Chapter Text
Shea first see darkness. Blurring her vision in a black mist. Where is she? Is she back on the express or somewhere else? Then why does she feel this aching pain down at her lower stomach? Her body feels limp & weak. Her consciousness slowly coming back but as she regains her self awareness of her body & her surroundings, she hears several voices.
“How is she doing? Any problems?” The voice that spoke out sounded alot like Dan Heng but uneasy through his composed tone.
“She’s a bit frail, but she’s doing alright as she can. She should be fine.” Another voice speaks out. Sounding like an older women but with a higher pitch voice then March’s.
“The important thing she’s alive & breathing. That almost scared me half to death when that happened!” March’s voice speaks out. Despite seeming energetic in her vocal tone, it sounded shaky.
“But her breathing is pretty shallow. Do you think she’s breathing okay?”
Shea feels two fingers press against her wrist. Feeling her light heartbeat faintly through her hand.
“Her pulse is very weak. I dunno if it’s a good to leave her like this.” The young women stressed.
“She might need CPR. March?”
“Me?! I-I dunno, I never done it before.” March protested, sounding flustered. “Dan heng, you do it.”
As Shea finally lift open her eyelids, light & figures come into her vision. Blurry for a moment but becomes clearer as she adjust to the dim lighting. The first thing, or person, she sees is her dark haired friend Dan heng. Eyes closed & leaning forward with his lips nearing closer to hers.
March sees her regaining consciousness & quickly pushes Dan heng away from Shea’s face.
“Wait, stop, she’s waking up.”
March gets up close to her face. A bright smile stretch across her face. A sense of relief also radiating off her as she seem to be overwhelmed & possibly scared. Another figure gets close, her head next to Dan heng who shared a smile with March but more gentle.
The young woman next to Dan heng looked to be in her mid 20s. She had short blond hair that reached to her chin. Her aura giving a caring warmth.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” She asked. A hand caressing her forehead.
She shift abit in the bed. Propping up on her elbows, trying to sit up, only to feel a sharp pain in her abdomen. Causing her to groan & lay back down. Causing the three to back up abit but the blonde still remaining close, one hand near her shoulder, the other reaching to her arm.
“Ah!”
D-Don’t try to sit up so quick. You’re still recovering.” She gently lay Shea back down. The gray haired girl feeling the soft plush of the pillows against her head as the pain subsides in her lower stomach as she lie down completely still. “Just rest for abit, okay?”
“O-Okay.”
The young woman smiles at her. Breathing a sigh of relief, followed by March & Dan heng.
“Took you long enough to wake up. For one moment, I thought you were a goner!” March chimes in. “You scared me almost half to death, there!”
Shea felt a sense of guilt in her. She didn’t mean to worry them like that. She should’ve been more careful when things were getting intense.
“I-I’m sorry.” She apologized.
“It’s alright. We’re just glad you’re alive.” Dan heng reassures
Even with a few words, that was enough to help Shea feel a little better. Even tho she still felt bad for worrying them when she got hurt, she shouldn’t dwell on it too. There are more pressing matters to think on than that.
“You three were very lucky back there. When Leon sees something amiss, he doesn't back down,”
The blonde grabs a bucket. It was filled with water. Slouching against the walls. She pulls out a wet cloth. Twisting it to remove the excess of the water soaked in the cloth.
“He told me what happened earlier. So I can understand why he felt something was off. Usually my dad wouldn’t make decisions like this without a reason.”
“Wait. The president is your dad?” March asks. Shock on her face.
“Yes, so I know him.” She places the cloth on Shea’s head. She could feel the cold & wet water through the cloth. Cooling down her head as she lets out a breath. “As the president of the United States, he have to make choices to keep this country safe & people wouldn’t get hurt, or worse— killed.”
She spoke about her father with such fondness. A sweet smile on her face.
“That comes with using logic & understanding. But from Leon told me, he was shown evidence that seemed you guys were up to no good.”
“What?!” March gasped.
“What kind of Evidence?” Dan heng interjected.
“Leon had them on hand after one of the agents he was working with gave them to him. Here.”
