Life as normal?

[Shadow]

Shadow grimaced as the sound of helicopter blades met his ears, and sure enough, when he glanced up, a news chopper was flying right overhead, most likely just reporting on a standard accident. However it was only a matter of time before they noticed Shadow there in the shadow of the crippled cart. That meant he didn't have long to hang around.

The black hedgehog quickly looked around him one final time, assesing the damage and looking for anyone who needed help. There were a couple of people on the ground a ways down the street, but there was already at least two people there to help them, and they didn't look too injured. But it did seem that his shenanigans had attracted a lot of attention; unwanted attention. Everyone around had come to see what the commotion was, and more than a few of them had noticed Shadow standing there between the cart and the car.

Seeing this, and noting the fact that the news helicopter seemed to be getting lower, as though for a better view, Shadow decided it was time to make his exit. In a flash of light and an instant, Shadow was gone from the scene once more, as quickly (and, to the observers, as mysteriously) as he had come. He reapeared on the roof of the building he'd been on before he stopped the cart, but he didn't continue yet. Instead he hid in the shadow of a water tower, observing the scene further and laying low until the chopper moved off.

[Kazuki Kajimoto]

"Owwwwowwowww....." Kazuki shifted uneasily. Whatever she landed on, it wasn't concrete. She wasn't even sure what happened for her to fly off of it like that in the first place. She looked around, first at the gathering crowd, then at the guy she flew into. "Oh no- I've done it again. Aji told me not to cause any trouble, and now this happened!!! He's going to be sooooooo angry!!!!"

She sat up (without getting off of Skyes) and stared at everyone. The girl standing over them. The questionably large canine she was on. And across from her, was a much smaller, skinnier, but close look-alike- probably related- that was staring right back at Kaz, her mouth hanging open for a loss of words. The little fox felt her face burn, and she knew the tears were coming.

"I- I didn't mean- mean to- I- hu- wa- waaaa- waaaaaaaaah!"

[Amy Rose]

[From "Living in the City".]

It won't be long. Just wait a little longer.

I jogged along the sidewalk towards the familiar shop not even a block's worth ahead of me. Nearby, I could see some sort of commotion going on. If I had had less pressing matters to worry about, I would have probably stopped to check it out. At the moment though, there were other issues to take care of. We being me and everyone back in the alley.

Another several footfalls and I'd hit the threshold... only to be welcomed by yet another squabbling mess. I might have hesitated, perhaps knocked even if I hadn't seen the broken window. Given, accidents happened. But with the glass as it was, it had to have been recent and I'd always known my canine sister to tidy things up on an almost immediate basis.

"Tifa! Are you in here?"

I popped my head inside the door before stepping inside. My bracelets rippled with energy before my hammer was suddenly produced as a thought occurred to me.

What if they knew that she and I were acquaintances? Would someone have gone after her, too?

[Shadow]

Shadow quickly found his attention pulled away from both the helicopters and the scene of chaos left by the crashed cart, as he spotted a certain pink hedgehog jogging quickly down the street. Of course normally, while he wasn't exactly opposed to meeting her (she was certainly better than most of Sonic's aggrivating companions, as far as he was concerned) he wouldn't have gone out of his way to drop by and say hello, even with her coming right his way as she was. However, it was obvious this wasn't a normal situation, as was indicated by her torn and bloodstained clothing. Gods, what happened to her? Shadow thought, his eyes widening at the sight of her present condition. He quickly noted that she didn't seem to be walking with a limp or be otherwise impeded by an injury, but all the same... that really just brought up more questions. Why was she covered in blood without any injuries...?

One the one hand, Shadow still wanted to get to Prison Island and have a word with GUN, but on the other... Amy looked like she was in trouble, or at least had been in trouble. Finding knowledge of Rouge's whereabouts was unlikely, even straight from GUN... but it was quite obviously certain that Amy was in trouble of some kind, or had just escaped from it. And with Sonic nowhere in sight, she might need help...

