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Chapter Text

The bug had made it full circle around the room three times, pausing at times to do whatever it is that bugs do when they aren’t scurrying around, before resuming its relentless pacing. Sonic tracked it with tired eyes from his spot curled up in the corner of the cell. When he could manage the energy, he would wonder how a bug got on a space station, but more often than not, he couldn’t find it in him to care. He was just glad to have something to look at that wasn’t clinically white tiles and glass.

Above him, the fluorescents buzzed. It was a sound he had found agitating his first couple of weeks in the cell, but it had become white noise to him, now. Sometimes, the bug would crawl over one of the lights, and Sonic would contemplate whether it could feel the vibrations in its little body. The thought always made him yearn for the similar feeling of his chaos energy crackling through his veins.

The sound of glass sliding against itself snapped his attention away from the bug. Shadow’s gaze was impersonal and cold, much like the slop on the tray he held. The other hedgehog slid the tray through the small gap in his cell, closing it shut afterwards. Sonic pushed himself up carefully, wincing when exhausted muscles protested. Inch by inch, he crawled to the tray, feeling much like the bug on the ceiling.

“Compliments to the chef.” Sonic’s voice was rough with disuse, and he coughed weakly.

“Still hiding behind humor?” Shadow crossed his arms over his chest, watching Sonic
pick up the slop with his hands before shoveling it into his mouth.

“Still pretending you’re doing the right thing?” Sonic licked his lips, not wanting to miss a drop.

“I don’t think I’m doing the right thing. I’m doing what must be done,” Shadow said, voice hard with conviction. Sonic sighed, feeling the months of imprisonment weigh on him.

“Whatever. We’ve had this conversation before.” He missed Shadow’s frown, too focused on scraping out the little bit of hardened food on the bottom of the tray. He licked his fingers carefully, ignoring the cramping pain in his stomach, screaming, not enough, not enough. Shadow opened the slot, and Sonic slid the tray back through.

“I’ll be back later to take you to the lab,” Shadow said.

“Sure, man.” Sonic had already turned his back on the other, using his claw to scratch a shaky tally mark into the wall. Three months.

--

As much as Sonic hated the lab, he was always thankful for the walk there. Shadow led him through the halls silently, oddly patient when Sonic stumbled over the chaos-inhibiting shackles around his ankles. He didn’t mind when Sonic paused at one of the long windows, either. The Earth looked overwhelmingly huge from the ARK and almost painfully blue. Sonic’s eyes easily found the little spot he guessed Green Hills, Montana, to be. Maddy had said he was oddly gifted with geography, and Sonic always chalked it up to the fact that he had visited so many spots on the Earth. Every state had a memory, every country a story. He pressed a palm to the glass and tried to swallow down the tears he could feel pricking his eyes.

“Do you miss them?” Sonic startled at Shadow’s words, having forgotten he was even there.

“Of course I do, they’re my family,” Sonic said, sniffling and rubbing his face. Shadow didn’t say anything at first, eyes to the ground and an almost constipated look scrunching his muzzle.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“If you actually felt that way, you would stop this.” Sonic’s voice was cold with barely contained fury. He had learned early on that there was no point in lashing out, but he was tempted in this moment.

“You don’t understand,” Shadow hissed.

“What don’t I understand?” Sonic demanded, whirling on the other hedgehog. “That you’re lashing out at innocent people? That you’re punishing the whole world for something a small group did? What about that don’t I understand, Shadow?” Sonic was panting, his weakened body unable to withstand this sudden surge of emotion. His knees wobbled, and Sonic squeezed his eyes shut, waiting to feel the impact of the floor on bony knees, but warm hands stopped his fall. He looked up, ears flattening when he saw worry swimming in crimson eyes. “Don’t touch me,” Sonic hissed, yanking himself out of Shadow’s firm grasp.

The cobalt hedgehog shuffled in the direction he knew the lab to be in. He couldn’t bring himself to look back at the planet beyond the glass or the hedgehog with sorrowful eyes a second longer.

--

He couldn’t stop the sobs tearing through him anymore. He had been fighting off the urge for months, but the burning behind his eyes wouldn’t be ignored anymore. The first one was more of a hiccup than a sob. The second felt like it was clawing its way out through his throat. After that, the dam was broken. Tears dripped down his cheeks in fat globs, and he couldn’t bring himself to care that snot was matting the fur of his upper lip. He curled in on himself as tight as possible, ignoring the sharp pain of healing lacerations. He wanted Tom and Maddy. He wanted Knuckles and Tails. He wailed, wishing the hard floor was his racecar bed in the attic and that the hand carding through his quills was his mom’s, not his own.

“Sonic?” He couldn’t hear the voice through the agonizing thoughts racing through his mind. Over and over, like a bug circling a room, his mind replayed warm memories. Tom and Maddy showing him the decorated attic for the first time, his first time having chili dogs at dinner, his first day of homeschool, and curling up with his brothers on movie nights. His chest convulsed with each cry, painful and uncontrollable. “Sonic?” There was a hand on his back, but he didn’t care. It wasn’t his family, so he didn’t care. He was pulled into a firm chest, face pushed into something soft and plush. Immediately, his tears and nose dampened whatever he was lying on, but he just buried his face in deeper. “Why are you crying?” the voice asked.

“I want my brothers. And my mom and dad,” Sonic said, words broken with hiccups. Arms squeezed around him tight, almost too tight, but Sonic was just glad to be touched.

“Shadow, are you coming?” The new voice startled them both, Sonic’s head flying up and almost smacking straight into Shadow. The voice was coming from a rarely used intercom system built into the ceiling. Sonic knew the voice to be Professor Gerald’s. “We’re on a time constraint.”

“I know, professor,” Shadow responded. Sonic scrambled away from the other hedgehog, pressing himself flat against the far wall. He felt like such an idiot. What was he doing, crying on Shadow, the person who put him here? Sonic wrapped skinny arms around himself, trying to replicate the warmth he had just lost.

“What is he talking about?” Sonic demanded, hating how reedy his voice sounded.

“He means to activate the Cannon,” Shadow said. His voice sounded flat, but forced. He wouldn’t look Sonic in the eye. Sonic couldn’t help the sudden trembling racing through his limbs. Gerald was ready to activate the Eclipse Cannon, which meant Shadow was here to deliver Sonic to his death.

“You know what that means, right?” The end of the world. The end of Sonic’s family. The end of Sonic. Shadow didn’t respond. “You’re okay with that?”

“It’s the only way.”

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” Sonic was full-body trembling now. Shadow exhaled slowly through his nose and pushed himself to his feet. The long fur on his chest was flattened and wet.

“Let’s go.” The glass panel behind Shadow slowly ascended.

“I won’t,” Sonic refused, pressing himself more firmly against the wall. Shadow’s fists clenched, and he strode resolutely towards the quivering hedgehog on the floor. A gloved hand, once gentle and reassuring, was now bruising around Sonic’s frail wrist. The former hero was yanked to his feet and dragged into the freezing hallway. Sonic made himself dead weight, but Shadow adjusted easily. He tried to dig his heels in, but his legs collapsed under him. “Shadow, please.” His pride ached, but the feeling was drowned by mounting terror.

“I don’t have a choice.” Shadow’s voice was strained.

“Please, please, don’t,” Sonic continued, scratching at the hand clamped around his wrist. They were rapidly approaching the Chaos Chamber. “Shadow!” He was crying again.

“I’m sorry,” Shadow said it so quietly, Sonic was sure he imagined it. Before he could respond, he was shoved forward, falling through the threshold of the chamber and yelping as he hit the ground. The doors slid shut behind him, and he was alone.

The Chaos Chamber was just as he remembered it. High, vaulted ceilings with a circular track built into the walls. In the center of the room, a cylindrical energy cell was still cracking with the remains of stolen blue energy. Sonic thought he was hyperventilating, breaths coming quickly and burning his throat.

“On the tack, subject,” Gerald ordered, voice detached. Above him, the track clicked and whirred, intricate parts readying for Sonic.

“No,” Sonic snarled, ears pinned back and glaring at where the voice sounded from. He could hear a sigh, like static.

“Shadow.” The name was said like an order. The doors slid open again, and Shadow stepped through, every step heavy.

“Get on the track, Sonic.” Shadow squared his shoulders, but every inch of him screamed discomfort.

“You’ll have to make me,” Sonic responded.

“Get on the track. Please.” Sonic glared at him.

“Enough of this, Shadow, we’re losing time.” Shadow’s eyes squeezed closed.

“Forgive me.” It sounded like a plea. Shadow was across the room in a second, palm to Sonic’s windpipe and fingers squeezing. Sonic gasped as he was lifted into the air, legs kicking uselessly.

“Shadow,” he wheezed. Shadow’s eyes were pained, and his mouth was twisted in a grimace. Sonic swore he could see tears in the other hedgehog’s eyes.

“The track. Or we have to manually absorb your chaos energy,” Shadow said. Sonic scrabbled at the hand around his neck, blunted claws useless.

“Stop playing around, Shadow!” Gerald was agitated, voice harsh in the echoing chamber.

“Pick the track, Sonic,” Shadow begged. His voice was heavy and haunted.

“The track,” Sonic panted. He was coughing the second he hit the ground, chest rattling in violent heaves. Shadow was hoisting him upward and shoving him towards the track before he had a chance to fully recover. Sonic rubbed his throat, swallowing dryly, and looking up at the segmented metal.

“Begin,” Gerald ordered. Sonic glanced over his shoulder at Shadow, but the other hedgehog was staring resolutely at the white, tiled floor. Sonic was alone. The shackles on his ankles fell to the floor with a dull thud, and chaos energy crackled up his fingertips. The power was weak, distant, but he knew from experience that it would strengthen as he ran. Sonic used what little reserve there was to launch up to the path built into the walls of the chamber and began to jog.

Every step hurt, muscles tight from lack of use. There were surgical incisions across his stomach and chest that were still healing, and they pulled every time he moved. He could feel a small drip of blood trailing from the stitches across his ribs, splattering to the floor below.
Sonic ran, and ran, and ran. His chaos energy was coming to him more easily, the thin stream gradually becoming a river, before it felt like a tidal wave ripping through his core. He knew that the output of energy was abnormal and that whatever had been built into the track was draining him. It felt invasive, but not as invasive as the eyes that watched him. From this height, Sonic could make out Gerald watching his circuit from the observation room, eyes hidden behind the glare of his glasses. Sensors whirred and beeped behind him, tracking Sonic’s energy output as the glass tube in the middle of the room began to fill with lightning.

Sonic squinted at Shadow through the burn of sweat in his eyes. The dark hedgehog was watching Sonic, eyes glimmering with some indescribable emotion. Sonic felt his chest ache, longing for the brief moment they had, warm in his cell. The entire station hummed with power, the whole structure vibrating minutely. Sonic’s chaos energy was warming the Cannon, and soon it would be used to destroy everything he cared about.

“Shadow,” Sonic called, offering the other a thin smile. “I hope you can forgive me.” Shadow was too slow to react, or maybe hesitation is what made his movements sluggish. Sonic hurtled quills first into the containment tube, shattering it on impact, and sending his body hurtling into a steel wall. Shadow shouted as he, too, was flung backwards, crashing into various instruments and crates in the chamber. Sonic could vaguely hear Gerald’s cry of dismay from the observation room, drowned out by the crackling of pure energy as it forked through the air. The smell of singed fur was nauseating, but not nearly as much as the pain.

Sonic shuddered, willing his body up, but unable to get his limbs to respond. He heard Shadow groan across the room and was thankful the other had survived. The same couldn’t be said for the Chaos Chamber. Jagged scorch marks were scattered on the ground, and some of the machines were smoking. The track itself had panels blown off, and exposed wires sparked. There was an alarm sounding somewhere in the background, but Sonic paid it no mind. He could see Shadow climb to his feet on the other end of the chamber, staggering and pawing at his ears. Above them, the intercom screeched and crackled unintelligibly.

“Shadow,” Sonic called weakly, praying the hedgehog would hear him. Shadow’s ear flicked, and carmine eyes found Sonic’s battered body among the debris of equipment.

“What have you done?” Shadow demanded, wiping at his bleeding nose. Sonic thought he could hear metallic footsteps approaching, but his ears were ringing. Sonic looked up, eyes locked on the woven metal of the ceiling, and wondered why his eyes wouldn't focus. He felt something grab his shoulder and shake him, but he couldn’t pull his eyes away from above. “What have you done?” Shadow demanded again, closer.

“‘M sorry,” Sonic muttered, blinking and trying to refocus. He was so tired. “Please make sure they’re safe.” Sonic knew he was making no sense. Shadow was the one who had put them in danger in the first place, after all. Yet, he needed the reassurance that someone would watch out for them. “Please.” Sonic wasn’t sure if the words actually came out this time. Shadow shook him again, but Sonic’s body felt weightless and fuzzy. Emerald eyes slipped closed, and Sonic exhaled in relief. As he slipped away, Sonic imagined a little bug circling a room over and over.

Chapter Text

Sonic shivered miserably, arms crossed over his chest in a futile attempt to preserve his meager body heat. His ears were drooping, his fur was sticking up in odd clumps, and his gloves and socks had to be discarded because they were waterlogged. Naked, cold, and looking like a drowned rat, Sonic let his head thump against the wall, eyes closing tiredly.

“Sonic.” The hedgehog in question didn’t acknowledge the voice, content to wallow. “Stop ignoring me and get your soggy ass off my floor.”

“Leave me alone, I’m sulking,” Sonic said. Heavy footsteps approached, metal clicking solidly against hardwood.

“I don’t care. You’re leaving a puddle of this disgusting shit on my floor. Get in the shower, or I’ll drag you in there,” Shadow’s voice was firm and irritated, like it always was.

“Remind me why I’m here?” Sonic really shouldn’t sound so ungrateful, but Shadow always brought the worst out of him.

“Because your friends elected me for babysitting duty while they clean up your mess,” Shadow practically hissed, causing Sonic to wince. Right. His mess. “Now get your ass up and get in the shower.” Another shudder racked his body.

“Fine.” Sonic pushed himself to his feet shakily, using Shadow’s wall for support. “Where’s your bathroom?” Sonic had never been in the other’s apartment before, much like most of the group. He was pretty sure Amy had visited once or twice, and Rouge obviously, but Sonic had never received an invite. He tried not to let that hurt, chalking the ache in his chest up to soreness from the battle.

“Down the hall. Try not to get sewage water on the rug,” Shadow shot over his shoulder, already walking away from Sonic. Sonic mocked the other hedgehog under his breath once he was sure Shadow wasn’t paying attention, and trudged towards the indicated bathroom.

The room was painted a tasteful, gentle lilac, and the shower curtain was patterned to match. The counter was a glossy granite with two deep sinks, and Sonic couldn’t help but wonder how much GUN was paying Shadow that he could afford such a nice apartment. Luckily, he snapped back to attention quickly enough to avoid accidentally stepping on the rug Shadow had warned him about. It looked simple and fluffy, but Sonic figured it was probably a pain to clean, and the stench he was carrying would definitely not be an easy clean.

Sonic spent a couple of minutes trying to figure out Shadow’s shower, turning the heat up once he finally got the water going. He squinted at the ridiculous number of bottles on the shower’s shelves before shaking his head and deciding he would figure it out once he was in. Dodging the rug, Sonic carefully stepped under the spray, hissing under his breath when the hot water hit his chilled skin. Some of the cuts he’d gotten during the battle stung when hit by the spray, but he had to admit it was a bit relieving to feel the grime start to leave his fur. He ran his hands around his shoulders and through his quills, wincing when his fingers got stuck in tangles.

The hedgehog turned, closing his eyes to brace for the water to hit his face. The first droplet hit his nose, and he flinched, reeling back from the spray. In an instant, he was back in the sewer under Station Square, struggling in the water as the Badnik that dragged him down in the first place tried to pull him under. His mind flashed with the memories of sharp claws digging into his ankle, the damaged robot twitching sporadically and letting out unnerving sounds of scrambled static. He swore he could still taste the pungent water as he fought back, feel the way it stung his wounds. His ears twitched with the echoes of the battle waging above him, his friends calling for him desperately, unaware that he had been dragged into the collapsing sewers below.

By the time Sonic had disabled his attacker, his friends had managed to drive the main force back. Exhausted, he had dragged himself out of the rubble and to his feet, expecting concern or post-battle celebration. Instead, he was met with disappointment blazing in Amy’s eyes, Knuckles’s sharp displeasure, and Tails’s fatigue. Amy had laid into him, demanding to know where he went and why he wasn’t there to help.

