Rouge The Bat: Mature Goddess

Rouge and Tom have been married for twenty four years and three months
as of this chapter.

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Rouge sat, alone, in Teal's room. Many of her belongings had been
packed and moved out, only larger items and some furniture remained.
She hugged a pillow.

Cracking the door open, Thomas found her sitting. "She's just in
the city."

"I know. But my baby girl's flown off." Rouge seemed to be disappointed
with her feelings. "Is it wrong that I want her to stay here?
I don't care if she's getting married. We have lots of room here,
does she need to get her own place?"

He sat beside her. "You have two little girls who still need you to
raise them. Teal's an adult now. She'll be fine."

She asked, "you're not worried?"

"I'm going to worry every day," he replied, "but I can't keep her on
a leash. Now..." With an arm around her, he held his wife tight.
"About those two little girls..." Taking Rouge's hand, Tom helped
her stand, leading her into the living room. The twins were coloring.

Springing up when they saw their parents, the girls ran to give them
hugs. "And what are my little angels doing?" Rouge asked.

Violette held up the drawing. "It's me and Rose and you and daddy and
Teal and June and Tiff!"

Rouge smiled.


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Slate waited. His GUN assessment was done. All he had to do was hear the
results. "Passed the physical tests above average, mental examination,
health screening..." The GUN Commander extended his hand. "Welcome
to the Guardian Unit of Nations!"

"GREAT!" Teal shouted. "Knew you'd pass."

"Yes. Now, normally new recruits are placed on probationary training
periods... however, I don't believe you would be best suited to
pushing papers all day. I would like for you to become an active
field agent immediately."

"Me? A field agent?" Slate was stunned. "Of course!"

"Very well." The Commander made the proper notes in the file. "However,
you will only be assigned light work. Until you have received
proper training, you will not be issued a weapon."

Teal leaned in. "It also means I'll outrank you."

"And it means you'll be issued a proper uniform in the meantime,"
the Commander stated. "I'll allow you to wear as you please when your
rank advances."

"Well..." The echidna was used to wearing no clothing, but he knew
what he was getting into. "Okay. When do I start?"


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Two boxes remained to be unpacked in the apartment. Clothes and such
were put away. Finding places had been no problem as the apartment was
pre-furnished. They'd bought minor decorations and some rugs to
place around, the place slowly customized for its inhabitants.

All that remained were personal trinkets. Pictures, old toys and other
assorted items the two had kept from home.

The apartment wasn't large, but it was big enough for two people.
"Slate, where's the scissors? I can't find them!" Teal wanted to unpack
her last box.

"Huh... good question," he said, looking around. As the two searched
for the elusive tool, they were shocked when a loud noise echoed through
the room. "What? Teal!"

"Oh god, that-" She hoped she was wrong. "Thats' the fire alarm!"
Running to the window, she looked out. Her apartment faced the street.
Smoke could be seen. Peeking out, she saw the cause for alarm.

The pizza place next door had caught fire and the blaze, spreading
quick, had already taken their building, two two places connected.
"Damn! Place is gonna burn down!"

"We have to go!" Slate shouted. The echidna boy was visibly panicked.

Teal seemed to be frozen. Her new home was going up in smoke. "Right...
I..." Running, she grabbed her box, leaping for the window and flying
out. Slate did the same, his box of possessions held tight as he
jumped, catching the air under his quills, floating to the ground.

Their boxes were set on the sidewalk. "That's moving quick," Slate
shouted, noting the speed in which everything burned.

"People are still in there..." The bat girl felt selfish, the two of
them making a quick escape with their most prized possessions while
people inside had to rely on stairs. The firefighters were busy
controlling the blaze but they had arrived too late. The buildings
contained too much wood, allowing the burning nightmare to cut
through. "Can you carry a full-grown human?"

"Think so," he said.

"Good! We have to help those people!" Flying to the upper levels,
Teal kicked in the window, soaring inside. The elderly old woman was
afraid. "You'll never make the stairs with that thing!" The old woman
was held to an oxygen tank. Grabbing it, Teal braced the elderly
woman and flew, balancing the weight just long enough to land. She
watched as Slate landed carrying two kids.


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Tom stopped the car, his little girls hopping from the back door.
They ran towards their sister, each hugging onto a leg tight.
"TEAL!"

"I'm okay!" she assured, trying to wiggle the twins free. In
the air, Teal saw the three bats flying. Rouge landed safely,
running to her daughter. "I'm okay, mom!"

