“Say what?” Lil shook her head. “Are আপনি 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 আপনি 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 আপনি 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 অথবা 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 আপনি know.”

“You can’t.” Lil didn’t feel like sugar-coating it. She took another sip of lemonade. “You can’t, অথবা 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 আপনি touch me you'll understand what happiness is! Look, A new দিন 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 দিন 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 দ্বারা 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 আপনি 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 আপনি hurt? Why are আপনি on the ground? Answer me!”

Knuckles, distracted দ্বারা the পান্না in Myzak’s hand, didn’t even take a সেকেন্ড to consider his friend. “What are আপনি 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 আপনি where they are.”

“Are আপনি accusing ME of taking them? What would make আপনি 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 সেকেন্ড 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, আপনি 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 অথবা 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 আপনি 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 আরো do we play দ্বারা 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.