Jayde the Hedgehog • Negative Rebound [4]

3 • An Old Friend✔️

Music: Entropy - Distrion, Alex Skrindo

Tails' Workshop

"Tails! You have people looking for you."

A head poked out from behind a plane, and he removed his goggles, having an outline of dirt around his eyes, "The Babylon Rouges?"

"Wave needs your help, while Jayde and I are going to race to prove that I am the fastest in the air." Jet spoke, crossing his arms with a challenging smirk.

Tails rolled his eyes at the competitive streak everyone seemed to have in them today, "Well, if you wait – probably for about a second – Sonic and Shadow will race back through that door and greet you head on with that challenge."

As if on cue, the two males raced through the door, the Mobians choking on the dust they turfed up with them, "Thanks, guys." Jayde muttered, waving the smoke away from her.

"HA! Beat you again!" Sonic grinned, before he looked and saw the Babylon's, "Why are you three here?"

"I need to speak with Tails, and the boss here thinks he's losing his 'King of the Skies' title." Wave spoke, walking over to the twin-tailed fox with a small device in her hands. The two began to talk and the blue blur grabbed his board.

"Want to race then? I'll knock that title right out your hands." Sonic smirked.

"Bring it, hedgehog." Jet hissed back before turning to Jayde, "You flying too, missy?"

Jayde was about to accept but then thought about something she had been meaning to do for a while, "Sorry, boys, but I've got somewhere I need to be today."

"Hey boss, she's afraid of losing to you." Storm laughed.

Jayde hummed a chuckle, "Don't flatter yourself. I think we all know that I could beat all of you in the skies. I'll let you train this time." And she grabbed her GUN jacket before walked out, quickly followed by the Ultimate Lifeform.

"Where are you going?" Shadow asked, walking beside her as she dropped her board.

"I'm going to visit an old friend." She spoke before standing on her tiptoes and giving him a kiss on the muzzle, "I'll be back later, don't worry." She smiled at him before hopping on her board and flying off with a wave.

"Wow – never thought I'd see the day." Shadow heard the green hawk behind him, looking to see Sonic smirk and nod at him.

"Those worries still there, Shads?"

Of course, they were. Those worries would always be inside the ebony hedgehog, and he would never lose them because his worries are what made their relationship real. Danger would follow them wherever they went, people could use them as a liability against the other, and soon enough, he would be alone again. But as long as he got to be with her in the time she was here, it didn't matter to him. He would make the most of every day he spent with the Protector, good or bad – the blue hedgehog taught him that. Not that he would ever admit that to the hero.

"It's Shadow, Faker." Was his reply before grabbing his board that was leant up against the side of Tails' workshop, "Where to today?"

With Jayde

Azure eyes watched the ground below, searching for the place that she hadn't visited for years. Jayde hadn't seen her friend since the time he locked that inhibitor collar around Torrent's neck, and she hadn't even thanked him for that yet.

Shine wasn't necessarily someone who liked the attention of being spoken to, and he wasn't the one to surround himself around people anymore, despite what he does for a living. No one outside of their Kingdom knew of the harsh circumstances apart from Jayde. It was always a demand from the King that no one left the kingdom and spilled the truth out to the outside. It was the main thing that confused Jayde – how come no one knew about this? They were allies with Acorn Castle!