It didn't take long for Shadow to come to a decision. GUN and Rouge would have to wait, this wasn't something he could just ignore. Silently he followed Amy on the rooftops, keeping as hidden as possible to avoid the view of the still-hovering news chopper, finally jumping down into a small alleyway beside the building Amy was going into. Glancing furtively around the corner, the black hedgehog noted the broken window and glimpsed Amy summoning her hammer. He pulled back quickly before he got a chance to look though the broken window, but just judging from the outside the situation didn't look good. What has she gotten herself into? What am I getting myself into? Shadow shook his head and strained to hear what was going on inside.

[Tifa Mysteria]

[^^; Well technically the broken window was on the first floor kitchen, not the ground floor shop. But I can work with it I guess. XD]

If Tifa's ear could have twitched they would have, however, given that she was a spaniel this was unlikely due to their floppy nature. Instead her brow rose slightly, her mouth opening in surprise as Amy's voice rung through the shop. She turned as quickly as she could, spotting the pink hedgehog stood in the doorway with her mallet drawn and her clothing stained red.

"By the good will of the goddess! What have you done to yourself?!"

Her reaction might have been normal if the situation was so. However, given Tifa's own beat up condition it was more like the frying pan calling the kettle black. She turned slightly, a little too quickly maybe, the canine stopping suddenly and pressing her right hand against her hip as a small growl slipped her lips.

Tifa was only wearing shorts and a t-shirt, there wasn't much else she could wear given that her right leg was plastered from top to bottom on bandages. Her upper half didn't look too great either, her skin still patched by bruises and a selection of plasters.

[Amy Rose]

"What have I done? Speak for yourself!"

Okay, so it wasn't exactly the reunion I'd been hoping for. After all, I hadn't seen Tifa in nearly a month. I imagined us going for a shopping spree. This... was quite the opposite. I glanced around as I quickly made my way over. Questions fluttered through my head as I assessed the damage. It looked like only the window had been taken out. Maybe I'd been overreacting.

"Are you okay? Where's Martin? And-AH! What is that!"

My hammer manifested as quickly as it had dissipated only seconds before. I came between Tifa and what I could only think to call a flying snake. I didn't know what it was doing there or why. But the broken window and a wide eyed Tifa set me on defense.

"Get out!"

[Blitzkrieg]

[You can go ahead and skip Shadow, he's just listening from the alley.]

[Tifa Mysteria]

Seraph simply turned his head towards Amy, he seemed completely uninterested in her, almost amused you could say. He blinked his eyes, not even looking at the giant mallet she was weilding, and then turned away again. Tifa meanwhile was frantically waving her hands back and forth, a distressed cringe plastered across her face.

"Amy, Amy, Amy, Amyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Please, not again!" Tifa was thinking back to the first time the pair had met. When Tifa had turned her down for a job Amy had proceeded to get angry and had ended up trashing the entire place. It had however started their long running friendship but Tifa had no desires to repeat the encounter. "Put the mallet down will you? Seraph isn't anything to worry about..."

[Amy Rose]

Shock hit me, but only in brief as the hardest scowl I could muster contorted my face. Maybe even rivaling one of Slick's very own.

"What are you talking about-It has a name? Tifa, just what is going on here?"

I didn't drop my hammer although I did step back from them both. Definitely not how I had expected to see Tifa again. Of course, I had seen all sorts of weird things in my life, so despite my first impression, the flying lizard didn't exactly scare me. Way to unroll the welcome mat. It almost felt like for once I was playing the older role between us. At least the stubborn, 'I want answers' one.

[Tifa Mysteria]

Tifa was looking a little less worried now but all the same she continued to shake her hands back and forth as she spoke. "Amy really, its ok! I'll...I'll explain everything..." She glanced across at Seraph and gave a small sigh. She had known Amy for years now but she still hadn't told her who she really was. Part of her felt bad about that but another part knew it was necessary to keep her true powers a secret. Who would understand them? Well she hoped Amy would.

She lowered her hands slightly and looked back at Amy. "I'm sorry I've not told you...but its been a necessary evil. Come on inside...I'll help you clean yourself up and I'll explain everything."