Chapter Text
The Blue Blur was the name that heartless criminal had given himself. At least according to his files.
It was allegedly a hedgehog with very deep, almost black, blue fur and quills. His emerald eyes beamed under the moonlight, shining so brightly one could assume he swallowed a bunch of glow-in-the-dark liquid. That quirk was especially unsettling when you considered the fact that the hedgehog had a black hood over him at all times, covering most of his features under a shadow.
Aside from his green irises and mouth, that is, which brings Shadow to his next point.
His goddamn smile.
In each of the information files collected on the Blue Blur, he always had that childish stupid grin on his face. Mocking, no, daring the government to catch him.
The government had tried, of course. They have been going at it for a year now, if not longer. Many troops of armed agents were sent to the centre of whichever crime the blue nuisance had committed. Be it a robbed bank, an explosion in some small area or even kidnapping.
That hedgehog always outran them, moving at a speed no one has ever seen before. He’d show the agents a peace sign before blending in with the shadows, escaping yet again, no matter how hard the agents try to get him cuffed.
After months of chasing and failing, here’s where Shadow comes in.
Shadow is G.U.N.’s top agent, yet at the same time, he is a secret one. His job is to work undercover on cases as ambiguous as this one. Basically, the government’s last resort: their secret weapon.
All of the operations Shadow had the pleasure of working on were always deemed successful, with the criminal ending up in prison in no time. The longest it had taken him to catch one was about a month.
The hedgehog sat in his commander’s office, wearing his agent uniform as he observed all of the information and criminal records on the Blue Blur. Multiple pictures, most blurry, scattered all around the desk for Shadow to take a look at.
And the more he caught a glimpse of that monster’s smirk, the more he wanted to wipe it off his face.
“He is usually spotted around the town of Green Hills. We suspect that might be his hometown, so I’d advise you to look into that area first, Agent Shadow.” Commander Abraham Tower spoke up opposite from Shadow. They have known each other for decades, having met each other way before Shadow even became an agent.
Over a mutual relation of theirs.
“Understood,” the hedgehog nodded. “Honestly, I am surprised G.U.N.’s forces still haven’t caught him. Green Hills is a very small and unpopulated town; there is no way it will be hard to find him.”
Abraham sighed. “It’s difficult when he keeps his identity hidden so well. Not to mention how Green Hills is mainly a hedgehog-populated town, which makes things more difficult. If it weren’t for his quills poking out from his hoodie, we would have probably never known it’s a hedgehog in the first place.”
Shadow hummed in acknowledgement, turning his attention back to the pictures and documents. Yeah, it probably won’t be easy to find his target, considering that there are no traces of his true name and identity. The guy was also known to be mute, so he didn’t even know what he sounded like.
One thing was for certain, though. Shadow would catch that freak.
With a snarl, the ebony hedgehog slammed the information file shut.
No matter what it takes.
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Lancelot. 24 years old. A graduate that has just recently finished college and decided to move into Green Hills to find a peaceful life. Enjoys classical music and plays the piano. Aspires to become a big artist in honour of his passing sister Maria.
That was the identity he decided to go with. Nothing too big, simply another face to blend in with the townsfolk. Some of that information was partially true. He knew how to play the piano and draw, and he did have a sister named Maria.
That had also passed away when he was still a teenager.
His first task was to move in and not draw much attention. Which he was doing right at the very moment, standing in front of the old beige-coloured flat building. It was sunny outside, and a week had passed since his meeting with the commander to prepare for the operation.
Shadow decided to go with a more simple outfit. A white button-up and black pants. Nothing too serious, nothing too eye-catching.
The longer he eyed the building, the more he realised what a hassle it will be to move all of the boxes from his rented car inside. His flat was on the very top floor of the building, and by the looks of it, the building sure as hell did not have an elevator.
Taking in a deep breath, he turned back towards his car. Black in colour, big enough to fit his things in. Not like there was much to take, anyway. Mainly some supplies for his mission, as well as a couple of outfits he could change into. All of which were stuffed into separate boxes.
Well, time to transfer all of that into his flat. On the very last floor of the building.
At least he didn’t have to drag in all of the furniture today, which he was very thankful for.