“Stop trying to make excuses and take responsibility for once!” Amy demanded, a finger stabbing into his chest. She was breathing heavily, quills in disarray, and her gorgeous dress was singed beyond repair.

“Amy, I’m not trying to make excuses--”

“You can make full circuits around the world in minutes, but you can’t beat a single Badnik in time to help us?”

Sonic was jolted back to the present by a knock on the door, almost slipping on the tiled floor.

“Sonic? What’s taking so long?” Sonic could almost swear he heard concern in Shadow’s voice.

“Sorry, Shads, don’t mean to be hogging all the hot water. Just got a little distracted by all the bottles in here,” Sonic shouted over the spray, hoping the warble in his voice was too slight to make out. His answer must have been good enough, because silence was his response. Sonic forced himself back under the water, ignoring how the feeling of damp fur on his face made his heart rate skyrocket, and began to scrub his chest fur aggressively.

“You shouldn’t be so harsh.” Sonic yelped, whipping around and gasping as he slid. A firm hand grabbed his shoulder, steadying him before his head could meet the shower wall.

“Shads, what the hell?” Sonic was panting, his stomach clenching with the adrenaline
spiking his system.

“You seemed like you would need help with the bottles,” Shadow said, like that explained him barging into the bathroom and looking past the curtain.

“That doesn’t mean you just come in here without asking! I’m naked!” Sonic hissed, ears flattened.

“You never wear clothes,” Shadow argued, looking slightly confused, “and you weren’t wearing gloves or shoes earlier either.”

“Yeah, but,” Sonic spluttered. The other was right, of course, but Sonic couldn’t tell him that he was feeling off after reliving the events of the day. Shadow rolled his eyes, shoving the curtain even further aside and stepping in. “Whoa, whoa! What are you doing?” Sonic pressed himself as flat against the wall as possible to avoid their bodies touching.

“I haven’t showered yet today, and like you said, you’re hogging all of the hot water,” Shadow responded. Sonic couldn’t help but watch how the water made dark fur impossibly darker and flattened the white ruff on Shadow’s chest. Red and black quills drooped as they absorbed steaming water, carmine eyes closing in contentment.

“Dude, this is seriously weird,” Sonic tried again, wrapping his arms around his chest. Before he could say anything else, a tall, minimalist-designed bottle was being pushed into his hands. He squinted down at the label, confused. Quill shampoo.

“Just shut up and use this,” Shadow ordered, running his--gloveless, oh, Chaos--hands through his own quills. Sonic whipped around, facing the wall and ignoring the sudden flushing of his cheeks, and squirted a blob of the soap into his hands. The scent was pleasant and familiar, and Sonic realized he must smell it on Shadow all the time. He worked the suds into his quills, careful not to apply too much pressure to snarled spines. Behind him, Shadow had begun working the solution into his own quills.

Sonic quickly rinsed himself under the water and reached for a bottle labeled for fur, but was stopped by a hand on his wrist. A bare hand. Shadow’s bare hand.

“You need to put conditioner in,” Shadow said, uncaring that his paw pads were touching Sonic’s wrist. Sonic’s face was practically on fire, and the blatant impropriety of the situation completely froze him.

“I-I--” Sonic stuttered. Shadow raised a single brow. “I need to go!” Sonic suddenly shouted, ripping his hand away from Shadow and darting out of the shower in a blur of wet, blue fur. He was dripping all over the floor as he sprinted to the front door, but he would deal with the consequences later. The entire day had him feeling on edge, nerves frayed, and Shadow acting like this was the straw that broke his back.

“Sonic!” Shadow sounded pissed, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to go home and sleep and pretend like this day didn’t happen. Sonic gathered his soggy socks and shoes, pulling his stained gloves on as he went. “Where are you going?” Shadow was standing in the hall, also dripping on the floor.

“Look, I appreciate you helping me and whatever, but I need to go home,” Sonic said over his shoulder, reaching for the door.

“Just wait a second.” Shadow was behind him in a second, a firm grip preventing Sonic from opening the front door.

“Dude, just let go, please,” Sonic asked, refusing to make eye contact with the other hedgehog.

“Why are you freaking out all of a sudden?” Shadow asked.

“Why are you acting nice all of a sudden?” Sonic snapped back, unable to stop the frustration bubbling from his chest to his mouth. “You won’t give me the time of day normally, but now you’re cool showering with me?”

“What are you talking about?”

“What am I talking about?” Sonic was incredulous. “I’m only here because my friends asked you to watch me while they take care of the cleanup. You never want me around unless I need to be!”

“That’s not true,” Shadow denied.

“Isn’t it? When was the last time you asked to race, huh? Or spar? It’s always me asking.” Sonic didn’t even know why he was saying all of this. “You’ve never invited me over, and you never ask to come to my place.”

“So, you’re pissed because I haven’t asked to spend time with you?” Shadow sounded like he was getting angry now, too.

“I just want you to act like you give a shit!” Sonic shouted. His quills, still water-logged, were trying their best to bristle.

“I do give a shit!” Shadow was getting loud, too.

“No one gives a shit!” Sonic couldn’t help the vicious glee he felt when Shadow flinched back. “I was fighting for my life in those stupid sewers, and the first thing I hear when I get out is how I didn’t do enough. And then I get pawned off on someone who doesn’t even like me, talking about babysitting me, just for you to act all buddy-buddy like this is normal!” Sonic was dimly aware he was shaking. “No one asked if I was alright, just went about cleaning up my mess, because I wanted to get half-drowned by a Badnik in a collapsing sewer.” There were tears in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

“Sonic--”

“I’m going home,” Sonic cut him off. “Finish your shower, Shadow. Call me if you need me.” In a blur of blue, he was gone. Shadow stared at the spot where Sonic had been, a puddle the only indication he had ever been there, and felt guilt swell in his chest. Thinking back, he had just assumed Sonic was fine after the battle. Amy had asked Shadow to watch over him, saying that they were busy cleaning everything up and that Sonic wasn’t needed there. Shadow had figured that Sonic’s normal recklessness had made things messier than they needed to be, like usual, but now he realized he had miscalculated. The hedgehog had been hurting, and Shadow had just rubbed salt into each wound.

Shadow sighed, groaning when he noticed the amount of water trailing from the bathroom to the front door. Tomorrow, Shadow promised himself, I’ll reach out to him and do better.

Chapter Text

Movies always made winter look magical and beautiful, but Sonic knew the truth. Winter was evil, hiding behind cheerful stories of an old man delivering presents and pretty lights. It was cold, and wet, and too quiet. His cave would become frigid, hard stone freezing over and leaving him shivering throughout the entire night, no matter how many blankets he managed to cocoon himself with. The vegetation dying meant that he was unable to forage easily, and often had to resort to digging through people’s trash cans for anything not yet rotted (the general store was the best; they would throw out stuff just because it was past a date). Finding the energy to crawl out of his little hovel and into Green Hills proper was borderline impossible, though.

Luckily, today the wind had died down, so it was just cold rather than freezing. He hated having to waddle through the powder, but his food reserves had disappeared, and this might be the only kind weather he got for a while. The hedgehog rubbed his arms, shivering, and wondered where he should strike. Crazy Carl’s place was close, so he wouldn’t have to be out long, but the old coot had caught onto his game long ago and stopped leaving his trash out in easily accessible spots. There was a dumpster behind the school, but it was a little farther, and depending on how motivated the janitor was, there could be a lock on it. No, he needed somewhere guaranteed to have their cans out, locks off, and full of hopefully edible garbage.

Of course! Sonic grinned. Donut Lord’s house! Donut Lord always left his trash cans out on the side of the garage, despite his seemingly endless battle with the raccoons. The cherry on the top, though, was that Pretzel Lady made amazing food, so even if the stuff they threw out was a little bad, it would taste good. Destination in mind, Sonic shuffled quickly, determined to get there quickly. As he traveled, he realized there was something a bit…off…with Green Hills that night. It was really, really dark. The power, he realized. There were no street lamps on, no glow of soon-to-close stores in the distance, just total darkness. The storm must have knocked it out.

After a grueling hour of plowing through the snow, his toes having long since gone numb from his wet shoes, he made it to the house. Sonic always thought Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady’s home was beautiful, but blanketed in pure white fluff with glittering lights strung up along the roof, it looked magical. The young hedgehog had to fight off the urge to cheer when he saw the twin, blue cans up against the garage, right where they always were. He ducked low, tongue stuck out in concentration as he stealthily approached his targets. His nose twitched as he neared, mouth watering when the smell of food hit.

“Come to papa,” he whispered to himself, sliding the lid off and setting it up against the garage. Luckily, no furry friends came popping out, and Sonic was free to take his time. “Let’s see,” he muttered. “Some roast beef, only three days past expiration. Some chips, oof a little stale, but that’s okay. And, oh! Pretzel Lady’s spaghetti! Oh, it’s got some mold on it, but I could just pick around it.” His tail was wiggling behind him. What a haul!

A glow in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he yelped, darting behind the bins and praying he hadn’t been spotted. When there was a lack of confused shouting or slamming doors, Sonic risked a peek over his hiding spot. The glow was coming from one of the windows, and upon further inspection, it was actually a candle. No wait, multiple candles. There were a handful sitting on the dining room table, little flames dancing gently, with cut-up paper plates catching the dripping wax. Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady were sitting at the table, side by side, watching the flames. Trance-like, Sonic inched towards the window.

Though the window only offered a small glimpse into the home, Sonic could tell Pretzel Lady had already whipped out the decorations for the year. Tinsel was dripping from every surface possible, green and red fairy lights (dead, now) slithered through each room, and those creepy statues with the moving mouths were perched like gargoyles. It looked so…warm. Sonic couldn’t help but press his hand to the glass, itching to feel if it was as warm as it looked, and wasn’t disappointed. Though he knew their heater must have been out, the temperature between the outside and the glass under his hand was stark. Another shiver racked his malnourished frame, and he let himself wonder, just for a moment, what it would feel like to curl up between them at the table. Maybe he would have a blanket patterned with Christmas trees around his shoulders, and maybe some red, fuzzy socks. His stomach would be full of sugar cookies--no--snickerdoodles, and Pretzel Lady would make him a cup of hot cocoa.

His stomach gurgled sadly, yanking Sonic back into the present. Right. He was here for a reason. Pretzel Lady looked up at Donut Lord, eyes gentle, and laid her head on his shoulder. Donut Lord smiled, oblivious to the hedgehog watching them, ears drooped and tail tucked.

Sonic forced himself away from the window, turning his back on the cozy home, and grabbed his finds from the cans. Awkwardly, he moved the items around until he was sure he could carry them all without dropping them in the snow, and began his trek back to his cave, where he would wrap himself in blankets and pretend he was curled up in a warm, loving home.

Chapter Text

“Shit, shit, shit,” Sonic hissed through his teeth, writhing on the floor in agony. The piece of rebar sticking out of his thigh had him immobile, trying to avoid the flare of pain every time he so much as twitched.

“Sonic--ar--me?” Even through the static, Sonic could recognize his baby brother’s voice.

“Tails? Tails, can you hear me?” Sonic asked, voice strained.

“Sonic--where--?” The comm was nothing but static, and Sonic had to fight not to shout in frustration.

“Tails, if you can hear me, I’m still in the building. I’m in a bit of a bind and could use some help.” A lot of help, he mentally corrected, wincing as he noticed the pool of blood beneath him was steadily growing larger.

“Stay--send--adow--” With high-pitched screech, the comm cut, and Sonic threw it away from him with a growl. Chaos, he hoped whoever was coming would be quick.

The building groaned lowly, and he could hear debris shift in the distance. The fight had taken its toll on the structure, with gaping holes in the wall, and entire floors collapsed. It had once been a fancy office complex in the heart of Central City, but Eggman’s Badniks had ripped through it on their way further into the city. Luckily, Team Sonic had been able to evacuate the employees and stop the Badniks before they could progress any further, but the damage had been done, and Sonic was stuck.

The hedgehog in question groaned, the throbbing of his leg becoming nearly unbearable. He wondered if it would be worth trying to get out on his own. There was no guarantee Tails had heard him, and if he sat there waiting, he would bleed out long before anyone found him. Gritting his teeth, the hero pushed, trying to lever himself onto his good leg. He wobbled dangerously, scrambling to catch himself on the wall before he could fall completely. Sonic cried out when the abrupt movement tugged at his leg, biting his tongue to prevent any other noises from escaping. Despite the pain, he was on his feet.

One small step for hedgehog, one giant leap for hedgehog kind. Sonic gingerly stepped forward, using the wall to support himself and guide him around the room. Luckily, he was on the third floor, not the tenth, so he would only have to fight a couple of flights of stairs. He hobbled along, trying desperately to keep from jostling the rebar. Too bad he hadn’t been paying attention to the blood pooling beneath his feet. His shoe slipped, white spots of hot agony dancing across his vision, and he collapsed. The rebar bumped into the wall as he fell, pushing the metal further into his leg, and Sonic couldn’t stop the shriek that left his throat. In a tangle of limbs, blood, and metal, Sonic sprawled on the ground.

Nausea spiked through his stomach, and saliva pooled in his mouth. Thankfully, Sonic was aware enough to roll onto his side before he hurled, his body determined to punish him for bringing more pain. He lay on the dirty, dust-covered floor, panting and regretting every decision that led him here.

“Sonic?” A voice called from a room over. Hope gave Sonic enough strength to lift his head and hoarsely shout, “Here!” He could hear heavy footsteps rapidly approaching, and he wondered which one of his friends could have possibly been moving so fast.

“You idiot, what the hell happened?” Of course.

“Shads, that you?” Sonic asked. He was still sprawled half-way on his back, spine twisted uncomfortably as his face pressed into the floor while trying desperately to keep his leg from touching the ground.

“Shit,” Shadow cursed. Must have seen the steel sticking out of him, then. Sonic could see Shadow’s knees as he crouched beside him, and felt the warmth of the other’s touch as he ran a careful hand around the wound.

“Ow!” Sonic yelped, trying to pull away. Shadow’s hands disappeared, and Sonic heaved a sigh of relief.

“I’m going to pick you up,” the dark hedgehog said in warning.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Sonic gasped. “If you move me, you’ll jostle it.”

“I don’t have a choice, Sonic,” Shadow sounded impatient. “We have to get you out before you lose more blood.”

“But it hurts,” Sonic whined. He knew the other was right; he could already feel the dizziness of blood loss creeping in, his heart pounding uncomfortably fast.

“I’ll try to be gentle.” Sonic must have really lost a lot of blood, because he could swear Shadow was trying to sound comforting. Weirder still was that it sort of worked. The GUN agent put one arm under Sonic’s back, and the other in the crook of his knees. Sonic groaned, eyes squeezing closed, and Shadow lifted.

“Oh, Chaos,” Sonic cried. His thigh was throbbing, and he could feel the metal move under his skin. “Shadow,” he croaked, desperate.

“I’m sorry, hold on a little longer.” Shadow pulled Sonic closer and began the trek back down to the main floor. Tears were steadily streaming down blue cheeks now, and little sobs were wracking his frame. Every move Shadow made sent waves of pain through his body, and he buried his face in dark fur in a futile attempt to hide his reactions. Shadow did not comment on the dampness Sonic knew he could feel, or the way Sonic clung to him so tightly.

“Oh my, Chaos, Sonic!” Amy cried as Shadow cleared the last clump of collapsed concrete blocking their way out. Amy rushed over to them, and Shadow twisted Sonic out of her way before she could accidentally bump into them.

“He’s injured. I need to take him somewhere safe,” Shadow said shortly, already walking away from where Sonic’s friends were gathering.

“Shouldn’t you take him to a hospital?” Amy shouted after him, confused. Sonic didn’t care where they took him, so long as the pain went away.

“You can take him to the workshop. I have all sorts of medical equipment there,” Tails offered. Amy looked at the fox kit incredulously, while Shadow nodded to him gratefully. Before Amy could make another complaint, they were off.

“Shadow,” Sonic whispered. He felt weak and cold.

“We’re almost there, Sonic,” Shadow reassured. Sonic was shivering now, and for a moment, he couldn’t remember what they were doing.

