Chapter Text
"What's your absolute favorite thing in the world?"
Shadow gave Sonic a questioning glance. The azure hedgehog had lain down next to his rival while Shadow sat cross-legged on the bed.
"Why do you wanna know?" Shadow asked.
"Well, everyone has a favorite thing, and I want to know yours."
Shadow shifted in his bed. He didn't understand what Sonic meant by 'favorite thing'.
"Is it meant to be an object or a person?" Shadow inquired. Sonic let out a soft chuckle at the ebony hedgehog's slight confusion. He turned to his side so he was facing Shadow.
"Okay, how bout I tell you what my favorite thing is? That'll give you an idea," Sonic suggested. Shadow stiffly nodded, trying hard not to show he was affected by Sonic's soft gaze.
Sonic took a deep breath. He looked like he was trying to gather his thoughts.
Definitely not as drunk as I feel right now.
"My favorite thing? Well, that's a feeling, actually. The feeling of freedom. The wind running through my quills, the sun glaring in my eyes. All of that. I could never live my life without it. That's what makes me me. I love the running, the adventure, the fun. It's a world of endless possibilities, you know what I mean?" Sonic spoke softly, his eyes warming up as the words spilled from his mouth.
Shadow couldn't help the surge of emotions that rushed through his body when he stared at the blue hedgehog. It was strange, but the idea of Sonic being happy made Shadow even happier. He didn't even think that was possible. Now, it felt scary and so exhilarating at the same time.
How far gone am I that his happiness affects mine?
"Earth to Shadow? You there, bud?" Sonic giggled lightly as he waved his hand in front of the ebony hedgehog's face. Shadow blinked slowly as he realized that he had zoned out on Sonic.
"Sorry about that," Shadow muttered, trying not to make eye contact with his rival. The thoughts running round in his head made him feel dizzy, made his body feel different.
"No, it's okay. You're probably tired from all the fun stuff Rouge gave you."
Shadow could only hum back in response. There was silence. Shadow's thoughts were getting louder.
"Do you wanna lie down or something? You look uncomfy," Sonic muttered, pushing himself up to a sitting position. Before Shadow could protest, Sonic placed his hand on Shadow's waist, his hold firm but gentle.
Shadow had his head down, staring at his sheets. He felt a sharp jolt through his chest. His pulse stumbled, then raced, though he didn't move. He couldn't let Sonic know how much it affected him.
Would it hurt if he knew…?
"Is this okay, Shads?" Sonic's silky voice came through. Maybe it was the alcohol, but Shadow could've sworn his rival did that on purpose.
Shadow once again hummed in response. At that, Sonic's fingers tightened.
"I need to be sure, Shads. Try to act like you're not scared of me for a sec."
Yeah… I'm far gone. Forgive my thoughts, Maria.
Shadow raised his head to lock eyes with emerald. Sonic was smug as ever, and the ultimate lifeform was not having it.
"And what exactly are you trying to do, hedgehog?" He snarled, but the excitement in his tone was painfully evident.
"Well, if it isn't the Ultimate Lifeform trying to act defensive. You were compliant a moment ago."
"Accommodating your strange behavior is not being compliant," Shadow argued.
"I'm pretty sure that's the layman's definition of compliance, Shads," Sonic retorted, stifling a laugh.
"I can assure you, hedgehog. I'm far from compliant."
"Sure you are, that's why you haven’t shifted my hand," Sonic grinned.
Shadow's pulse spiked again. He pried Sonic's hand off his waist. The cold air of the night grazed the spot, and Shadow almost immediately craved the warmth again. Shadow held his rival's hand, flicking his gaze from the gloved limb to his admittedly gorgeous face. Eventually, he let go and turned to look back at his emerald eyes.
"Don't test me, hedgehog. You're only in my space cause I let you be."
"Pretty sure I made you want me in your space," The azure hedgehog kept pushing.
"I'm pretty sure you want a fight."
"Right now? I don't wanna ruin your sheets."
That was Shadow's breaking point. He started a chaos spear in his hand. Sonic looked startled for a moment, and the ultimate lifeform smiled. He tried to aim for the blue hedgehog, but Sonic dodged with a swift spin dash, and the ball of chaos energy broke the window instead.
"Is that the best you got? I'm a bit disappointed," Sonic stood up, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at Shadow with a taunting look.
Shadow felt his face flush, and he shot another chaos spear at his rival. Once again, he missed and shot at his desk. He whipped his head around in search of his target.
"Right behind you."