Shadow started off with the most important box of them all, which contained his case with all of the weapons. You really never know when your greatest enemy strikes, so it's best to get that one inside first.
Not to mention how it was also the heaviest box of them all.
Just like that, he began transferring each box, one by one, into his empty flat.
Grab one, go up the stairs, place it inside his unlocked flat, go down, repeat. Thirty minutes of repeating the same process over and over until he set the last box on the floor with a loud thud. Shadow, despite being very strong, was exhausted as hell by the time he was done.
He finally closed the door, taking in his surroundings. After all, he is going to spend the next couple of weeks here while working on the operation.
The flat wasn’t big nor small. It was enough to fit in one person; that was for sure. Despite the structure itself being very old, the flat itself looked recently renovated and modern. Walls grey in colour with dark wooden flooring, no cracks whatsoever.
His temporary home contained a small living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. That was more than enough for Shadow, considering that he most certainly would not be having guests there any time soon. Just a space for him to take breaks in, maybe work on the mission in silence if he gathers enough information.
The objective was simple, really. Find out Blue Blur’s true identity and get him behind bars. Even better if he just simply catches the guy red-handed on one of the nights, which should also be fairly easy; he was the top agent for a reason.
But that was for later; he was in no rush. For now he can focus on getting to know his surroundings and study each corner of the town for future reference. It will be a problem chasing the criminal around town if he doesn’t even know any possible shortcuts to catch up faster.
Shadow had plans, and those plans involved getting to know the town better. He could also use a snack after all of the travelling. Perhaps he can sit down for a sandwich if he finds a good spot.
Grabbing his flat keys and wallet, he headed out of the building.
Just like when he first arrived, it was still sunny; nothing changed in that regard. The streets were busier than before, however. Despite only forty minutes passing since his initial arrival, there were more Mobians wandering the streets than before. It wasn’t anything too serious, though. Shadow would still be able to investigate a little bit.
As Shadow walked down the streets, he noticed that there were not as many hedgehogs as he thought there would be. Sure, they were the vast majority of the population, but there were also other species of Mobians going on with their day.
Shadow wasn’t used to such calm, peaceful atmospheres. Central City, the city where he came from, was way more crowded and lousy than this town. Everyone was a stranger to one another, beggars all over the busy streets, and the only thing you wanted was to get out of there as soon as possible.
Green Hills, on the other hand, was different. Everyone seemed to know each other, waving and greeting passersby like their friends. There was not a single homeless person on the street, and it was very clean at that, too.
It could be because Green Hills was surrounded by nature instead of large skyscrapers and useless buildings. The folk refused to modernise and destroy the buildings for the sake of keeping it special and unique from the rest of Mobius. One could think this was somewhere on a whole different planet; Shadow had never seen anything like this before.
To think that this is the town one of the most wanted criminals resided in made Shadow’s blood boil.
And yet, the more he glanced around the area, he hadn’t seen a single destroyed building. It made the agent confused; wasn’t the Blue Blur known for being a fan of bombing areas out of nowhere? Surprising that the town was still in decent shape and that the townsfolk were not constantly on edge, knowing that there was a criminal amongst them.
A few curious glances were cast in Shadow’s way. It didn’t surprise him. They probably saw him as a stranger, and considering his intimidating appearance, no one really wanted to approach him.
That was until a little girl, a rabbit, ran up to him. Her eyes wide in childish amusement. “Hello, sir! Are you new here?”
A taller rabbit, certainly the girl’s mother, followed close behind with a warm smile on her face. “Excuse my daughter’s curiosity; we are just not used to visitors.”
“It’s no problem,” Shadow shook his head. “I am not visiting. I just moved here, actually.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” The lady clapped, somehow making that simple gesture incredibly elegant. “My name is Vanilla, and this is my daughter, Cream. What brings you to Green Hills, sir..?”
“Lancelot,“ the agent finished for her. “I heard that this town is quite calm due to being separated from the other cities. I wanted to find a peaceful place to live in; I am tired of loud streets.”
What Shadow said was partially true. He was getting fed up with the business of Central City. If it weren’t for his job, he would have definitely moved somewhere else years ago.
“That is so cool!” Cream exclaimed, jumping in joy. “I have always wanted to visit Central City! What is it like, Sir Lancelot?”