“What’s happening?” Sonic slurred, unable to pick his head up from Shadow’s shoulder. He couldn’t see the severe frown on the other hedgehog’s face, and didn’t notice how he began to push himself to go even faster. Next thing Sonic knew, he was being set on something soft, but giving. He whined as the minuscule amount of warmth he had left, and a calming hand was placed on his forehead for a moment.

“Sonic, can you hear me?” Shadow asked. Sonic hummed softly, unwilling to open his eyes. “I need you to take these.” A hand nudged his own, and Sonic reluctantly peeked. Three pills he recognized, but couldn’t name, were in a glove hand. The other held a glass of water.

“What are they?” Sonic asked, taking them from Shadow anyway.

“Just take them, I’ll explain later.” Sonic swallowed the pills. Maybe Shadow would let him sleep if he just did what the other wanted.

“I’m going to take the rebar out, now.” Memories snapped back into place, and Sonic’s eyes snapped back open in panic.

“No, no, no!” Sonic grabbed Shadow’s hand, stopping the dark hedgehog from touching his leg.

“Sonic, it’s okay,” Shadow squeezed Sonic’s hand. “I know what I’m doing.”

“It’s going to hurt,” Sonic tried to convince him.

“I know, but it has to happen. I gave you painkillers earlier,” Shadow said. Sonic knew he wasn’t going to be able to convince the agent to leave his leg alone.

“Can I have a blanket?” Shadow looked a little confused at the request, but relented easily. Soon, a fuzzy, blue blanket was being wrapped around his shoulders, kept firmly away from his leg. Shadow kneeled next to him on the floor beside the couch and put a hand on Sonic’s thigh.

“Deep breath,” Shadow ordered. Before Sonic could, Shadow was pulling the rod. Sonic yowled, hand flying out and fingers digging into the back cushions. Shadow’s brow was furrowed, and he looked upset, slowly pulling the rebar from Sonic’s leg. Blood dripped steadily from the wound, matching the trail of tears dripping onto the couch. “Done.” The sound of metal hitting the floor, and Sonic sagged. Shadow quickly cleaned the wound, Sonic not even having the energy to hiss at the sting, and wrapped the wound with a length of bandage.

“Thanks, Shads,” Sonic murmured. His leg was still aching relentlessly, but he was comforted that the worst was over. Shadow grunted, gathering the supplies he had used and leaving to put them back. “How did you know what to do?” Sonic asked. Sure, Shadow had just pulled the rebar out and cleaned the wound, but he had moved with surgical efficiency. Every move had been measured, causing no more pain than necessary, and the bandage work was immaculate.

“I had medical training on the ARK,” Shadow said simply. His tone said he didn’t want to elaborate, so Sonic made the rare choice not to push. “You need to stay off that leg as much as possible while it heals. Make sure to keep it clean,” Shadow instructed. Sonic realized the other meant to leave, and a spike of panic burst in his chest.

“Wait!” Shadow paused, looking at Sonic inquisitively. “Stay.” If Shadow brought up how pathetic Sonic sounded, Sonic would blame it on the combination of painkillers, adrenaline, and blood loss. Shadow hesitated for a moment, glancing between the hero on the couch and the door, before sighing and walking back to the sofa. The dark hedgehog perched awkwardly on the edge of the cushions, back uncomfortably straight and hands clasped in his lap. “You look like you’re in more pain than I am. Lie down,” Sonic ordered, adjusting his blanket so Shadow could lie down beneath it.

“Why?” Shadow asked. Sonic knew it was a much deeper question than just why he should lie down.

“Just do it. Entertain the injured,” Sonic sighed. Yeah, this was going to be a conversation later. Shadow lowered himself carefully, making sure not to touch Sonic’s leg, and was finally nose to nose with Sonic. The blue hero draped the blanket back over them both and sighed contentedly. As the warmth of Shadow’s body heat seeped into his fur, he finally began to drift off. The last thing he felt was a gentle hand carding through his quills, and a forehead pressing to his own.

Chapter Text

Sonic hadn’t moved in hours, not since he had woken in a flail of limbs and fallen off their bed. Now, he lies paralyzed on the floor, face pressed into the freshly vacuumed carpet, wishing the lingering feeling of metal pressing in all around would vanish. His heart was racing, pounding like he had run across the entire world, and his quills were bristling. Sonic tried to lift himself off the carpet, but his body wouldn’t respond beyond a tremble. He tried to walk himself through the grounding exercises Shadow had taught him, but his mind kept circling back to the Death Egg. The carpet felt like cold steel, and the pastel blue walls of their bedroom had transformed into the bars of his old cell. He swore he could smell the stale, recycled air of the space station, even though he logically knew he was home.

Cobalt ears flicked at the sound of a door clicking open and then shutting gently. In the dark, pinned to the ground by his own mind, it sounded like a cell door creaking open. Sonic was full on quivering now, body racked in shivers, and his ears pinned to his skull. He didn’t want to open his eyes; sure that if he opened them, he would be back in that tiny cell, walls closing in.

“Sonic?” He knew that voice, but couldn’t place it in the moment. There was only the confines of his cell drawing closer and closer. “Sonic, are you okay?” He registered that someone was beside him, but he couldn’t lift his head to look, not that he would if he could. Maybe it was Infinite, coming to walk him around the station, just so the confined space of his cell would weigh even heavier. Or maybe it was Eggman, coming to gloat about how thoroughly Sonic had failed everyone. The person beside him was moving further away, but Sonic couldn’t tell where they were going.

Seconds later, or maybe it had been hours, an odd scent hit his nose. His mind was briefly stalled, focused on the twitch of his nose as he breathed in. It was floral, but gentle, not like the overpowering scent of perfume. It reminded him of dark, cloudless skies; of lying in dewy grass and staring up at twinkling stars.

“Shadow?” Sonic croaked.

“Are you with me?” The deep voice he now knew to be that of his boyfriend asked. A warm, solid hand was placed beneath Sonic’s back quills, rubbing small circles into the fur there. Sonic tried to look at his partner, but his head still wouldn’t move.

“Can’t move,” Sonic whined, frustrated with himself and exhausted.

“It’s okay,” Shadow soothed. “It will pass. Do you want me to put you back on the bed?” At the question, Sonic became aware of the deep ache in his body from lying on the floor for who knew how long. The blue hero hummed in agreement, and Shadow gently lifted him from the floor. Their bed wasn’t far, Sonic having tumbled straight from the mattress to the carpeted floor. Shadow set him down gently, head supported by plush pillows. With his face no longer mashed into the ground, Sonic was able to look around. He wasn’t in his cell on the Death Egg; he was in the room he shared with Shadow, in their apartment. The floor wasn’t metal, but luscious carpet that Shadow had strong-armed the landlord into installing. The walls weren’t bars, but pastel blue paint that Sonic remembered putting up last summer in-between fights with Eggman. The scent that had drawn him out earlier was a lavender incense that Shadow had lit at their bedside.

The dark hedgehog was sitting beside Sonic, looking down at him with concerned crimson eyes.

“What happened?” Shadow asked.

“Bad dream,” Sonic whispered, wanting so badly to reach out and take his boyfriend’s hand. “Fell on the ground and couldn’t move.” Shadow seemed to sense what he wanted--he was always good like that--and took a blue hand into his own.

“What was it about?”

“The Death Egg,” Sonic responded. Shadow’s mouth twisted in a grimace, and his gaze slipped to the floor. Sonic felt a pang of guilt at telling the other, knowing that Shadow blamed himself for Infinite’s aggression towards Sonic, but knew Shadow would want him to be honest. “It’s not your fault, Shads.”

“Isn’t it?” Shadow sounded upset. “If I hadn’t gone after his squad, he never would have come after you. You wouldn’t have these memories to deal with.”

“There was no way for you to know that any of that would happen,” Sonic argued. “You did what you thought was right in the moment.”

“No,” Shadow was agitated now, “I was arrogant. I wasn’t thinking at all.”

“Shads--”

“Can you move?” Sonic sighed, but allowed the change in subject. They had been over the same topic thousands of times since the war, and made no progress. No matter what Sonic said, Shadow would blame himself for what the hero had gone through on the Death Egg for as long as they both lived. Sonic focused on trying to get his hand to twitch, but there was nothing.

“No,” the blue hedgehog sighed.

“Don’t worry about it.” Shadow rubbed the back of his hand. “It’ll be back by tomorrow.” Sonic hummed, letting his eyes slip back closed. He felt the bed shift as Shadow stood, rounding the bed to his side. He could hear his partner slip his gloves off, setting them on the bedside table where he always put them, before his weight dipped the mattress. Sonic listened to the sheets crinkle as Shadow shifted, and then warm arms were wrapping around his stomach.

“How was work?” Sonic asked, feeling a piece of himself settle as Shadow nosed into his neck.

“Fine,” the other huffed. “Paperwork.”

“So it was actually awful.” Sonic couldn’t help but chuckle at Shadow’s displeased grumble. His boyfriend pulled Sonic closer, tucking a blue forehead against his fluffy chest. Sonic breathed in the comforting scent, feeling the last dregs of his dream finally slip away.

“Thanks,” he murmured into Shadow’s chest. Shadow pressed a kiss to the top of his head, the gesture saying more than words ever could.

Chapter Text

Sonic woke with a gasp, eyes flying open only to shut tightly again as he was blinded by the fluorescents above. He trashed, but his arms and legs wouldn’t move, pinned down at the joints. The youth grunted, pushing against their weight hard, but found that his body was weak; tingly.

“Subject is awake,” a voice said somewhere to his right. Sonic’s eyes squinted open, and he felt dread burrow deep into his chest. A scientist, dressed from head to toe in hazmat gear, stared down at him, mask blank and indifferent.

“Where am I?” Sonic whimpered, wincing at the pain in his throat. It hurt like he had been breathing hard, and he tried to swallow the feeling, but the ache persisted. At the back of his mind, the memory of sprinting through the woods, before tumbling to the ground with mesh enveloping him, flickered.

“Subject is capable of human speech,” another scientist remarked to his left. He could hear what sounded like someone typing. The hedgehog’s head swiveled in panic, trying to see all the people in the room, but only able to spot the two who had spoken. “Subject is still responding positively to sedatives.” Sedatives? Is that why he felt so fuzzy and weak? Sonic’s heart was pounding in his chest, and a cold sweat had begun beading under his fur. He realized his gloves, shoes, and even his socks had disappeared.

“Please, let me go,” he tried. The scientists ignored him, the first turning his back on him and poking through something on a sterile tray. When he turned back around, he was holding a scalpel. “No, no, no.” Sonic’s breath was rapid, but he still felt like he wasn’t getting enough air.

“Beginning test of organic tissue,” the scientist stated simply, lowering the knife.

At first, Sonic felt nothing, just the vague pressure of something against his arm. The man pushed harder, and Sonic cried out, burning pain erupting from the area. Tears began to spill down his cheeks, and his limbs began to quake.

“Subject appears to have a similar organic makeup to humans. Soft tissue responds as predicted.” More typing. They were taking notes. The scalpel was removed from his arm, and Sonic sobbed in relief. His comfort was short-lived, however, as the experimenter presented him with what appeared to be a hammer. “Moving on to testing the durability of the subject, to be followed by documentation of its healing factor.”

“Please!” Snot was dripping from his nose as he sobbed, but all he could focus on was the hammer. The scientist lifted it, higher, higher, higher, before swinging it down on the same arm with a single, decisive strike. Bone shattered. Sonic choked, eyes bulging as pure, white hot agony seared through his entire being. He didn’t make much sound, just a strangled wheeze. His body surged upwards against the restraints, but they still held tightly, digging into flesh.

“Bone is similarly durable to most humans. Subject will be returned to its containment, where its healing will be documented.” The second scientist stepped forward, a syringe in his hand. Sonic stared at the needle blearily, finding it hard to care past the throbbing pain in his arm. The needle was pressed into the junction of his neck and shoulder, a simple heat soaking into his veins. The room began to darken, everything becoming more and more distant, and past the fear, there was gratitude for the receding pain.

--

When Sonic woke again, his arms and legs were still bound, but he was no longer in the sterile room from before. Before him was a frosted glass wall, close enough that he was sure he could touch it if his arms had not been pinned above him. They were being restrained by cloth secured to the ceiling, while his legs had been bolted to the wall with metal cuffs. Sonic tried to adjust, but stopped with a cry. His arm, the one that the scientist had shattered, looked completely wrong. They still had it suspended above him, but instead of being straight like it was meant to be, he could see where his forearm was bent oddly.

“Why?” Sonic couldn’t help but ask the empty room. He was crying again, and he briefly felt ashamed for letting whoever was doing this to see him weak again, but he was scared, and everything hurt. Longclaw had warned him that people would come for him, but he never imagined this. From his time in Green Hills, humans seemed so good. They cared for each other, watched out for other little creatures in their town, and never seemed to want to harm someone else intentionally. Yet, here he was, being experimented on by humans.

Sonic couldn’t help but think about his home world, the little shack he and Longclaw had lived in. He imagined he was there, curled up beneath one of her great wings, safe and warm. His sobs were full-body heaves now, aggressive and painful as they jarred his arm. He was so scared. He wanted to go home, but there was no home. All he had waiting for him was a lonely, cold cave. No one was missing him. No one was coming for him.

“Subject had awakened. Entering containment to document the healing process,” a muffled voice said from beyond the glass. As a near-invisible door built into the glass opened, Sonic couldn’t help how his cries increased in volume.

“Get away from me!” He shouted at the scientists, the same man who had broken his arm. The human ignored him, stopping in front of him, mask angled towards Sonic’s arm with a detached air. Sonic tried desperately to summon the energy running beneath his skin, but it slipped through his fingers like sand. Nothing in his body felt right.

“Day 3: Subject's injury shows no improvement. Healing does not appear to be markedly different from a human’s.” Sonic didn’t know who he was speaking to, but he hated everything about how this man spoke. He was so angry, he didn’t even think about how he had been sleeping for days.

“I’m not a subject, I have a name!” Sonic hissed at the man. Again, he was ignored.

“Subject is showing increased signs of aggression. Administering a sedative.”

“Don’t touch me!” The hedgehog screamed, trying to twist his head to bite the hand
approaching his neck. The scientist flinched back, and Sonic sneered at him before his head was snapped to the side by a brutal slap. He was more stunned than actually hurt, completely pliant as the man administered the injection.

As Sonic slipped back into unconsciousness, he had the abrupt realization that this was his fate now. He would be used and probed by these people until they decided they were done with him. Beaten, stabbed, and broken for as long as they pleased. Sonic’s eyes finally slipped shut, and he couldn’t help but hope they wouldn’t open again.

Chapter Text

It was fine. Everything was fine. There was absolutely nothing wrong with being trapped in a little, metal container with someone who hated his guts. Yeah, totally fine. Chaos, Sonic was a liar. Shadow leaned against the far wall of the elevator, arms crossed and body tense, looking like it was taking everything in him not to lash out at Sonic. Sonic himself was huddled against the wall across from the fuming hedgehog, trying desperately to keep his mouth shut so he wouldn’t become a target for Shadow’s rage.

“This is crazy, huh?” Of course, he could never stay silent for too long, and the nervous energy crawling around under his skin certainly wasn’t helping. Crimson eyes narrowed, dark lips thinned, and there was no response. Really, Sonic should be thankful for Shadow’s mercy and shut up. “Like, what are the chances?” Maybe he should knock himself out.

“Stop. Talking.” Shadow’s voice was low and dangerous, and Sonic’s ears flattened. Getting into an all-out brawl with Shadow in an elevator would be an awful idea.

“I’m just saying, dude--”

“What did I just say!” Shadow snapped. Sonic felt his quills bristle at the pure hostility radiating off Shadow, and his mouth snapped shut. The two descended into tense silence, and Sonic took up tapping a finger against his arm to try and keep himself distracted from the fact that he couldn’t run, couldn’t feel anything but stale air pressing close, and that there was no telling how long they would be there. Soon, Sonic was tapping his foot. Shadow’s eyes had focused on the offending red shoe, and Sonic stilled again, feeling like prey. “Are you incapable of holding still for five minutes?” Shadow asked testily.

“Have you met me?” Sonic snarked back. Shadow snarled at him, and the hero chuckled nervously.

“Have your stupid friends responded yet?”

“Hey, they aren’t stupid,” Sonic said with a frown.

“Answer the damn question, hedgehog.” Sonic sighed.

“No. I’m not even sure if the message got through, being stuck in this can.” Shadow’s head thumped back against the wall. “What about Rouge or Omega?”