Without hesitation, Shadow turned and drove a blow into Sonic's stomach. The latter hunched over in pain, gripped the sheets as he gasped for air.
"Hold on, Shads. Look, was it something I said, cause—" he strained.
But before he could get himself again, Shadow stood on his bed and kicked the blue hedgehog until he had pushed him to the ground.
"Cool your jets, Shadow. Do you want me dead?" Sonic muttered as he lay on his back on the carpeted floor.
That's an odd question. Who asks that in the middle of a fight?
The ebony hedgehog jumped down from his bed and walked towards Sonic. The latter stared softly as Shadow hovered over him.
"Do you want me dead, Shadow?" Sonic asked again, his voice even softer.
That's a stupid question. The answer should be obvious. I should've said something by now.
Shadow tinkered with his inhibitors. His mind was foggy. He knew what he wanted to do, but he had no idea why. Why was he doing this to Sonic?
Say something. Say it. SAY IT.
"No, I don't want you dead. Why would you even think that, Sonic? I would never want you dead."
"You know, if you're gonna say that to Sonic, I suggest you drop the sentiment. He's allergic to emotions," Amy spoke up from behind Shadow, who had his eyes shut as he was deep in thought.
He was definitely daydreaming about a certain hedgehog, though.
"Can you focus on the mission at hand, Miss Rose?" Shadow replied calmly. He wasn't going to let her ruin his peace.
"I am focused. You're not, though," Amy chuckled as she nudged his side. The ultimate lifeform rolled his eyes and shoved her. She let out a laugh in response.
The two hedgehogs were standing near the Tornado as the fox boy tweaked it a bit. They had worked out the plan, and they were ready. They had to be ready.
The fox explained that the FACESHIP operated at a higher altitude than what it displayed on radars. The Tornado can go those heights, but the ship's defense would be too much for the plane to take.
"Okay!" The kit shouted as he shut a panel. He spun his tails and flew into the cockpit.
"If you guys are ready, I suggest we get moving now. Don't want to keep Eggman waiting," He quipped as he flicked a couple of switches. In a matter of moments, the propellers spun, coughing to life before settling into a steady rhythm.
Amy jumped into the seat right behind the fox while Shadow managed to climb on top of the left wing, crouching down to steady himself.
The plane took off soon after, and now they were 15,000 feet in the air, honing in on the Doctor's location. Wherever it was.
"Tails?" Amy screamed as loud as she could. Shadow glanced in her direction. She was just as skeptical as he was.
"Yes?" The fox boy screamed right back, as if he were expecting the question. His eyes were focused on the dashboard, though.
"Where exactly is the FACESHIP?" The pink hedgehog asked.
"I have a better question: where are Rouge and the echidna?" Shadow interjected. They hadn't seen the two since the debrief yesterday. Rouge assured her teammate that she and 'Knuckie' wouldn't be late and that she knew exactly where to be.
All Shadow knew was that letting Rouge go home with the echidna for the night was not a good idea in hindsight.
"What have I told you about using first names?" Amy screeched. Shadow didn't dignify her with any form of response. Instead, he turned to the fox.
But before he could answer, a honey-like voice echoed across the comms.
"What's up, darlings—"
And a deep, gritty one followed.
"Quit it, Rouge. Tails, we're right under the target. When do we shoot?"
She sounds painfully excited for this mission. I don't want to think about why.
"Knuckles!" The kit exclaimed. But when he looked back down at his radar, the smile dropped from his face.
"You have to shoot the missile in the next—" He tinkered with his equipment before resuming. "—10 seconds. Use the infrared goggles and Rouge, get ready to bolt," he instructed.
Then he addressed the two hedgehogs, "We're in Eggman's airspace, he's gonna notice us soon. That is, if Knuckles misses his shot."
Amy was more confused than ever. "Tails, there's nothing here. What in Gaia's name is he aiming at?"
"Give it time, Ames. Shadow, get ready to jump."
Shadow nodded firmly. He wasn't going to question the fox now. They'd come too far to be wrong.
"Okay, Knuckles. Stay with me, 7—" The fox clutched the throttle, readying himself for the dive.
"6—" Shadow could hear the whirring of the cannon over the comms.
"5—" He relayed the plan in his head again.
"4—" The echidna shoots. Rouge and he go up to the ship to cause a distraction. She sneaks Amy and me on board. We save Sonic.
"3—" Amy unbuckled her seat belt. She got up and placed her foot on the wing and reached for Shadow's hand.
"2—" Shadow took it.
"1!"
