Distortion

Chapter 5

Before we begin, a quick shout out to my friend Seer of Dreams for beta-reading! Couldn't have done this without her.

C:C:

"Wrong?!" cried Rouge, "what do you mean wrong?!" The ground trembled beneath her feet, bulbs struggling to remain alight. Alas, the fight was an uneven one, and the room was soon plunged in darkness, emergency lights flashing moments after. Rouge's eyes strained against the bright red, ears aching when a shrill whine joined the stimulation. The bat swayed, the room dizzying to the point she could no longer determine which way was up. When she had felt herself losing balance, arms caught hold, a tight grip that did not give away until she had a grasp of her senses. When the final wave of nausea went, she leaned into Shadow's form.

"You should stay here," Shadow's suggested, keeping his voice even as not to harm her more. That did not stop his grasp from wavering, that in the chance she would fall, he was ready. Rouge was a brilliant thief, but the noise was not kind to the ivory Mobian. The idea of her in the middle of the event could not settle in his mind.

"I'm fine," Rouge muttered, agitation laced into her voice. She held a hand to her forehead in a weak attempt the ease the aching, "Explain."

Shadow hesitated, not comfortable that his words had been so quickly disregarded. Nor was he excited that Rouge was already insistent in being involved. But time was not on his side, leaving him no chance to argue.

"It's Silver," Shadow answered, glaring daggers at the office door. Rouge followed his gaze, feeling a weight fill her stomach. A small part of her wanted to announce that this was Shadow's doing, he had been the one to turn up after being instructed not to. What kept her mouth shut, though, was she hadn't stopped Silver from leaving the room. To hammer the coffin further, it had been her idea to send him out with only Omega. The machine was powerful, but she had no clue what skills Silver was capable of.

"Could he do this before?" Rouge asked, unable to heed the quake in her voice. "In Soleanna, I mean. Could he do anything like this?"

Shadow hesitated, taking a moment to recall events that no longer existed. It was a struggle to dig those memories back up as if an unseen force were fighting to keep them down. What was only fifteen seconds felt like hours to the bat, the sirens still screaming, when Shadow delivered his answer. A shrug. The bat felt herself grow sick to her stomach, unsure how to handle the gesture. She could receive a grunt or a scoff and know precisely what it meant, but a shrug was alien to the thief.

"I'm going to find him," Shadow broke the silence, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "You stay here. I don't want you out there."

"What are you–"

"You can't handle the noise," Shadow interrupted before she could finish. He helped Rouge to her feet, leading her away from the door and for her desk. "Sit tight, and I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't make the situation worse."

"Make the situ..." the words died on her tongue, their full weight settling itself on her mind. With a low growl, she stopped in her steps, pushing Shadow away with all the strength she could measure. When she and Shadow locked eyes, there was a fire sparked in the turquoise irises. "Listen, buddy. Just because we've had a two-week hiatus does not mean I've lost my touch. I've been doing this far longer than you have."

Shadow stared, lips parting in shock. Rouge half-expected him to speak, to defend himself one way or another, but if he had any words, he didn't use them. Eventually, realizing how he must look, he composed himself with the usual indifference associated with himself. One glance at the door and the flash of more red was all it took to remind him once more he didn't have time to waste.