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"Daily checkups, again? Aren't you getting a little tired of this charade?"
"Hold up your hand and count to 10."
Tails sighed.
"1 2 3 4 5678"
"Slowly." Tails rolled his eyes at the echidna.
"1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10" Tails raised hand remained steady. Knuckles has been making him do the same routine for weeks now. It was getting tiresome.
"Good." Knuckles got up from his chair and left just as quickly as he arrived.
"HEY WAIT! I'm not even supposed to be here!" Tails raised his voice. He tried going closer but only managed a few steps in before the chain around his leg prevented him from going further.
"Patience fox. Your time will come." Knuckles left. Leaving the fox to slide down onto the floor. He pulled out the only thing he was allowed to keep, a utility knife.
A small huff escaped his mouth.
---------------------
Shadow was greeted with his most trusted companion, sporting a black eye.
"Before you say anything, it was nothing bad." Rouge spoke up before letting Shadow finish processing what he was saying.
"Who did this to you?"
"Don't worry."
"It was G.U.N, wasn't it?" He turned around and headed back outside. Preparing to find the asswholes who did this.
Rouge quickly got up from her seat and grabbed ahold of Shadow's shoulders. "Calm it, big guy. The ol' general didn't do anything. He's too afraid of the both of us to even try."
Shadow simply huffed. His voice was prepping to ask who did it then.
"I have information about the truck and ammunition." The hedgehogs ears perked up. "Unfortunately... the Guardians started their whole 'terrorism'. Now our informant is dead."
Shadow let out a low growl. Their money is gone the drain, and their goal of finding Sonic where being pushed back once again.
"The only information I did get out of him before he died was that he gave our paid supplies to one of Knuckles' men." Rouge took a moment to recall the name. "A guy named Kev."
"Any clue where we might find him?"
Rouge smirked. That was all the information Shadow needed to know.
"Lead the way."
---------------
It didn't take the duo long before the gut they were looking for finally arrived at his spot. Kev was supposedly put on guard duty for a while.
Luckily, alone.
Rouge and Shadow wasted no time in holding kev down. Pulling out their own weapons and disarming Kev's of his.
"Wow. Wow! Hold on -" The mobian tried to yell. Quickly cut off by a gun smashing into the back of his head.
"Where are our supplies?" Shadow asked.
"W-what are you on about?"
Another wack to the head made the man cry out.
"Our car and ammunition."
"O-oh. I gave it to the Guardians!" Shadow began to change tactics. Instead of continuously walking the guy with his gun, the hedgehog chose to point the barrel at him instead.
"And?"
"I'll pay you back your money!" The mobian began to squirm and panic.
"That's not what we're looking for." Shadow pressed the barrel harder.
"How about you ask Knuckles? He can - he can help you out! He's at the old warehouse near the wall. " Rouge hummed. She looked over at Shadow and nodded.
Without any hesitation, Shadow pulled the trigger. A loud bang was heard. And the man who was once struggling for his life fell limp. A puddle of blood slowly growing.
After many years of killing infected and normal people alike, Shadow has gotten desensitized by it. (That's what he likes to believe.)
Rouge and Shadow's ears suddenly perked up. Footsteps were heard getting closer. Until a familiar figure stood in front of them.
"Shadow. Rouge."
"Knuckles!" Rouge replied in glee.
"Did you have to kill Kev?" Knuckles sighed. Annoyance clearly radiates off him. "I was going to give him a job."
"Yeah, yeah -" Shadow interrupted. "Where's our car?"
"No, sorry for killing my soldier?"
"Soldier? We all know you Guardians are just a bunch of terrorists." Shadow retorted. "Now answer the question."
Knuckles head turned towards the dead body on his floor and then towards the duo. He sighed.
Shadow tensed up. Looking at Knuckles' expression, he couldn't read what he was thinking.
"How would you like a job?"
Shadow was taken aback. "You didn't answer my question."
"I did. Accept the job, and I'll reward you with your car. And much more."
"You can't be serious?" Rouge spoke up. Suspicious of what Knuckles intended to do.
"But I am. So, do you accept?"