A bang was heard, followed by a shaky, deep breath. The missile had been shot. Shadow listened as it rumbled through the air and saw as it flew right in front of them, and then, BOOM. It was loud, debris scattered into the sky, and fumes polluted the air. But that could only mean one thing;
It hit something.
When Shadow looked up, the FACESHIP had appeared out of nowhere. The cloaking technology was wearing off, and they could see the echidna had hit the target— right in the eye. It looked just like the schematics; Big, evil, and had the Doctor written all over it. It was not just intimidating, it was frightening to the core.
Too bad the Ultimate Lifeform has to ruin it, though.
"Okay, this is… pretty gnarly," Amy muttered, clutching Shadow's hand tighter. He had to agree with that. It was pretty gnarly.
"Knuckles and I are headed up now, Tails. Let us know when Pinky and Edgy are done gawking," Rouge announced. He could hear her breathing change to accommodate the weight she was carrying.
"Thanks, Rouge." The fox dove the plane down to where the damage was. The ebony hedgehog could see badniks spilling out of the hole in numbers. For once, the Doctor knew what defense meant. That's when he saw a badnik aim right for them.
"Watch out, Tails!" Amy screamed before ducking, pulling Shadow down with her. The shot fired missed them, but he lost his balance and slipped off the wing.
"SHADOW!" She screamed as she tightened her grip and pulled him up the wing.
"What's going on, Amy?" the kit asked cautiously, as if he didn't want to hear whatever bad news was behind him.
"Just a minor setback. I can—" before she could finish her sentence, the Tornado got hit. The right propeller was on fire, and the plane was dropping fast. Amy's grip loosened a bit before she reinforced it with her other hand.
"This is not good. Rouge! I need you to take Amy and Shadow up to the ship!" The fox screamed into his mic.
"Calm your tits, I'm here," Rouge spoke up from behind them. She grabbed Shadow's and Amy's hands and hoisted them off the plane.
"Are you gonna be okay, Tails?" Amy asked as she held onto the bat's arm, dangling thousands of feet above the ground.
"I'll be okay after you've gotten Sonic. Now go!" He screamed back in response. Rouge took it as her sign to dive for the ship.
Shadow used his chaos spear to aim at badniks, shooting them out the way. He didn't miss a single one, and they dropped to the ground, going up in flames. Amy was just focused on not looking down.
"You're getting better at it, handsome. What's new?" Rouge teased. She tossed him up to the ledge of the opening in the ship, though he landed perfectly on his feet. Then, she carefully passed Amy, who tried not to look scared as she was pushed into Shadow's arms.
"You alright, Amy?" He asked. The pink hedgehog placed her arm behind Shadow's head to steady herself before calmly whispering back.
"Yeah,, would like it a lot better if we stayed away from the edge." He nodded in understanding.
"Focus on the mission, Rouge," Shadow simply responded to the bat that was now looking out for the echidna.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll see you later, handsome," she muttered before flying upwards.
Shadow turned to walk through the ship, Amy still propped up in his arms. If there was one flaw with their plan, despite the retrieval of the schematics, it was that the FACESHIP was beyond normal. The hallways were designed with an odd function: self-reconfiguration.
The kit admittedly didn't understand the lines of code, especially since it was incomplete. Shadow didn't get it either.
What does he mean by self-reconfiguration?
They continued down the path. It was eerie and dark, just like when they raided the Doctor's abandoned base. But that was the thing.
"Shadow?"
"Hm?"
"Where are the badniks?"
Shadow stopped dead in his tracks. The badniks. There were tons of them spewing out the ship.
"Put me down." Before he could do just that, Amy jumped down. She looked back to where they were coming from.
Where is it?
"Where's the entrance? There was a gaping hole in the floor, there were badniks everywhere, our friends were out there! Where did it go?!" Amy panicked as she clasped the ebony hedgehog's hands in hers.
Great. Now I have to be brave for two.
"Let's focus on the mission. If we panic, it's only going to get worse," he spoke as he tried to get her to calm down. Amy wasn't a crybaby, though. She's been through enough of the Doctor. She let go of Shadow's hands just as quickly as she had held them.
"Yeah. Saving Sonic might just be our only hope out, anyway," she added. She pulled out her hammer from behind her, clutching it tight in her hands as she walked ahead of Shadow.
The two didn't have to walk for long before they heard a voice.
"Well, if it isn't two of my favorite hedgehogs! You've made quite the entrance with your makeshift team," the Doctor's taunting voice boomed over the speakers. Amy instinctively grabbed Shadow's arm.
