Living in the City

[Jack-the-Hedgie]

Jack just shook his head, forcing a smile.

"Well, I can still walk. As for an inflatable body, well..." Jack motioned to his wound. "Until this is healed, I don't think my feel will be getting off the ground any time soon. Take that how you will."

It wasn't long, though, before his smile faded.

"Still... I lost my temper. I've... never felt like that before. If Amy and your chao hadn't stepped in, I think I might have..." Jack shut his eyes, a chill going down his spine. "I've been in a few brawls before but nothing like that. That's the first time I've ever been tempted to actually... kill someone."

[Chadin]

While the boys were chatting it up, I was busy policing our two 'guests' for either any clues, or any additional weapons they might be carrying. Of course as I did so I listened to the conversation intently. I couldn't find anything of interest on the raccoon, but I did find the large hunting knife the deer was carrying. I made sure to take that and put it out of reach while I looked through the large pack he was carrying around his shoulder. Nothing interesting in there either.

In fact about all I could find was wilderness related gear, which made me think this guy was a bush-folk. It wasn't actually as uncommon as most city folk thought. A lot of furs have adopted the humans culture and lifestyle, but the fact is, a great many furs still prefer to live amongst nature like we used to. But that only raised more questions in my mind. For the most part, bush folk tended to keep to themselves and never bothered anyone. Why would this one decide to pick a fight all by himself? I needed more time to think on this one. And it might not be a bad idea to get the boys in on this too. Might help figure it out that way.

"Don't get mad at yourself there Jack, its only natural to get angry like that. Besides, if the fight had gone differently, it might have become a kill or be killed affair."

I shook my head at the two unconscious figures. I picked the buck's knife off the ground and walked over to the boys, tossing it down between everyone as I sat down. "I just don't get it though, why they attacked us like that. The one guy looks like he's just some regular bush-folk. Hardly the type that likes to attack innocent people for no reason, especially in the city. And the other guy? I don't know, he's hardly got anything on him at all. What do you guys think?"

[Tutley Sakamoto]

[Sorry 4 the wait, my brain sploded from work. XP]

Tutley gave Jack a pat on the shoulder as he walked by him. "It's only natural to think that way, when your life is on the line. Survival is one's top priorty after all!", he said forcing a laugh. "After all, truth be told, I wasn't setting my weapons to "stun" myself....", he trailed off looking around with his eyes, a bit ashamed to say that. He sighed, and began reaching into his backpack. "Sometimes, you don't exactly have a choise in the matter. It's something troopers like me have to deal with. Protect those you care about. If their threatened, do all you can to save them.", he said with a shrug, as he pulled out a pack of dried fruits from his homeworld. "While we wait for Amy, chew on these. They'll make you feel better."

He walked over to Cutter, and took a glance at the attackers. "Well....he could be a former lover of Amy, enraged with the pain being dumped!", he said pounding his right hand on a outstretched left. He figured he'd have to cheer Jack up somehow. Still, it did strike him odd how a forest dweller wound up in the city, and had such a well coordinated attack plan. Had Amy been alone.....he cringed at the thought.

[Jack-the-Hedgie]

[Feel free to object to this post if it sounds like I'm metagaming]

Jack stared at Tutleys offer of fruit for a moment like a confused woodland creature in the exact same situation. With a moments hesitation, he accepted the offer. He was never big on comfort food. However, to someone with his income (or lack thereof), actual food was a scarce commodity, and sometimes, he had to put pride aside. He gives a nod in thanks to the turtle before responding to the consolation statements given to him by Tut and Cutter.

"Yeah. Yeah. You're right." said the hedgehog as he opened the packet given to him and popping one of the dried fruits into his mouth, trying not to look too hungry as he did. "You both are. I just never really liked the idea of having to kill someone... Something I picked up a few years ago."

Jack closed his eyes for a moment and grit his teeth. Painfully, the hedgehog stood, careful not to agitate his injuries enough to endanger his life again. Still, he did let out a pitifully painful sounding groan as he rose to his feet.

"Then again... I never liked the idea of sitting around and angsting when there's more important stuff to do, either." he said, forcing one more smile through his pained expression before limping over to study the two assailants with Cutter.

"Now then, I don't know much about these 'bush-folk'. Never really met any. Still, if what you're saying is true, I'd like to have a talk with this guy once he wakes up. Maybe there's something we're not being told."

It wasn't until he saw the raccoon that he felt an odd sense of familiarity. He didn't get a very good look at the prankster who tried to pop him earlier. Still, the silhouette he saw looked subtly familiar to what he looked at now. Prompting him to glance back to Tutley.

"Hey Tut. Remember that guy who you blasted with that hammer... light ball... thingy...? Did you get a good look at him?"

[Chadin]

I nodded towards Jack and put one arm on his shoulder for comfort. "Don't think its just you Jack. I don't like killing anymore then anybody else. Unfortunately, sometimes life doesn't leave a whole lot of options and very little time to make a decision."

