Shadow the Hedgehog

Hope looked at Locke. "I hope you're proud of yourself. For all your talk of 'oh she's her own person' you can't even call her by her real name. Don't act like distingusihing between either Melody if they both responded would involve some kind of Herculean effort, because it wouldn't." "It's ok Melody. We know you're you. Locke just didn't think things through fully before he called you that," she thought. ----- "You'll get the actual memories back in time. I'm not an expert, but I know the basics of memory encoding," replied Zamy.

"Well I'm afraid I can't work out what it is. Perhaps it'll come back to you with time," replied Zamy.

Hope laughed. "I'll give you that one." --- "Duck? As in a duck?"

"True. Unless our doom is being covert for once." --- "Sure thing, it's not silly. Let's go."

"Not yet. He's dealt with apocalyptic scenarios before so if it was ending we'd know about it." --- "Of course it's ok. You have anything in mind?"

"Fair enough. Speaking of which." Hope then checked her PDA. "Nope no messages from anyone." --- "I know what you mean. Do you want to head back then?"

"It must still be quicker than healing naturally. You aren't Shadow after all." ---- "Don't be like that. It was just a game for fun."

"I suppise with this plan of yours at least you'll get to run again soon." --- "Aww bad luck Miles."

"Good point. Things could be a lot worse." ---- "Well, this is your last shot."

"I sure hope it doesn't either. And it shouldn't with any luck." --- "Ah ok. Well I'm sure you can take a comb from Haven when I take you back."

"Heh yeah, I'd say that's an accurate assessment." ---- "Maybe you should get some gel or something to keep it down?"

"Yeah, tell me about it. Shadow can handle himself, so there shouldn't be any." ---- "Nice shot!"

"I was already on my break, though obviously if there's an emergency I have to head back immediately." ------ "Me too. It would've been more than a little unfair."

"Yeah. It does make things easier." ---- Zamy lined up her shot and went again, scoring another strike.

"Yeah, for all intents and purposes it is," replied Hope. ---- Zamy laughed. "Consider yourself lucky you got warned in advance."

"Heh, thanks Melody." --- "Sorry, I forgot you didn't know my reputation. I can whack a ball so hard it can break bones. I'm not popular with the other departmental teams."

"I can't really comment on that." --- "True. Though if they do keep cropping up we'll have a game of baseball and you can pitch," joked Zamy.

"There's nothing I can do. It's on his end, not mine. Too much interference it seems." ----- "Yeah, pretty much. And I think she meant that in the context of some of the traits you used to have inc ommon with future you."

"Some things never change," joked Hope. "I've spent my time tinkering with Omega and trying to get a comm link with Shadow." ------ "Yes that sums it up. I don't like being spied on at all, but even less so by that weird brotherhood. And I understand Miles. I imagine she'll want to see you too."

"No problem." ----- "Yes I suppose you could. Forgive me if I'm not enthused but I really don't like that place. But I'm not here to be comfortable, so that'll do well enough," replied Zamy.

Hope pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled down a number. before handing it to Melody. "This is my personal phone for whenver you want to talk." ----- "Yes. It can take time to get a board together to review your case, and most of the paperwork is sent in beforehand."

"I don't know them, but I think they would be." ------ "Don't worry. Like I said, it's not an easy shot to make," reassured Zamy.

"You're welcome," replied Hope. ------- "It can do because the ball will go at an angle unless you put some opposite spin on it. But that's exaclty what you need right now. When you have the two pins at each end left, you want to spin the ball so that when it hits the pin you aim for, it knocks that pin into the other one. It's not easy."

"That's probalby becuase you're used to that sort of thing. I'm not. And she'd struggle to get me to use something like that. Changing my appearence would be one thing, but changing what species I appeared as, that wouldn't sit well with me. But like I said, I'm not going to stop you so long as it's safe. You're my friend after all, no matter what form you take," said Hope ------ "Yeah I'd say you have. It just takes a little practice," said Zamy before getting a strike of her own.

"I don't think it'd damage our friendship. You're still you after all But that last part is just.... weird. I mean you'd either end up a bat or an echidna. It reminds me of something my counterpart would do in a lab," said Hope. ------ "Great job Miles. You learn fast," said a smiling Zamy.