"Oh my! You've finally found someone else to accommodate your depressing atmosphere, Shadow. Don't let Sonic see you two like this, he might just get a little feisty—"
"Where is he, Eggman?" Amy interrupted, her voice more stable than Shadow expected it to be.
"You don't need to know that. Not when you won't be overstaying your welcome, little pink brat."
Just then, the subtle sound of metal folding in on itself was heard. Amy, hammer in hand, got into a fight stance. Shadow clenched his fists, getting ready to form a chaos spear at any moment.
Ding!
My communicator.
The rest of them knew to use the comms. Who would try to send a text?
He lifted his wrist and tapped the screen as he viewed the message. He paused as he read.
"What is it?" Amy spoke up. She peered over Shadow's shoulder, and she, too, let out a gasp in shock.
It was just one word. But gosh, was it refreshing to see.
Hedgehog: Shsdss
They stared at the message for a second longer before Amy asked.
"What is 'shsdss' supposed to mean?"
The metallic sound was getting louder.
"I think he meant to type out 'Shads'." Shadow wanted to gag at the awkward pronunciation of his own nickname.
"You sure it's not secret code for something?" She questioned skeptically. The ebony hedgehog rolled his eyes at that assumption.
"Secret code for what exactly?"
"I dunno. What do you guys talk about?
"We don't, Amy. You already know that."
"Okay, so why did he text you right now? Is he just madly in love?" Amy suggested, the tone of her voice irking Shadow.
That would be cute, though.
"He wants us to know his location, and lucky for him, I can do that easy." Shadow tapped on his screen as he tried to get Sonic's exact location.
The sound seemed to be coming from all around them now.
"What is that noise?!" The pink hedgehog glanced around the hallway that had seemingly gotten smaller than before.
Then it got even smaller.
"It's closing in on us," Shadow mumbled. Amy bashed the metal with her hammer. The strange material absorbed the force of her attack. It turned into a molten-like liquid as it tried to swallow her hammer.
"HEY! Give it back," she screamed as she pulled it back, stumbling a bit.
Shadow had to do something and fast. He reached for his comm-link.
"Rouge! You there? I need the fox in the ship," he instructed. He got nothing but static back. He shot a chaos spear at the wall, and it bounced back to Shadow, who dodged in time.
"Quick, we need to get to Sonic," he said. He pulled out his communicator once more, waiting for the program to load it up. Times like this are when seconds feel like hours. He reached for his borrowed purple chaos emerald and Amy's arm, getting her to crouch down.
"What is this thing?" she shrieked.
"The Doctor's latest technology, I'd assume. I've never seen anything like it." He concluded. He stared at the screen a little longer.
DING!
Found you.
"I've got him. You ready?" He asked as he took her hand. Amy nodded firmly and held on to her hammer.
"CHAOS CONTROL!" A flash followed his infamous saying, and by the time Shadow opened his eyes, they weren't in a living hallway. It was a closet. A pretty tiny one.
Shadow lay flat on the base while Amy was pressed into his chest. He could feel her heartbeat, and it raced the moment she realized how compromising this position felt.
The ultimate lifeform didn't have time to figure out what to do with her. Not when he felt something poking his back. He tapped on Amy's back in hopes of getting her to sit up just a bit. She did not get it.
"What do you want me to do? There is literally no room," she aggressively whispered back. Shadow rolled his eyes and pushed her off, causing her to hit her side. She groaned in pain and punched Shadow's stomach.
"Sorry." Not.
He reached for the little device. It was a communicator, plain black with obnoxious stickers on it. Amy gasped the moment she saw it.
"This is Sonic's, isn't it?" Shadow blandly asked. She nodded and snatched it from his hand to go through it.
So he sent the message and managed to toss the communicator here. But where is he now?
Suddenly, a click was heard, followed by the bang of a door. Shadow held his breath while Amy froze in place.
"I thought I warned you about trying to escape enough times for you to learn your lesson." A voice boomed from outside the enclosed space. Shadow easily recognized it to be the Doctor's, but who was he talking to?
Sonic?
"Your little friends can do absolutely nothing to stop me. If anything, you've just helped me bring my ultimate target right to me. You've done well, Sonic. You had a lot more chaos energy than I thought you did. I mean, 11 days? I'm more than impressed with you, Hero of Mobius."
Both Shadow and Amy went quiet, hoping to hear Sonic's quirky response, but there was nothing. Just breathing. Slow, scared, and heavy breathing.
Scared of what? The Doctor? What's happening out there?
