anymore. Just where had she learnt to fight like that anyway? If it was all under Bunnie's tutelage back in Knothole, he'd severely underestimated the Freedom Fighters.

Staggering to his feet, Shadow limped back into the bedroom, collecting the backpack and reloading his pistol before starting on the long march... well, hobble down the hallway, to see if their gamble had paid off. He took the fact he wasn't met with a shotgun blast as a good omen, secretly hoping his covering fire had brought about the demise of the commando who'd almost deprived Amy of her head.

By now, the thick smoke had thinned to more of a light haze, and as Shadow stepped over a commando who'd seemingly been felled by a hard blow between the legs, he could hear the trooper's earpiece crackling relentlessly. No one was making contact with mission control – this boded well.

Eventually coming to the kitchen door, or rather what remained of it, Shadow tossed the backpack in first as a precaution. Seeing it land without being riddled by bullets, the wounded hedgehog ventured inside, just in time to see Amy flooring her final adversary, an unmasked lioness, with a hard elbow to the face.

"Would you mind looking away?" said Amy, standing with her back to Shadow.

"Of course," said Shadow, hastily averting his gaze. So overcome he'd been with relief to see his hostess still standing, he'd failed to notice her towel had slipped. Holding a hand over his closed eyes to reassure her, the black hedgehog collapsed into the only chair to survive the brawl that'd taken place.

"You can look again," said Amy finally. Shadow removed his hand to see the same hedgehog who'd disappeared into a cloud of smoke barely two minutes ago, save for a scattering of bruises, and the Chaos Emerald she was cradling in her arms. Slinging the backpack over his shoulder, Shadow stood up.

"Where are we going?" asked Amy, well aware of what was coming.

"You'll see," was all Shadow said in reply, wary of the prying ears of beaten but not quite unconscious commandos. And with that, Shadow placed his hand on the Emerald.

Chaos Control!

From her position slumped on the floor, Sergeant Topaz watched as Amy and Shadow were engulfed by a blinding white light. Better luck next time, Hugo.

[Danish Ranger]

Inescapable Past
Part IV

Last thing Amy Rose remembered, she was standing in the trashed kitchen of her Station Square apartment, holding the hand of a wounded Shadow. Next thing she knew, she was lying in the neglected yard of some rundown house, in a neighbourhood dominated by dilapidated tower blocks. The glorious morning sun no longer hung in the sky, replaced instead by its lunar counterpart and the usual chorus of stars. Turning her head to the side, she found Shadow laying beside her, the Chaos Emerald still in his lap, his hand still clasping hers.

"Where are we?" asked the pink hedgehog.

"New Tek City," replied the black hedgehog. Amy blinked. In geographical terms, that meant they were as far away from Station Square as was physically possible. No wonder it was night.

"This dump one of your safehouses?" she queried.

"It has its uses," said Shadow, turning his head towards Amy and giving a faint smile.

"I bet," said Amy, smiling back. But as she held her companion's gaze, the pink hedgehog sensed something wasn't right. Shadow's eyelids were drooped, his blood-red eyes glazed and misty. Thing was, before GUN commandoes had blown up her front door, his vision had been fine, and even then, his aim had been unimpaired.

Sitting up, she moved to inspect his leg, and cursed. Blood was seeping from the bandage she'd applied. All that unassisted walking back in the apartment must have reopened the wound. Standing up, Amy ditched her backpack and bent down to heave Shadow off the floor. He proved to be far heavier on this occasion, a clear sign that his body was going into shock. She had to get inside and stop the bleeding, fast. If she didn't, whilst the wound wouldn't kill him, he would slip into a coma, and then it'd only be a matter of time before GUN found him.

Struggling towards the safehouse's front door, Amy kicked it off its rusted hinges when it refused to open of its own accord. Dragging the semi-conscious Shadow inside, the pink hedgehog cringed at the state of the 'interior design'; it was worse than her apartment, even after GUN's visit that morning. Lowering her de facto patient into a battered armchair, Amy dropped to her knees and rather unceremoniously tore off the blood-soaked bandage. Peeling back the similarly drenched dressing, she discovered her prognosis to be correct; crimson was practically spurting out of the circular bullet hole.

Looking around for something with which to cover the wound, Amy saw Shadow had dispensed with curtains in favour of boarding up the windows. Finding nothing to help stem the flow, it was after a moment's hesitation that Amy removed her towel and pressed it firmly against the black hedgehog's thigh. For several minutes, the pink hedgehog knelt there, hands clamped over the towel; her knees began to ache, and the cold night air coming in through the open doorway nipped at her bare body, but she stood firm until at last, the trickle of blood escaping down Shadow's leg and onto the floor finally ceased.

Her mission accomplished, Amy rested her head in Shadow's lap, understandably breathless. After a moment of silence, the sound of her patient's soft breathing reached Amy's ears. Despite how bitterly cold she now was, she couldn't help but smile. It was like when she'd grabbed onto Robotnik's airship at the EX Grand Prix, or when she'd laid flat that squad of commandoes. Despite the obvious dangers and ever-present risk of death, she'd found them naught but exhilarating. Maybe this whole adrenaline-fuelled lifestyle was for her, rather than the domestic fantasy she'd envisaged with Sonic.

Venturing out into the yard, Amy retrieved the Chaos Emerald and backpack. Leaving Shadow to rest a little longer before she spelled out what they had to do, she retreated to the bathroom upstairs to freshen up. Disposing of her bloodstained gloves, Amy sighed as she remembered the change of clothes she'd brought with her. In the heat of the moment, she hadn't considered the eventuality that there'd be more fighting to come, but now her sacked apartment was as good as off-limits, she'd just have to accept she would be fending off GUN in a scarlet dress.

Descending the rickety staircase, Amy was greeted by a conscious Shadow.

"How are you feeling?" asked the pink hedgehog, seating herself on the tattered couch opposite his armchair.

"Rhetorical question, right?" her patient replied, grunting in pain as he righted his posture.

"Look, your leg's going to need stitches," said Amy, getting straight to business. "Some morphine wouldn't hurt either."

"That might be a problem," said Shadow. Despite his fully-stocked arsenals of weaponry and gadgets, none of his safehouses or hideaways contained any medical supplies beyond rudimentary first aid kits - arrogant as it sounded, the hedgehog had simply never envisaged being in a situation where he might need them – a consequence of being known as the Ultimate Life Form his entire life.

"Well, I don't know how else to put this, but we need to get back to Station Square," said Amy.

"What, and let GUN try again at taking me out?" the black hedgehog retorted.

"C'mon, Shadow. Their headquarters are a hundred miles away, and their 'best' troops just got their asses kicked by a butt-naked twelve year-old!"

Shadow smirked; that he couldn't argue with. That said, a wounded ego hadn't stopped GUN from persisting in the past. Otherwise, they'd never have held back the Black Arms for so long.

Seeing she was dealing with the kind of stubbornness that seemed endemic in male hedgehogs, Amy got up off the couch, strode over to the battered armchair, leaned in and planted a kiss on Shadow's lips. Then, pulling away, she gazed intently into his blood-red eyes: "Shadow, you have to trust me on this."

Holding her gaze, the black hedgehog looked deeply into his guardian angel's harlequin-green eyes: "Then I guess you better get that Emerald."

Chaos Control!

Wary of any lingering GUN presence in the vicinity of Station Square, the duo teleported to where they'd met the day before. Then, leaving Shadow dozing in the battered armchair he'd somehow transported with him, Amy set off on the winding trail back towards town, en route to visit her old friend Vanilla, who had recently exchanged her picturesque cottage in the Emerald Hill for Station Square apartment.

In the wake of Robotnik's defeat, the Mobian education system had returned to life, and ever-mindful of her daughter's future, Vanilla wanted to Cream to have the best education she could. In a stroke of luck, the former Princess Sally had founded the Alicia Acorn Academy, named in honour of her mother, and the school had fast become the most prestigious institution on Mobius. Sally offered Cream free tuition, and Vanilla readily accepted. However, the rabbit's pride prevented her from accepting the same kind of charity herself.

So, in order to support herself and her daughter, Vanilla took her extensive knowledge of herbal remedies, amassed over three decades of rural living, and opened the Vanilla Clinic of Alternative Medicine. By using an independent pharmacist, Amy hoped to avoid being tracked by GUN, not that she or Shadow had any idea as to how they'd been found so easily that morning.

Turning down the street the clinic was on, Amy stopped in her tracks as she saw a figure matching the profile of Rotor emerge from the clinic, lifting a bed into the back of a pickup truck. Spurred on by curiosity, the pink hedgehog ran the rest of the way, discovering Hershey and Geoffrey St. John helping the walrus transfer his burden into the vehicle.