“Obviously not,” Shadow huffed.

“Listen, man, I know this isn’t your idea of fun, but I’m not having a great time either, so could you take it easy?” Sonic couldn’t help the irritation seeping into his voice. Shadow always acted like Sonic’s mere presence was the most aggravating thing to have ever happened to him, even though Sonic always went out of his way to be nice to the other hedgehog. Honestly, the hostility hurt, but Sonic shoved the feeling away. So what if he wanted to be friends with Shadow (he ignored the part of his mind that whispered that it wanted more)? It was obvious the feeling wasn’t mutual, and he just needed to accept that, but having it shoved in his face while he was feeling so trapped wasn’t helping.

“Take it easy?” Shadow seethed, snapping Sonic from his thoughts. “I’m stuck in an elevator that I told you we shouldn’t take while the doctor makes off with yet another emerald, and you want me to take it easy?” Shadow was slowly advancing on him now, fists clenched, and voice dripping with fury. Sonic pressed himself more firmly against the wall, feeling his chaos energy surge in response to the threat before him. “It never fails that any mission you’re involved in is ruined,” Shadow continued, “so no, I won’t take it easy.” Shadow was standing right in front of him now, and Sonic never felt their minuscule height difference so starkly before.

“I’m just saying, us tussling in this little area probably isn’t a great idea,” Sonic said, trying to appeal to Shadow’s logic.

“Yes, because you know about great ideas.” Sonic’s hand was moving before he could think about what he was doing, pressing firmly to Shadow’s shoulder and shoving. The other stumbled, eyes momentarily shocked, before hardening again.

“Knock it off, Shads,” Sonic said firmly, a warning. Shadow was in his space again, breath hot against his face.

“Or what, faker?” Shadow was all challenge, and Sonic couldn’t turn down a challenge even on a good day. All of the emotions he had been shoving down, down, down came bursting out through the fist aimed at Shadow’s muzzle. He felt the skin of his knuckles crack, even under the glove, as he slammed into the other. The dark hedgehog’s face snapped to the side, and they were both still for one, shocked moment.

Then, chaos.

Shadow was lunging for Sonic with a feral shout, closed fist aimed for his stomach. Sonic managed to catch it at the last moment, but was unable to stop the metal-clad foot that collided with his shoulder. Sonic hissed, teeth bared in a snarl, and aimed his own kick to Shadow’s chest, knocking the agent back against the wall with a bang. The elevator rocked dangerously, and Sonic felt a pulse of fear rocket through his chest. His momentary distraction was enough time for Shadow to recover, launching himself across the room and crashing into the hero. They fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs, teeth snapping and fists flying, both trying desperately to pin the other. Shadow’s elbow bashed into Sonic’s nose, the blue hedgehog yelping at the searing pain, and Shadow was able to squirm over him. Sonic was pinned within a minute, panting and still struggling with all his might to dislodge the smug asshole above him.

“Say you’re done,” Shadow demanded, voice strained with fatigue.

“Fuck you,” Sonic spat, surging against Shadow’s hold. Sonic’s hands were slammed back down firmly.

“Say it.” Everything was becoming too much. His nose and arm were throbbing, Shadow’s wight was suffocating in the confined space of the elevator, and Shadow hated him.

Sonic hiccuped a sob.

Shadow reeled back, mouth dropping in surprise, and it was enough for Sonic to wiggle out from his hold. The agent didn’t fight him; his hands were slack, and Sonic pushed himself back against the wall. Fuck, fuck, he couldn’t stop crying. His muzzle was wet, his chest was convulsing on the sobs he wouldn’t let out, and his skin was heating uncomfortably. Worst of all, Shadow wouldn’t stop staring at him. The blue hedgehog buried his face in his knees, hating that look, hating it more than the anger.

“Sonic?” Shadow was reaching for him hesitantly. He sounded lost. Sonic could hear Shadow shuffle closer, and his ears pinned.

“Don’t.” Shadow stopped. Sonic heard something buzz.

“Rouge said our message got through. They’re on their way,” Shadow said.

“Okay.” Sonic didn’t lift his head. He would stay like this the entire wait. Silence reigned in the elevator, broken occasionally by a sniffle. Sonic tried to take deep breaths, something Amy had told him forever ago would help when he was upset, but just feeling Shadow’s eyes on him brought the tears anew.

“Did I hurt you?” Shadow’s voice was soft and uncertain. Sonic sniffled again.

“No. I’m fine,” he replied. His nose did hurt, and so did his arm, but nothing compared to the vice around his chest.

“You’re lying.” It was said simply, like a fact.

“Drop it, Shadow.” Shadow was quiet for a moment.

“I know we aren’t…close…but I’ve been told that friends should rely on each other.” Sonic felt everything in him freeze. Was Shadow serious?

“Not close?” Sonic lifted his head just so he could stare incredulously into red eyes. “You can’t stand me!” Shadow dared to look surprised.

“That’s not true,” the dark hedgehog said with a frown. Sonic barked out a laugh, but nothing was funny.

“Are you kidding me? Every time we’re together, you tell me how annoying I am, how I ruin everything. You literally just attacked me because I wouldn’t stop talking, and now you want me to talk to you?” He was still crying.

“Because you are annoying, but I still care--”

“Just stop, Shadow.” Fuck, he needed off this elevator.

“Let me explain.” Shadow sounded frustrated, but Sonic didn’t care.

“You were the one who wanted silence while we wait. You want to explain? Do it later,” Sonic said bluntly. Shadow opened his mouth to continue, but a knock above them interrupted.

“Hey, you two. Get ready for some sparks while we break you out!” Rouge’s sultry voice was muffled. Sonic put his face back against his knees and tried to collect himself, unwilling for even more people to see him in such a state.

“Fine. Later,” Shadow aquiesced, going to sit back against his own wall.

Can’t wait, Sonic thought wryly as the sound of a saw powering up filled the room.

Chapter Text

The ocean always gave Sonic mixed feelings. On one hand, the sound of waves crashing into the cliffs of the island was soothing, and the breeze wafting in felt heavenly on his fur. On the other hand, he couldn’t help but think about how dark and deep the waters were, and imagined himself trying to escape the grasp of whatever horrors waited. Today, though, the azure deeps bordering the island made him feel…nothing. The cool breeze had long since turned cold, and though he could see the goosebumps prickling under his fur, he couldn’t feel it. He knew what he should, but it was all so distant, like his body was there, but he wasn’t.

In the back of his mind, he knew that that was wrong. Sonic should be able to feel his body, but he didn’t care right now, and maybe it was for the best: it kept him from feeling the burning pain of his scalp where he had yanked clumps of quills out earlier.

“What are you doing out here, faker?” The voice floated over to him, and Sonic couldn’t muster the energy to turn and see who it was. Just like he knew he should be able to feel the pain, he knew he should’ve been able to recognize the voice. The grass of the cliff rustled as whoever it was approached, stopping just behind Sonic. “I asked you a question.” Sonic looked over his shoulder.

Shadow also caused him mixed feelings. Half the time, the other hedgehog made Sonic feel burning energy beneath his skin, a restless and chaotic feeling that would end in them brawling or racing across the island. But the other half, he made Sonic feel still, like there was finally a place he could rest. Those little moments when he and Shadow would lie beneath the stars, quiet, only the sounds of their breaths and crickets breaking the quiet. Right now, all he could feel was a detached surprise.

“Shadow?” Sonic’s tongue felt heavy in his mouth; his voice sounded wrong. Shadow’s eyes narrowed, but Sonic couldn’t place the emotion behind them. Cautiously, Shadow approached him, the heavy sound of his air-shoes out of place in the calm of the night. Gracefully, the dark hedgehog settled himself beside Sonic, legs dangling over the edge, mimicking Sonic’s own posture.

“Aren’t you cold?” Shadow broke the silence after a moment of them just sitting, watching the waves. The question drifted through his mind, but didn’t settle anywhere. The waves were hypnotizing. “Sonic?” They pulled back, crested, then crashed against the rocks. Again, again, and again.

Then suddenly, warmth broke through the haze. Sonic flinched minutely before slowly looking down at where his arm was pressed against Shadow’s, black and blue. His attention sluggishly lifted from their point of connection to carmine eyes. There was something there that Sonic had only ever seen in fleeting little moments under the stars. They were soft and gentle. Worried.

His mind crashed back into his body, sensation suddenly lighting him up. The cold of the night, the ache in his chest, and the pain in his scalp. Sonic blinked rapidly, the reignition of his senses overwhelming, and he wished the numbness would come back. Cautiously, Shadow reached up, waiting for any negative reaction from the quaking hedgehog before him. Heat pressed to Sonic's cheek, and Sonic’s own hand flew up to clutch desperately at Shadow’s wrist, wanting that warmth as close as possible. The agent’s thumb rubbed gently beneath an emerald eye, strokes grounding against the tidal wave of emotion and feeling.

With a firm, but gentle pressure, Shadow guided Sonic to the grass. Chest to chest, legs intertwined, Shadow wrapped Sonic in that warmth. His scalp still ached, and everything still felt like too much, but here Sonic felt as if there was a wall between him and the world. Confident hands were drawing patterns in the fur of Sonic’s back, and the rise and fall of a solid chest gave him something to focus on. In, out. In, out. In, out.

“What happened?” Shadow whispered into the night, his voice a deep rumble beneath Sonic’s ear.

“Dunno.” His voice was hoarse. “Just. Too much.” Shadow hummed. Gloved hands ran from Sonic’s back, down to his hip, back up to his shoulders. They drifted towards his quills, and Sonic stiffened.

“Don’t.” Shadow’s hands froze, and a tense moment passed between them.

“How long ago?” Sonic knew what the other hedgehog was asking, but was reluctant to answer. He didn’t feel shame, per se, but found the words clogging his throat all the same. Minutes passed, counting Shadow’s breaths, before Sonic just shook his head. “We’ll clean it when I take you home.” The easy acceptance sort of frustrated him. Part of Sonic wanted Shadow to be upset with him, to chew him out, or lecture him. His lips wobbled and his eyes burned, and Sonic bit his lip in a desperate attempt to keep the emotions from bubbling over.

Shadow’s forehead pressed to his own, and Sonic couldn’t stop the tears from rolling. They stayed like that for what felt like centuries, forehead to forehead, Shadow’s presence steady while Sonic shattered. He hated it, hated how helpless and out of control he felt. He yearned for the quiet he had while staring at the waves.

“Shadow,” Sonic sobbed, unable to say anything else.

“I’m here,” Shadow responded simply. Sonic let the waves crash over him, drown him. Sob after sob, all buried into the fur of Shadow’s chest. Sonic wailed, and he wasn’t even sure what for, but it felt like his soul would tear apart if he didn’t.

There was a flash of bright light in the darkness of his closed eyes, and the dewy grass was replaced with silken sheets perfumed with lavender. Never once did Shadow let go, even wrapping his arms around the blue hedgehog tighter. Distantly, Sonic noted that he had never been in Shadow’s apartment before, let alone his room. A small part of him was curious, but looking around would mean removing his face from Shadow’s chest, and he wasn’t ready. He wasn’t sure when he would be, but Shadow seemed content to just hold him.

There was some shuffling as the dark hedgehog awkwardly maneuvered them beneath the sheets, drawing a thick blanket over their shoulders.

“I’m going to go get the first aid kit,” Shadow murmured. Sonic couldn’t stop the panicked way he gripped Shadow’s sides. “Your wounds’ll get infected.” Logically, Sonic knew this, but the idea of being left alone was agony. He didn’t let go. “Fine,” Shadow said with a sigh. “A little longer.” Shadow’s face burrowed into the top of Sonic’s head, mindful of Sonic’s quills.

Exhaustion had dug its claws into Sonic, the tears slowly drying and leaving a tingling emptiness behind. It was different than the numbness form before. Instead of feeling like his mind was covered in a thick fog, he simply felt like he had scooped his brain out and set it aside. As Shadow squeezed him closer, Sonic thought that perhaps this was better.

Chapter Text

He rarely ever felt it coming. Sometimes he would see something or smell something, and then his mind would tumble uncontrollably back in time. This time, he wasn’t sure what triggered it. He had been in the kitchen, balancing carefully on the step stool Tom and Maddie had gotten him, stirring the pot of pasta Maddie had left him in charge of. Sonic was listening to her talk about her shift at the clinic, swaying gently to the beat of the music Tom had playing in the background. He was warm and happy, and everything was amazing, until the memory hit.

Sonic was curled on his dilapidated red bean bag, buried beneath his blankets, shivering. Green Hills, while gorgeous in the summer, was a frozen hell in the winter. Snow was drifting lazily into his cave, flakes settling on every available surface and even accumulating in spots. The stone did nothing to keep the heat in or the biting wind out. The only barrier between the pathetic hedgehog and the elements was three thin, moth-bitten blankets.

Worse still, every time he inhaled, he could feel his chest rattle. He coughed, and coughed, and coughed, but all it did was make his throat hurt. His head ached, his stomach clenched painfully, and he could only breathe through one nostril. Sonic was too weak to move, his body aching from lying in a single position for so long, and he was so thirsty. He had a pack of water he had pilfered from the trash outside the grocery store, but it was too far. Sonic squinted at the water. And it was frozen.

The hedgehog whimpered sadly, allowing himself a little moment of weakness. No one could hear him, after all. Once this cold, or whatever it was, passed, he would be right back to his sunny self! For now, though, he was allowed to whine and writhe pathetically, rubbing his feet together in a desperate attempt to get some warmth back in them.

Sometimes, he would wander by the houses in the nearby neighborhood and look in the windows, seeing people curled up under blankets in front of little, controlled fires, smiling. He didn’t understand how they could experience so much joy in the winter. On more tame nights, he would curl up outside their doors, trying to soak up the heat leaking out from beneath the frames.

“Sonic!” A voice snapped him out of the memory, and he flinched, the hand stirring the pot jerking and flinging water up. The boiling liquid hit the exposed part of his wrist above his glove, and he cried out, dropping the spoon and falling backwards. The hedgehog would’ve hit the ground if it weren’t for the strong hands that caught him.

Maddie looked down, chocolate eyes concerned as she took in her panting, trembling son.

“Mads? What happened?” Tom rushed to the entrance of the kitchen, his serious tone juxtaposed by his sweater proclaiming Feliz Navi Dad.

“Sonic, honey, are you okay?” Maddy asked, her gentle hands guiding him carefully to the floor. Sonic realized he was shivering, as if he were outside.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sonic said through chattering teeth. Neither of his parents looked convinced. “Just got a little distracted.”

“You’re shivering,” Tom pointed out. “It’s 70 degrees in here.”

“I just run cold sometimes!” Sonic tried. He couldn’t stop shaking, and he swore he could feel the blistering winter wind caress his arms.

“Young man, you don’t have to tell us what happened, but don’t lie to us.” Maddie’s voice was firm, and Sonic felt a flash of guilt. She was right. He shouldn’t lie to them. His eyes fell to the ground, unable to look at them.

“I don’t really know what happened,” he admitted quietly. Tom was kneeling beside them on the floor now, a warm, steady hand resting gently on Sonic’s shoulder. Maddie still had her arms around him, supporting him. “Everything was fine, great even. Then suddenly I was in my cave again. I was sick and cold and couldn’t do anything about it.” Sonic pressed his face into Maddie’s stomach, not wanting them to see the tears that were pooling in his eyes. He didn’t see the look they shared.

“Is that a memory?” Tom asked softly. Sonic nodded, face still buried in his mother’s warm shirt. Maddie rubbed his back gently, pressing the heat of her palms into his fur.

“Let’s get you wrapped up, then,” she said with a smile.

“What about dinner?” Sonic tried to argue.

“We can deal with that later. For now, I know a certain someone who could use some snuggles.” Maddie lifted him into her arms, squeezing him close. Normally, Sonic would groan dramatically and say something about not being a little kid and not needing snuggles. But right now, he was a kid, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up somewhere warm with someone who loved him.

Maddie carried him up the stairs carefully, Tom following them after quickly shutting off the stove. Sonic was carried into the master bedroom, a place familiar to him after many nights of nightmares. He was lowered into the center of the bed, heavy blankets pulled up to his chin, and his mom slid in next to him. Tom smiled at the sight of his wife and son curled up together in the bed, Maddie’s forehead pressed into Sonic’s own, both of their eyes closed in contentment. Tom joined them, careful not to jostle the pair, and sandwiched Sonic between them.