"Now, where have you sent my package? No, don't tell me. I'll look for the rodents myself. Robots, take him back to his cell!" He instructed. The bang of a door was heard again, and the sound of robots stomping to do as told.
The next sound he heard was more surprising.
A soft clicking noise. He'd never heard that before. But he knew it was coming from Sonic.
Amy had a different reaction, though. She yanked Shadow's arm to get him to look at her, and there was fear written all over her face. A silent message.
He needs you.
Shadow took that as his cue. He formed a chaos spear in his hand and, with all his might, blew the door to the closet into dust. Amy coughed lightly before grabbing her hammer and getting into a fighting stance. The dust cleared soon enough.
Then, like all of Shadow's dreams before this very moment, crimson met emerald.
Except this time, they weren't in the comfort of Shadow's room under the moonlight. They weren't so close that they could feel each other's warmth, and it wasn't just them.
"SONIC!" Amy screamed as she bolted across the room. A badnik tried to grab her, but she immediately swung her hammer with full force and broke it into pieces. She didn't even pause for a moment, just ran straight to Sonic's side.
Shadow wanted to approach the two hedgehogs, but out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed the other two badniks homing in on them.
Yeah, that’s not happening.
He turned into a spiky ball and, in a flash, did a spin dash and knocked them both out in one move, before bashing them up. He didn't even realize how long he was doing that until—
"Shadow, would you quit hitting the robot and come here for a second?" Amy scolded.
He paused and took a deep breath. He was scared to look at Sonic.
Not when I've totally fallen for him.
He turned around and walked towards the two hedgehogs. Amy knelt next to the seemingly lifeless body.
His chest tightened.
This isn't Sonic.
He'd seen the hero in terrible conditions. Bruised, scraped, burned, battered. Sonic bounced back from all of those.
But this was nothing like those times.
Sonic's fur looked drained and desaturated. Like someone had pulled out the vibrant azure blue and left an ashen grey-blue. It was patchy, not from violent tearing, but from where clumps had simply fallen out, leaving raw, pinkish skin exposed. His quills hung limp, not because he was tired, but because there was no energy left inside them to keep their shape. Tiny scratches and marks all over his body, fur matted with little clumps of sticky red.
Shadow's gaze fell to Sonic's hands. They weren't mangled from a fight, but trembled uncontrollably, the fingers curled into weak, arthritic paws. It was the look of total systemic failure.
The most terrifying part was his breathing. It trembled, thin, unstable, like his lungs were running on empty.
Shadow watched as Amy reached for Sonic's shoulder. The moment she did, a soft static snap jumped between them, and Sonic flinched like it burned.
"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry," she frantically said, pulling her hands back as quickly as she could.
Shadow's eyes narrowed. Suddenly, the pieces were all coming together.
The Doctor wanted to use my Chaos energy. He wanted to use it to power the ship.
He used Sonic's instead.
Quiet sniffles broke him out of his thoughts. Amy was losing it, and they needed to get out of there fast.
He knelt next to the pink hedgehog and whispered, "Sonic?"
The dull, clouded emerald eyes cracked open. They found Amy first, then slid slowly, painfully, to Shadow. A flicker of recognition, of that old, defiant spark, tried to ignite.
"Shads…?" Sonic breathed, voice thin and cracking. "Thank goodness… I thought… you couldn't… read my text."
Not funny, hedgehog.
The mere sight of his supposed rival like this made Shadow's stomach twist. Amy got worse.
Sonic tried to push himself up. Tried to show he was still strong. But the result was scarier. His muscles refused to cooperate, and his arms gave out, leaving his body to slump back to the ground with a thud.
"Please, Sonic… don't," Amy begged as she choked a sob.
His eyes, barely open, were focused on Shadow. The ultimate lifeform wanted to look away out of fear, but he couldn't. This was Sonic.
"Shads… he replaced you… with me. I got… to save you, Shads. You're … fine," he rasped as he squinted his eyes, focusing on the hurt.
Amy visibly winced, and Shadow's heart broke into a million pieces.
"How can you even say that? I would've survived it, but you can't. You're almost dead, Sonic," the ebony hedgehog whispered back, his voice charged with anger and fear.
Sonic was silent. He slowly lifted his trembling hand, his breath stuttering. Shadow moved his and let their hands connect. Static snapped between their fingers. Sonic hissed at the contact, but he didn't let go.
"But.. I knew you were gonna save me… and you came… you came, Shadow," he mumbled.