"I didn't know Vanilla was moving," remarked Amy, her arrival having gone unnoticed.

"Amy!" exclaimed Rotor, almost dropping the bed on Geoffrey. Dumping it in the back of the truck, he turned to face his old comrade.

"Why so surprised, guys?" asked the confused hedgehog, noting similar looks of surprise from his companions.

"We've been trying to get hold of you all morning. I stopped by your apartment earlier, but it was trashed. We were worried," replied Geoffrey.

"Why, what's going on?"

"It's Vanilla, Amy," said Rotor. "She's dying."

Amy blinked. This was going to complicate things. Considerably.

[Danish Ranger]

Inescapable Past
Part V

Station Square

Numbed in every sense of the word by Rotor's bombshell regarding Vanilla, Amy accepted Hershey's offer of a ride to Station Square General Hospital. As the cat steered the limousine into the parking lot, the pink hedgehog gazed up at the looming hospital building with a palpable sense of dread. She wasn't sure what was worse; the fact a dear friend was on her deathbed, or that she couldn't help but feel that she should be getting back to Shadow.

Following Hershey's lead through the hospital reception, Amy curtsied to a passing doctor who she'd grown up with in Knothole. Breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of the empty elevator, she pressed her back against the steel door as the doors rolled shut. Her eyes wondered to the elevator directory as the floor number illuminated: 'F20, ICU' – the Intensive Care Unit – Rotor wasn't exaggerating.

"When did all this start?" asked Amy.

"6:00 this morning. Me and Geoffrey brought Sally straight over," said Hershey, turning to face the pink hedgehog. Even though the Secret Service had officially disbanded when Sally abolished the monarchy, the cat and her husband had stayed on as their ex-sovereign's chauffeur and bodyguard respectively.

Jumping in surprise as the elevator's bell pinged, Amy took a deep breath before stepping out into the Intensive Care Unit's waiting room. Surveying the scene, she realized an impromptu reunion of the Knothole Freedom Fighters had taken place: Sally, Bunnie, Antoine, Elias, Big, even Espio was here. But there were some notable absences, too. No sign of any echidnas, although they couldn't exactly just pop down from the Angel Island at will. No Tails or Charmy either, both of them out at boarding school in Westopolis. But the most striking absence by far was Sonic.

"Amy!" squealed Cream from across the room, derailing the hedgehog's train of thought with a vengeance. The little rabbit came bounding across the waiting room, latching onto Amy's leg.

"Hey, sweetie," said Amy, ruffling the youngster's floppy ears.

"Where ya' been, Amy?" asked Cream, looking up at the pink hedgehog. The child's eyes were red and inflamed, no doubt from where she'd been crying. She was garbed in a white blouse and plaid skirt, her new school uniform.

"Just taking care of a few things," replied Amy, softly stroking the little rabbit's head-fur as she nuzzled her leg. Just seeing Cream in this state made the tears well in the hedgehog's eyes.

"Hey, darlin'," said Bunnie as she came over from where her and Cream had been sitting. Looking up, Amy acknowledged the recently-wedded Mrs. D'Coolette with a nod.

"So they finally found you," said Sally, coming over to join them after a brief conversation with Hershey.

"Sally, please tell me what's going on," said Amy, making eye contact with the former Princess. Noting the anxiety in the preteen's eyes, an exchange of glances led to Bunnie prizing Cream off the hedgehog's leg as the chipmunk gestured for her to follow her lead. Complying, Amy dared not look back as she walked away, scared of how the youngster might've taken her sudden departure.

Sally guided her out of the waiting room into the Intensive Care Unit proper. The constant bleeping of heart-rate monitors sent shivers down Amy's spine as they passed through wards of anesthetized patients, and she tried her utmost to avoid looking at the grave faces of relatives sitting by their loved ones' bedsides. She wasn't trying to distance herself from the grim reality of Vanilla's imminent death, but she'd endured a lot in the last 36 hours. Any other 12 year-old would've retreated into her mother's loving embrace by now, an option Robotnik had long since robbed her of.

Eventually, the two girls came to a corridor which was deserted, save for the familiar figure of Vector standing at the observation window of an isolation ward. They hurried to the crocodile's side.

"Vector, what's happened?" asked an anxious Sally. It was her understanding that the Chaotix head honcho would stay by his beloved's bedside until the end.

"Nicole told me to clear the room. She thinks she might have had a breakthrough," replied the brawny reptile. He didn't turn to look, his eyes transfixed by whatever lay beyond the observation window.

"A diagnosis?" the chipmunk queried. Vector nodded.

Peering into the isolation ward, Amy saw Vanilla lying prostrate in her hospital bed, hooked up to all manner of IVs and one of the dreaded heart-rate monitors. A rubber mask was fitted round the rabbit's mouth, attached to a life-support machine. Seeing the machine was operational, its mechanism pumping oxygen into Vanilla's lungs, the magnitude of the situation finally struck Amy. Whirling round, she threw her arms round Sally, burying her face in the nape of the chipmunk's neck. The hedgehog's shoulders quaked as she began to weep uncontrollably.

Taken by surprise, Sally quickly embraced Amy, stroking the girl's braided quills. Whispering words of comfort into the youngster's ear, she soon noticed a growing look of discomfort on Vector's face. He'd been at Vanilla's bedside since he and Espio had arrived; no doubt he was suppressing tears of his own. Taking pity on the croc, Sally began to edge the bawling hedgehog towards the door to the stairwell across the hall. Besides, she had a hunch there was something else, something more behind Amy's sudden breakdown.

Safely out of Vector's earshot, the chipmunk sat her young friend down on the nearest step. Kneeling, she took the preteen's head into her lap, and waited. In all, it took ten minutes for the flow of tears to stem. Sally eventually gave up imparting words of comfort, thinking it better to let Amy cry whatever it was out of her system in peace. She fully intended to ascertain where the hedgehog had been that morning, but only in due time.

"Sally?" said an almightily familiar voice. The former Princess looked round to see Nicole peering round a half-open door. Nodding, the chipmunk informed Amy they'd get something to eat in a few minutes before getting up and following the holographic lynx out into the ICU hallway.

"Sorry to interrupt, but you said to keep you posted," said Nicole, walking far enough to keep Vector from overhearing.

"That's okay. Vector said you may have hit a breakthrough," said Sally. The lynx nodded.

"I have. I ran Vanilla's blood sample through every medical database and I got match with a case from six years ago," explained Nicole. "Sally, its NIDS."

"NIDS?" blurted Sally. "But I thought anyone with NIDS barely made it past puberty."

"If they're born with it, but Vanilla hasn't had it her whole life. She acquired it."

"How?" queried Sally, furrowing her brow.

The lynx paused, glancing down at the floor: "That case six years ago. The patient was a rabbit."

"Vanilla's husband?" asked Sally. After a moment's hesitation, Nicole nodded.

The chipmunk's lapis-lazuli eyes involuntarily widened: "Does that mean Cream...?"

"I can't say," replied the hologram. "There's very little we know about NIDS. Most of Gerald Robotnik's data was lost years ago."

Sally nodded, grateful for the assurance: "Okay. I'm taking Amy downstairs to eat. Send Hershey if anything happens."

Nodding, the holographic lynx placed a consoling hand on her friend's shoulder, evoking a weak smile from the chipmunk. Nicole lingered a few moments longer, and then headed back to the isolation ward. Now alone, Sally took a moment to compose herself; whilst completely relevant, Nicole's revelation about Vanilla's NIDS was not welcome news. With her mother on her deathbed, custody of Cream would likely go to Sally and Bunnie, and for all the hardship and adversity she'd lived through, the former Princess wasn't quite sure how she'd cope with watching the little darling grow up, only to see her snatched away before she'd had a chance to live life.

Taking a deep breath, Sally fought back the tears. Others were depending on her. She returned to Amy, who whipped her head round in surprise at the clacking of Sally's boots on the concrete stairwell: "How're you feeling?"

"A little better," the pink hedgehog replied. Her eyes were scarlet and puffy, like Cream's had been.

"Let's go eat. We've got a lot to discuss."

[Danish Ranger]

Inescapable Past
Part VI

Station Square

In a quiet corner of Station Square General Hospital's canteen, Sally Acorn sat sipping a cup of coffee as opposite her, Amy Rose demolished yet another plate of spaghetti. The poor girl hadn't eaten since yesterday. The hedgehog's eyes were still reddened from where she'd broken down in tears upon seeing the fatally-ill Vanilla, but Sally wondered if Vanilla had been the cause of Amy's breakdown, or merely the trigger.