With the three of them bundled up, the bed quickly became sweltering. Tom was sweating and honestly uncomfortable, but the steady purr rumbling from his son’s chest ensured he wouldn’t move. He could hear Maddie breathing steadily, lulled to sleep by the coziness and rumbling of a happy hedgehog. Tom was soon to follow her into dreamland, with Sonic hot on his heels. The blue hedgehog dreamed of curling up with his parents in front of a fire, safe, warm, and happy.

Chapter Text

Sonic sprinted through the forest as fast as he could on exhausted legs. He was breathing heavily, eyes darting around frantically, and ears swiveling at the sound of dogs howling behind him. Faster, faster, he needed to move faster. He forced himself to speed up, ignoring the screaming pain of his limbs, and focused on not tripping on roots and mole holes. Briefly, his path was illuminated by the flashlight of his pursuers.

“The dogs are on his scent!” Someone shouted. He needed to get away; he needed to hide. He was panicking, limbs shaking, and his vision was becoming blurry. No, no, no, he couldn’t fail now. The hell that awaited him if he was caught motivated him to push forward. Sonic wracked his brain for anything he could use to hide, but the dogs ensured that any spot would be found. Sensitive ears flicked, turning towards the sound of rushing water.

Sonic stumbled towards the sound, praying to whoever was listening that it would be enough. With a splash, the hedgehog tumbled into the shallow water, soaking his thin socks and shocking his system with how cold it was. He rushed further downstream, wobbling as his balance threatened to fail him. Sonic could hear the soldiers approaching, leaves rustling and twigs snapping as they hunted him. The hedgehog clambered out of the water, dashing behind a tree and hunkering down, desperately trying to control his breathing so it wasn’t too loud.

The soldiers approached the stream. He could hear the dogs snuffling at the ground, movements frantic as they followed his scent to the water.

“Fuck, where’d he go?” One of the men asked, flashlight moving through the brush.

“Little shit used the water to wash his scent,” another said. The dogs were whining, frustrated. “He probably ran upstream. Let’s keep going.” Sonic listened as they moved on, their footsteps slowly growing more and more distant. With a loud huff, Sonic let out the breath he had been holding, chest heaving. He had to keep moving.

--

The weekend had finally arrived, which meant Tom finally got some time with his beautiful wife. Wade was in charge of the station for the weekend, which meant Tom would get numerous phone calls, but at least he didn’t have to get out of his pajamas. Maddie was actually off on the weekend for once, and the two of them were going to make the most of it. They had some gentle music playing in the background, a pot of stew simmering on the stove, and some candles lit to really set the mood. Everything was perfect, until Tom heard the trash cans crash to the ground.

“It’s those raccoons again!” He was up and moving before Maddie could stop him.

“Just leave them alone, they’re hungry,” Maddie called after him, but Tom was already focused on his prey. Those little trash mongers wouldn’t get away from him this time! He burst through their front door, ready to catch the little fuzzballs red-handed, but froze on the spot.

That isn’t a raccoon, his brain noted dumbly. He had no clue what it was, but typically, raccoons didn’t come in blue. There was a ball of fur and spikes curled up at the foot of the fallen cans, and it was quivering minutely.

“Tom? What’s wrong?” Maddie asked, her slippered feet approaching slowly.

“Uh. I’m not even sure,” Tom replied. His wife peered over his shoulder, her eyes widening comically. After a moment of them both being frozen, Maddie gently pushed him to the side and began to approach the creature. “Hey, hey, don’t go near it.”

“What if it’s hurt, Tom?” She was kneeling beside it, hand hovering above its body, hesitant.

“What if it hurts you? It could have rabies or something,” Tom argued. Maddie shot him an unimpressed look before cautiously lowering her hand to the animal. It didn’t move. Maddie exhaled shakily, rolling the creature onto its back.

“Oh, my god,” she whispered. Tom was at her side in a second, ready to push her aside and jump on the little critter, but paused at what she saw.

Its face was scrunched up, pained, and its mouth was steadily dripping blood from the sutures that had been sewn through its lips. There were tears steadily dripping from shut eyes, and now that he was closer, Tom could hear it quietly whimpering.

“It looks like a hedgehog,” Maddie murmured.

“Last I checked, they don’t come in blue. Or extra large.”

“We need to take it inside,” his wife said firmly. Tom opened his mouth to argue, but found his voice failing him as he looked again at the animal’s inflamed, bleeding mouth.

“Yeah. Yeah, okay.” Tom stepped forward as Maddie stood. He carefully lifted the curled-up ball, wincing as quills pricked at his skin through his shirt, and he moved towards the house quickly. Maddie pushed the plates they had set out to the side, making room for her patient, and gestured for Tom to set it down in the center. Like a Thanksgiving turkey, Tom’s brain joked.

Maddie left the room, returning moments later with her at-home medkit. She bustled around the table, taking vitals and examining the hedgehog with precision born from years and years of practice.

“His vitals seem normal?” She said hesitantly.

“He?” Tom asked.

“He,” she confirmed. “I don’t know what happened, but most of his issues seem to be fatigue-related. Dehydration, lack of sleep, and just overall stress to the body. And, obviously, whoever sowed his mouth shut.” They both looked at the stitches, and Tom shivered.

“You think he’s a runaway from Area 51 or something?” He half-joked.

“I don't know,” Maddie said, still staring at the hedgehog. “Whoever had him wasn’t doing a great job taking care of him, though.” A somber silence descended on the kitchen, only broken by the wheezing breaths from the creature on their table. “I’m going to take the stitches out,” Maddie said suddenly.

“What if they were put there for a reason?” Tom asked, ever cautious. “Like. What if he’s got fire-breathing? Or something.”

“Tom.” Maddie looked at him sternly, and his mouth snapped shut. “I need you to hold his head still.” He nodded and leapt into action, unwilling to be at the mercy of her fury tonight. Tom placed his hands on either side of the hedgehog’s head, noting quietly how soft he was. Maddie quickly wiped down the area with alcohol, grimacing when the pad came away bloody. Tom heard a hitch in their guest’s breathing and frowned. Maddie began the process of removing the stitches, muttering under her breath about how shodily they had been placed, a pile of threads slowly growing beside her.

The hedgehog was crying in his unconsciousness, shuddering and whining. Tom felt his chest seize with pity for the creature, and Maddie tried to work quicker. By the time they were done, the hedgehog’s muzzle was soaked with crimson, some of it even having traveled to Tom’s hands. Maddie wiped down the little guy’s face, coating the area with a cream, before sighing. Tom stood straight, stretching his back and groaning at the pop, before leaving to wash his hands.

He was mid scrub when he heard Maddie yelp.

The sheriff sprinted through the house, shoulder clipping the wall of the dining room in his haste, and was met with panicked emerald eyes.

The hedgehog had woken, sitting up on their table, supported by the unsteadiest arms Tom had ever seen. His eyes were frantically taking in their home, and it looked like he was starting to hyperventilate.

“Hey,” Maddie whispered, her hands held up. The hedgehog’s attention snapped to her. “My name’s Maddie. You’re safe here.” Does he even understand us? Tom wondered, looking between his wife and the creature. “We found you outside by our garage and patched you up.” The hedgehog looked down at himself, seeming to be looking for any new wounds. So, he did understand. “We took those stitches out, too.” At this, the blue creature froze. Tom watched as a little hand, caked in dirt and tipped with blunt, black claws, reached up to carefully probe at his mouth. The hedgehog winced, hand pulling away sharply.

“Can you talk?” Tom asked, and two pairs of eyes were on him. The hedgehog shuddered and rapidly shook his head.

“Can’t, or don’t want to?” Maddie’s voice was soft, and her eyes were sad. The hedgehog’s gaze slipped to the ground, and Tom felt a flash of white hot anger. “If I give you a paper, could you write your name on it?” A nod of a blue head. Maddie quickly gathered a pen and paper, setting them next to the boy. A shaky hand, clutching the pen harshly, hovered over the paper. Tom could see frustration in the hedgehog’s eyes, his other hand coming up to steady his writing hand. He drew on the paper carefully, setting the pen down after a few seconds.

Sonic.

“Sonic,” Maddie said with a smile. Sonic’s eyes welled with tears, and he blinked rapidly.

The moment was shattered by a knock on their door.

Sonic’s eyes widened, and the tremors of his body had become full-blown shakes. Maddie looked between the hedgehog and the door, and her eyes narrowed.

“Tom, get the door,” she said, voice level. “Sonic, come with me,” she spoke to the trembling boy more softly. Tom’s wife held out a hand to the blue hedgehog, who hesitantly took it. She led the boy upstairs, looking back to Tom with steel in her eyes. Tom knew what he needed to do.

“Excuse me, sir,” the man in the lab coat said as Tom opened the door. “Very sorry to interrupt your night, but have you seen anything unusual in the area?”

“I’m sorry, are you a police officer?” Tom asked, knowing for a fact this weirdo wasn’t.

“Yes, sir. We received reports that a strange animal was sighted in the area, and we just want to make sure everything is safe.” Tom smiled at this man, imagining punching him in the face.

“No, sir, not unless you count the raccoons that keep digging through my trash,” Tom joked, gesturing towards the fallen can. The scientist stared at the trash for a little longer than normal before offering Tom another apologetic smile.

“I see. Thank you for your time.” The man stepped away, retreating down the driveway, and Tom watched. Even after he closed the door, he watched the man through the window to make sure he was actually gone. After a few moments of nothing more, Tom let his shoulders relax, wandering towards the stairs to find his wife and their refugee.

Tom probably should’ve been surprised that Maddie let Sonic into their bed, but he really wasn’t. The kid (was he even a kid?) was buried in their blankets, still shaking, while Maddie rubbed his back. When their eyes met, her question was communicated easily.

“He’s gone,” Tom reassured. “Said he was a police officer. Funny, huh?” Maddie snorted, and Tom approached the bed, careful not to startle Sonic. Green eyes peeked out from beneath the blankets, and Tom couldn’t help but smile. He was cute; he’d give him that. “I do want the truth about where he’s from at some point, though.” Sonic squeezed his eyes shut, and Maddie glared at her husband.

“Not tonight,” she soothed the blue boy. Tom watched Sonic nuzzle gently into Maddie’s shoulder.

“Not tonight,” the man agreed.

Chapter Text

Sonic knew he was being an idiot, but when had that ever stopped him? The cut--more like a gash--on his arm burned with pain. Every movement pulled at the edges of the wound, making the discomfort flare sharply, and sending a fresh well of blood dripping. He knew the hoodie he was using to cover it was going to be ruined by the end of this, but that’s why he picked one he didn’t care for. It was black, something he had bought in an emergency when the weather in Spagonia suddenly took a turn for the worse, leaving nothing between him and the chill. He knew the hoodie was a shoddy way to cover up the wound, what with it being in the middle of summer, but he was out of ideas.

“Sonic?” Amy was looking at him like he was crazy. Again, see: wearing a hoodie in summer.

“Heya, Ames,” Sonic greeted with a smile. Knuckles and Tails were looking at him with similar looks of confusion and concern, and Sonic made sure to smile wider.

“What’s with the hoodie?” Knuckles asked bluntly, looking at the jacket pointedly.

“I came down with a little bit of a cold, so I decided to bundle up. Don’t worry, though, I’m still in peak Eggman-ass-kicking form.” Keeping his lips stretched this wide was starting to hurt, and he was too tired to keep up the ruse for long. He could see Tails narrowing his eyes in suspicion in his periphery.

“If you’re sick, you should go rest,” Amy scolded, arms crossed and looking unimpressed.

“No!” Sonic shouted, startling his team. “Haha. Seriously, I’m fine. Besides, the sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can all rest.” None of them looked convinced, but Sonic was honestly beyond caring. They really did need to wrap this up soon. “Anyway, what are we looking at here?” Tails hesitated for a moment before turning back to the bank of monitors he had set up, gesturing to one displaying a map with dozens of blinking lights.

“There’s a group of badniks gathering here,” the fox said. Sonic tried to focus on his brother’s explanation of what kind of robots they would be up against, what to expect from them, but his attention was waning rapidly. His arm was a point of throbbing heat now, and he was sure that if he touched the hoodie where it was hidden, it would feel like fire. His head felt foggy, and every breath was laborious. “Sonic, did you hear me?” The voice snapped him to the present, and he forced himself to perk up.

“Huh? Oh, sorry, bud. Zoned out there for a second. I didn’t sleep super great last night.” Sonic laughed.

“Alright, that’s it.” Knuckles pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on. “You’re staying here.”

“Uh, excuse me?” Sonic huffed, incredulous. “Who died and put you in charge?” Knuckles glared at him, striding over until he was close enough to jab a finger into Sonic’s chest.

“You’re way too off your game to be in the field, and I’m not the only one who thinks so.” Sonic looked to the other two members and was met with looks of guilt.

“I am not off my game. Just feeling a little under the weather, but I can still handle anything Robuttnik throws at us,” Sonic said, slapping Knuckles’s hand away from him. That earned him a growl from the echidna, one he answered with his own frown.

“Sonic, we really do think it would be best if you stayed here,” Amy interrupted them.

“Really? You're going to bench me over a little cold? What if something goes south out there?” Sonic couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Did his team think he was useless?

“You need to trust us,” Tails added. He looked distraught to be disagreeing with Sonic, but his back was straight and his tone steady. On any other occasion, Sonic would be proud. “We can handle anything he throws at us, too. There’s no need for you to put yourself in danger over something like this.”

“You’re a liability right now,” Knuckles said firmly. The words struck Sonic like a fist to the face. A liability. The second he was even sort of off, that’s what they saw him as. The hedgehog’s chest was tight, and he could feel his throat closing up. His arm was still pounding along with his increasing heart rate.

“Cool. Glad to know where I stand with you guys,” he finally mustered after a tense moment.

“Sonic, that’s not--”

“No, no, I get it. I wouldn’t want to get in your guys’ way,” he said over Amy, tone dismissive and cold.

“We just want you to rest.” Tails’s voice was distressed, his ears flat against his head. Sonic hated himself for making his brother look like that, but a greater part of him hated how useless he felt.

“I don’t need rest!” Sonic snapped. He was frustrated, his feelings were hurt, and his arm was in agony. “You guys are acting like you know what’s best for me!”

“Because we’re your friends!” Knuckles snarled back, getting right in Sonic’s face. “Believe it or not, we care about your stupid ass!”

“If you cared, you’d let me do this!” Sonic knew he wasn’t making any sense, but he couldn’t stop. He needed to go on this mission. He needed to prove he was never a liability. Knuckles’s eyes narrowed, and before Sonic could react, the warrior was grabbing him by the arm to guide him out of the workshop.

“Ah!” Sonic yelped, knees almost buckling under the spike of pain that raced up the limb.

“Sonic?” Amy was rushing forward, hand hovering over him hesitantly.

“You idiot,” Knuckles growled, grabbing the hoodie and ripping it off over Sonic’s head.

The wound on his arm was oozing and angry, the skin of the surrounding area visibly inflamed even through his fur. Lint from the hoodie was stuck in the wound, and the blood was matting his pelt. Amy gasped, and Tails looked like he could cry. Knuckles, on the other hand, looked enraged.

“You wanted to go fight like this?” His friend’s hand had moved from his arm to his wrist, squeezing it harshly.

“I’m fine,” Sonic hissed, yanking his hand away.

“Yeah, that’s why you’re hiding it,” Knuckles scoffed.

“Enough! Both of you!” Amy shoved in between them. “Arguing about it won’t do anything. We need to treat this before it gets infected, if it isn’t already.” Tails had disappeared some time during the shouting and returned with a little medkit that he always kept in the workshop. Knuckles was looking at the monitor, watching the badniks get closer to the target village.

“I’m going to get rid of this threat,” Knuckles stated, tone flat. “You guys deal with this.” Before anyone could stop him, the Guardian was out the door, slamming it behind him. Sonic scowled at the floor, ears pinned and wanting nothing more than to leave. Amy looked at the door Knuckles had stormed out of, eyes sad.

“Here, we should clean it,” Tails muttered, approaching his brother with an alcohol pad.

“I can do it.” Sonic reached for the pad, but Tails pulled away. Sonic looked at him, afronted.

“Just let me do it,” Tails said, eyes glued to the floor. Sonic sighed, holding his arm out for the other’s inspection. The fox began to clean the wound, wincing each time Sonic did. Amy rooted through the medkit, pulling out a needle and thread. Once Tails finished, the pink hedgehog stepped forward, holding her hand out for Sonic’s arm. Silently, he offered it.