She pulls a few pictures to Dan heng. Shea wanted to see what they are but her body felt so weak that she didn’t want to move. But from the look on Dan Heng’s face. His usual serious expression, his crystal blue eyes that possibly could shine in the moonlight & might reflect its shine like diamonds or sapphires observing the photos, changed to puzzled & confused.
“Shea, March, take a look at these.” He hands two photos to his female companions.
Shea at least still had the strength to lift her arms & take the image & peered her golden ambers into shot. Her eyes widened. Within the taken shots, it was her, Dan Heng & March. But they were standing by a large board. Pictures & papers tacked onto with red string in zig zag motions. At the top of the board - it had one word sprawled at the top.
‘Assassination’
What in the world— who the hell took these pictures?! She thought. It didn’t make any sense to her. Peering into the photo, she examined her & her two companions forms. Just from a few little specks, hardly noticeable but still there— it seemed to be photoshopped.
“What the— where these pictures?! Why are we—“ March was trying to speak out, her voice increasingly getting louder in her angered tone.
“Someone must have taken shots of us when we were exploring the city. Then place our persons within these photos.” Dan heng hands the pictures back, March & Shea following suit. “Whoever did is quite clever, no one would be none the wiser even taking a glance at them.”
The blonde nodded.
“Yes, I can see why my dad believed this was legit & took at face value. I’m so sorry that this happened.”
“It’s not your fault. The one who set us up is the one to blame.” Dan heng reassured.
“Yeah! Ohhh, when I find whoever did this is gonna get a taste of astral express medicine!” March declared.
“Still, my father will be certainly ashamed & embarrassed that he let this sneak by him & didn’t realized it was fake. Lucky for you three, my good friend Leon was there to see something was up. He knew you be wrongfully locked away if he didn’t step in.”
Dan heng stepped back abit. Shea seeing that a shudder went through his body. Arms crossed & discomfort clear on his face. A pang of empathy shot through the gray haired girl. She gave him a gentle smile. A way of showing her care & worry for him. Dan heng noticed this & gave a nod of letting her know he’s fine. But she’s always gonna worry about him.
“We would’ve gotten out of there eventually but he did make it a lot easier.” March said. “He’s pretty strong to say the least. Do you think he has secret strength like Dan Heng does?”
Dan heng face palmed. Shea mentally shaking her head but a smile on her face. The blonde letting out a giggle.
“You could say that. Me & others have joked about how Leon seemed more like inhuman since he does things that a normal person couldn’t do. Try like, Superman.”
“That should definitely fit him…! Wait, what’s Superman?”
The young women giggled again. “I might need to show you the movies sometime. That way you’ll get it.”
Shea turns to her. It’s best she asked her name now. That way she knows who she is.
“Um… Miss?”
The young looks down at her. Giving a kind smile. “Yes, what is it?”
“What’s your name?”
“Oh! I haven’t introduced myself yet, my bad. That was very rude of me.” She lets an embarrassed laugh. “My name is Ashley Graham. Other than being the president’s daughter, I’m a friend of Leon’s. Nice to meet you. I already knew your name from your friends.”
Ashley…
For some reason, that name felt oddly familiar. Like shea heard it before but she’s not sure why…
Shaking that peculiar feeling off, she nodded her head. Giving a weak smile of her own.
“Nice to meet you too. Thanks for helping us.”
“It’s no problem. Me & Leon are just glad you’re okay. Hopefully we’ll get this issue worked out.”
She’s in agreement with that. Hopefully it won’t take too long so she, Dan heng & March get to sealing the stellaron.
Just at that moment, the door at the far back, brown & wooden at the front; opening with a click from the door knob turning. On the other side, was a man that appeared to be Around Ashley’s age.
He had blonde hair, like Ashley’s but more slightly darker. Blue eyes that appeared to be easygoing; & a firm expression. He was holding a pistol in his hand, placing it into a holster by his hip. He walks into the rooms, heading straight to Ashley. Shea’s eyes lingering on him.
“Leon.”
“How’s everyone doing?” He asked.