"So, you finally decided to ask him?" asked Sally as the pink hedgehog put down her plate. The former Princess couldn't help but smirk at the ensuing look of astonishment.

"But...how?" stuttered Amy, blindsided.

"Mina told me, before they left town," replied the chipmunk.

"Do those two still share everything?" sighed the pink hedgehog. She'd always thought if a guy and girl didn't get together, they'd never exchange words again. That was how Sonic and Sally had been since their break-up.

Sally nodded: "Ever since they got the new band together."

"When's the tour starting?"

"Last night, if memory serves," said the chipmunk, going to get another coffee.

Upon hearing her friend's reply, Amy was possessed by a sudden urge to bludgeon herself over the head; so that's where Sonic was! After Robotnik's deposal, Mina Mongoose had expressed interest in a celebratory world tour. By some minor miracle, Mobius' premier diva had persuaded Sonic and Ash, her manager and boyfriend, to reconcile. Then, enlisting the talents of Sonic's estranged siblings; the Forget Me Knots announced their comeback tour. Perhaps it was the last-minute preparations that'd prevented her former idol from talking things out with her yesterday afternoon. Maybe.

"Right then, missy, where were you this morning?" asked Sally as she returned, interrupting Amy's pondering.

"In town, at Vanilla's pharmacy," replied Amy, caught off-guard.

"Well yeah, but that doesn't explain the bullet-riddled walls and no front door. Geoffrey told me everything."

"Has he told anyone else?" queried the pink hedgehog, trying in vain to mask a newfound anxiety.

"Tell me why he shouldn't, and we can be sure no one ever knows."

Amy squirmed uncomfortably in her seat as Sally delivered her ultimatum. She'd never been good at lying, not since claiming she was Sonic's girlfriend has gotten her abducted by Robotnik. Few childhood lessons were harder learnt. And even when she did lie, no one older than ten would be naive enough to believe her; even Big was immune. Determined to let no one she didn't totally trust know about Shadow's predicament, her only viable option was to tell Sally the truth, so she did; the whole story, from her visit to Sonic's penthouse to the chance encounter on the cliff-top, to her brush with death earlier that morning. All she omitted was her kissing of Shadow.

"So, you were heading to Vanilla's for supplies?" asked Sally.

"Before Rotor saw me, yeah," nodded Amy.

"Okay," said Sally, swilling her coffee. "Nicole might be able to help out there."

The youngster blinked in surprise: "She would do that?"

"Nicole will do anything I ask her," said Sally, smiling. "Had you thought about recruiting some help?"

Amy shook her head. Given Shadow's distrust of almost everything, she'd assumed the two of them would be on their own: "Is there anyone?"

"You saw Espio upstairs, right? He came with Vector at the crack of dawn, but he's not moved from that window since Nicole told us she wouldn't make it."

Amy bobbed her head as she listened. Espio and Shadow had history; the chameleon had been aboard ARK during the final stages of the Black Arms invasion, and it was no secret how tiresome Espio found the life of a private detective. If the prospect of reuniting with Shadow didn't sway him, perhaps the promise of some action would: "Oh, what did Nicole want earlier?"

Now it was Sally's turn to be blindsided. Like Amy with Shadow's predicament, she hadn't planned on spreading the word of Vanilla's NIDS, mainly to prevent speculation over Cream possibly having it. In light of the current situation, the little bunny deserved to be spared further upset until Nicole knew for certain: "It was about Vanilla. She's dying from NIDS."

Amy's eyes involuntarily widened, just as Sally's had done: "Does that mean-?"

"Cream? We don't know."

"Highness!" called a voice from across the canteen, disrupting the sombre exchange. Sally's head whipped to the side; it was Geoffrey. The two girls vacated their seats so quickly, it fell upon the skunk to apologize to the doctor they almost trampled on their way out the door.

Dashing headlong up the winding stairwell, Sally and Amy arrived back in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit find all Vanilla's visitors, with the exception of Espio, congregated at the observation window of Vanilla's room. To Sally's surprise, Vector was standing apart from the gaggle, sat hunched in a chair carried through from the waiting room, apparently being comforted by Rotor and Big. But then the chipmunk noticed an orderly sweeping something up as a feline in janitors' overalls put yellow hazard tape over a hole in the wall. The size of the hole seemed consistent with...Vector's fist.

"Think it's over?" whispered Amy, her voice a little shaky. Sighing, Sally nodded. All signs pointed to the conclusion that Vanilla had at last passed on.

"Sally?" murmured a voice nearby. Stood outside the door to Vanilla's room, located round the corner from the window, was Nicole beckoning for the chipmunk to follow her somewhere less public.

Shooting the lynx a nod, the former Princess pondered whether to let Amy listen in. On one hand, it could a discussion regarding what to do with Vanilla's remains, but it could just as easily be confirmation that Cream tested positive for NIDS. Wary of overloading the already-stretched preteen, Sally made her decision: "Go talk to Espio, Amy. We'll come find you in a minute."

Nodding her understanding, the pink hedgehog took an alternative route back to the ICU waiting room, unable to bear the thought of setting eyes on the late Vanilla; seeing her alive had been bad enough, and there was a limit to how long she could keep Shadow waiting. Grieving would have to wait. Arriving at the deserted waiting room, she discovered Espio leant against the wall, arms folded, gazing sullenly out the window, just as Sally had described.

"You not joining them either?" asked Amy as she approached the chameleon.

Espio looked round to see who was addressing him before looking away again: "Vector would prefer it if I didn't see him like this."

"He always was a tough guy, huh?"

The chameleon's head whipped round suddenly, his golden eyes glaring directly at the hedgehog: "Crocodiles are a very proud race. Showing their emotions in the presence of family and strangers, but in front of his brothers-in-arms, it is seen as a sign of great weakness."

"Oh, sorry..." uttered Amy sheepishly, certain she'd offended the ninja. Not the greatest note to get started on.

"Why are you out here, anyway? I was led to believe you're a friend of Vanilla's," queried Espio, his gaze drifting once again to the window.

"Well, this is mega crappy timing, but I need to ask a favour, Espio," the pink hedgehog began. "It's about Shadow."

"I'm listening."

And so, Amy proceeded to give a streamlined account of possibly the most tumultuous 24 hours of her life, making sure to filter out any details not of interest to the chameleon. She and Espio had never really been more than acquaintances. During the war, the Chaotix Crew's visits to Knothole had been few and far between, and there had seldom been cause for the ninja to speak with the boisterous little girl.

"So you've ended up playing nursemaid after the old hard nut got himself shot?" asked Espio, deftly summarising Amy's tale.

"Basically."

"Sounds priceless. I'm in."

"Thank you," said a jubilant Amy, bowing her head and curtsying to the chameleon. Rosie's lessons in court etiquette, although no longer relevant in the absence of the monarchy, had left an indelible mark.

"Amy?" called Sally, heralding her return to the waiting room. Spinning on her heel, the hedgehog went to join the former Princess, who was flanked by Hershey and Nicole.

"We put this together for you," said Nicole, placing a white duffel bag marked with a red cross at Amy's feet. She curtsied in gratitude.

"Look, I just spoke with the hospital's Chief of Staff. Hershey's going to give you two a ride in the helicopter we donated," explained Sally, running a hand through the youngster's braided quills. "And by the way, when this is all over, we'd be happy to have you at the Academy."

"Would I have to wear plaid?" asked Amy, almost wincing at the thought.

"No exceptions, I'm afraid. Even for lifesavers," replied the chipmunk, embracing the preteen hedgehog. "Now go get 'em."

Breaking the embrace, Amy Rose gave her former sovereign a parting curtsy before grabbing the duffel bag and following Hershey and Espio up to the helipad. Watching her go, Sally couldn't help smiling. After four years of waiting, she was at last getting a taste of the sort of action she'd yearned for, rather than simply helping others save the day. Amy Rose had finally blossomed.

"Did you tell her?" asked Nicole once the trio had disappeared.

"About Cream?" said Sally, turning to face the lynx.

The hologram shook her head: "No. Him."

"Don't you think she has enough on her mind?" countered the former Princess.

"If you say so," said Nicole, turning and heading back into the ICU.

Alone, Sally collapsed into the nearest chair. She was hard-pressed to think of a day during the war that had rivalled this one in terms of stress. On top of assembling the Freedom Fighters, taking turns consoling Cream, and sidelining her own grief as she comforted others, she'd had to keep Amy's spirits up whilst withholding information that could've been catastrophic for their friendship.

The reason why Sonic had been so snappy with Amy on the doorstep of his penthouse was because in his bedroom, Sally had patiently awaited his return. The night before, the St. Johns had smuggled the chipmunk in, as per the hero of Mobius' invitation, whereupon the childhood sweethearts had reconciled. Sonic and Sally were together again.