“What you were trying to do was really dangerous, you know,” she said, voice soft. Tails didn’t say anything, but his ears were pointed in their direction.

“I had it handled.”

“No.” Amy’s voice rose. “You didn’t. What would’ve happened if it got infected? Or if you collapsed on the battlefield?”

“I would’ve been a liability.”

“Would you knock it off!” Amy erupted. “Knuckles shouldn’t have said it like that, but you know exactly what he meant. If something had happened to you in the middle of a battle, we would’ve all been in danger.”

“Sonic, we care about you,” Tails said. “You could’ve been seriously hurt.” Frustrated tears were welling in Sonic’s eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

“Why did you hide it?” Amy asked, softening. Sonic bit his lip. How did he explain to them that he was scared of not being needed? How did he make them understand that he didn’t know who Sonic was if he wasn’t fighting?

“Dunno. Just wasn’t thinking,” is what he said instead. Amy sighed, disappointed, but she didn’t press. She knew from experience that it would get her nowhere.

Amy finished up the sutures quickly, before wrapping his arm in bandages.

“Go home,” Amy ordered. “Tails: go with him. I’m going to go check on Knuckles.” Sonic was standing before she finished, and was gone in a flash of blue energy. Tails sighed, looking at the trail his brother left, and offered Amy a shaky smile.

“I’ve got him.” Tails wished he felt as confident as he was trying to sound. Amy ruffled the fur between his ears.

“Go get him. Make sure he takes care of himself.”

Much easier said than done.

Chapter Text

Sonic knew the wounds on his arms were infected. There was a pungent scent clogging the air, and the heat radiating from the limbs wasn’t normal. Normally, he wouldn’t let it get this bad, but normally, he wasn’t trapped on the Death Egg. He had tried to use some of the measly water given to him to clean the wounds, but it had done little. Now, he was sprawled on the floor, shivering as a fever worked its way through his body. The hero tried to force himself to his feet, hating how helpless he looked in the heart of enemy territory, but his legs failed him.

“How pathetic, rat.” Sonic groaned at the sound of Eggman’s voice.

“Listen, can we get the villain monologue over quickly? I’m sorta busy here,” Sonic said, voice hoarse. He tried to clear his throat, but all it did was send a spike of pain through his head.

“Why? Feeling under the weather?” Eggman sounded so smug, so thrilled with himself. Sonic could feel embarrassment burn through his chest, but still, his body wouldn’t listen to his desperate attempts to sit up at least.

“You’re the doctor, you tell me,” Sonic snarked, hiding his self-loathing behind humor.

“It doesn’t take someone of my superior intellect to know that those wounds are infected,” Eggman responded. Sonic could hear the man pacing in front of his cell, too tired to lift his head and look. Not that he wanted to see the bald man anyway. “I wonder how long you can hold on before fever cooks that pea you call a brain. Your chaos energy should keep you alive longer than most, but even you can’t survive something like that.” Sonic knew that. Tremors were already wracking his body, what little reserves of chaos energy he still had left, fighting desperately against the death that approached. “All it would take is some antibiotics, and you would live to annoy another day.” The hedgehog couldn’t help but laugh, ignoring the spasms of pain it caused in his chest.

“What do you want, Egghead?”

“Where would your little friends set up headquarters?” Eggman’s voice no longer sounded amused. The man had told Sonic before that his friends were still fighting, pushing the man back as best as they could. Seems like they were still eluding him, too.

“How am I supposed to know? I’ve been in here the whole time,” Sonic dodged.

“You know how they think, though.” The doctor’s voice was becoming unsteady, almost unhinged. He wasn’t feeling as victorious as he let on.

“Kick rocks, Egghead.” Sonic shifted, turning his back on the other solidly.

“One little secret, and you’ll be feeling better,” Eggman cajoled.

“If you think I’d sell my friends out for anything, you haven’t been paying attention all these years,” Sonic snapped back. He’d rot away in this cell long before he so much as thought about betraying his friends.

“Fine, you filthy rodent,” the man hissed, banging his fist against the bars of his cell. Sonic refused to flinch, curling in on himself tighter. “Rot there.” Blue ears swiveled towards the sound of the man stomping away, tracking his progress. Once he was gone, Sonic sighed, relaxing slightly. His body ached like he had fought off an entire army and then made a circuit around the world. The hero took a deep breath, forcing himself to loosen his tense muscles. All he could do was sleep.

--

Sonic basked in the sun, quills glimmering in the light, and fur warmed. His feet were out in front of him, and he wiggled them lazily. It was a perfect summer day, a light breeze rustling the grass, the clouds fluffy and traveling the sky leisurely. Beside him, his brother tinkered with some new contraption, pink tongue sticking out in concentration. Sonic had asked what it was, and Tails had tried to explain, but had given up at Sonic’s blank look. Instead, they sat quietly side-by-side outside the workshop, simply enjoying each other’s company.

“It’s a perfect day, huh, bud?” Sonic mused, eyes closed.

“Yeah, it’s amazing,” Tails agreed, yellow tails swishing behind him. “Too bad Amy and Knuckles couldn’t come.”

“Where are they, anyway?”

“You killed them, remember?” Tails stated simply. Sonic startled, eyes snapping open. What?

“What?” The hedgehog asked aloud, turning to look at his brother in confusion.

Tails looked at him with a sorrowful expression, lips downturned and eyes glittering with unshed tears.

“Why did you do it, Sonic?” Tails asked, hands still working on his gadget.

“Tails, what are you talking about?” Sonic’s heart was racing. He looked around them and felt his quills bristle. They weren’t outside the workshop anymore. The trees were replaced with the collapsed metal of buildings, and the grass was exchanged for shattered concrete. Smoke plumed in the distance, obscuring the blue of the sky. Sonic was on his feet before he could think, confusion and panic warring in his mind. “What--?” He turned to his companion, but Tails was gone. “Tails?!”

“Why did you tell him?” Sonic whipped around, fists raised, and gasped.

There was a cut at Amy’s hairline, steadily dripping blood, and her dress was tattered at the ends. The exposed fur on her arms was covered in soot, and her hands, uncovered, were blistered. Worst of all, her gorgeous eyes were dead.

“Amy, what is going on?” Sonic demanded, reaching out to his friend. The other hedgehog batted him away, eyes suddenly lit with rage.

“You sold us out!” She shouted.

“No, no, no,” Sonic shook his head, pleading. “I didn’t tell him anything, I swear!”

“Then how did he know where we were, Sonic?” She was turning away from him. Sonic tried to reach for her, but his hand had barely brushed her shoulder when Amy collapsed.

“Ames?” He rushed to her, kneeling at her side and rolling her onto her back with shaking hands. “Oh, Chaos!” Sonic flinched back, trying to fight back the sudden surge of nausea. Amy was covered in blood, dripping from her mouth and nose, and pooling beneath her head. “Amy, please!” Sonic pressed a finger beneath her jaw, searching for a pulse, and came up empty. “No, no, no, Amy, wake up!” He shook pink shoulders, but Amy didn’t respond, staring up at him blankly.

“What did you do?” Tails’s voice whispered in his ear. Sonic turned, but the fox wasn’t there.

“I hope it was worth it,” Knuckles hissed.

“Please, I swear I didn’t tell him!” Sonic cried. Tears were streaming down his cheeks steadily now, darkening Amy’s dress as they fell.

“You didn’t have to,” Amy croaked, eyes still blank. Sonic flew backwards, scrambling away from her, but the corpse didn’t speak again.

“What the hell is happening?” Sonic whimpered.

Infinite stood outside the hero’s cell, the ruby on his chest casting its menacing light on blue fur. The jackal watched impassively as the hedgehog writhed and whined in his sleep, sweat beading his forehead. It had been simple to invade the little creature’s mind, fever aiding the canine’s work. Robotnik stood beside him, watching his mortal enemy’s torture with barely concealed glee.

“Well?” The doctor asked.

“He didn’t show me the headquarters, but he did reveal the location of that little fox’s workshop,” Infinite said. Sonic cried out suddenly and went limp. “He passed out.”

“Whatever. He gave us something to work with,” Robotnik said with a grin. The human stood with his fingers steepled, his glasses glinting in the low light. “Let’s pay his little friends a visit, shall we?”

Chapter Text

Shadow’s hands were steady around Sonic’s waist. Typically, the touch would send a wave of heat through Sonic, but right now, all he felt was frustration. The blue hedgehog tried to take a step forward, stumbled, but was gently steadied before he could fall.
“Take it slow,” Shadow murmured, deep voice soothing. Sonic still kind of wanted to punch him.
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Sonic snipped. He took a steadying breath and then a step
forward. His leg wobbled dangerously, and Sonic gritted his teeth, trying to steady it just with the force of will. Sonic transferred his weight fully onto the leg, hissing at the wave of pain it shot up his leg.

“Are you okay?” Shadow asked, hands tightening around his boyfriend.

“I’m fine, Shads, stop worrying,” Sonic replied, though his voice wasn’t all that convincing. Shadow frowned at him, but stayed silent. Sonic exhaled sharply, preparing himself to take another step. He lifted his leg, watched it move forward, and dropped it on the floor harshly. Okay, now just step. As he leaned to move forward, his knee buckled.

“Damnit!” Sonic shouted as Shadow caught him.

“Alright, that’s enough for today,” the agent said firmly, wrapping his arm around Sonic’s shoulders and easing him upright again.

“No, I want to try again!” Sonic argued. He needed to keep trying.

“No, Sonic.” They glared at each other. “The doctor said if you push yourself too hard, you’ll just hurt yourself more.”

“I’m not pushing myself too hard,” Sonic denied, though the ache in his legs said otherwise.

“I said, no.” Shadow wasn’t budging, and it only made the frustration in Sonic’s chest writhe angrily.

“It’s my body, and I said: yes!” They were chest to chest now, Shadow still keeping Sonic steady, red and green clashing in a battle of wills.

“I’m not going to help you hurt yourself,” Shadow snarled, ears pinned. Sonic wanted to shake the other.

“I’m not hurting myself! I know my limits.”

“You have never known your limits,” Shadow said. That’s how we got here, Sonic’s mind finished.

“If you won’t help, then leave.” Sonic knew he was being unfair, but he had to progress. The world needed him. The narrowing of crimson eyes was Sonic’s only warning before he was swept off his feet. “Put me down!” The blue hero shouted, slapping Shadow’s shoulder. The hybrid ignored him, carrying Sonic out of the room they had emptied for his practice and towards the bedroom. “Shadow, I’m serious, put me down.” His boyfriend knew that he hated being lifted like this when he was too weak to fight back. Sonic was set gently on their bed, and Shadow was pulling away before Sonic could grab him.

“Get up,” Shadow said.

“What are you--”

“If you aren’t pushing yourself too hard, get up.” Shadow’s eyes were hard, his body stiff. Sonic felt the urge to throw a pillow at him surge through his chest, but he fought it off.

“Fine,” the blue hedgehog seethed. He pushed himself up with his hands, preparing to swing his legs over the side of the bed. He’d show Shadow. The other stood back, arms crossed and waiting. Sonic glared at him before forcing himself to focus on the task at hand. He twisted at the hips, willing his legs to move with him. He groaned as pain raced up his legs, settling at the small of his back. He ignored the warning, pushing harder for the limbs to move. “Fuck!” He cried as his back spasmed, arching uncontrollably. Shadow was there in an instant, moving Sonic to lie on his stomach and pressing warm hands into the agitated muscles.

“Are you done being stubborn?” The dark hedgehog asked, kneading Sonic’s back. The hero didn’t respond, burying his face into the blankets and willing his tears away. Whether they were from pain or frustration, he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t want Shadow to see them. His boyfriend sighed softly, pressing a kiss to the nape of Sonic’s neck. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so harsh.” For some reason, the apology is what tipped Sonic over the edge.

“I hate this,” he croaked, throat tight around the sobs threatening to escape. Shadow nuzzled into his shoulder, breath warm.

“I know,” he whispered, so gently. So much different than at the beginning of their rivalship.

“I’m useless like this.” Sonic was spiraling, now. Images of a world burned to the ground because he wasn’t there to help flashed through his mind.

“You aren’t useless,” Shadow said, voice hard. “You’re healing. No one faults you for that.”

“They should,” Sonic hiccuped. Shadow gently pushed at Sonic’s shoulders, helping the hedgehog roll onto his back. Sonic tried to hide his puffy, red eyes, but Shadow gently grasped his hands.

“Don’t hide from me.” Careful hands wiped away Sonic’s tears, but the hero still couldn’t bring himself to look Shadow in the eye.

“I hate you seeing me like this,” Sonic confessed. A tender kiss to his forehead.

“I know,” Shadow said. “But I don’t see you any differently. You’re still the stubborn ass I fell in love with.” Sonic giggled wetly, unable to help himself.

“I wish I could just miraculously be better.”

“I know,” Shadow said again. “In time.”

“I hate waiting.” Shadow rolled his eyes and smiled at him, a small thing that was still so rare and precious.

“We’ll wait together.”

“I’m sorry, Shads,” Sonic murmured.

“Don’t be.” This time, a kiss to his lips, breathing love into his lungs. “I’m not holding any of this against you.” Something in Sonic whispered that he should. Shadow should hate him, shouldn’t want to deal with Sonic while he’s like this, but it was hard to listen to the voice when Shadow was looking at him so warmly. So, Sonic pressed his face into the fluff of Shadow’s chest and let the contact speak his love for him.

Chapter Text

Sonic panted roughly, tightening his grip on Tails’s legs so the kit wouldn’t fall off his back.

“We’ll be home soon, little buddy,” Sonic rasped. His throat was dry from running and panting, but there was no time to stop and look for water. Tails groaned, breath hot on the back of Sonic’s neck. The hero wished he could go faster, but every step pulled at the laser burn on his side, oozing warm blood down his hip and dripping to the grass.

“Sonic?” Tails slurred.

“I’m here,” Sonic responded, squeezing the other gently.

“‘M sorry.” The hedgehog’s heart sank.

“Don’t be, bud. Let’s just get you home and feeling better.” He could feel his brother’s body tremble as fever set in, could hear the way his chest rattled with every breath. Tails didn’t get sick often, but it was always bad when he did. Of course, his sneaking out to follow Sonic onto the battlefield despite his illness didn’t help.

Sonic stumbled on a branch, too lost in his head to pay attention properly, and had to bite back a yelp as the burn stretched. He needed to get them both home ASAP. The hero grit his teeth and braced himself for the agony he knew was coming. In a burst of blue energy, they were racing through the forest, trees whipping by at impossible speeds. He could feel the edges of his wound tear, feel fresh blood gush down his body, but ignored it. Tails’s breathing was becoming more and more labored with each passing moment. Sonic’s pain was temporary; all that mattered was getting his brother in bed.

When they finally arrived at the little house Tails called home (and Sonic, though he was scared to call it that), Sonic’s hip was a throbbing, burning point of pain. He was limping as they pushed through the front door, trailing crimson that he mentally noted to clean up later. Tails stirred slightly, nuzzling into the back of Sonic’s neck, and coughing wetly.

“We made it,” Sonic told him, knowing that he was speaking mostly to himself at this point. He stumbled through the living room and eyed the stairs before deciding that the couch would have to do for today. Gently, Sonic lowered the fox kit onto the couch, wincing as the movement pulled at his burn even more. Once his brother was curled on the stained, ratty sofa, Sonic let out a sigh of relief. The little guy didn’t weigh much, but it was still nice to only have to carry himself right now. Tails shivered pathetically, and Sonic forced himself to get moving again.

Blanket, water, some medicine, and a cold rag, he thought to himself, wobbling through the house as he collected each item. Once he had his haul, he returned to the boy trembling on the couch. Sonic pressed the cold rag to his brother’s forehead, whispering an apology when Tails whined at the feeling. He set the glass of water on the coffee table and worked on draping the blanket over the fox, making sure not to accidentally brush the fabric on his own weeping wound. Finally, he shook Tails gently.

“Hey, buddy. Need you to take these,” he said softly. Tails groaned and tried to push his hand away, and Sonic couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. “I know. I’ll leave you alone after you take these, I promise.” Blue eyes blinked open blearily, looking at the pills in Sonic’s hands. The hedgehog helped him sit up a little before offering him the glass of water. Tails chugged the liquid down, along with the fever reducers, and then curled back up on the couch. Sonic tucked him in securely and smoothed the fur on the top of his head before pressing a light kiss to his forehead.