I looked over at Tutley, thinking about his suggestion of the buck being a former lover with Amy. That didn't seem to sound right no matter how I tried to mull it over. "Good thought, Tutley, but I don't know. As far as I know, Amy's only ever had eyes for Sonic. And I'm sure she would have recognized him or reacted when she saw him. I don't know, this just doesn't add up. I think Jack has the best plan, we ought to wake these two up and find out what they know." I grinned mischivously at the two boys as my ears folded out the sides. "I call dibs on being the 'bad cop'."

[Tutley Sakamoto]

Tutley scratched his beak as he thought about Jack's question. "Well....it was a bit of a "heat of the moment" attack, so I didn't get a good look. However, one of these two probably attacked you.", he said, taking a glance at the other visible rooftops. "No one else is on the rooftops around here....well, from where I can see anyway."

"For now, let's give them a wake up call. And I wanted to be the bad cop....", he muttered under his breath disapointingly. Feeling better now that his internal mana supply stabilized, he pointed at the duo of unconcious anthros. A moment later, the water vapor over their heads condensed, and fell in the form of a large bucket of water, drenching the two in a rude wake up call.

[Huu B.]

"BWUH-?"

Huu woke with a start when his face was splashed with water. He sat up, feeling for his pendant to make sure it was still there around his neck.

"Ugh... what happened? What's going on?"

[Jack-the-Hedgie]

Though Jack pretended he was trying to forget about everything that was upsetting him, to do so was easier said then done. It continued to eat at him, as hard as he tried to ignore it and focus on the matter at hand. However, when he felt Cutter put her arm on his shoulder, he still couldn't help but feel comforted. Sure, the two barely knew each other, but in reality, Jack didn't really know many people at all. Before that little nature walk he had taken that ended with him fighting an alien threat for the sake of his planet, the hedgehog didn't have many people he could call a friend, if there was any at all. Once he was out of that hospital he woke up in two years ago and was able to see the world first hand, he found there was no one he could remember that he could call on for support when he needed it. Everything he faced, he faced alone. Though he didn't say it, Cutters and Tutleys efforts had managed to bring Jack, for the most part, out of his depressed state, and it showed on his face, when the forced smile he had put on faded into a relaxed expression.

"Yeah. You're right. Look. How about we worry about it later. We have more important things to worry about right now..." A small, but very real, smirk stretched across Jacks muzzle "...For instance, I had no idea Amy and that Sonic guy were a couple. All this time, I've been hanging out with a bit of a celebrity and didn't know."

Of course, Jack didn't know the real nature of Sonics relationship with the spunky pink hedgehog, but as out there as it was at times, could you blame him?

"Anyway, I guess I'll bite the bullet and be the nice guy in this little interrogation." As Jack said this, he faked disgust of the role he was given. Still, as Tutley gave the teams two captors a rude awakening, Jack wasted little time questioning the raccoon.

"Good to see you're awake." Jack said, arms crossed. "Now you'll be able to answer a few questions for us..."

[Chadin]

As I wandered through the forest I reveled in feeling the warm rays of sunlight that managed to break through the forest canopy. I took a deep breath, taking in the intoxicating splendor of the familiar smells of the forest around me. The smell of the fresh morning dew, the pine trees, of wild flowers blooming in the meadows. I felt in heaven. And I felt safe. I could feel the soft tapping of my trusty crossbow hanging from my shoulder slapping against my side with each step I took.

But then, as I stepped round a large tree trunk, I saw thick, black clouds forming in the distance. I feel my blood start to chill, despite the suns warmth. Something is not right. I do not know what but I just know something is coming. A twig snaps behind me on the other side of the tree I'm standing next to. I whirl around, eyes and mouth agape as a hulking shining monster steps from behind the tree and stares at me with its one, menacing bright red eye.

I reach for the crossbow at my side as fear and panic overwhelm me, but to my horror the crossbow, my one thing that gives me security is not there. Terror now consumes me as I look back at the monster which has now started walking towards me as it raised one arm towards me. A feeling of utter helplessness washes over me only adding to the terror and fear. There is no rational thought any longer. I turn, and I run. I run as fast as my hooves can carry me. I don't know how far I've run but it feels like I've made no progress at all. And then stars explode in my eyes as an overwhelming pain streaks across my back, taking precedence over any other senses.

I fall to the ground gasping, choking, coughing for breathe. I can taste blood in my mouth. I take in ragged breathes between coughes, but still my lunges urge, no, scream for more. And then, my darkening world erupts into light once more.

The water Tutley doused me with, I had accidentally inhaled in my dubious and unconscious state, causing me to sputter and cough, in order to allow me to breathe. I managed to take in one deep breathe before going into another fit of coughing before I finally could breathe easily again. But as soon as the immediate threat of dying from asphyxiation had passed, I cringed and instinctively curled into a sort of fetal position as a near blinding pain welled up across my back and within my chest. The coughing had been necessary, but doing so had aggravated the injuries Amy's over-sized mallet had dealt me. So pre-occupied with the pain I was going through, I failed to hear Jack speaking, or really anything else for that matter.

[Tutley Sakamoto]

The terrapin took a seat, behind the two, examining the deer's crossbow. He rubbed it a bit, and just watched on, waiting for the show to begin. "Welcome back, gentlemen..", he said with a snicker. He was going to enjoy watching the "interogation" of the pudding killer.