This post has been edited by Danish Ranger: 08 January 2011 - 07:33 AM

[Danish Ranger]

Inescapable Past
Part VII

For the second time in less than 24 hours, Shadow awoke to the blinding light of a rising sun. Giving his eyes a moment to adjust, the black hedgehog sat up in bed and glanced around, taking stock of his surroundings. He was in the upstairs bedroom of his New Tek City safehouse. The walls were covered with racks of guns, mostly gathered during the Black Arms invasion when the house had served as Shadow's main point of refuge – New Tek's remoteness from other Mobian cities made it a low priority for invaders.

Lying back down on his bed, it was only then he noticed Amy curled up beside him, sound asleep under the same blanket. Shadow smiled, glad to see his guardian angel had finally found time to rest. Given the state of his injuries at the time, the black hedgehog had only a hazy recollection of events since teleporting from Amy's apartment. Last he remembered, he'd been dozing in an armchair outside Station Square, semiconscious from blood loss, when a helicopter had roared into view. The hedgehog's grasp on his concealed pistol had only loosened once he'd seen Amy jump down from the hovering aircraft, accompanied by someone with skin a distinctly darker shade of pink.

"Morning," said Shadow as the pink hedgehog stirred, no doubt roused by the intrusive sunlight. He rolled onto his side, propping his head up on his hand.

"Hey," said Amy, yawning as she rubbed her eyes.

"Sleep well?" asked the black hedgehog

"I guess," she replied, still rubbing her eyes. She was a little surprised she'd slept at all, after the trauma of her impromptu hospital visit. "I did your leg, by the way."

Shadow blinked, noticing the absence of pain for the first time. Lifting the blanket, he saw his thigh had been freshly bandaged. A moment later, he glimpsed something that made him swiftly lower it again: "I could've sworn you were wearing clothes."

Amy giggled: "Things got a little 'messy' when we were stitching your leg. Espio's washing the dress for me."

Shadow nodded: "How did he end up here?"

"It's...kind of a long story," said Amy, nibbling her bottom lip.

"I don't see myself going anywhere," urged the black hedgehog.

Taking a deep breath, she proceeded to recount the events of her brief visit to Station Square: the encounter with Rotor outside Vanilla's pharmacy, the ensuing limousine ride, and her unexpected reunion with the Knothole Freedom Fighters. When she came to the subject of Vanilla, the pink hedgehog faltered. Tears welling in her eyes, Amy bit hard on her lower lip as she fought to keep from sobbing. Looking on, Shadow found himself compelled to place a consolatory arm around the youngster, pulling her closer as she sniffled.

"What happened to Vanilla?" he asked, pressing Amy's face to his chest.

"She died," said Amy, her harlequin-green eyes glistening with tears as she peered up at him.

Nodding, the black hedgehog pressed the preteen's face back into his white chest-fur, softly stroking her braided quills as she sobbed. He'd get his explanation from Espio instead: "Now, how about we go see how our ninja laundry-lady is getting on?"

"That'd be cool," replied the pink hedgehog, sniffling back more tears as she wiped her eyes on his brilliantly soft chest-fur. Looking down, Shadow was relieved to see the makings of a smirk on the youngster's visage. Allowing Amy a moment to compose herself, Shadow walked over to the nearest weapons rack, no longer limping thanks to the power of morphine. He reached down a pistol, in case of emergency: "Shall we?" said Amy.

Shadow turned round to find Amy wearing a new makeshift garment, this time fashioned out of the bed's blanket. It was no less revealing than the towel had been, but she seemed happy enough with it. With Shadow leading the way downstairs, the spiny duo exited the

"Still alive, then?" said Espio, prompted to look up by the creaking staircase.

"Only thanks to a certain someone," said Shadow, lowering himself into his battered armchair, unbothered by the still-damp bloodstains. Mussed fur and a bloodied bandage was a small price to pay for the comfort it afforded him.

"I'll say," said the chameleon, giving Amy an acknowledging nod as she came to perch on the battered chair's armrest.

"What've you been doing?" asked Amy, noticing a selection of knives spread out on the coffee table situated between the armchair and sofa.

"Improvising," replied Espio, holding up the whetstone upon which he'd been sharpening the blades he'd looted from the safehouse's kitchen. He'd sooner have brought his own trusty shuriken along, but Shadow's condition had allowed time for the helicopter to stop by Chaotix HQ.

"Tell me, how did she talk you into this?" asked Shadow, placing his pistol on the coffee table.

Espio chuckled: "She told me the mighty Shadow, self-proclaimed Ultimate Life Form, was somehow in mortal danger. Figured it'd be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I signed up."

"That simple, huh?" said Shadow dryly. It was nice to see someone's sense of humour intact.

"You'd be surprised what too many suspicious husbands can drive you to."

Amy smirked: Sally had been right about the detective thing. Allowing her gaze to wander, she caught sight of her dress draped over one of the wooden boards covering the windows, drying in the sun. Looking back to Espio with a view to thanking him, she stopped short as she spied a red dot hovering on the chameleon's golden horn: "Espio!"

Last thing Amy saw was the sofa's middle cushion explode in a cloud of feathers before Shadow pushed her clean off the armrest. Landing hard on her back, the youngster paused as she glanced back and forth between the safehouse's front door and black hedgehog beckoning furiously for her to join him behind the armchair. If memory served, GUN commandoes were liable to come rushing in any second. Better she was in a position where she could go some good, especially with Espio's survival in question. Sacrificing modesty in favour of freedom of movement, Amy discarded the blanket as she inched her way across the living room.

Seeing Amy had other ideas, Shadow's mind turned retrieving his pistol as the sniper fire continued to lay waste to the living room furniture. Counting the seconds between shots, the hedgehog dived out from behind the armchair, snatching his firearm off the coffee table before it was reduced to splinters by the next gunshot. Utilizing his hover skates to escape the sniper's crosshairs, Shadow had no time to try and ascertain the fate of Espio. What reason could GUN have targeting his allies first? Probably the same one that'd seen his motorbike made a target before he was.

Meanwhile, Amy was in position, stood with her back pressed against the wall, poised to ambush the commandoes the very second they entered. It was only as the sniper's bombardment ceased that she noticed the door's hinges; in her current position, any forced entry would result in the hedgehog being crushed. Hurriedly rectifying the problem, she was suddenly struck by a beam of light that launched her across the room.

Watching as the youngster's limp body crashed into the living room's back wall, Shadow broke cover, levelling his pistol at the front door as he moved to shield the fallen Amy from any follow-up attack. As he'd expected, the door exploded, tossing up a cloud of dust and splinters, but as the first intruder emerged through the haze, Shadow's finger hesitated on the trigger. The intruder was no GUN commando. It was Emerl.

Shaking off his initial shock, Shadow duly opened fire, looking on despairingly as the bullets pinged harmlessly off the Gizoid's steely hide. Unfazed by the gunshots, Emerl stood his ground until at last a dull click signalled the end of Shadow's salvo. His bulbous blue orbs illuminating, the robot leaned forward before descending into a headlong charge towards the black hedgehog. However, Shadow stood his ground, fearing that if he did, Amy would be trampled as the Gizoid overran. Dropping his pistol, he closed his eyes and braced for impact, but it never came. Opening his eyes, he saw Emerl lying prostrate amongst the remnants his battered armchair.

"She still breathing?" asked Espio as he materialized in front of the hedgehog.

Pressing two fingers to her neck, sighing with relief as he noted a pulse: "She's alive."

"Then get her upstairs," said the chameleon, cracking his knuckles as he moved to engage the upright Gizoid. Meanwhile, taking Espio's advice, Shadow took Amy in his arms and fired his hover skates. In a flash, they were back in the bedroom. There, he laid the pink hedgehog upon the bed, looking around in vain for something with which to cover her. Alas, he'd never been one of curtains.

Taking solace in the fact his guardian angel was safe for the time being, Shadow went to help Espio in his ongoing brawl against Emerl, but midway across the bedroom, he was knocked off his feet by some unseen force. Lying flat on his back, he looked up to see a pair of glowing magenta eyes glaring down at him, as around, a dark figure materialized. Rolling over to avoid an axe kick, the floored Shadow watched as the floorboards cracked under his assailant's heel. Punching out at the newcomer's ankle, the black hedgehog seized the opportunity to scoot back a safe distance and hopefully get a better look at this ally of Emerl's.