“Well…” Ashley turns to Shea. Brown chocolate orbs soft & warm as the smile on her lips. “She’s finally woken up. Her wounds are minor as we checked but she’s gonna need a lot of rest to recover. But overall, she’ll be fine.”
Leon’s shoulders became less tense. Letting out a sigh.
“Good. She didn’t look good there.”
His gaze reaches to the gray haired girl. Seeing that she was staring at him. He gives a slight smile. Lowering down to the level of the bed where Shea is kept in.
“How you’re holding up?”
He’s question snapped her out of her fixation. Heat rousing to her pale cheeks soon as she realized that she was staring at him. But her attention still remains on him, he didn’t seem to mind her looking at him despite that seeming to be creepy. Tho, that doesn’t really change that she feels… a little in embarrassed. Shrinking in her pillow.
“I’m okay. Pain in my stomach but nothing I can’t managed. Thank you… for helping us.”
“Not a problem. Couldn’t just stand there when something wasn’t adding up.”
He flints his eyes to her & her two friends.
“You’ll be safe here. No one knows where this place is. So we should be good for the time being.”
“Did you check outside to make sure no one followed us here?”
Leon nodded.
“Even though this place is secluded, we gotta be careful. There’s a lot we need to do before handling the situation.”
“Reason why he brought us.”
Another voice speaks out. Shea’s gaze shifts the door again. Seeing two figures. They looked to be hedgehogs but walking on two feet. But contrast each other. One was black, one was pink. The former having his arms crossed with a serious glare, the latter smiling holding a large hammer.
“Me, Rose & Kennedy will patrol one at a time to keep an eye out so the government.” The black hedgehog turns to Leon. Seeming annoyed. “You owe me one.”
“I do. Thank you, Shadow.”
Shadow moves his vision to Shea. His fire crimsons peering into her. Does he… know her? He looks to Dan heng & March. The former being reserved in emotion, the latter, curious more then anything.
“C’mon, Shadow, whatever Leon needed us for much be serious.”
“Pretty much, is. I dunno what was going on & how it got to this point but I couldn’t just leave it like that.”
The black figured sighed.
“It’s fine. Just make sure to not cause any trouble as you do.”
Leon chuckles. “I’ll try not to. Either way, these two are Shadow & Amy rose. Me & Ashley knew them since they were young.”
“Well, at least Amy.” Ashley corrected with a slight giggled. Earning confused looks from the trio.
“We’ll have to explain that another time.”
Amy approaches to March & Dan heng. Glancing to Shea as well. Her energy was upbeat & pretty optimistic. Her pink spines that resembled hair framed her face. Emerald green eyes sparkled with excitement & eagerness.
“Anyways, you three must be the ones that Leon is helping. Nice to meet you.” She greeted.
“It is nice to meet you too. I’m Dan heng. This is March 7th & Shea.”
“S-Shea?” Amy expression changes from happy to surprised.
“Is something wrong?” March asked.
“No, no. It’s just her name sounded familiar so I was processing it. Sorry. Either way, me & Shadow we’ll help the best way we can till this gets figured out.”
As much her voice kept her happy disposition, it was tinted with a sense of confusion. Was it something to do with her name? Shea moves her gaze to Leon & Ashley.
Leon’s shoulders became tense again. He’s face trying to maintain his easygoing posture but his expression looked… like he was in pain. Ashley seemed more conflicted. One hand rubbing her arm. Does this have to with her name?
Now she thinks about it, all their names, Leon, Ashley, Amy, Shadow… they feel familiar. But she can’t seem to remember why. A pang of guilt & pain was spreading through her heart as her eyes lingered on the two. Ashley noticed this. Waving her hand in reassurance.
“Don’t worry, I’m just thinking.”
She then nudges her shoulder to Leon. Catching him off guard. Now having his attention, she points to her. Leon knelts down to her. Patting her head.
“We’re fine. Try not to stress about us. Right now, you need to rest.”
Even when he said that, she can’t help feel worried about him & others who know her name. Does it hold relevance to why Amy seemed surprised & why Leon & Ashley seemed to be in pain from hearing the name? Not only that, what happened earlier. She knows why she’s here & how she got here, But what led to this event?
She should try to remember while she can as she heals…