Shadow got weak at those words. He slid his free arm under Sonic's back, trying not to worsen the pain. His body trembled at the contact, but he did not resist. The ebony hedgehog held his body close, afraid to let him go.
"Amy?" Shadow mumbled.
"Yes?" she responded, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. She looked away from Sonic; she needed to remain focused on the mission.
"We need to get out of here and back to the rest of them."
"Yeah, but we have no way to reach them. The weird metal blocked all signals," she concluded. She stood up and clutched her hammer tightly.
Shadow turned his attention back to Sonic. "Do you have any energy left to explain that?" he asked.
"If I had any energy left… I'd use it to run."
That just made Shadow want to kill the Doctor even more.
He let go of Sonic's hand so he could carry his body off the ground. Sonic leaned fully into him, his body limp in Shadow's grip. Sonic felt weightless and heavy at the same time. Weightless because Shadow lifted him without a second thought, and heavy because Sonic was never this still.
Focus on getting him out of here. Focus on keeping him alive.
The ultimate lifeform pulled himself up to a standing position with the hero in his arms. He gave Amy a nod, and she gave one right back before walking over the broken badniks and towards the door. Shadow followed her closely.
Amy clicked the door open and peeked out into the hallway. Once she thought it was clear, she motioned for her teammate to follow.
The three stepped out of the room and began their journey. Admittedly, Shadow didn't know where they were headed. From what he'd gathered, the walls have the ability to shift and change according to the Doctor's will.
That means he hasn't found us yet.
"How do we know which way to go? This place is a maze," Amy groaned. She sped up her steps, desperate to find a way out.
"We need to stick together, Amy. I can't afford to lose you right now," Shadow cautioned.
"Whoa…" Sonic's weak voice was heard, but Shadow knew that tone from a mile away. Amy snickered.
"Big shocker, Sonic, but Mr. Grumpy grew a heart. Now he's just an ultimate softie," she teased.
The said hedgehog rolled his eyes and held on to Sonic a bit tighter. He looked up at the ceiling, looking out for any cameras where they could be spotted. But everything looked clean.
Way too clean.
They continued walking down the hall. No doors, no windows in sight. Just metal that, on closer inspection, looked like water slime.
"This is getting creepy real fast," Amy commented. She slowed down, hoping to get a better understanding of the place.
"I think we've been going in circles," Shadow added. Sonic shifted slightly in his grasp.
"He's found us… he's gonna take you, Shads," the blue blur whispered in fear.
"Since when did you let the Doctor scare you?"
"Since the time he turned me into a battery," Sonic hissed back. Before Shadow could mutter an apology, they heard the speakers crackle in silence before the Doctor's laugh snapped out of him in sharp bursts, jittery and way too pleased.
"You know, Shadow, when I saw you walk in here with Amy, I began to quake a little in my boots. But watching you now—" He let out another ill cackle.
"You don't stand a chance, Shadow the Hedgehog. You tried to save your little rival, but now you're trapped. On my ship."
The walls began to close in on them again. At this point, Shadow needed to come up with a plan.
But what would even work?
He glanced at Amy, who was already in a fight stance. Unfortunately, both she and Shadow knew that channeling any form of energy into it was futile. It would only absorb it.
That leaves one thing—
"Shads… I know what you're thinking… don't."
Shadow looked down at the azure hedgehog in his arms. He knelt on the floor and carefully laid Sonic down, supporting his back so he could stare at his face.
His painfully pretty face.
"Your face is still so… easy to read," Sonic chuckled, wincing in pain. Shadow instinctively held onto him tighter.
"What's going on, Shadow?" Amy turned to question the two hedgehogs that had seemingly chosen the worst time to have a romantic moment, but just then, a jolt was felt through the ship.
"ANOTHER HIT???!!!" The Doctor screamed in rage. The speakers crackled off, and suddenly, the walls went still.
"Shadow, I think that was Knuckles. They must've gotten worried about us," Amy deduced as she regained her footing.
"What?"
"It's a missile, Sonic," Amy explained.
"And this missile is how you two… got on the ship?"
"Yep?"
"Then we can leave… we just have to do something dangerous," Sonic mumbled. He stared at Shadow, who didn't get the hint.
"We came to rescue you, no matter how dangerous," he simply replied.
"Oh, Shads… you'll get yourself killed if… you keep thinking like this." Sonic reached for Shadow's face, cupping it ever so gently despite his shaky hands.
Shadow felt his cheeks heat up and Amy's knowing stare.
"What are you saying?" He asked.