Retreating instinctively in the direction of Amy's bedside, Shadow got to his feet and looked over his opponent. They were evidently female, as denoted by the shape of the figure's chest, emphasized no end by her form-hugging bodysuit. The outfit was resemblant of a GUN commando's tactical wear, but any chances of her being a GUN operative were dispelled by the horned shape of their helmet, not to mention the silver bangles around her wrist. Like Emerl, there was no way of telling who they were working for. The sniper implied GUN involvement, but there were other hotshots on Mobius.

Such thoughts were set aside as his opponent, now back on her feet, brandished a pair of short swords. Shadow glanced over his shoulder, at the katana he'd acquired during the Black Arms invasion, stowed above his bedroom's window for ornamental purposes. Keeping his eyes fixed on his assailant, the hedgehog carefully stepped over the unconscious Amy as he retrieved the sword. Pulling it from its sheath, Shadow clasped the hilt with both hands, holding the blade out in front of him. In what could've been construed as an attempt to distract her opponent, his assailant removed her helmet, allowing a head of peach dreadlocks to drape down to her shoulders.

Whether it was or wasn't, it worked regardless. As Shadow was left wondering if he was fighting a resurrected Tikal, the unmasked echidna seized the initiative, forcing the hedgehog into a series of defensive parries as she unleashed a flurry of cuts and thrusts as she spun in circles. Eventually she relented, but not before they'd reached the other side of the room. In the brief moment of respite, Shadow snatched a pistol off the wall-mounted weapons rack. Given the point-blank range, there was no way he should've missed, but the hedgehog was left questioning his own marksmanship as the echidna dodged every bullet in a series of cartwheels and back-flips.

Again separated, the two combatants stared each other down as they closed in on each other. In the background, the muffled thumps and crashes of Espio and Emerl could still be heard. Shadow afforded himself a smirk; what a sucker the chameleon had been to volunteer for this. Then, egged on by a sudden twinge in his wounded thigh, Shadow went on the offensive, swinging his katana in a downward arc. Normally, such a move would've cleaved a blade and anyone wielding it in two, but the echidna's short swords somehow endured the impact.

With Shadow knocked off-balance by her successful block, it was unnervingly simple for his opponent to circle round and slice across the backs of his knees. Any effects of the morphine now null and void, the black hedgehog roared out in pain as he landed hard on his knees. Wincing as the echidna nicked his wrist to force the katana from his hand, Shadow was left with his head bowed in defeat, clasping his bleeding arm as he felt the cold steel of his opponent's short swords come to rest on both his shoulders.

So, this was how six decades of constant struggle would end; through decapitation at the hands of someone he knew neither the name nor loyalties of. Presumably she was in GUN's employ, but given her resemblance to Tikal, he would've liked to have known more. Though in a way, he was somewhat relieved. At least this way, Amy wouldn't have to die as Maria had done - protecting him.

"I must say, I expected better," said the echidna as her grip on her blades tightened.

"Don't you fucking dare!" yelled Amy, pressing a pistol against the back of the would-be executioner's head. The echidna froze, her blades still tensed against Shadow's neck.

"Shade, stand down," called a voice suddenly, seemingly from downstairs. As the sound of the creaking staircase confirmed that someone was coming, three heads turned as one towards the bedroom door as Jet stepped in.

"How did you know?" asked Shade, immediately sheathing her swords. Meanwhile, Amy dropped the pistol into Shadow's lap as she knelt behind him; partly to preserve her modesty, but mainly to wrap her arms around her apparent protector.

"Fang's been watching the whole thing," said the hawk, pointing to a red dot hovering on the echidna's chest.

"And he didn't think to help?"

"You know that's not how we do business," said Jet, beckoning for Shade to come away from the two hedgehogs, for her own safety as much as anything. As she did so, the hawk's blue eyes turned to Amy and Shadow. "I think I owe you an apology."

"Might be understating that," growled Amy, glaring at Jet as if looks could kill.

Jet smirked: "Rouge neglected to mention you'd acquired, err, 'bodyguards'."

"Wait, you thought it'd take a sniper, Emerl and a ninja to take out Shadow?" blurted Amy.

"I'm a businessman, kid, I like to be thorough. If I'd known you and Espio were in on this, I would've called out Destructix."

"I'm flattered," muttered Shadow, starting to feel the effects of blood loss once again.

"Anyway, you have my apologies. It's nothing personal, but if knew how bad your last brush with GUN was for our profits, you'd understand," explained the hawk, ushering Shade out the door.

"Whatever," said the black hedgehog

"And Fang says to put some clothes on the girl. She's a little young," said Jet, narrowly escaping with his life as Shadow made use of the gun Amy had used to threaten Shade.

"We deserved that one," they heard Jet tell Fang over the com-link as he descended the staircase.

"Do you not mind people seeing you or something?" queried Shadow, peering up his guardian angel in whose lap his head was resting.

The pink hedgehog giggled: "Only when there's more important stuff happening."

"Still, would you mind? Fang does have a point."

"Yeah, but I trust you," said Amy, smiling as she leaned in to engage the Ultimate Life Form in a kiss. She'd patch him up in a minute.

[Danish Ranger]

Inescapable Past
Part VIII

Midday in New Tek City, and the clouds had rolled in; situated in the opposite hemisphere to Station Square, the local climate was making the damp and oftentimes icy transition from autumn to winter. This boded ill for the occupants of Shadow's safehouse, which now lacked most of its doors and windows in the wake of the raid by Jet's squad of assassins, not that Amy Rose had had time to ponder these new circumstances just yet. The youngster was back on nurse detail already, treating and dressing the wounds Shadow had sustained in his swordfight with the mysterious Shade. They were nowhere as severe as his gunshot wound, but it was unlikely he'd be walking unsupported for some time.

Meanwhile, Shadow lay in silence, his mind distracted by other things; specifically, something Jet had said about Rouge's failure to mention he had Amy and Espio with him. He had heard stories of how the hawk had risen to the pinnacle of the Mobian business world, empowered by the riches the Rogues had acquired after the EX Grand Prix – for the kid, the whole 'hired killer' thing was just his twisted idea of fun – the real question was, who'd paid Jet and his posse? With her personal fortune, composed of mainly of stolen jewels, and her past links to GUN, Rouge was an unsettlingly plausible suspect.

The only factor working against Shadow's theory was two days ago in Metropolis City, when she'd saved his life after GUN's ambush by kicking him the Chaos Emerald he'd been getting around with. He couldn't deny he would be dead if wasn't for her, but for all he knew, it was just Rouge's way of clearing her conscience, paying him back for the time he saved her from GUN's island base. If she were the mastermind of this vendetta, it would've made more sense to have killed him then, but the bat had always enjoyed a good chase; just look at her history with Knuckles, although Julie-Su had since put a stop to that.

"Still breathing, are we?" said Espio, appearing in the bedroom's doorway. The interruption took Shadow by surprise, who'd been so deep in thought, he hadn't even heard the stairs creak.

"More or less," replied Amy, turning her attention to the cut on her patient's wrist.

"Where've you been?" asked the black hedgehog. They hadn't seen the chameleon since Jet's departure.

"Sifting through debris – bad news I'm afraid," said Espio, holding up the tattered remains of Amy's red dress. It'd been draped across one of the wooden boards covering the lounge's windows when one of Fang's bullets had blasted through it.

"I know where we can get some more," said the pink hedgehog, looking over her shoulder and simply shrugging.

"Very well," said the chameleon, glad he'd stopped short of offering to repair it for her. His golden eyes turned to the prostrate hedgehog: "Do we have any plans on relocating?"

"Why?" asked Shadow, flinching as Amy applied the antiseptic.

"Our position's been comprised, it'll be damn cold without a front door, and Amy's the only one who's not injured," replied Espio, pointing out the myriad scrapes and bruises he'd picked up in his fight with Emerl.

"If I thought it would make the blindest bit of difference," said the black hedgehog. "But they've got some way of tracking me wherever I go."

"You sure it's not that Emerald they're tracking?" said Espio.

"If it was, would you suggest we walk to the next hideaway?" countered Shadow wryly.

"Just a thought," said the chameleon, raising his hands in mock-surrender. Helping himself to a handful of band-aids from the medical bag, he turned to leave: "I'll be downstairs."

"Think he's gone to sulk?" asked Amy, finishing the dressing.

Shadow smirked: "I doubt it. Moving somewhere else would be a perfectly logical move."

"But logic went out the window when my front door blew up?"

"Precisely," said her patient, sitting up. "So, where are these new clothes coming from?"

"Sally's opened a school in Station Square. I figure she'd let me take a uniform or something."

"You're enrolled?"

Amy shook her head: "Not yet, anyway. Sally offered me a place while I was at the hospital. Once this is all over, that is."

"Think you might take her up on it?"

"I don't know," said the youngster, shrugging.