"Did you let the paramedics check you?" Rouge was worried.

"MOM! They have lots of people who were in there longer than we were!"
Teal wasn't worried about herself. She knew that she was fine.

They looked at the crowd. Everyone had managed to flee, thanks not
only to Teal and Slate, but also to the firefighters. However, the
building as gone. Slate carried their boxes to the car. "We saved
these... but guess everyone else lost everything. Why'd this happen?"

Tom was mad. "I'll tell you why this happened..." Shouting, he wanted
everyone to hear him. "This happened because this idiot city won't
spend a CENT on itself! They hire idiot cops and make sure tourism
is good. Instead of paying to have buildings renovated and repaired,
they slap fresh paint and some new brick on the front! These buildings
aren't even up to code! Old wood, old brick, old wires! The only GOOD
parts of this city are the business sector and anything rebuilt after
Black Arms!"

Pulling out his wallet, he began sorting money, handing it to the
victims. "This will help with immediate needs. It's not much but it's
a start." Out of money, the checkbook came, Tom writing checks to
people. It was all he could do.

Rouge helped her daughter to the car. "It's time to go home..."


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Teal sat on her old bed, Slate holding her. "Maybe it was a sign..."

"Sign of what?" he asked.

She didn't want to say it. "That we shouldn't live there?"

"That'd be hard to do now, though..."

Teal sniffed. Their fur still reeked of smoke. "I mean... maybe we
should just live here. I- I thought it'd be cool to move out with
you, live together, get married, but..."

"It's... nice." Slate mumbled, "Pink, too..."

"There are bigger rooms in this place, Slate. Like the old room that
dad's parents used to have." Teal never called them her grandparents.
They had been dead long before she'd been born.

The door kicked open. "Slate! Little bro!" It was Striker, Slate's older
brother.

"Strike, place is gone."

"I heard. Sucks, too. You can always move back home!" He caught their
stares. "Uh, or not... hm, I'll leave you two alone, okay?" Ducking
out, Striker closed the door.

"Sorry about that. Strike's a good guy but he's a bit, uh..." Slate
thought of the word. "He can be a bit proud of his family."

In the living room, Knuckles sat with Karen. "I'm just glad they got
out of there." Knuckles, deep down, would have been devastated if a son
had been lost.

"Rouge?" Karen spoke. "They decided on where to go?"

"I was hoping that... well... I'm sure they'll think of something."
Rouge didn't wish to let her desires be known.

"Actually," Karen said, "I'd feel a LOT better if they were living
here. Be a lot safer, you know."

Knuckles let out a sigh."I used to think the Master Emerald was the one
thing I was put here to protect... now... I'd shatter it into a million
pieces for my family."

Rouge complimented the sentiment by saying, "and I'd give up every
last jewel I owned for mine if I had to. Guess we did change, Knuckles,
a LOT..."

The two entered the living room, greeting their parents. Rouge
said, "Teal. I don't know if you-"

"Mom, Slate and I decided, we want to move in here. But my room's
not big enough."

Rouge simply smiled. "Pick any empty room you want, dear, and decorate
it however you want, okay?"

Slate looked at his parents, his brother beside them. Knuckles simply
nodded in approval. He felt a hug from behind, his sister, Sharon,
holding on. "I was scared."

"I know, Sharon, but don't be, okay?" The little echidna girl let go.

"Well, guess that's everything then." Knuckles saw no reason to stay.
His son was fine, which was his only concern. "Wait... what about all
those people?"

Tom said, "I'm donating two million to help them. Some of them have
nowhere to go and they all lost everything they had. At least I can
help them rebuild."


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Teal was happy with the large room. "We need to get my bed and the
furniture in here... what do you think about paint?"

Slate looked at the walls. "Needs some touching up...

In the doorway, Tiff and June watched. "My niece is back home. Glad
you didn't get roasted today."

"Yeah, that would've been horrible!" Tiff smiled, happy that Teal was
okay.

June gave Slate a curious look. "What? See something you like?"

Slate simply stared back. "Uh..."

June giggled. "I'm a lesbian. Means no touching."

Slate turned, Teal's arms crossed, pushing her chest up. "I don't
think I'll be too disappointed by that," he said, taunting her back.

Defeated, June closed her eyes. "Damn. Oh well... Teal's got the
family goods, after all..."