"You'd have to take off your inhibitors… and break a way out before… Eggman gets control again," the azure hedgehog drawled out, trying to stay awake.
Shadow reached for his wrist. "Okay, I'll—"
"NO!"
Sonic grabbed Shadow's face with both his hands. The static that pulsed through his fingertips stung him, but somehow he didn't feel the pain. Shadow stared in slight shock at Sonic's distraught expression. He stared at his deep emerald eyes. He stared at the scratches that tried to paint an ugly picture on a perfect canvas. He stared at his trembling lips and the tiny cut on them.
"You can't do that… you can't…" Sonic babbled. Tears formed in his eyes, and his breathing got even more strained.
"Sonic, we don't have much time. What is it?" Shadow demanded. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Amy trying not to intrude, but worry was plastered all over her face.
"That night… you took off your inhibitors to… fight me. You dropped… real fast. I didn’t know… what to do… you were losing energy. I put them back on, but… it was too late."
The azure hedgehog dropped his head down to cry, but Shadow didn't let him. He placed a hand under Sonic's chin and gently kept his head up. The tears fell down his face, and Shadow wanted nothing more than to wipe each one of them off.
Kiss each one away.
"I know you… haven't recovered. If you do this… I don't know if you'll… be fine," he mumbled.
Shadow took a deep breath. He had no choice. He had to get Sonic out of here.
"Amy! Shadow! Do you read me?" Static cracked, and Rouge's frantic voice was heard. Amy tapped her comm and answered.
"Rouge! What's going on out there?! She screamed, turning away from the other two hedgehogs to talk to the bat.
Shadow placed his focus back on the hedgehog in front of him. He put his free hand over Sonic's left hand that was still on his cheek.
"I'm going to be fine. I'll save you, and we're both going to leave this place," he reassured.
"I don't believe you," Sonic muttered back.
"What movie did you pick?" Shadow asked. Sonic looked lost for a moment, but when it clicked, he broke into a soft smile.
"The Matrix. I think… you'll like the plot… and the character," he said.
"I'd better like it."
"Well, if you don't, we… could watch Fast and Furious 7," Sonic suggested, chuckling at Shadow's deadpanned look at the second option.
"The Matrix it is. At exactly 9 pm tomorrow, when this terrible nightmare is all over, we'll watch this together. Wherever you want."
Sonic was quiet at Shadow's proposal. The ebony hedgehog could practically hear the gears turning in his head, and the worst part was that he understood how worried he was.
"You promise?" he finally said.
"Yes, Sonic. I promise," Shadow added. Amy walked back towards them.
"Guys, Rouge confirmed it was Knuckles. The Tornado is running again, but not for long. Tails is waiting for us just outside the FACESHIP. I don't know how much time we have left to go look for the exit, but—"
"No need for that, Amy. I'll do it. You grab Sonic and get ready to jump out." Amy knelt next to her friend, nodding in acknowledgement. But just as Shadow was about to let go—
"Wait." He stared back at the azure hedgehog. Once again, crimson met emerald.
"I wanted to do this when we… watched the movie, but I... can't wait for that," Sonic said.
Shadow stared at him, brows pulling together in confusion. "Do what?"
Sonic gripped Shadow's face tighter and pulled it closer, and just as Shadow realized what was happening,
It happened.
The kiss hit him like a spark. Literally. Chaos energy shot at the moment of contact, tiny charges snapping between them. Shadow felt it surge under his skin, but he didn't pull away. Suddenly, every feeling he had towards the azure hedgehog was amplified by a thousand percent, and it felt more real than it had ever been to him. Real in a way he couldn't deny anymore.
What are you doing to me, Sonic? Whatever it is… don't stop.
He could hear Sonic's heart race, his content sigh despite the pain he felt through his body, even the tiny cut on his lower lip. Shadow gripped him closer, savoring every last bit of warmth before it would disappear to the cold outside of their safe bubble.
Sonic finally pulled back, his breathing jagged and slow. Shadow felt selfish for wishing they'd continue.
"… Sorry," he whispered, his voice more wrecked than before.
"You don't need to apologize for anything," Shadow said, his voice laced with shock.
"Yes, you do! You two kissed right in front of me."
Both hedgehogs turned to look at Amy, who was visibly red. Sonic grinned at her reaction, while Shadow tried not to feel embarrassed that he had forgotten that she was here the entire time.
"What?... You jealous, Ames?" Sonic joked as he let go of Shadow's face, his hands trembling as he did.
"As if! I'm just annoyed that you guys did that while I was still here," she said as she placed her hand on Sonic's back, letting Shadow let go of him.