"Well, I think you should," said Shadow, brushing a stray braided quill out of her eyes.

"Really?" queried Amy, looking up at him in surprise, but before they could say any more, a loud thump resonated from downstairs. The preteen's harlequin-green eyes glanced towards the door, then back at Shadow: "Think that was Espio?"

"Only one way to find out," said the black hedgehog, pulling a pistol out from under his pillow; a strictly temporary measure, he hoped. Deactivating the safety, he placed it in his guardian angel's hands. Although the noise could quite easily have been their ninja companion moving some furniture, he wasn't taking any chances – another intruder had managed to get the drop on Espio, Amy's martial arts would be next to useless.

Giving Shadow a firm nod, the pink hedgehog took to her feet, clasping the firearm in both hands as she proceeded towards the door, blowing her bedbound friend a kiss before walking slowly towards the stairs and out of sight. Lying flat on his back once more, the Ultimate Life Form took a deep breath to calm his nerves and listened intently. For anything.

"Still alive, baby?" uttered a voice from across the room, prompting Shadow to sit bolt upright, his blood-red eyes wide open. Rouge was sat perched on his windowsill, a gleaming steel revolver in her hand. She was dressed differently from usual, her oft-flaunted bust completely covered by a black jumpsuit and trenchcoat.

"Why, you here to finish me off?"

"Excuse me?" said the bat, furrowing her brow.

"You hired Jet and his posse, no?"

"Ah, he told you," said Rouge, putting down her revolver. "There is slightly more to it than that."

"Like what?"

"I've been keeping you alive."

"With the Emerald?"

"Amongst other things."

"Such as?"

"Do you really a professional sniper would waste three shots on immobilizing you when he had a clear headshot?" asked the bat.

"Didn't Fang just do that?" countered Shadow.

"We aren't sure why he was gunning for Espio either," she conceded, "But my point is, Topaz was the one who took out your bike."

"And Topaz is...?"

"My GUN liaison, and the officer leading the operation to take you out at the time."

"She sabotaged her own operation?"

"She has her reasons."

"Like her friendship to you?"

"Hardly. She just misses her old boss."

"Wait, the old man's stepped down?"

Rouge nodded: "Why else do you think GUN would be after you again?"

"They've always been a bit erratic like that," replied Shadow, shrugging. "Anyway, how have they been finding us so quickly?"

"Us, huh?" smirked Rouge as she reached into her trenchcoat, pulling out what looked like a cellphone from her trenchcoat and tossing it to the hedgehog. The device's screen displayed a map of New Tek City, with a red dot flashing in the map's northwest, marking the exact location of the safehouse.

"How the hell does this work?" asked Shadow, his eyes widened in alarm.

"Well, GUN thinks it's programmed to locate anything with your DNA signature," replied the bat, slipping off the windowsill and walking towards where Amy had stowed the Chaos Emerald, "But it's really just one of the Emerald trackers Tails developed."

"And how did GUN get ahold of this?"

"Well, don't shoot me for it," said Rouge, turning to face her unexpected host, "But I gave it to them."

"And why the hell did you do that?" growled Shadow, suddenly regretting sending Amy off with the pistol from under his pillow.

"Because if I hadn't, I would probably be dead by now," she replied, meeting Shadow's burning glare with a look of defiance.

"I always thought you were the old man's pet agent."

"That's just it. The old man quit the minute we had Robotnik in custody; the new kid's got something against intelligence agents."

"Can you blame him?" remarked the hedgehog, throwing her the Emerald locator. He saw no reason to hold onto it.

"Yeah, well, I still saved your life," said Rouge, pocketing the device, "Things are out of our hands now anyway; the impatient little bastard's taking the reins."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning you have to settle this ridiculous feud before he sends the entire organization out looking for you."

"I guess that would be inconvenient for you," said Shadow, provoking a malevolent glance from the bat as she rummaged inside her trenchcoat. Producing a folded scrap of paper, she threw the hedgehog it.

"Go there. It's where I've been hiding Omega," said Rouge.

"He survived the purges?" asked the hedgehog, unfolding the scrap of paper to reveal a section of a map of the Emerald Hill, a particular spot circled with black marker.

"Barely; an old friend's been fixing him up," she replied, returning to her point of entry. Hoisting herself onto the windowsill, Rouge looked back at him: "We'd best be going. Good luck, babe."

"Drop dead," muttered Shadow, showing the bat his middle finger as she took flight. Suddenly remembering Amy's absence, he breathed a Herculean sigh of relief at the sound of the stairs creaking. A moment later, his guardian angel appeared at the bedroom door, still clothed but without the pistol.

"What just happened?" asked the youngster, sitting down beside Shadow.

"Rouge's idea of a social call," he replied. "What about you?"

"Standing against a wall with a gun to my head," said Amy. "I think they had whiskers."

"Well, you're still breathing at least. Is Espio?"

The pink hedgehog nodded: "Just tranquilized is all. Still unconscious, though."

"Shame, we're relocating in a few hours," said Shadow, showing her the map.

"I think that's where Tails' workshop used to be."

"Glad someone knows where we're going," said the black hedgehog. "We'll stop by that school on the way."

"Wait, you know that means you'll have to meet Sally, right?"

Shadow shrugged: "Well, if they're anything like you, what have I got to worry about?"

[Danish Ranger]

Inescapable Past
Part IX

In a leafy suburb of Station Square, a chiming bell pierced the quiet morning air, signalling the start of another day at the Alicia Acorn Academy. For the principal Sally Acorn, it was business as usual, despite yesterday's tragedy – alas, Vanilla hadn't quite garnered the level of recognition that would justify closing the school for the day – her students' parents paid a lot of money for the tuition she provided. She had of course given Cream the day off, to give her chance to adjust to her new living arrangements as much as anything. Upon leaving the hospital last night, Sally and Bunnie had agreed it would be better for the newly-orphaned rabbit to move in with the D'Coolettes; not only was Bunnie's schedule far less hectic, but it was felt her and Antoine's uptown apartment was closer to the modest surroundings Cream was used to, compared to Sally's newly-built mansion on the city outskirts.

With Hershey and Geoffrey helping Rotor close up Vanilla's pharmacy, and Nicole busy making the arrangements for their departed friend's funeral, Sally had to drive herself to work for once. It was first time she'd driven her own limousine, which was specially armoured to protect the former Princess from attacks by Robotnik loyalists. Such a fate had befallen her elder brother Elias, who still lay in a coma in a Westopolis hospital; one less person to whom the chipmunk could turn in troubled times, and by God did she need someone right now. Unsurprisingly, she hadn't slept much last night, and in her restless state, her first impulse had been to call Sonic, which was a non-starter at the moment. The hedgehog would've either been onstage or partying until dawn, as was habit with her lover nowadays. Alright for some.

Climbing the steps of the Academy's palatial main building, built to resemble old Castle Acorn, Sally navigated her way between huddles of chattering students en route to her office. All were decked out in school uniform, which brought her mind back to Cream. Sally had decided she would only excuse the child from lessons until the day after her mother's burial; the former Princess knew better than most that the best way to recover from a loss as heavy as that of one's parents was to get back in the saddle as quickly as possible. She realized some of her old comrades might think the decision a little draconian, but she had the benefit of experience on her side, having been of similar age to the rabbit when she herself was orphaned.

Arriving at the door marked 'Principal' by a brass plaque, Sally breathed a small sigh of relief; she could finally drop the faint smile. Entering her office lobby, the chipmunk got the surprise of her life as she discovered Espio sitting behind the secretary's desk normally reserved for Nicole.

"Good morning, Miss Acorn," said the chameleon with a wry smile.

"I imagine there's an explanation behind this," said Sally, decidedly unamused.

"In due time," said Espio. "How's Vector doing?"

"Can't honestly say. Hasn't put his fist through any more walls, though," she replied. "He's staying in one of my guestrooms for the moment. Big's volunteered to watch him."

"Thank you," said the chameleon. The news was a load off his mind. "Care to take peep inside your office?"

Raising an eyebrow, Sally cautiously approached the door of her office proper. She paused momentarily as the glint of a Chaos Emerald resting on a row of filing cabinets caught her eye; at least she wouldn't have to worry about any broken windows. Pushing open the door, which was already ajar, she was met with the sight of Shadow and Amy entwined in one another's embrace, fast asleep in the leatherback chair behind her desk. Well, at least someone was sleeping okay. Deciding against waking the pair prematurely, she stepped back out into lobby and turned to face Espio once again: "So, about that explanation."

"What do you want to know?"

"Why you felt compelled to take shelter in a school of all places," said Sally, sitting down in the chair on the opposite side of the secretary's desk. As if it wasn't blindingly obvious.