Now, to deal with himself.

Sonic trudged towards the downstairs bathroom, limping and hissing under his breath. He pulled the first-aid kit out of the cabinet with practiced efficiency, digging through the supplies until he found some antibacterial cream and a roll of bandages. The hedgehog slid to the floor, stretching his legs out with a groan, and yup, still bleeding. The laser had cut through the skin cleanly, and probably wouldn’t have been a huge problem if he hadn’t pulled at it while running through the forest. Sonic pressed a clean rag from under the sink to the wound, tipping his head back and exhaling sharply at the sting. Once the bleeding had stopped enough, he began smearing a cream onto the surface of the wound, then finally wrapped it all up in the bandage.

Finally, he could rest.

“Sonic?” Tails’s voice was hoarse and sounded painful. Sonic was on his feet immediately, rushing towards the couch.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” He asked, kneeling beside his brother.

“I had a bad dream,” Tails croaked. Sonic ran his hands over the kit’s head, massaging his ears the way the kid would never admit he liked.

“I’m sorry,” Sonic whispered. “You want me to stick with you?” Tails nodded, and Sonic carefully moved the little genius, making room for himself on the couch. The hero wrapped his arms securely around his brother, pulling him close and grimacing at the heat Tails radiated. He would need to set an alarm to ensure he took the fever reducers on time.

“Thanks,” Tails slurred, wiggling in his hold until he was comfortable. He was asleep again in seconds. Sonic nuzzled at the soft fur on the top of Tails’s head, breathing in the scent that had been comforting him since they were both little, wandering through the wilderness together. His hip ached at the position they were in, but he ignored it. There would be time later for Sonic to take care of himself, but his brother would always come first. Careful not to disturb the sleeping fox, Sonic repositioned himself until his head was pillowed on the armrest, able to sprawl his long legs out and keep some of their weight off his wound. He blinked sluggishly, glancing down at his charge. Yeah, maybe a nap would be a good idea.

Chapter Text

Usually, Eggman’s fortresses and space stations were straightforward in design. It was obvious where everything was, and Shadow never had any issue navigating them. Of course, the one time it was complicated was when they were racing to rescue Sonic.

Tortured for six months, rang through his head over and over, Knuckles’s voice purposely detached. Shadow and Sonic had an odd relationship, antagonizing each other more often than anything else, but the thought of the bright hero being abused for such a long time…Shadow would find him and make sure Eggman paid.

“Take the next right,” Tails’s voice commanded over the comms, and Shadow turned smoothly, air-shoes sending sparks flying against the metal of the walls. He could hear Rouge in hot pursuit behind him, and knew that Knuckles and Amy were on her heels. Shadow had to hold himself back from leaving them all completely in the dust, skin prickling with the need to get to Sonic now. “You’re about to reach the cells. Sonic should be in the last one on the right.” Tails’s voice was all professionalism, but Shadow could hear the tightness of nervousness behind it. No one had taken Sonic’s disappearance, believed to be death, harder than the kit.

“Should we expect any company?” Knuckles asked.

“It looks clear.” That was odd. Perhaps the doctor was suffering from a lapse in judgment.

Shadow led the team into the cellblock, ignoring all the other tiny, empty rooms, focused on his target.

“I found him,” the hybrid said, keeping his voice carefully blank. Sonic was huddled in the corner of his cell, face pressed into his knees, head bloody. Shadow could see spots where the hedgehog’s quills had been ripped out, and the rest had been carefully blunted. Sonic’s knees were scraped, and his knuckles were bloodied. There were shackles around his ankles that pulsed with a gentle, blue light. It looked like the hero had been forced to fight with his speed inhibited, and his natural defense as a hedgehog stripped away. Oh, the doctor wouldn’t leave his next encounter with Shadow alive. “Sonic,” Shadow called softly. No response. Now the others were arriving, Amy gasping in horror, and Knuckles’s gloves crinkling as his fists tightened.

“Step back and let a girl work,” Rouge said, gently pushing Shadow to the side and kneeling before the lock on the door. Although picking the lock took mere minutes, it felt like hours to everyone waiting. When Rouge finally stood, the cell door swinging open, they all rushed in. Shadow reached Sonic first, stopping right before the hero with his hand hovering just above a blue shoulder.

“Sonic?” He called, finally touching him.

The dummy fell over, blank eyes looking up at the team mockingly. Shadow cursed, whipping around to tell the others to run out, but was interrupted by the sound of the room’s door slamming shut.

“Did you fools really think it would be that easy?” The doctor’s voice was mocking, his laugh grating on Shadow’s ears.

“Where’s Sonic?” Amy shouted, summoning her hammer and baring her teeth at the ceiling.

“Oh, you’ll get to see your little friend, don’t worry.” A shiver of dread raced up Shadow’s spine, and a glance towards Rouge showed that his friend felt the same. They all startled as a monitor began to descend from the ceiling. “Popcorn, anyone?” The monitor blinked to life, and there was Sonic.

He was strapped to a chair, head lolling forward. He looked very similar to the doll in the cell: covered in blood, wounded, and dirty. Behind him, Infinite stood, a hand resting on Sonic’s shoulder.

“Oh, Chaos,” Amy whispered, hands covering her mouth. Rouge’s mouth was pressed in a thin line, but her eyes screamed her discomfort.

“Let him go, Eggman!” Knuckles shouted, angry, red energy crackling around his fists.

“Not before the show is over,” Eggman tutted. “Infinite, if you will.” The jackal grabbed the back of Sonic’s head, yanking it upwards so the team in the cell could see his bruised face. One eye was completely swollen shut, and the hedgehog’s lip was bleeding steadily. Shadow knew Sonic had a nervous tic of biting his lip, and he wondered if the wound was self-inflicted or if it was just another injury his abusers had left.

“Your little friends are watching,” Infinite purred in Sonic’s ear, wrenching the hero back when he tried to pull away. “Smile for them.”

“You’re full of shit,” Sonic hissed. Shadow’s heart swelled with pride at the defiance the other spat.

“Not this time,” Infinite hummed. “I wonder what they’ll think once they see how far their hero has fallen.”

“Rouge, we need that door open. Now,” Shadow said. Rouge didn’t move. “Rouge!” The bat startled, blinking between him and the TV.

“Right,” she said, striding over to the door quickly.

“Guys, what’s happening?” Tails asked, but no one responded.

“Knuckles, Amy, see if you can brute force any of the bars down while Rouge works.” Shadow’s voice was curt, but they were on a time limit now. On the screen, Infinite was caressing Sonic beneath his jaw, a disgusting mimicry of tenderness.

“Maybe we should reveal some of your dirty secrets,” Infinite mused.

“Fuck you.” Sonic spat a glob of blood at the jackal. There was a tense moment where no one moved. Infinite’s hand came down brutally on Sonic’s already bruised cheek, ripping a cry from the hero.

“Fine, have it your way.” Infinite forced Sonic to look at him, and Shadow could see the unnatural light of the Phantom Ruby reflected in pained emeralds.

“No, I know it isn’t real,” Sonic said, trying to rip his face away.

“Rouge?” Shadow’s voice was impatient.

“I’m trying. Whatever the doctor did, the lock is completely different,” Rouge snapped back. Knuckles and Amy were wailing on the metal bars of the cell, shaking the entire room, but their prison didn’t budge. Shadow knew he could Chaos Control out, but he had no clue where to go from there. All the readings said Sonic should be here. His attention was pulled back to the TV when Sonic whimpered. It was a sound Shadow had never heard before; pained grunts, snarls, even yelps, but never such a sound of fear.

Sonic was staring at Infinite, eyes glazed. He was trembling minutely, though Infinite hadn’t moved.

“How pathetic,” Infinite whispered, and Sonic squeezed his eyes shut.

“You aren’t real!” Sonic screamed, struggling against the other’s grip. “You aren’t him!” Infinite’s claws were digging into the tender skin of the hedgehog’s cheek, blood beading.

“You think such a weak creature would ever be worthy of the Ultimate Lifeform?” Shadow’s blood froze. Everyone had stopped, eyes locked on the screen.

“Shadow wouldn’t say that!” Sonic snarled.

“Rouge, the door!” Shadow barked, snapping them all back into motion. He just needed a hint, just one little hint at Sonic’s location. The hero was weakly fighting against Infinite’s hold, but his body was failing him. Shadow could see the malnourishment and exhaustion plaguing his skinny frame.

“You’re disgusting and foolish,” Infinite continued. Shadow was shaking with rage. How dare he wear Shadow’s face and spit such lies? Forget the doctor, Shadow needed his hands on the canine. “How could anyone like someone like you? I’ve already forgotten about you, just like the rest of your friends.” We’re right here! Shadow wanted to shout.

“No!” Sonic cried, throwing his head forward and crashing into the jackal’s. Infinite stumbled backwards, bumping into the camera. It teetered for a moment, the image going blurry, before it finally fell to the ground. Got you.

Shadow was out of the cell in a flash of bright energy and blasting down the hall, ignoring the cries of his team behind him. The camera feed had cut off quickly, but not quickly enough to stop Shadow from glimpsing the familiar background. The generator room was where it always was on Eggman’s stations: right below the command center. He was there in seconds, every moment feeling like an eternity.

“Sonic!” Shadow burst through the door, fists raised.

Nothing.

The camera still lay on its side, pointing at the vacant chair. There was a smear of blood on the ground, but no sign of the hero or his tormentor.

“Damnit!” Shadow kicked the camera across the room, the sound of it shattering unsatisfying in his rage.

“Nice try,” Eggman’s voice taunted from above. “But I’m not done playing with him, yet.”

“I’ll kill you!” Shadow snarled his promise. The only response was the doctor’s taunting laugh echoing in the empty chamber.

Chapter Text

In the mirror, green eyes met green, tired, and blank-faced. He figured the hedgehog in the reflection must be him, since that’s how mirrors work, but he couldn’t help but feel like he was staring at a stranger.

“Sonic? Are you okay?” A voice called from the other side of the bathroom door. Sonic? That must be him, right?

“Uh, yeah, I’m good. I’ll be out in a second,” he said. Either he was right, and he was Sonic, or he was about to really confuse this other person.

“Okay, just wanted to make sure,” the voice responded. He could hear their footsteps walking away and let his shoulder relax. So, yes, he was Sonic. Sonic let out a small sigh, running his hands over his face. He supposed he should just go out there and face the music.

He peeked out of the bathroom, looking into what appeared to be a living room. There was a whole group of people sitting around, curled into armchairs, couches, or simply sitting on the floor. Sonic felt a sense of familiarity looking at them, but couldn’t place their names.

“There he is! Come on, sit down so we can start the movie!” One of the people called. Sonic flinched, not ready to be addressed. The person, a white bat who looked way overdressed for what apparently was a movie-watching party, raised a brow. “You okay, Big Blue?” Was that him, too? It had to be; he was the only person here who was blue.

“Yeah, sorry. Just surprised me, was all,” Sonic responded. The bat looked him up and down, assessing.

“Leave him alone, Rouge. Come on, let’s get this started already,” someone else called, a red echidna who was leaning into the corner of one of the couches, arms crossed. Rouge’s lips pulled up in a mischievous smirk before she looped her arm with Sonic’s and led him into the living room. She detached from him and gracefully took her spot next to the echidna, leaving Sonic to try and figure out where the hell he was supposed to sit.

He had three options: there was an open spot on another couch, next to a dark-furred hedgehog who was glaring at the TV. There was another spot beside a pink hedgehog, who was snuggled beneath a blanket and quietly talking to the fox at her side. His third option was the floor. Sonic figured the floor would be the safest option, but would it be weird for him to sit on the floor? There was a giant robot sitting beside the coffee table, and a purple chameleon leaned against one of the couches, but would Sonic normally join them? Or take one of the open spots? The indecision was choking him, and he could feel sweat beading under his fur.

“Sonic, are you okay?” The pink hedgehog asked, and Sonic realized that she was the one who had checked on him while he was in the bathroom. Everyone was staring at them now, and Sonic wondered if he should just take his chances and run, even though he had no clue where to go.

“Yeah, just…where should I sit?” He tried to laugh off the awkwardness. Judging by the concern in her eyes, it didn’t work.

“Where you always sit?” She responded slowly.

“And, uh, where is that?” Silence. The fox next to her was sitting up straight now, and looking at him with a level of focus someone his age shouldn’t be capable of.

“Do you know where you are?” The kit asked. Sonic could feel panic spiking in his chest, and he looked around as subtly as possible. Pictures were hanging up on the walls, and he was able to make out himself and some other people in them. Some were people who were here, in the room, and others were people he had never seen before. Incomplete machines were sitting on the kitchen counters, like someone had gathered them in a rush and moved them there.

“My house?” Sonic tried. The fox frowned, and Sonic winced. Wrong guess.

“And who am I?” Sonic froze. He didn’t know why the thought of these people knowing something was wrong with him scared him, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he needed to keep up the guise.

“My friend,” Sonic said, figuring that was a safe, neutral response.

“I’m your brother.” Wrong again. Sonic began to back towards the bathroom, but was halted when he bumped into something firm, yet soft. He glanced over his shoulder and realized the dark hedgehog had gotten up silently and was now standing behind him and blocking his path. Trapped, Sonic’s heart began to race, and he scanned the room rapidly, trying to find a way out.

“Sonic, breathe,” the man behind him rumbled. He was surprised by how deep the other’s voice was, and his brain latched on to it.

“I don’t know where I am,” Sonic confessed.

“I know. It’s okay,” the other hedgehog replied. Sonic felt like it really wasn’t okay, but didn’t have it in him to argue right now. “Let’s go somewhere a little quieter.” Never mind the fact that it was completely silent in the room right now. The stranger placed a firm, yet careful hand on Sonic’s shoulder and began to lead him to a flight of stairs Sonic hadn’t seen before. Together, they ascended, worried stares following them up.

The room he was led to had to be his. The walls were painted a bright, cheerful blue, and there were multiple bookshelves filled to the brim with knick-knacks. There were gloves and socks strewn around the room, the laundry basket overflowing, and the bed was a rumpled mess of blankets.

“Sit,” the other ordered, and Sonic sat. He found himself rubbing one of the blankets between his fingers, finding the soft texture soothing.

“I’m sorry, but what’s your name?” Sonic felt bad having to ask, but he didn’t want to keep referring to the other as ‘hedgehog’ in his mind.

“Shadow.” Sonic thought the name fit him. He couldn’t help but recognize that Shadow was handsome, all sharp lines and quiet dignity.

“And you’re…my friend?” Sonic ventured, hoping the answer was ‘yes.’

“I’m your boyfriend.” Oh. Sonic felt his brain shut off, absolutely stunned. This gorgeous man was dating him? Shadow was digging through one of Sonic’s dressers, looking for something, completely unconcerned with the stunned hedgehog behind him. Shadow seemed to find what he was looking for, making a victorious sound in his throat, and presenting Sonic with a book. Written on the cover, in a dark blue permanent marker, was Memories.

“This…has happened before?” Sonic asked, thumbing at the cover.

“Yes.” Shadow sounded sad. Sonic thought that he should never sound like that.

The book was exactly what it said it would be: a collection of memories. Sonic had written down titbits of all of his adventures, along with descriptions of all of his friends. Sonic’s favorite was the passage about Shadow. He could tell that he was smitten with the other hedgehog the entire time he wrote about him, describing his strength, bravery, and intelligence. The passage rivaled all the others in length, and at the end, there was a little addition, in a different color marker.

My boyfriend. We started dating after the Shatterverse Crisis. The note was followed by descriptions of all of their dates and milestones, some that made Sonic blush bright red, and some that made him laugh, despite the unimpressed look on Shadow’s face. Gradually, the memories began to seep back in, one leading to another. He met crimson eyes, feeling guilty at the spark of hope he found.

“Hey, Shads,” he whispered, watching Shadow’s shoulders sag with relief. “Sorry for worrying you.”

“It’s okay.” Shadow cupped his face tenderly, pressing a light kiss between his brows. “I’m glad you wrote all of this down.” Neither of them would mention the twin book Shadow had in his own room, or the fear Shadow had of losing his own memories again.