The ebony hedgehog knelt in front of the girl to be on the same eye level, as he put a heavy hand on her shoulder. He furrowed his brows, thinking how he could deliver his thoughts to Cream without traumatising the poor rabbit. “It’s.. not like Green Hills, that’s for sure. Louder and busier than here.”
Cream frowned. “I don’t like loud places..”
“I don’t like them either,” Shadow confessed while trying his best to not think about the gunshots, explosions, and screams of innocent people that he hears every other week. “This town of yours is lovely. Trust me when I say that this place is way better than Central City. You are lucky to live here.”
And be so far away from the city with most criminals.
In response, Cream eagerly nodded. “Okay! All of my bestest friends live here anyway. I would never leave them behind.”
Shadow, as much as he tried hiding it, couldn’t help but smile just the slightest bit. He has always held a soft spot for kids and women thanks to his sister.
“Anyway, we don’t want to interrupt you from your business, Lancelot.” Vanilla said, taking her daughter by the hand with a soft smile on her face. “Have a great day.”
“Bye, Sir Lancelot!!” Cream eagerly waved as the two of them walked away. Shadow briefly waved back before continuing his journey down the road.
The interaction was brief, but having connections with locals could be very useful for this mission. It was good that he was having conversations with others (although it’s not at all his cup of tea, and he’d much rather spend his day alone.)
Moving on, Shadow made sure to memorise every nook and cranny of the town. Every turn into dark alleys, every person that could be a suspect. Of course, every ‘suspect’ of his was just a speculation, but he can’t trust anybody in this town. Not even the sweet rabbit family he just met. That’s just the sad reality of this world, and even a town as peaceful as Green Hills couldn’t hide from it.
Eventually, Shadow’s hunger really started getting to him, so he started eyeing some cafes and diners as he walked. None of them really stood out—classic cafés with coffee and croissants and diners with salads and sandwiches. Shadow was craving something sweet (which he would never admit), so his eyes were set on finding a place that sold something of that kind.
One place in particular caught his eye; it was called “Amy’s Bakery”. The bakery had a small crowd in front of it, so he guessed that it was a popular spot amongst locals that was just about to open. So with that, deeming the place authentic enough, Shadow (or, well, Lancelot) joined the crowd.
But the bakery itself wasn’t the only thing that got his attention. He noticed an employee giving out free pastry samples to the customers waiting outside. It was a cobalt-furred hedgehog wearing pink pants, a white dress shirt and a pink apron with the bakery’s logo on it. He had a vibrant smile plastered on his face, feeling actually genuine rather than forced.
He made small talk with every customer he approached before letting them pick their preferred sample. The hedgehog laughed, winked, and even patted some customers on the back.
The longer Shadow observed, the more he realised just how fucked he was.
Before he could even think of escaping, it was his turn. The employee stood right in front of him with the tray held out towards Shadow. There weren’t all that many options left, but Shadow was too busy observing the hedgehog’s face. And by the looks of it, the stranger was doing the exact same thing.
Emerald met ruby, and they stared into each other’s eyes for what felt like an eternity. Shadow didn’t want to admit it, but his eyes were very beautiful. A gorgeous green colour that didn’t feel like it was blinding or harsh. They literally screamed peace and innocence. It was the colour Shadow would think about if someone mentioned nature, he thinks.
“Why, hello there,” the stranger smirked, taking a step closer towards Shadow, which made the other instinctively shift back. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here. I am assuming you just moved in?”
“I– yes. I just moved in here.” Shadow responded after finally remembering that he was meant to speak. This reaction only seemed to amuse the other hedgehog more, as his smirk widened.
“I guessed so. After all, I am sure I would remember a face as gorgeous as yours.”
What.
That really threw Shadow off guard, growling quietly as his fists clenched.
“Watch it.”
“Oh, sorry, didn’t think you’d be offended by a compliment or whatever.” The employee shrugged it off like it was nothing. “Ah, I probably should’ve introduced myself first; excuse my manners! I am Sonic, and you are..?”
“That is none of your goddamn business.” Shadow said before he could stop himself. He was mentally screaming at himself for going out of character and asking himself what in the living Gaia he was thinking.
And yet, something about this hedgehog, Sonic, pissed him off. Be it handsome looks or playful personality, he wasn’t sure. But he would not let him treat him like his little friend.