"We'd gotten into a few scrapes, the kid's short on clothes, and Shadow's place in New Tek isn't really up to dealing with the cold anymore."

"Amy's short on clothes? She was dressed fine when you left yesterday."

"Well yes, but Shadow's blood and a sniper sort of conspired against us on that one."

"So she's been running round naked?"

"Pretty much."

"Ok then," said Sally, frowning as she realized the truth behind the blanket she'd seen covering Amy; she and Shadow were going to have words.

"Was there anything else?" asked Espio. The chipmunk shook her head.

"That should about cover it for now," she said, gazing up at the clock hanging on the wall behind the chameleon. 7:59 it read: any second now...

Right on cue, the deafening cacophony of bells ringing throughout the school sounded. Barely a minute later, Amy appeared at the half-open office door. Her face lit up upon seeing Sally: "Hey!"

The pink hedgehog scooted over to embrace her friend, taking care to ensure her makeshift garment didn't quit on her again. Returning the hug, Sally pressed the youngster's head against her shoulder, softly stroking her braided quills. She cringed as she felt how knotted they'd become: "How're you doing, sweetie?"

"Cold," replied Amy, stepping out of the embrace. She wasn't exactly in need of being patronized at the moment.

"I can see why," said Sally. "Espio tells me you thought I could help out with that."

"Well, I was wondering if I could kinda' pick up that school uniform early?"

"I guess it couldn't hurt. Go out that door and to the other end of the hallway, then knock on the door marked 'Vice Principal'. Rosie will see you right," said the chipmunk, smirking as the youngster dashed out the door. Did that mean she'd decided to take her up on her offer? She hoped so, but there were more pressing matters to deal with at the moment, for both of them.

"I suppose you'll be wanting a chat with old hard-nut," said Espio, once Amy was out of earshot.

"How did you guess?" queried Sally, raising an eyebrow. Not that he was wrong, of course.

"Call it a hunch," said the chameleon. "Might want to do it before kiddo gets back."

Seeing the logic behind Espio's suggestion, the Academy principal stepped into her office proper, her lapis-lazuli eyes fixed upon the wounded hedgehog in her chair. He was evidently still waking up, but she frankly couldn't care less: "Shadow is it?"

Still groggy from his sudden awakening, Shadow rubbed his eyes before looking up to meet Sally's gaze: "Yeah?"

"There a reason that child's been running round naked?" asked the chipmunk, in the stern manner normally reserved for misbehaving pupils.

"Need there be?" replied the black hedgehog, totally miffed by the sudden question.

"Just strikes me as a little odd is all; a young girl who's just had her heart broken suddenly gets caught up in your latest feud with GUN, disappears for three days with someone who's a dead ringer for her first love, and now she turns up wrapped in nothing but a blanket."

"Whatever you're thinking, think again," growled Shadow, glaring indignantly at his apparent accuser.

"Really?" said Sally.

"Yes, really," interjected Espio, materializing beside her. "For god's sakes, woman, if I'd known what the little 'chat' was going to be about I would never have you left alone with him. I agree he's a shady bastard you'd think twice about trusting, but he's not totally devoid of morals."

"Thanks for that..." murmured Shadow through clenched teeth, shooting his companion a scornful glance.

"Don't mention it," said the chameleon, quietly making his exit. The hedgehog clearly had something to say.

Meanwhile, the former Princess had been rendered speechless, as much by the shock of Espio's sudden appearance as by his staunch defence of Shadow. Being humbled in such a manner was not something the chipmunk was used to; before now, only Bunnie had ever squared up to her like that. Sitting down in the chair normally reserved for wayward students (which felt oddly appropriate), she looked up as she noticed the Ultimate Life Form's blood-red eyes gazing at her.

"I guess it looks a bit... off, but really, there's nothing going on between Amy and I," said Shadow. Not strictly true, but nothing to the extent Sally was inferring. "Young or not, the girl's saved my life three times in as many days. Heartbroken or not, I would never think of taking advantage of her after what she's done for me."

"And there I was thinking openness just wasn't in your vocabulary," remarked Sally.

"This was an ambush," countered the hedgehog. It wasn't that openness was beyond his capabilities, he just didn't trust easily, and it wasn't like Sally had given him much reason to rethink that position.

Before the chipmunk could respond, they were interrupted again by Espio, telling them time was up. Moments later, Amy appeared in the office's doorway, garbed in her new uniform. It consisted of a white blouse, red necktie, black and white plaid skirt, and a green blazer with the image of a golden acorn, formerly the official crest of the Acorn Dynasty and now the Academy's logo, woven into the blazer's left breast-pocket. The younger students were spared the tie and blazer, but as a seventh grader in age, she'd be entering the Upper School if she enrolled. Rosie had even provided her with a pair of white socks and brown penny loafers.

"Better?" asked Shadow.

"Much," replied the pink hedgehog, walking over to rejoin her patient. It wasn't the most comfortable of outfits, but they were clothes nonetheless. Watching the hedgehogs as the youngster helped the wounded Shadow out of his chair, she smiled to herself. Whatever the bond was that'd blossomed between them, it was clearly one based on mutual trust - she'd been hasty in her deductions - but what could she say; the girl was like a sister to her.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," said Espio, provoking unamused glances from Sally and Shadow as he approached the desk with the Chaos Emerald under his arm. "But we'd be advised to get moving."

Nodding in agreement, Amy's harlequin-green eyes looked to Sally: "Thanks for the uniform, Sal. This should all be over before the next semester starts."

"Whenever you're ready," said the chipmunk, giving the youngster a warm smile. This news that Amy would be enrolling would likely help in coaxing Cream back to school if she resisted once Vanilla's funeral was over with. Having heard through Sonic what this thing called Chaos Control involved, Sally retreated to the far side of the room as Espio transferred custody of the Emerald to Shadow's free arm.

Blowing the trio a kiss, she raised her hand in farewell as the black hedgehog yelled the magic words and the trio were engulfed by the blinding white light. As they vanished, an ensuing gust of wind blew every last piece of paperwork off her desk; revenge for the earlier ambush, perhaps? Fair enough, Sally decided, she deserved it. Negotiating her way across the paper-strewn floor, she slumped into her leatherback chair, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. It was unbelievably comfortable. Now if only she could fall asleep in it.

Reaching inside her blue denim vest, she produced her cellphone, going through her brimming digital phonebook until finally locating Sonic's number. Whether the hog was asleep or hung-over, she cared not – she needed to talk.

[Danish Ranger]

Inescapable Past
Part X

It was a sunny morning in the Emerald Hill, and the area's grassy plains were living up to their name. Beneath one of the lonely trees scattered amongst the rolling landscape, Shadow sat with his back against the sturdy trunk, taking one last respite before resuming his quest; he was certain this was the last chance he'd get. Meanwhile, Amy had taken up Espio on his offer of a quick sparring session, to help her adjust to fighting in her new outfit, the school uniform Sally had provided. Watching the two exchange blows, the black hedgehog was still staggered by the youngster's grasp of martial arts.

Reaching for the backpack they were transporting his guns in, Shadow pulled out the scrap of paper Rouge had given him in New Tek, marking the location where Omega was supposedly waiting for them. Last time he'd seen the robot was during the Black Arms invasion, before he'd left for Space Colony ARK. Afterward, he'd simply disappeared. Word was that after they secured Metropolis City from Robotnik, GUN put out an order to destroy any and all robotic technology manufactured by the good doctor. A wiser man would've taken advantage of Omega's vendetta against all things Robotnik, but as he'd demonstrated throughout the Black Arms invasion, the old Commander was no shrewd tactician. So, provided Rouge wasn't in fact leading them into some elaborate trap, they were likely to have one pissed-off robot on their side, which might help make their impending raid on GUN's HQ less of a suicide mission.

"I see modesty still isn't a major priority," remarked Espio as Amy struck him with a roundhouse kick to the jaw.

"Hey, at least I'm wearing underwear again," said the pink hedgehog, smoothing out her pleated skirt. The chameleon shrugged, conceding the point. He had to admit, it did make things a little less awkward.

"Go easy on him, Amy," interjected Shadow. "Unless you plan on using a gun, we're going to need him."

"Thanks for your concern," said Espio, massaging his jaw.

"Don't mention it," murmured the hedgehog as he reached a pistol out of the backpack; it was time to move. Reading the signal loud and clear, Amy came to over help Shadow off his feet. Lacking any expertise with ranged weapons, she'd become her patient's designated crutch. Slinging the backpack and medical bag over her shoulder, she placed her burden's arm around her neck, gave him a peck on the cheek and gave Espio the nod.

