“Say what?” Lil shook her head. “Are आप accusing me of keeping a criminal secret from the authorities?”

“Don’t lie to me, Black Cat.” Shadow felt his emotions grow hot. “I know आप have connections with a male cat about my height, golden-yellow with red hair. I’ve seen you. Don’t tell me you’re afraid I might hurt him. I won’t, I swear to आप that I won’t.”

“I just don’t like anything to do with ARK.” Lil felt like she had shrunk. “Okay, I’ll admit that I have connections with him. I broke off our relationship two years ago. I don’t know where he is या what he’s doing. Yes, I still care about him, but nothing personal. Just don’t make me upset.”

“I know.” Shadow felt like he owed her something. “I already know the basics, but how can I find him? I know आप know.”

“You can’t.” Lil didn’t feel like sugar-coating it. She took another sip of lemonade. “You can’t, या at least I can’t. He comes and goes.”

Again, Shadow felt the urge to thank her. She wasn’t holding anything back.

Lil began to sing again. “♪Touch me!! It's so easy to leave me all alone with the memory of my days in the sun! If आप touch me you'll understand what happiness is! Look, A new दिन has begun!♪” Her soul was in it as the song faded to an end.

Shadow then understood. She was broken. All he was doing was making her दिन worse. Even he didn’t know what she had been through. “Memory” fit her perfectly. Guilt rose in his throat. These emotions shouldn’t have existed.

Before he knew it, he leaned over and kissed Lil on the forehead. “I understand what you’ve been through.” And then, he left.

***

Sonic, paralyzed द्वारा pain from…well…his “tenders,” where his attacker had kicked hard, watched as the stranger revealed itself from the shadows.

It was a cat. Trim, tall, golden with long red hair. “Hah there.” The cat had a funny accent. “Name’s Myzak. I’m new in town.”

“Have आप ever heard of Sonic the Hedgehog?” Sonic glared.

“Should I have?” He didn’t look evil, so why did he abuse Sonic?

“SONIC!!!” Tails rushed to Sonic’s side. “What happened? Are आप hurt? Why are आप on the ground? Answer me!”

Knuckles, distracted द्वारा the पन्ना in Myzak’s hand, didn’t even take a सेकंड to consider his friend. “What are आप doing here, Tomcat?”

“Just browsing.” Myzak replied. His face flushed. “Who’s your friend, echidna?”

“I’m Miles Prower. You’ve already met Sonic.”

“Nice to meet ya’ll.” Myzak looked to the window. “Adios!” He ran and jumped. The window shattered as the cat flew out and down. “Yeehaw!” was the only remaining sound that followed.

“That’s insane!” Tails screamed. “He survived a fall like that? Inconceivable!”

Sonic burned with fury. “You let him get away???” he yelled at Knuckles.

“Yeah.” Knuckles didn’t seem to care. Lightning flashed outside. Thunder roared. Raindrops filtered in through the broken window.

“Why?!” Sonic was completely flabbergasted. But he didn’t know how soon he would get his answer.

The echo of laughter from inside the elevator shaft sounded. “Hello emerald! Here I come!” Rouge the Bat flew into the room. “Oh, hi.” She looked around. “Where’s the emerald, echidna.” She crossed her arms.

“With a friend.” Knuckles tried to avoid looking at her. “But actually, I think I’d have to ask आप where they are.”

“Are आप accusing ME of taking them? What would make आप think that? Huh?”

Knuckles shrugged. “I don’t need to explain that.”

***

Lil finished her lemonade. Before Shadow had left, she could tell that he didn’t want to hurt her. He cared. Maybe not romantically, but they were friends. Daughtry was now in mid-chorus of “You Don’t Belong” after the सेकंड verse. A tear ran down Lil’s face. How stupid it sometimes was to be a girl!

Her radio buzzed. “This is Captain Stotts! Lil, आप there? Over.”

She barely heard it over her music. She paused her iPod. “Chief Inspector here.” She replied. “What is it? Over.”

“Time to redeem yourself.” A bullet sounded in the background. Static.

“What? Please repeat. Over.” Lil’s adrenaline spiked.

Static. Something was wrong. A cold feeling snuck in to her skin.

“Captain Stotts! Marcus! Answer me!” She called. Blankness entered her head. Someone had killed the captain या worse!

“I’m here.” Stotts replied. A siren blared. Helicopters. “Get yourself into gear. Eggman’s back. Over and out.”

Lil couldn’t breathe. “No…”

***

Sonic was about to say something when he saw an only too familiar ship in the sky. The Egghawk. “Time to get even, Doctor.” He whispered. Forgetting his pain, he leapt out of the window. Eggman wasn’t getting away again.

“Sonic!” Tails voice shrunk behind him as he sped away. Sonic felt the wind hiss on his back as he ran faster than he ever did before. The buildings became a blur. Screams echoed in his ears. What would make Eggman return?

He was almost there, when suddenly he felt something hit his ankle. Sonic tripped and fell. His shoe had a big dent in it. “Blue!” The sound of Lil’s voice was exasperating. He barely turned to face her. She held a handgun. “What the hell are आप doing?” Instead of anger, she was filled with sorrow, as if Sonic was the cause of all this chaos.

“Forget about it, Inspector.” Sonic snapped, standing. “Eggman’s mine!” He positioned himself to attack. Police cars scattered about the streets. Officers lines the sidewalks.

Eggman’s voice boomed. “Welcome to a new age, Hedgehog! No और do we play द्वारा the same rules! Time for the Eggman Era to begin!!”

Before Sonic could attack, Eggman dropped a bomb. Sonic didn’t hear it whistle as it fell. He hadn’t encountered one in four years. It’s now no wonder that when it dropped, he didn’t dodge it. It was Lil, the one he had grown to despise instead, who shoved him out of the way. All the hedgehog could remember was an explosion.