Shadow looked over at Rouge. She was contemplating. On one hand, this could all be a setup. On the other hand, if this was true, they had stumbled across a gold mine.
Rouge gulped and nodded towards Shadow. Shadow nodded back before looking straight at Knuckles' eyes.
"We accept."
"Good." Knuckles turned around and indicated the duo to follow.
"So... What's our job?" Rouge asked. All the tension from earlier gone. Happier now that she and Shadow are a step closer to finding Sonic.
"You'll be smuggling something across the wall."
--------------------
Tails ears began to twitch. Footsteps and, most importantly, voices were getting closer.
"Cmon knuxs. It's a simple question! What are we smuggling?" A feminine sounding voice said. Tails quickly sat up and stood on his feet.
From the sound of it, only 4 footsteps. 2 of them Tails could easily identify. One was from Knuckles, and the other is Vector. After spending his whole time locked up, Tails has gotten accustomed to who came into his room.
"Stay here." Knuckles muffled voice said. Slowly, he opened up the door and cane inside.
"So, who are the new guys? More people to watch over m-" Knuckles went straight to Tails and bended down. Roughly pushing the fox's name sake away. "HEY WHAT ARE YOU DO-"
Clank.
"Oh,"
Tails looked down at his newly freed leg. "Huh Wha-"
He once again wasn't able to finish his sentence. A loud explosion was heard outside the door. The impact pushed Tails onto the floor.
Tails looked up and scanned the room for Knuckles. Except he was gone. What.
"ITS G.U.N- THEY FOUND US." He heard a shout come from outside the door.
A loud clicking sound suddenly occurred. Tails instantly knew. It was a gun. He stood back up and went to the door. Looking through the crack, he saw a black hedgehog pointing a gun towards Knuckles.
"Was this a setup?" The stranger said.
"No."
"I don't trust you." The hedgehog steady his aim at the echidna. No doubt about it, he was preparing to shoot.
Tails didn't understand why he did it. Why did he pull out his utility knife and slam open the door. Why he ran towards the stranger holding his hand up to slice his throat.
Maybe it was to repay the favor to Knuckles for not shooting him long ago. Or maybe because he was the only one who didn't see him as a freak.
Doesn't matter now.
His silly attempt was futile as the stranger grabbed ahold of him and had him on a headlock. He could hear a small 'what?' Coming from the stranger.
"What the hell is this?" The bat suddenly asked. Sending a glare towards Knuckles.
"Your job."
"What do y- No. This is who were smuggling out!" Rouge exclaimed. She looked at the kid Shadow had pinned, and her expression fell. "Nope. No way."
"Rouge!" Knuckles called out. In the distance, he could hear the gunshots and screaming from his men and G.U.N. He had to convince them quickly.
"All you have to do is drop him off at Wyoming!" Rouge just shook her head while Shadow stared blankly at him. Tails was still struggling to get out of his grip. "Once you're there. You'll get guns, cars, batteries, and anything else you need."
Rouge and Shadow contemplated the offer. Inevitably, they both wanted to agree. Getting to Sonic was all that mattered.
"Ok.."
"Good. Now, let's get going." More screaming and gunshots were becoming closer. "Before G.U.N gets to us. There's a base near the wall. Get out by midnight."
Knuckles searched into his pockets and pulled out a map. He scribbled on it before handing it over to Shadow. Who quickly took it but gave Tails a chance to be freed.
He ran up and went straight to Knuckles. Tails... was quickly caught by Shadow.
"Let go! Knuckles, you can't be serious about letting them take me." Tails argued.
"Yes. Now go."
Shadow didn't think twice about it and quickly dragged the kid away. Making an attempt to avoid his eyes.
"Nope. Stop it. I will bite your hand."
"Miles."
Tails ears dropped, and his struggling seized. (That tone)
"Understand this is our only way." Tails looked into Knuckles eyes. Every once of him wanted to believe all the sugar-coated lies Knuckles had told him in the past. Wanted to believe that Knuckles wasn't abandoning him.
He resisted. (Knuckles only cared about what Tails could for him. Not about staying.)
Instead, he sent Knuckles a glare before Tails finally shoved Shadow off of him.