With no perceivable threats in the vicinity, the trio walked at a leisurely pace across the grasslands towards a prominent mound a few hundred yards away. As the only elevated land for miles around, there was no doubt it was the entrance to this underground base. Amy had said something about it maybe being one of Tails' old workshops, abandoned since following his departure to boarding school in Westopolis. Whilst only a theory, it made more sense than it being one of Robotnik's old haunts; what with his ambitions of global conquest, the good doctor had only ever regarded the Mobian countryside as a source of fresh manpower.

"I don't suppose you know the secret password?" said Espio as they arrived at the entrance to the base. Before them stood a pair of hulking iron blast-doors, coated with rust. They'd clearly been here for years, but still impenetrable to all but the most powerful explosives.

"Don't think 'open sesame' is gonna' cut it," said Amy, gazing hopelessly at this new obstacle. She suggested maybe trying to teleport inside, but Shadow overruled, explaining that if he didn't have a clear mental image of his destination, he ran the risk of teleporting inside a wall, which pretty much spelt instant death.

"Could try knocking," said Shadow, to compensate for the downer.

"Best we've got," said Espio, stepping up to the blast doors and banging his fist against one three times. To the trio's amazement, the air was suddenly filled with the terrible creaking of rusted metal grinding against itself as the doors parted, just far enough for the trio to get through.

"Anyone want to go first?" asked the chameleon, rolling his eyes as both hedgehogs' eyes converged on him. Nabbing a pistol from Amy's backpack, the chameleon squeezed through the narrow gap in the doors, stalking cautiously into the darkness beyond. After a few paces, he disappeared from sight. Genuinely nervous for the first time since this saga began, Amy inched towards the breach, her grip on Shadow's shoulder involuntarily tightening.

"I'm right here, kid," uttered the black hedgehog quietly, sensing the youngster's anxiety. Turning to look at her patient, Amy leaned in and planted a quick kiss on Shadow's lips.

"Just for luck," she said, flashing a sweet smile before starting to maneuver her way inside the base. Thanks to the darkness, she was prevented from seeing the genuine smile of contentment on Shadow's face. As they proceeded deeper into the cavernous hangar, Amy's eyes darted left and right as she heard brief but constant echoes of what sounded like footsteps. She couldn't decide whether it was Espio, a mysterious other, or just her imagination.

"Omega, god-lights!" yelled a voice suddenly, startling the youngster so badly she lost her balance, tumbling to the floor, taking Shadow down with her. A moment later, a wall of light bulbs lit up the base's far wall, blinding the fallen hedgehogs.

"That should do it," shouted the same voice, and the so-called 'god-lights' turned off, replaced by far dimmer overhead lamps. Sitting up, Amy corrected her upturned skirt before turning to Shadow, her vision still a little blurry: "You two ok down there?"

The pink hedgehog looked round, expecting to see Espio, but she in for the surprise of her life. Standing over the duo, dressed in bright orange coveralls with a submachine-gun in her hands, was her old friend Tekno: "You?"

"Nice to see you too," the canary smirked, offering Amy a hand up. Her patient momentarily forgotten, the youngster accepted, her face still a portrait of complete bemusement. "Wanna' go talk?"

Nodding, Amy left Shadow in Espio's charge as she followed Tekno's lead across the spacious hangar, her head still reeling from the shock. She hadn't seen the canary in five years, not since the attack by badniks on their secluded woodland village, from which the seven-year-old hedgehog was the only survivor. After a week or so wondering in the Great Forest, she was discovered on the brink of death somewhere near Knothole. Her saviour? None other than Sonic.

"So what happened to you after the attack?" asked Amy as they arrived what she assumed was the base's control room. The huge monitor displaying an image of the base's entrance was a pretty big hint

"Turns out it was my father Robotnik was after," replied Tekno, sitting down on a sleeping bag laid out on the concrete floor – she'd been sleeping here a while.

"What was he working on?" asked the hedgehog, sitting down opposite. The canary's father had always been quite the inventor – rumour had it he was descended from the legendary Babylonians.

"Aero technology, converts oxygen into energy instantly; it's how the Rogues power their Extreme Gear."

"Did your father agree to work for him, then?"

"Not exactly – dad refused, but I knew you everything he did – I'd been helping him out since he started."

"You mean you helped Buttnik with this Aero thing?"

"I was seven, my parents had guns to their heads, and I pretty sure all my friends were dead."

Amy nodded her understanding: "Did your parents survive?"

"Well, he didn't shoot them, tossed them in jail instead. They starved when a fleet of supply trucks headed for their detention facility was attacked by the resistance."

"Oh..." said Amy, biting her lower lip. She remembered trying in vain to convince Sally to let her go on that mission. "So, uh, how've you wound up here?"

"Rouge got me out right before GUN moved on Metropolis."

"How did you two meet?"

"I working in Robotnik's special weapons lab, and she was a double-agent. I think she took pity on me or something."

"Well, she's not totally heartless."

"I'll say. She's been keeping me alive down here."

"You're hiding down here?"

"Pretty much - GUN has a price out on my head – I'm a fugitive, basically."

"So you're Rouge's technician?"

Tekno nodded, explaining how the trackers that'd been the root cause of all Shadow and Amy's problems had been her creation, adapted from a prototype made by Tails. Amy warned her it was probably best not to share that little gem with Shadow whilst there were guns around.

Meanwhile, Shadow and Omega were having their own reunion of sorts, establishing just where the robot had been for the last five months; nothing when compared to five years, but Shadow's list of friends was about a tenth the size of his guardian angel's. Anyway, it turned out the robot had been down here for the most part, undergoing repairs after a run-in with a GUN special ops unit had left him quite literally in pieces. Given Tekno's limited resources, she hadn't been able to restore all his weapon systems, but his Gatling guns still worked well enough. Aside from that brief conversation, most of the time was given over to perusing the hoard of weapons Rouge and Tekno had somehow amassed, neatly laid out on a row of workbenches in the hangar. Some of the gear was so state-of-the-art, it annoyed Shadow he wasn't in any shape to use anything past a pistol.

"I see you've broken out the toys," remarked Tekno as they rejoined the guys.

"Just where have you been getting this stuff?" queried the black hedgehog, holding up an assault rifle he knew for a fact had only gone into production last month.

"Rouge claims its all through Topaz, but I suspect a little foul play," replied Tekno.

"I thought as much," said Shadow, propping himself up by leaning against Omega.

"Tell me, are using these likely to give us any sort of edge against the troopers?" asked Espio, running his finger along the barrel of a shotgun.

"That your way of asking is it worth ditching those circus knives?" Shadow chimed in.

"Just been doing some basic math – that GUN garrison is likely to be at least 300 strong – I figure we're going to need all the help we can get, especially if we're targeting the Commander."

"Speaking of which, do we even know how we're going to find the Commander?" queried Amy.

"Luckily Rouge already thought of that," answered Tekno. "Omega, if you will."

On cue, a panel on Omega's torso moved downward, revealing a lens that projected a holographic image of GUN's HQ building and surrounding compound. This tech was a little something Tekno had added whilst reassembling the robot. The canary proceeded to explain that if the Commander was on-site, he would almost invariably be in his office located near the top of the building, and that the best way to access it would be to teleport onto the rooftop helipad and fight their way down.

"It's logical enough, but we're going to need a diversion of some kind," remarked Shadow, gazing intently at the holographic. "Like Espio said, we're going to be outnumbered twenty to one at the very least."

"And your solution would be...?" asked Tekno.

"Drop Omega in the centre of the compound, and then teleport up to the helipad," replied the black hedgehog. "They'll be far more inclined to commit the majority of their forces to dealing with a killer robot compared to a cripple and two preteen girls...Amy, do you think Sally would mind lending us a second uniform?"

"Uh, I guess so," said the pink hedgehog, a little miffed by the question. "Why?"

"Because if Captain Invisible there doesn't get to them first, it might help keep you and your friend just a little bit safer; GUN's troopers are a hardened bunch, but even they're going to hesitate on the trigger if they see a schoolgirl in their crosshairs."

"Makes perfect sense to me," said Tekno almost immediately. The logic was hard to fault.

"Good, we'll do that now. The rest of you decide on your weapons; we leave as soon as we're ready."

"Yes, boss," said Espio, throwing the hedgehog a mock salute as Amy went to where she'd dumped the bags. Preferring to risk his legs than get engaged in another round of sparring, Shadow limped after the pink hedgehog, flipping the chameleon his middle finger.

"Are you two always this catty?" asked Tekno once the hedgehogs were out of earshot.

"It's been an interesting couple of days," replied Espio, turning his attention back to the firearms.