Sonic's(Eggman-Free) Birthday Party

4

Rouge was tired.

This project required a lot of her mental prowess, and it was starting to wear her down.

Just that morning she had been clearing the asteroid crash site of people and items within an 8th of a mile. G.U.N. had personally taken the job, and due to her mobility and speed. She was placed right in the middle of the action.

She was proud that the city was safe, but it wasn't the pedestrians she was worried about.

As Rouge flies towards the city, she gazes back at the balloon-covered house she just left. Noticing a blue figure looking up at her, she waits until he heads back inside to continue flying.

After a few minutes, Rouge lands at the edge of the crash site and starts making her way over to the police and scientists gathered around the crater.

Among the group is Knuckles, who picked up policing after Eggman's disappearance.

Knuckles, seeing her approach, starts to make his way over.

"Excuse me, ma'am, you can't enter this area unless you have access." Knuckles stands directly in front of her, blocking her view. Annoyed, she looks behind him before grabbing her ID out of her breast pocket.

"You know, you don't have to do that every time", she says as he inspects her ID. Satisfied, he immediately breaks character.

"Yeah, I know. But the boss wants us to be as strict as possible, and I need to get on his good side if I'm ever going to do interesting stuff on these shifts." Rouge felt bad for him, he was just trying to make up for this sudden change in his life. And although he frequently complained, Knuckles was taking this better than most of them. Getting a job and trying to keep busy was a very responsible move on his part.

"So..." Knuckles starts to walk back to his crew, "What brings you back here again?"

Rouge quickly follows him, one ID check is enough for her today. "Now that the asteroid has gone missing, G.U.N. has become keen on tracking it down. It was their responsibility in the first place after all."

Knuckles stops walking and stares at the crater, "Rouge, G.U.N. is a very skilled agency. How could something like the disappearance of an entire asteroid even happen under their watch?"

She sighs, It's more complicated than you make it sound, Knuckles.

"That's not for you to know..."

"Actually agent, my department was working during the crash too. Even now our detectives are using their city jurisdiction to search for trails that your agency can not. We are as involved as G.U.N. is at this point." Rouge and Knuckles stare at each other for a good 10 seconds before she breaks. Looking away she replies, "Let's just say that the asteroid..."

She takes a deep breath and looks at the group near the crash site.

I hope he doesn't spread this information, she thinks.

"The asteroid wasn't a rock." She finishes.

Knuckles stares at Rouge until she feels forced to speak.

"You look... surprised. Are you ok, hun?" She takes a step towards him.

Gosh, I hope I didn't break him.

He snaps out of it and gives her a nervous smile.

"Um, aren't asteroids made out of rocks?"

"NO!" After realizing what she said, she shakes her head and clarifies.

"Well, yes. Asteroids are made out of rocks..."

"Oh good", he laughs, "You had me worried there."

Rouge playfully bats him with her wing, "Focus Knuckles" After he finishes laughing she continues, "G.U.N. used the term "asteroid" as a coverup for what the item really was."

"And that would be?"

She shakes her head, "Can't say."

"Wow, surprising" Knuckles looks away from her and takes a step back.

"I'm serious". Rouge reasons, "The item in question is extremely valuable, so valuable that my agency got involved."

"Wow, it sounds important."

"Yes", she says.

"Yes, it is."