He turned around. "Fine. Let's go."
Shadow looked over at Rouge. With the bat just shrugging. Both sighed before following along.
---------------------
Shadow needed Rouge to come back.
Currently, he's stuck with the fox in a room while Rouge discussed with the agents in the base on a plan to get out of here.
Currently, the fox, Tails, was looking out a window. His two tails fluttering behind him. Huh. Shadow didn't notice that at first.
Maybe Tails felt Shadow's eyes on him since he decided to speak up.
"You know. I've never been on the other side of the wall." Tails leaned in. His eyes shining almost as if stars were in them. (Shadow promptly looked away.)
"It's pretty dark. Have you been outside?"
"A bit."
"How long ago?" Tails pushed on with his question.
"...Maybe a year or so. What's it matter?"
"So. We're going to be okay?"
The vulnerability of his voice caught Shadow off guard. It took him a minute to regain his posture.
"Yeah.." Shadow sighed. "What's the deal with you?"
"Huh?"
"Are you some big bosses kid or..?"
"Something like that.." Tails took a good look at Shadow, and his eyes glanced over at his watch. He noticed the particular detail of it never changing time. Broken.
"Your watch is broken." Tails said. "I can fix it up for you!"
"Oh really?" Shadow raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah - I'm a certified kid genius." Tails brightly exclaimed. (Knuckles was the one to 'certify' him... Shadow didn't need to know that, though.)
"Doubt it,"
"What?!"
"If you were one, you would've been able to escape your capture." Shadow said. Narrowing his eyes at him. Tails just looked at hil with shock. He prepared his come back, but he heard a door open.
Both the fox and hedgehog looked at the direction of the door. Rouge had been the one to open it.
"It's time."
-----------------
The party had walked for quite a while. They weaved through pipes and old ruins. Eventually, all of them came across a specific ruin, which only 1 guard was standing watch.
Rouge waited for the G.U.N soldier to face away before signaling Shadow and Tails to follow.
Walking quietly towards the opening of a fence and shout of 'HEY' was heard.
Shadow turned his head over to see the soldier had a flash light pointed at them. Each of them raised their hands up.
"Let's talk abo-" Shadow tried to speak but was interrupted.
"Get on your knees and hands behind your head!" The soldier exclaimed.
"List -"
"I said. Get on your knees and hands behind your back!" The soldier brought his gun closed, and Shadow just sighed.
He obliged and made sure Rouge and Tails followed suit. The soldier still didn't pull his gun away from them.
" Just let us do this mission, and we'll split the reward with you,"
"Yeah great fucking deal. Not like anything you offer means anything to me."
Shadow felt agitated by every word this soldier spoke. He kept his mouth shut regardless.
The trio watched as the soldier came closer, holding a handheld device. He first held it to the back of Rouge's neck and waited until the device flashed a green light.
Tails watched as the soldier took Shadow's check. Nervous crept into him. If they find out what he has, he'll be killed on the spot.
As the soldier came to him and held the device to his own shoulder. Tails had to act now. He turned around and pulled out his knife. Tails had managed to stab the soldier but was quickly pushed aside.
The soldier pulled his gun and was ready to fire.
Tails eyes widened.
Shadow saw the display. He was taken back to the memories of him holding Maria running from all the infected. Standing infront of a soldier who shot at them.
Who shot at her.
Killing her his arms.
Shadow saw red.
He jumped up and tackled the soldier to the ground. Shadow raised his fists and punched the soldier. Kept going and going.
The blood at stained his gloves just fueled his anger more. Seeing those blue eyes scared again had just brought up Shadow's rage.
Tails watched in awe. A smile crept through his face. (He couldn't help it. No one had ever protected him like this. It felt nice.)
Shadow continued before ultimately killing the man.
Rouge stood up and averted her eyes. Pity seeped through her but ignored it. Instead, she reached out for the device the soldier once held.
Her eyes widened.
"Shadow!"
Shadow snapped out of his trance. He turned around to Rouge.
His own eyes widened. (So did Tails. He tugged on his left sleeve. Where it hid.)
In the bats' hand was the device beaming a bright red hue.
With the words infected written on them.