Thorns of Chaos: Chapter 3 ~ Before the Storm...

Shadow the Hedgehog impatiently waited for the elevator he was in to complete its ascent. Normally, he would have simply warped to the floor he wanted, but after he'd started getting complaints of patients suffering from (thankfully, nonlethal) heart attacks due to his sudden appearances, he'd been forced to take the elevators like everyone else. The very thought of it irritated him, but, as Amy would tell him, he decided to focus on the positive. Just the other day, he managed to make some progress in his training. Already he could tell that he was faster and a little more agile. With this, his skills would soon improve, and he would be an even more formidable force to be reckoned with. And, more importantly, he would be better prepared to protect those closest to him.

Amy. Being separated from her for such a long period was refreshing, but somewhat lonely. Previously, he would have preferred the solitude and, of course, part of him still did. Now, however, not having the girl by his side seemed...unnatural. He knew this was due to how close they had become, but it still bothered him, since he wasn't used to such emotions.

The ding of the elevator brought Shadow out of his introspection. Grunting to himself, he decided to worry about it later. Right now, he had more immediate matters to attend to.

As he walked to Amy and Sonic's room, he soon heard soft music being played from the waiting room. He sped up a little to investigate and was surprised to see Tails and Cream slowly dancing, as if they were in a ballroom. Judging by the kit's nervous and apologetic expression, Tails was not used to dancing at all, so Shadow presumed that Cream was teaching him. Surprisingly, the girl's own expression was understanding and, as Shadow looked closer, hinted toward affection far beyond her years.

Suddenly, he felt a tug at his arm, and, looking to his right, he saw Cheese pulling and pointing to his destination in a worried manner. Shadow knew that if Cheese was worried, something was happening. Taking one last amused look at Tails and Cream, he walked off; following Cheese to the room Amy and Sonic currently resided in. Before he could reach for the doorknob, the room opened, revealing Vanilla the Rabbit. The Mobian woman looked calm, but Shadow could tell she was rather perturbed.

"Oh, good afternoon, Shadow," she greeted cordially. While she was generally pleased to see him and usually trusted the hedgehog around her daughter, she wasn't terribly fond of his renegade nature and was more aware of the blood on his hands than anyone knew. "Likewise, madam," Shadow replied. "If you're here to see your fellow hedgehogs," Vanilla said, "They're right in there. They won't be any trouble." Glancing back sweetly, she asked, "Will you, dears?" Both Sonic and Amy flinched and shook their heads rapidly. "Good. Well, then, Cream and I will be on our way. Please excuse me." Shadow nodded and stepped aside to let her pass. As Vanilla walked by him, she leaned down to his left ear and whispered, in a low, venomous and deadly tone...

"My little girl was in tears because of this. If it happens again, I'm coming after you."

"Hmph. It won't, but you're always welcome to try."

"I'll do more than try, child. And don't think Rouge, Omega or the Commander will stop me." Punctuating that with a brief squeeze to his shoulder (which was far, far, FAR more painful than expected), Vanilla left. Shadow rubbed that shoulder and watched her go with a confused glare. Just who was that woman...?

"Waitin' for a bus, Shadow?" Sonic called out, snapping his attention back to the reason he came. He shook off his fear (and pain) and walked into the room, making a beeline for Amy's bed, in spite of himself. "Hm. How are you feeling?" Amy smiled lovingly and answered, "Much better, sweetie. The doctor said we'll be ready to go in a few more days." Shadow gave a small smile and kissed her cheek. "Good to hear." Sonic let out a mock groan and quipped, "Get a room, you two. I just ate lunch." Shadow shot him his customary glare and was about to let out a prepared insult, but Amy just giggled. "You should see us after training. What a workout..." As Amy glanced at her boyfriend with a suggestive look on her face, Shadow quickly cleared his throat in order to change the subject, knowing full well what she was like when her imagination got going. "Anyway, I'm not just here to see you two. The Doctor is making his move."

That got everyone's attention. "Yeah, I'll bet," Sonic replied, "He's probably still smarting from the beating I asked Tails to give him last week." When Shadow's ears perked up at that, Sonic elaborated, "Yep, if Tails can be trusted - which we know he can - our Chaos Emerald count, including yours, is now at six!" Sonic smirked proudly and Amy beamed. Shadow, though pleased, kept himself neutral. "That's all well and good, but this means he'll be getting desperate, and that is when he actually becomes a threat. We need to be on guard..."

Sonic and Amy nodded.

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Just outside the hospital, a pair of cold, hateful eyes was watching the conversation from a far off rooftop. This person had a vendetta against the room's occupants, and while the desire to take them out was great, patience was needed. The time would come. Very, very, soon...