Sonic would definitely raise his hands up in mock surrender if it weren’t for the tray he was holding, taking a step back from Shadow. “Woah! Alright, not the chatty one; gotcha. Let me guess, you lived in Central City before moving here? Aka the most antisocial city in all of Mobius?”
“This is a waste of my time.” Shadow growled, already turning his back on Sonic and ready to leave. Sonic, clearly having caught on to Shadow’s plans, quickly ran to stand in front of his, offering the tray with more urgency and desperation this time.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” Sonic apologised, all but shoving the tray into his face. “Would you like to try one of our samples? Best kind! Fresh out of the oven!”
“Fuck off, I am not trying your–”
His stomach clearly couldn’t choose any better opportunity than this one to let out one of the most obnoxious noises Shadow’s body has ever made. Shadow froze, and so did Sonic, who now held his mouth shut in a thin line to prevent giggles from slipping out. The agent wanted to kick his own body at that very moment. It wasn’t even funny.
Figuring he couldn’t fight it any longer, he sighed, his muscles finally relaxing and picking up a tiny pink cupcake off the tray. Shadow noticed in his peripheral vision how Sonic let out a silent exhale of relief, his shoulders relaxing and head falling low.
The ebony hedgehog popped the entire mini cupcake into his mouth in one go, not expecting much of it at all. That was until he suddenly felt a massive explosion of flavour on his tongue, which made him pause in his chewing.
The texture was really nice and soft. It quite literally melted on his tongue. Shadow could taste fresh strawberries in the batter, and the frosting was not too sickly sweet.
In other words, the cupcake was delicious. And now the hedgehog won’t be walking away from this place any time soon until he tries other pastries offered on the menu. If this cupcake is just a preview of what was yet to come, then he couldn’t wait for the bakery to finally open.
Right on cue, the bell of the door opening jingled. A pink-furred hedgehog stepped out, holding the door open for the crowd of customers with the sweetest smile Shadow had ever seen.
The agent didn’t want to make any assumptions, but judging by how much more detailed and beautiful her uniform was, he could only guess that this was the owner of the bakery, Amy.
His suspicions were only confirmed once he stepped closer to her (more so the entrance) and noticed a name tag pinned on the top right of her apron, confirming that her name was, in fact, Amy. Amy Rose was her full name.
If this was the angel behind those cupcakes, then he really owed her his life. Shadow had never tasted something so delicious. For a second he even forgot that this was meant to be a mission rather than pastry tasting.
Oh, well. Who cares?
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Shadow stepped out of the bakery more than satisfied. He noticed that he had definitely taken longer than he meant to, because by the time he was out, the sun was slowly inching closer toward the horizon, painting the sky a beautiful pink.
The second thing he noticed was Sonic, standing all by himself with the same, now much fuller, tray of samples. His ears were drooped, clearly exhausted from standing on the streets all day long. So much so, he didn’t even hear Shadow exit the bakery.
It was very silent outside due to the lack of any Mobians. The streets were empty; the rustling of nature and the blowing of the wind were all you could hear in this silence. Sometimes, a bird would fly by, its screams echoing across the streets.
The ebony hedgehog really wanted to just leave him be right here and there. Sonic didn’t deserve his attention, so why was he hesitant about leaving? Why was he unable to move a muscle and head back to his flat?
After a silent minute of standing behind Sonic like a total creep, he finally spoke up.
“Lancelot.”
Sonic yelped in surprise, quills bristling in self-defence, and whipped his head back so fast Shadow was worried he could’ve snapped his neck. After realising it was just Shadow, his quills flattened back, but his shoulders remained tense. “Excuse me?”
“Lancelot. That’s my name, since you were so desperate to know.” Shadow huffed, crossing his arms and looking away, missing the way Sonic’s eyes lit up in joy.
“And no,” Shadow quickly said before the other got the wrong idea. “That does not mean that we are friends.”
“Awh, don’t you worry, Lance,” Sonic snickered. “You’ll warm up to me eventually; just you wait and see.”
Shadow rolled his eyes in the most dramatic way possible, turning his back to the azure hedgehog and heading back towards his flat.
He will never warm up to Sonic, no matter how much that nuisance tries.
They will not become friends.