Jayde the Hedgehog • By Your Side [3]

28: Kidnapped✔️

Music: Black Hole - Malik Bash

03:22: Luna and Alester's home

Shoes crept along the wooden floor, his wings slightly flapping to keep his weight off the ground. If he made a sound, his plan would go to ruin and he'll have five Mobians, one Ultimate Lifeform and two angry parents on his hands – and that's something he couldn't have. He wanted revenge on the one who stole that device from him in the first place. If she had only done what he said, none of this would've been brought back to her. If she didn't run afterwards, this drama wouldn't have followed her. But now she's exceeded his expectations, she was valuable.

Whether she remembered or not, she had told him about her home before. He didn't know where it was without a little research but eventually, he found her. The only thing he promised was to not bring harm upon the small village – he wouldn't risk it with the Elders there anyway because they could crush him.

A small snicker caught his attention, leaving him to hiss at the three behind him, "Would you lot shut up! We need to be quiet otherwise we'll be caught!" Torrent snapped at the Babylons. They may have seemed like illusions, but these were real. The bat had stumbled across them while they were searching for treasure – which happened to be the Phantom Cube at the time. After a deal was made, the Babylons agreed to work with him until he finished what he started.

Jet scoffed, "Please, we won't get caught. Wave created a formula that will make sure they won't make up for the next ten hours."

The female nodded while the grey albatross smirked, "We were just laughing at the last room we need to go in. I think we found what you're looking for."

Torrent shoved Storm out the way before quietly opening the door. Jayde and Shadow were snuggled together under the covers, the ebony hedgehog's arm wrapped tightly around her waist. The male bat huffed, "Great, just what I need. Shadow's got her held captive."

Wave peered in, "I wouldn't say that was captive." Torrent gritted his teeth and held back a comment. Jayde's ears twitched slightly before a small yawn left her and her azure eyes pierced the darkness. Torrent quickly yanked the swallow back into Jet as Jayde stepped up from the bed, carefully removing herself from the Ultimate Lifeform. The bat couldn't be more relieved. He didn't have to make a quick getaway before Shadow woke up.

Jayde sighed, walking out into the kitchen, unaware of the intruders in her home. She grabbed a bottle of water from fridge, her socked feet padding quietly along the floor. As she took a sip, her ear twisted as the slightest creak and he whole body turned on instinct. Her nose twitched, an unwelcoming scent reaching her nose.

A familiar scent.

She growled, "Torrent, you promised to never come here."

The male stepped out from the shadows, the Babylon Rouges right behind him. He grinned, "No, I promised to never bring harm to the village and the people in it. I never said I wouldn't come here."

Jayde clenched her fists, swallowing slightly. She felt like a prisoner in her own home, "Don't touch any of my friends or my parents."

Torrent hummed an evil laugh, "Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to hurt them. See, the device that you got for me was very helpful – in more ways than one." Jayde glared at him as he stepped closer, quickly following his movements backwards, "The device was only a decoy."

"What do you mean?"

The green bat snickered, "Did you really think I needed that device after having it for two years? As long as I had that device, GUN would get the Ultimate Lifeform to come after me – all I needed to do was find out his weakness and I win."

"You'll never find it out. Shadow doesn't have one." Jayde snapped, glancing around her as the three birds began to circle her.

"Oh, he does," Torrent smirked, "It's you!"

Jet suddenly swooped towards her, the grey hedgehog quickly ducking out the way of his attack. Tapping on her wrist watch, she leapt on her board as it flew over to her and sped out the door. The Babylon Rouges were quick to follow. The four Mobians flew high above the trees, the wind blowing in their quills. Jayde glanced back at the green hawk who was hot on her tail, quickly catching up. She gritted her teeth and steered her board in front of him, almost knocking into him.

Jet smirked, "You fly pretty good – for a girl."

"Thanks, beak brain." Jayde answered back before gliding down and through the trees.

The hawk clenched his fists, looking to his teammates, "Wave go left, Storm right. We need to catch her while she's in the trees."

"I don't know, boss," the albatross spoke, watching as she manoeuvred herself through the trunks, "She's moving pretty fast there."

"We are the Babylon Rouges, we own the sky. Now go!" the leader snapped, shooting down to chase after her.

Wave and Storm glanced at each other before nodding, "Once you get beside her, start to close in. She'll lose space and fall." The violet swallow spoke before they both flew in opposite directions.

Azure eyes kept switching from left to right, making sure not to crash. Without her shoes, the grip on her board was very loose. She could feel their presence all around her, but she could see no one, "Why are you working for him?" she asked, hoping to get a response, "Whatever he promised you, he won't prevail."

"I've already got what I want." Jayde's ears turned in the direction of the voice, almost slowing her board as Jet appeared in front of her, flying backwards.

"Oh, yeah?" Jayde asked, speeding up and flying past him, "What's that, slow poke?"

Jet grinned, flying to match her speed. He looked at her, watching her fists clench as they increased the pressure, "I would say a challenge, but you're easy prey."

The female glared into the sapphire orbs. But what caught her attention was the grey Babylon flying a bit too close for comfort. Jayde went to turn left, but Wave hovered by her side on her Extreme Gear, making the grey Protector flinch back to her original position. The only way was forward, and that forward was directly towards a tree.

Jayde bent down and gripped the side of her board, driving it down the trunk. The ground came closer by the second, the blue striped female barely able to yank her board up before it scraped along the ground, leaving the hedgehog to tumble off and rolling into a tree. She groaned on impact, clenching her fists and tightening her orbs as the pain shot through her spines and up her back. Jet landed beside her as she struggled to even be in a crawl position. The hawk scoffed, "Pathetic, can't even take a little fall?"

Jayde growled but Torrent landed next to her, pushing her down again, "Good work Babylons – you caught the Ultimate Lifeform's weakness."

"I'm not his weakness." Jayde gritted her teeth, standing weakly as she looked at the four in front of her, "I'm his strength."

"So, without you... he's amateur?" Storm asked, leading Jayde to glare at him.

"He's weak without you. You even heard him say those precious words that you, yourself returned." Torrent grinned, "I know that team Sonic will fall apart without you."

The Protector shook her head, "You're making a big mistake. I'm the outcast and can leave without anything changing. I just help out. And I'll help by kicking your teeth in."

Torrent grinned, noticing the female weakening even more as the Phantom Cube did its job, "I'd like to see you try." Jayde collapsed forward, the bat catching her arm before she hit the ground.

"Why did she just collapse?" Wave asked, watching as Torrent pulled her into his arms and hovered above the ground to leave.

"The Phantom Cube can steal energy from powerful sources around it to make it superior. It drained Jayde's Riot energy from her, making her feel weak and faint." Torrent grinned, "Now, grab her shoes and let's get back to base to prepare."

"Her shoes?" Storm raised an eyebrow, "Why would you care about that?"

"She may be the enemy but even I know that walking without shoes is a nightmare."