The ebony hedgehog stood up and reached for his inhibitors, snapping them off. He could feel the energy surge through his body and the strain it was taking on him.
Amy lifted Sonic off the ground, commenting on how easy it was for her. Sonic responded with an innocent jab that somehow got her to respond rather furiously.
Shadow's hands crackled as chaos energy surged between. Sparks danced off in every direction, raw and untamed, but he held it, forcing it into a steady form.
His body was screaming at him to stop. To pause and maybe figure out another solution. But he knew he didn't have that luxury.
He thrust his hands forward, and the blast erupted. A thick, blazing beam of red-gold chaos, intense enough to make the air hum and warp around it. The beam slammed into its target with concussive force, sending shockwaves outward. The walls tried to maintain their form, but the metal began to slowly melt. Alarms erupted throughout the ship, a blaring countdown no one had to explain.
Every second he maintained it burned through him faster than usual. His muscles were tensed, and his chest felt tight, but he didn't falter. He could feel Amy's worried glance and Sonic's scared stare. But he couldn't stop just yet.
He channeled more of his energy, trying to hide the pain. He could hear badniks coming towards them in their numbers.
Any moment now… any goddamn moment now.
And then, BANG!
Sunlight and wind rushed into the ship. Shadow staggered slightly as he let the final pulse dissipate, chaos sparks still licking off his quills. He looked back at Amy, who was breathing heavily with Sonic clutched in her arms. The azure hedgehog looked like he was seconds away from fighting out of Amy's grip just to reach him. A single tear dropped from his eye, and his entire face said one thing;
I don’t wanna leave you.
Shadow made eye contact with Amy, "Remember the plan, the fox is going to catch you. You have to go now!"
Amy hesitated. She stepped forward to the gaping hole, looking out and spotting the Tornado a few feet below them. She stared back again at Shadow, who had his eyes trained to the ground now, trying to avoid looking into Sonic's sad orbs.
"Shadow, you're not okay. We can't—" she tried to say.
"GO NOW!" The ebony hedgehog growled. He could hear Sonic whisper, over and over again.
"Don't die, Shads."
Amy nodded stiffly, forcing her breathing to steady. She tightened her hold on the azure hedgehog, and he gripped her shirt like he wanted her to argue with Shadow more. She stepped to the very edge of the torn-open gap, shifting her gaze from the kit to the ebony hedgehog who looked like he was going to give out any moment. Then she swallowed hard and jumped.
That's when the badniks flooded in, circling him before he could reset his stance. Shadow couldn't see them clearly or anything for that matter. His breathing hitched, chest tight from the blast he'd forced out moments before.
He stepped back on instinct, shoes sliding across the floor. It didn't take many steps until he couldn't feel the floor anymore. Shadow glanced behind him and saw that he had nowhere else to go. A badnik tried to lunge at him, and he weakly dodged, leaving it to fall off the ship. The ringing in his ears got louder, and he was losing himself. He flexed his wrist, drawing the energy he had left. A faint flicker of chaos energy spilled from his hand, and he shot a spear at the badniks in the front line. They dropped almost immediately.
Shadow stumbled again. The rest of the badniks were not deterred by his measly attempt to scare them off. They pushed their fallen counterparts out the way and continued advancing to their target. Shadow was running out of ideas fast. He knew he couldn't fight them all; he wasn't even going to risk it.
I need to leave this ship now.
He clenched his fist, drawing the very last of his energy, until it became a huge fiery ball in his hand. At this point, he has lost almost all of his senses. He only had his sight to rely on. He weakly raised his arm and shot at the remaining robots.
Only this time, they didn't just drop to the floor.
In a matter of seconds, everything in front of Shadow turned into a fiery blast of light and heat, swallowing the badniks and ripping through the corridor. He felt the FACESHIP lose its balance, pushing him out the opening.
Shadow tried to reach for anything to hold onto. He managed to grab the arm of a badnik, but it couldn't hold his weight. It snapped off its body, leaving the ebony hedgehog to fall out the ship.
After that, he doesn't remember much. He felt the wind rush around his flailing body. He felt that same body go numb. He felt his chaos energy seep out of him in fading pulses he could barely feel.
I don't wanna die, Maria. Not when I've found a reason to live. Not now.
He loves me, Maria. I… love him too.
I can't die.
He felt himself grow heavier and weaker. He felt every bit of himself peel away. And then, he felt a hand grab his, fingers clamped around his wrist with a desperate, breathless grunt, halting his fall in one jarring pull.