Need to Want

Chapter 5: Goon Squad

It was another warm, beautiful, sunny day in Arch City. Nothing but blue skies and warm breezes. Blaze, Sonic, and Marine waited at the corner of the streets as a few big trucks passed in front of them; there was a group of cats just on the other side of the street. Coming right from the docks, the trucks smelled of raw fish. The cats just across the street sniffed at the air in delight. When the trucks passed, the trio crossed the street, heading toward the humongous castle just in the distance. The cats that crossed by them quickly took notice of Blaze, although Blaze and Marine seemed to have gotten used to ignoring the constant stares.

Sonic's awareness had heightened after Blaze informed him that there were many amorous females among them in her hometown. Sonic couldn't help but look back at the females they had passed, just as they reached the other side of the street. Not only because the females gave him strange looks, and he was a rare occurrence of hedgehog. But because they were giving him desirous looks as well. One even giggled to another, looking at him as they walked away. Sonic gulped as he kept up with Blaze and Marine. There were lots of males at the docks, but…

Sonic stopped walking when he noticed… there were many more females out and about in this city…

In the shops, at the corner stands, coming out of the various buildings, homes, and businesses. Oh sure, he spotted one or two male cats, but they were certainly outnumbered. There were even a few birds, dogs, and maybe a ferret if he was making it out right.

Sonic had a look of shock on his face as Marine and Blaze stopped walking, turning to look at him. Blaze questioned him with her usual stoic face, "What is wrong, Sonic?"

"Why are there so many females? Where are the males?" Sonic said with wide eyes.

Marine grabbed his arm, all the while balancing all the papers she was holding. "There's a guy over there… no wait a minute… that's a girl too…"

Marine let go of him as he began walking with them again. They built the city on hills, ascending as they walked towards the castle. It was a city built on hills. The docks were in the lowermost section of the city near the ocean, obviously. The sidewalk they were currently walking up had buildings and homes lined next to each other. It seemed they designed most of the city this way because of the upward landscaping.

Sonic observed all the female cats around him that walked past them. There were so many species of cats that he didn't know what some were. The ones sitting on the steps of their homes, some staring strangely at him and some deviously.

"The female population here is more than that of the male's." Blaze said, keeping her stoical demeanor.

Sonic kept his eyes straight ahead as a few teenage looking female cats, sitting on stairs of their home, purred at him as they passed by. They were a hairless type of cat, and they were pretty, with long legs and green eyes. Marine tried to hold all her papers and suppress her laughter, but her snickers still escaped her mouth.

Sonic became wide eyed as if he'd seen a ghost. "How did that happen?"

Blaze remained calm as she walked, just as they reached the top of a hill and turned a corner. "A combination of things. The war with Nega increased crime over the Sol Emeralds, and overall, a low male birth rate because of the violence."

The trio walked a little further down the bustling streets and stopped at another corner. Sonic figured they were waiting for transportation as he saw a red trolley coming up the hill.

"So where are the guys at?" Sonic asked with his brows wrinkling together in confusion.

A few female cats joined them at the trolley stop as Blaze spoke, not looking at him. "Their married."