Shadow the Hedgehog

"That's true. Let's hope Zamy's back before nightfall." ---- "Yeah, you'll get the hang of it."

"Exactly, that'd be a lot worse." ----- Hope handed her jacket over. "You look great, just like my sister would if I had one. Let me just fix your hair a little... there."

"Yes, we're much faster. We'll be fine kid." ---- "Do you want to borrow my jacket?" asked Hope, looking at the new body.

Shadow ran down after him, picking Miles up as he went. "That sound sure isn't friendly." ---- Hope kept quiet to let Melody concentrate.

Shadow was close behind, and heard the door at the top open and close after they were a few floors lower. "Keep going." '--- "Sure thing," smiled Hope, stepping into the circle.

"Fair point." Shadow looked in the stairwell and opened the door. "It's clear for the moment." ---- "No, the transformation. You'd boil in a coat."

Shadow loojed through the peephole on the door then opened it. "Come on, elevator's just over here." ---- "Maybe the former would be easier for tonight."

"I think so. At the least it'd give us more room to maneuvre." ---- "Not really. Can you tuck it in your clothes?"

"Not yet. Just stay calm.l, I won't let it harm you." ---- "Yeah. That might be tricky."

"Once we're done here I'll take you to do that. But right now we have a more pressing issue." --- "Easy there Melody. You don't want to blow our cover at the last hurdle."

"Yes, but she's not aggrevating or irksome. She's good at her job and always friendly." --- "Come on, let's get down there."

"That's fair enough. Thankfully I don't have to waste my time with aggrevating children in my profession." ---- "Exactly!"

"True. Now we just have to wait for it to rear it's ugly head. Really? You've got more patience than me then." ---- "I'll set it so we return about 10 seconds after we left. ---- Zamy arrived in a park, but spared no thought to watching the autumn leaves fall as she ran out to the street.

Zamy gave Miles a hug and teleported off. Shadow sat down on the sofa. "She seems calmer and happier dealing with a vengeful spirit than a bunch of kids. I can't say I disagree with her." ---- "We may as well. I'll only take a little money back as a souvenir."

"Yeah, but be wary of opening a door and her being there." ---- "Maybe I could stretch the budget a little."

"It doesn't feel fear to my knowledge. If you see it, run. It crawls a lot so you can outrun it if you don't get boxed in." ---- "Until tomorrow morning."

"Exactly. I'll go, it'll be quicker. Shadow, keep Miles safe, and don't try and fight it off. Beyond a shove away it'll overpower you and you'll die of fright. Or it'll bludgeon you to death if the former doesn't work." ---- "I'm not sure I have enough money to afford a week," laughed Hope.

"We can't, not with what we have here at least. I think I remember the local religious tradition was that you could put a symbol on your door to keep them out. Or put it on the forehead to vanquish the spirit, but I don't even know if they made the talismans, not that many people believed in that part of it. I guess I'll have to try though." ---- "Yeah, I could get used to this."

"A vengeful spirit we wncountered while helping someone out in a house. They managed to get out with us, but I guess the spirit really hates us." ---- "Thank heavdns they have a lift. We're on the 3rd floor."

"No, we haven't. I have. Well, not really faced. I threw the match and yanked my old partner out of the house before it reached him, but I guess the plan failed." ---- "Exactly." They reached the lobby and Hope got them a 2 bed room.

"I think I've got an idea, but I thought we got rid of it," said Zamy, casting her mind back. ---- "Let's try that inside the hotel. My hands are a little full right now."

"At any rate I couldn't bring myaelf to leave you. I.... Miles, come away from the door," said Zamy as she noticed something out of the corner of her eye in the lobby and swiftly shut the door. "Did you see it Shadow?" "I caught a glimpse of it." ----- "Hmm, I see a hotel called the 'Crown Plaza'. Fancy staying there?"

"Will they?" --- "Thanks, that's made it a lot easier."

"Indeed. Totally unworkable. I'm beginning to think I should leave before this job drives me to an early grave. It seems every day something progressively worse happens." ---- "Pleass, this is kinda heavy."

"I can't blame them." ---- Hope paid for everything and left, just managing to hold the box with the machine.