Jayde the Hedgehog • Rising Adversity [2]

2: Nicknames ✔️

MUSIC: Elegy - TheFatRat

Nearby Tails' Workshop

The peaceful forest was knocked from silence as a loud cry of excitement filled the air. A grey female shot past the trees, her sneakers securely locked onto the hover board invented by the twin-tailed fox. Her newly fashioned quills flew back against the wind, a large grin on her muzzle as she sped up, reaching speeds as fast as the blue speedster himself.

"Woo!" her hands raised in the air before flying above the trees. Cobalt orbs scanned around as the board slowed slightly. The sun shone on the whole of Mobius, the stray clouds blocking the heat every once in a while.

Everything that had happened to her in such little time was worth it. She was turned into her negative form and came back fighting thanks to Shadow. She saved the planet from being destroyed by Eggman's evil schemes with the Sonic team for the first time. And she had made a huge number of amazing friends that she would never let go.

Everything was perfect.

Everything had returned to what it was before. Knuckles had departed back to Angel Island; the grey female having visited several times. She couldn't believe how amazing it was up there! The whole place was covered in wildlife and nature, the lakes pure blue. Jayde had also learnt a lot about the Master Emerald, which she found surprisingly interesting.

Jayde grinned as she started speeding again, enjoying the breeze that brushed across her fur. The board twirled and looped in the air, her eyes scanning the ground below. She lowered to the river below, flipping the board and dragging her hand through the lapping waves. The grey hedgehog closed her blue orbs, smiling – freedom...

The grey female saw the twin tailed fox's workshop up ahead and began travelled towards it. Lowering to the board, she directed herself through the trees, careful to not break her board any more than it was. Tails won't be impressed, she thought.

Jayde jumped off a metre above ground before holding her hover board under her arm and walked through the door, "I'm home!" she grinned. Since Jayde used to stay here over night before she had her own house, she usually labelled this place her second home – and due to her constant visits, it kind of made sense.

Tails looked up from his plane, "How lovely." He rolled his orbs, but a small grin still pried on his muzzle.

"Okay, Faker, let me say this again," Jayde glanced towards the sitting area, raising an eyebrow to the two males sat there, a chess board on the table between them, "You can't move the pawns backwards!" Shadow growled at the blue hedgehog in front of him, his fist clenching on the table as he pointed the other.

Sonic looked confused, "But there was a space there, so I moved it."

Shadow rolled his eyes before moving one of his pawns, taking the opponents unguarded King from the centre, "Checkmate."

Emerald eyes glared at the board before knocking it off the table, causing all the chess pieces to fly everywhere, "Faker!" The Ultimate Lifeform yelled, causing Jayde to laugh.

Tails lifted his goggled from his head and wiped his hands clean, "Yeah, this is what I've had to put up with. All this shouting is giving me a headache." He sighed, massaging his temple.

"JJ!" Sonic cheered – a new nickname he had made for the blue striped female.

Jayde clicked her fingers pointing to the two male hedgehogs, "Speedster, Shades." She turned to the twin tailed fox and gave an innocent grin.

Tails noticed this and sighed again, placing his hands on his hips, "Okay, what did you do to your board this time?" The grey quilled hedgehog handed him the board upside down, revealing the fresh new scratch along the levitation plate. Tails muttered under his breath, walking to his work bench, "I cannot trust you with anything."

Jayde pointed towards him, "Okay, it's not my fault a rabbit hopped out of the bushes and scared the Chaos out of me."

Sonic snickered, "A bunny scared you?"

"Hey, I fell off and hit my head, okay!" Jayde crossed her arms and turned away, leaving all three chuckling.

"I'm not surprised you fell off with the way you use it." Tails muttered, "I'll probably have to upgrade its durability soon."

Jayde scratched her head, smiling nervously. It wasn't her fault she used it all the time - it was a great adrenaline rush. A communicator on Tails' desk went off, the blue hedgehog picking it up seeing as the busy inventor, "Hello?"

"Sonic!" a girlish squeal came through the speakers, Amy Rose appearing on screen.

"Oh, hey, Ames." Sonic answered, scratching the back of his neck. Shadow rolled his eyes at the blue blur and walked towards the grey female.

"I returned the final shard to its post and made sure the Guardian was okay to look after it. They're all back in their secret gardens." Shadow updated Jayde on the task of returning the Seven Shards to their original homes. All of the Guardians were relieved to have them back safe and sound. The gang thought it best to keep them where they belonged, but Tails built special communicators for the Guardians so they could contact Jayde if something should happen to the shards at any time.

"Thanks," she grinned at him, pulling her blue shard from her quills, "I think I'll hang on to this one."

"Yeah, Shads is here now, why?" Sonic spoke, catching the two hedgehog's attention.

Shadow glared at the blue hedgehog, "It's Shadow, Faker."

The emerald orbs of the male rolled, a playful smirk on his muzzle. Amy glanced behind her before speaking, "Rouge and I are on our way. It's really important so don't let him leave!" she spoke before ending the call.

"Well," Sonic said, placing the communicator back on the desk, "Looks like you're here a bit longer, Shads."

"Oh, joy!" Shadow muttered sarcastically, clenching his fists, "More time for me to kick your butt for calling me that again." He went to walk forward but Jayde grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. The dark male glanced at her, but she didn't make eye contact, looking interested in her fingers. Shadow muttered under his breath.

Sonic chuckled, "Shads, you are whipped."

Jayde looked at Sonic with a slight glare before letting Shadow go, allowing him to go flying towards the blue hedgehog, "That's it, Faker!" The two started a fist fight in the corner of Tails' workshop, leaving the young fox to huff loudly.

"Why is it always at my place?" he mumbled, making the finishing retouches on Jayde's board, "Okay, that should do it. I've added extra resistance throttles near the thrusters, under the levitation plate and pressure boards. Hopefully, you shouldn't easily get scratches along these areas."

Jayde grinned and took the board from the twin-tailed fox, "Thanks, T-Dog!" Tails rolled his orbs at the new nickname as he began putting away his tools.

The door of the young inventor's workshop suddenly burst open, revealing the two females Sonic had spoken to previously, "You got here quick." Tails acknowledged.

Rouge glanced around the room, noticing that everyone she needed was here. She strolled in, whisking out two files and handed them to the grey hedgehog and twin-tailed fox, "These are you GUN files. The Commander suggested you read through the whole thing."

Jayde's eyes widened as she quickly scanned through the booklet. Rules, regulations, training, uniform – how much did she need to do just to become an agent? I thought it was just go in, turn up and take part in a mission!

"No, thanks." She muttered, throwing the file onto Tails' desk for the meantime.

Shadow rolled his eyes at Jayde, smirking before turning his gaze to Rouge, "Why did you need to know if I was here?"

The ivory bat glanced around the room, anywhere to avoid Shadow's crimson orbs piercing into her soul. She took a deep breath before spitting it out, "Dr Eggman is on Space Colony ARK."