Sorry i havent updated for so long, but things have just been piling up lately.

anyway, everything's fixed, finished and i have time to start a little bit of writing again.

so, here is Chapter five of Metal's Answer:

--

A blue streak made its way through the streets, whipping past every thing. Some people with keen eyes noted a bundle of pink and red in the hedgehog's arms and smiled to themselves. So that's why the morning had been fairly quiet.

Sonic ran on until the pink bundle called out for him to stop, so he skidded to a halt.

"A little more warning next time, Amy," he smirked at her. "I know I'm incredibly skilled and all, but," his usual 'tude had returned once he had verified that Amy was safe and all guilt of any harm caused to her had left. She jumped out of his arms and half rolled her eyes,

"Yeah, says you or that big ego?"

He placed a hand over his chest, "That hurt Amy," he mocked. He rubbed a finger under his nose and winked at her, "Don't you know what that could do to my ego?"

Amy laughed as she turned to walk up to the door of a nearby house, Sonic following.

"So who lives here?" he asked casually

"Me. And Shadow," he raised one eyebrow at this but said nothing, "And Rouge."

"Since when did you all live here?"

"Since you had that one battle with the 'Oh, let's see what happens when I hit that button' and half a city gets destroyed." Amy smiled, showing him she was teasing.

"Hey in my defence, that button looked red to me." His voice was teasing, as though he blamed her, but didn't mind either way.

"You're lucky the place was evacuated." She opened the door and heard the slamming of the phone. She peered in to find Shadow grumbling to himself.

"…Honestly, how did he become a doctor?" he noticed the two hedgehogs come in. "I come home from a meeting with the real president I'm pinned with this?" he asked for Amy's benefit.

"Thanks Shadow."

To Sonic's surprise, Shadow seemed to calm slightly, "Yeah, well, you're just lucky."

Amy, with great speed, gave the hedgehog a hug before running off, laughing out, "Missed you too, Shadow!"

Sonic stared after her, but felt Shadow looking at him.

"Sonic."

He turned to see Shadow indeed looking at him, a serious manner about him.

"I've been thinking about the attack." He didn't name one specifically, but Sonic knew which one it was.

"Well, there was something …off about it. I… I've seen the way the Doctor does things and," Shadow paused again. "It was like he was searching for something, but he left with nothing." An edge of confusion was in the hedgehog's features.

"So you saying it wasn't an attack? But then why did Amy end up going to the hospital then?" Sonic wasn't getting anything out of what Shadow had said, and bad feelings about Amy in hospital were ebbing at him again.

Shadow raised an eyebrow, "Was she hurt?"

"Well, no-"

"Was anyone else hurt?"

"No." Shadow's expression barely changed, but you could tell he'd won the conversation.

"But then… why did he do it? I mean, I let Amy take out most of them herself, so he could see his big bots getting beaten by her."

So that's where his guilt is from, Shadow noted, he let her in there with the robots, and then she got sent to hospital.

"But he just grinned the whole time." Shadow's eyebrows furrowed together, but he noted Sonic's were as well and pulled out of the expression.

"The Doctor wasn't there." No he wasn't, Shadow had come halfway through and watched from a distance, but there was no sign of Robotnik.

"Huh? No, it was one of those screens on one of the 'bots. You know that big grin he has when he thinks he has you where he wants ya?" Sonic froze, "Do ya think he did have us where he wanted?"

…

"But why would he get that from watching Amy kick 'bot butt?"

Sonic's musing forced into Shadow's head, as if it were a vital detail. If only he knew how. Why would the Doctor need to see Amy in combat? Hadn't he seen that plenty of times before?

No, he'd always been focused on the others leading the attack. Sonic, Knuckles, Me...

Shadow'd be checking up on this.

Amy came in then, in the lull of conversation, bringing down a mouth watering aroma with her.

"Tea's ready, boys."

Sonic glanced to the clock and did a double take, was it that late already?

"Well, I s'pose I'll see you guys late-"

"Sonic, you can stay here you know, there's enough food. Besides Tails said it'd be good for you." She laughed at the look Sonic gave and carried on, "I get the feeling it's better for him, something about being able to work on his latest project without interruptions every two minutes."

Sonic chuckled, "I suppose I could give the little fella a break."

"Aren't you staying for tea?" Amy asked the retreating figure of Shadow.

"No, I have something to do."

"If you see Rouge, tell her I've made something."

"I will, but you may as well put hers in the fridge as well."

"Is she busy tonight?"

"She will be." And with that, the Ultimate Lifeform left.

"It'll just be you and me, Sonic." Amy was happy.

"Uhh… so whatcha got cooking?"

-

Shadow was sitting on the edge of a cliff when Rouge flew by.

"Been to Angel Island again?"

She landed gracefully, pulling her wings back in close to her. "And what if I have?"

"You up for a little… mission?"

The bat was immediately interested, "What kind of… mission?"