“I should probably tell everyone I’m okay,” Sonic said, embarrassed and upset with himself. He hated worrying the others, especially Tails. His brother had been around the first couple of times Sonic’s memories had slipped away, and he knew that the kit blamed himself for needing to be rescued from Cyberspace in the first place.

“Let’s go.” Shadow took Sonic’s hand, and together they walked back to the living room. Sonic was met with the worried looks of all his friends, and he stopped beside Amy and Tails. Amy scooted over without a word, offering Sonic a small smile. The blue hero took up the spot, which he remembered was not his normal one, and pressed his shoulder into Tails’s.

“Hey, bud,” he murmured, thankful when the rest of the party looked away and continued their conversations respectfully.

“Do you remember?” Tails asked, voice carefully controlled.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m back,” Sonic said. Tails’s eyes fluttered, and Sonic wrapped an arm around the kit, pulling him close. “I’ll always come back for you.” Tails pressed his face into Sonic’s shoulder, and the hedgehog didn’t comment on the dampness he could feel. Across the room, sitting on their assigned couch, Shadow watched, a tender look in his eye. Next movie night, Sonic would join him, but for now, his spot was with his brother.

Chapter Text

They wouldn’t let Shadow in the room.

Sonic’s friends had spent the first week taking turns standing guard outside his hospital room and sitting beside the comatose hero’s side. The first day, Amy had pressed the head of her hammer to Shadow’s chest, tears in her eyes, and told him to leave firmly. The second time Shadow had tried to visit, three days later, Tails was waiting for him. The fox kit had looked up at him with tears in his eyes and quietly begged Shadow to leave. It was much more effective than Amy’s method.

Shadow stopped trying, knowing he wouldn’t make it through the front door. Instead, he waited until the hospital ended visitor hours, kicking Sonic’s friends out, and Chaos Controlled in. Part of him felt guilty for going behind their backs, but he needed to see Sonic. He needed to see the evidence of what his anger had caused.

Sonic lay motionless in the bed, and Shadow was grateful to see that the hedgehog hadn’t needed a ventilator. Multiple IV drips were attached to bruised, peach arms, and gauze was wrapped tightly around his middle. Shadow drifted to the chart at the end of the bed, his brain feeling like static. He skimmed the contents, eyes catching on internal bleeding and surgery. His hand flexed at the phantom feeling of colliding with Sonic’s stomach, chaos energy crackling in an angry storm. He heard the paper of the chart crinkle and forced himself to put it back before he could destroy that, too.

Shadow pulled one of the uncomfortable visitor chairs over to Sonic’s bedside, sitting heavily. It was unusual to see the other hedgehog, usually a blur of motion and energy and light, lying there. His breathing looked laborious, and Shadow couldn’t help but mentally note every bruise, scratch, and wound on Sonic’s body. He did this. Sonic had approached him, trusting, and Shadow had put him in a hospital bed.

Maria would be ashamed.

Shadow didn’t deserve to cry, yet the tears came anyway. In that moment, with only the beeping of monitors breaking the silence, and one of the only people he could ever call a friend lying in a bed like a corpse, a familiar self-loathing crept into his heart. The scientists of the ARK always looked at him like a bomb: one wrong move and he would blow, taking everything out with him. Shadow had hated it, wanted to rage at them and scream, “I’m a person!” Then he learned that he was genetically part monster. He had been bred for war and destruction, and all evidence pointed to it. Everything that came in contact with Shadow suffered, whether by his hands or by association.

“I’m sorry,” he croaked. Sonic didn’t respond. Shadow grasped the still, gloveless hand, knowing that touching the other when he wasn’t even awake to protest was another betrayal of trust. “I’m so sorry.” The dark hedgehog knew he was shattering, and that he didn’t deserve to have this moment of weakness when Sonic was suffering the consequences, but he couldn’t stop. He tried to stifle the sobs convulsing in his chest, but they bubbled forward anyway. Shadow buried his face into the scratchy hospital blanket, thinking distantly that Sonic would hate it if he could feel it, and let the tears fall.

He wouldn’t visit again. Sonic didn’t deserve to have his attacker lurking around while he was trying to heal. Shadow would disappear from the light, like he was always meant to. When Sonic woke, because Shadow couldn’t entertain the idea that he wouldn’t, he would be relieved to know that Shadow was gone. The hero would go on, basking in the sunlight, without needing to fear the monster that had haunted him for far too long.

“I’m sorry,” Shadow whispered one more time, squeezing Sonic’s hand as he stood. It was an apology. It was a goodbye. Briefly, his mind entertained what life could have been like if he hadn’t lost to the anger boiling beneath his skin. He imagined a reality where he could exist with Sonic in the light, no longer afraid of himself, but knew it was a fantasy. There was no place for a monster in this story.

Shadow looked back at Sonic one more time before Chaos Controlling out of the hospital. Sonic’s friends would know he was there when they saw the chair had moved, and the black fur that had been shed on its surface. They would be enraged on the hero’s behalf, but Shadow felt lighter knowing he would never bother them again.

As the flash of light from Chaos Control faded from the sterile room, a peach hand twitched.

Chapter Text

They hadn’t eaten in days.

Most of the grocery stores had been raided long ago, picked clean by bandits and survivors alike. There was little game to hunt; fires had destroyed all of the surrounding forests and grasslands. Still, Sonic climbed through the ruins of the city, desperate to find anything to feed his brother. Blue ears stayed perked, listening for footsteps, gunfire, or worse: the sound of machinery. Abandoned cars littered the streets, and Sonic didn’t bother to check if any still had fuel. The corpses of buildings loomed over him, windows either shattered or boarded, paint eroding and covered in growing mildew.

Finally, Sonic reached his target.

A feared raiding group had set up in one of the old banks. There were guards outside the main doors, and he was sure they were crawling the inside. Luckily, the lack of power ensured that the bank’s security system was inoperable. Sonic was sure they would have food stashed inside.

“Alright, Sonic. Give it everything,” he whispered to himself. His body cried in protest as he forced chaos energy to his legs, launching forward in a burst of blue. He hadn’t run in weeks, desperately trying to preserve energy, but if everything panned out, he wouldn’t need to worry. He blasted past the guards, hearing them shout in alarm, but he was already vaulting over the counter. Moving faster than the eye could track, he searched the bank for even a crumb of food. The offices were empty, having been converted into sleeping quarters. The manager's office was obviously where the leader of the raiding group had set up, maps and plans scattered over the wooden desk. Yet, no food.

The vault, Sonic realized.

The blue hedgehog skidded to a stop outside the massive, metal door, desperately trying to think of a way through the thick metal. He could hear the raiders running after him, still a floor above but rapidly approaching. He needed to be in the vault now.

“Hey, sugar, need some help?” Sonic whipped around, green eyes meeting teal.

Rouge, much like anyone else, looked rough. She still put care into her appearance, keeping her fur as pristine as possible, and dressing in clothes that weren’t totally destroyed, but her eyes were sunken and her skin pale. There was a fresh bandage on her upper arm, stained with blood. With a pop! and a flash of light, Shadow was beside her. The dark hedgehog also looked ruffled and was covered in more dirt than Sonic thought he had ever seen on the other, but his body hadn’t deteriorated like his partner’s. The Ultimate Lifeform was faring better than everyone else, it seemed.

“I think they have food stashed in the vault,” Sonic said instead of a greeting. They were running out of time.

“You’re right.” Rouge waved a stack of papers at him. “We’ve been prepping to break into here for weeks. Of course, you had to show up and send everyone scrambling.” She said it with a smile, but she sounded irritated.

“I didn’t know.” Sonic shrugged. The footsteps were growing closer. Rouge nodded to Shadow, who produced a Chaos Emerald from his quills. In another flash of blinding light, he was gone.

“How have you been holding up, Big Blue?”

“Same as anyone,” Sonic said with a shrug.

“Your team still hanging around?” The hedgehog winced, looking away.

“Tails is. He’s starving, though.” Neither of them pointed out that he hadn’t mentioned Amy or Knuckles. Before Rouge could ask another question, the door to the vault began to open slowly. The metal screeched and clanged, obviously not used to such poor maintenance of its inner workings, causing Sonic to flinch and Rouge’s ears to pin back. Standing unfazed in the middle of months of food was Shadow.

“Let’s go,” the ex-GUN agent said. Rouge and Sonic launched into action, gathering as much food into their respective bags as they could. Shadow stood by the door, eyes trained on the singular entrance, posture tense.

“This is all I can carry. Let’s go,” Rouge called to Shadow. The hybrid nodded, and Sonic risked stuffing a couple more rations into his own bag. With this, he could feed Tails for at least another month, two if he limited his own intake.

“Thanks, guys.” Sonic offered the duo a small smile, and Rouge looked at him with sad eyes.

“Take care, hun.” Shadow simply nodded Sonic’s way before taking Rouge by the elbow and blipping out of existence. Sonic dashed through the men clambering down the halls, unable to help his chuckle as some of them fell over. He was out the door before they could react and on the way towards his and Tails’s hideaway.

The little genius had built them a respectable fort in what was left of the Great Forest. They were up high and hidden away from prying eyes, with walls and a roof that protected them from the increasingly moody weather.

“Hey, little buddy, I’m back!” Sonic called up to the fort. He saw two yellow ears peek over the small window before a ladder was lowered to him. Sonic struggled to climb in with his sack of food, but he managed.

“Did you find anything?” Tails asked eagerly. The kit was wasting away, fur matted and dull, and his ribs poking out. His tails were almost constantly twitching with anxiety, and he jumped at the slightest sounds. Sonic cursed himself for not being able to take better care of his brother, but for now, what he had would have to be enough.

“I hit the jackpot!” He began to unpack the items, showing them to Tails with a flourish. The kit’s eyes lit up, an energy glittering in them that Sonic hadn’t seen since the world went to hell.

“Can we please eat some of the cookies?” Tails begged, furry appendages swishing.

“Of course we can,” Sonic said with a laugh, handing one of the slightly stale sweets to his brother. Tails bit a small piece, chewing with reverence. Sonic took his own, taking a small bite and fighting off the wave of guilt for taking what could be Tails’s. Together, the two ate their first small meal in days and hoped that there would be more to come.

Chapter Text

Teams Sonic and Dark had been looking for Shadow the Hedgehog for months.

The GUN agent had been sent on a solo mission to the ARK and promptly disappeared without a trace. They all took turns, patrolling Shadow’s usual haunts, and comforting each other when disappointment reared its ugly head again and again. Sonic tried to maintain his normal positivity; Shadow would show up. He had to. It was much harder on Rouge and Omega, who had no clue why their teammate had abandoned them. Rouge called Shadow’s communicator daily, and Omega worked with Tails to hack into local cameras on a rotating schedule. Still, nothing.

It was Sonic and Knuckles’s turn, the blue hero heading off into the nearby forest, while Knuckles scoured the city. Listening to the rustle of trees and smelling the blooming flowers only heightened the grief Sonic could feel writhing in his chest. In the past, he and Shadow would have been racing in this forest or sparring in one of the clearings. Now, Sonic was alone, desperate to find his rival. The hedgehog kept his ears perked and eyes peeled, trying to drown out the cynical voice in the back of his mind saying that he wouldn’t find anything, just like he hadn’t for the past three months.

“C’mon, Shads, where are you?” He whispered under his breath. They hadn’t been close, by any definition, but still Sonic felt the void in his heart that Shadow used to fill. No one could step up to Sonic like his dark counterpart. No one could match him in power and speed like Shadow. And, though Sonic was reluctant to admit this to himself, he missed Shadow’s dry humor; the little one-liners the hedgehog would deliver in a deadpan, or the subtle shifts in expression that never failed to delight Sonic.

The snap of a twig snapped him back to the present, and Sonic skidded to a halt. He was sure it was a forest animal moving through the foliage, but his gut called for him to stop, and if there was one thing Sonic learned after a life of adventure, it was to always trust your gut. The hedgehog sniffed at the air, but he only smelled the fluttering flowers growing in the grass. His ears flicked, but all he heard was the whistling breeze. Still, the fur on his spine bristled, and his heart began to pound.

“Whoever’s there, go ahead and come out,” Sonic called, jovial smile plastered on his face. Maybe it was someone who got lost in the forest, or an injured woodland creature. Sonic rotated slowly, eyes peering into the shadows of the trees and bushes, freezing as his eyes met shining crimson.

Sonic blinked once, twice, and then Shadow was launching himself across the clearing. They collided with a thud, bone meeting bone, muscle against muscle, and Sonic gasped. They were tumbling through the dirt, Shadow’s claw digging into the skin of his arms, sharp teeth bared in a vicious snarl.

“Shads, what are you doing?” Sonic gasped, trying to push the other off. Shadow batted his hands away easily, pinning the surprised hero to the ground. In the brief moment of stillness, Sonic took the other in, noting how much skinnier Shadow looked. The other hedgehog had always been slim, but now his bones poked out in hard edges, digging painfully into the meat of Sonic’s body. His fur was disheveled and dirty, a far cry from his normally hygienic and fastidious appearance. Sonic desperately caught the fist flying towards his muzzle, struggling against Shadow’s unchecked strength.

“You need to leave,” Shadow snarled. His voice was husky and hoarse, like he hadn’t had anything to drink for days.

“No, until you tell me why you disappeared on all of us,” Sonic panted. His arms were shaking with the effort of keeping Shadow back. “We’ve been worried.”

“Don’t,” Shadow snapped back, shoving his weight against their joined hands. Sonic cried out as a gloved fist finally made contact with his face, feeling the spot begin to swell and bruise immediately. The hero wiggled until he was able to get sneakered feet between them and pushed as hard as he could, feeling faintly guilty as Shadow went flying through the air before crashing into an oak.

“Listen, I know talking isn’t your forte, but I would appreciate it if you’d tell me what’s going on,” Sonic said, readying himself for Shadow’s next assault. The hybrid pushed himself to his feet, shaking out his fur and quills, before leveling Sonic with a piercing glare.

“I don’t owe you anything.” Sonic felt months of frustration, dashed hope, and grief morph into mouth-frothing anger.

“Are you kidding me? You don’t owe us anything? Team Dark has been looking for you nonstop, and we’ve all been taking turns searching for your sorry ass. You disappeared off the face of the Earth, no message or anything to even let us know if you were alive, and you’re going to tell me you don’t owe us anything?” Shadow was silent during Sonic’s tirade, though he didn’t seem affected by the words at all.

“You have your confirmation, I’m alive. Now leave me,” Shadow ordered. Sonic growled, a low sound that rumbled in his chest, before dashing across the clearing, fist raised. They met again in a whirl of teeth and claws, landing blows wherever possible. They were panting and bloodied before they both paused, eyes locked in a fierce battle of wills.

“Just tell me why I should leave you alone, and maybe I will,” Sonic said through gasps for air.

“A weapon does not need allies or friends,” Shadow responded, and Sonic was stunned into uncharacteristic silence. A weapon?

“But you’re not a weapon, you’re a person,” Sonic argued, fists lowering as sheer confusion overrode his fury. Shadow hadn’t relaxed at all; if anything, his body became more tense.

“You have no idea what I am.” Sonic regarded the other wearily.

“I know you’re my friend. I know you’re like a brother to Rouge and Omega. I know you have a lot of people waiting for you at home.” For a moment, he saw something anguished flash in carmine eyes, before it disappeared.

“You’ll learn to live without me,” Shadow said, voice firm.

“Are you telling me or yourself?” Sonic’s eyes were narrowed. He had no clue what Shadow had seen or found on the ARK, but this conversation was beginning to really rub him the wrong way. Shadow snapped his teeth at him, snarling gutturally, before whirling around.

“Stop looking for me,” the dark hedgehog ordered, and was gone in a flash of light.

“Shadow!” Sonic reached for him, but was too late, hand brushing against nothing but the displaced air from Shadow’s Chaos Control. The pain of watching the other leave, after finally finding him after so long of fearing the worst, settled in Sonic’s chest. He had the brief urge to cry before shoving it deep. He needed to tell the others what had happened, and they needed to think of a way to get Shadow back.

Chapter Text

GUN’s holiday events were always beautiful. One of the large auditoriums typically used for division-wide briefings had been converted into an event room, dazzling lights dripping from the ceiling and cheerful decorations lining the walls. People, human and Mobian alike, milled about, drinking from the free bar and snacking on little treats from shining silver platters. Typically, Sonic loved these events. It gave him the chance to talk to people he didn’t get to see often and, of course, free food. This time, however, he wished he could be anywhere else.

The tickle in the back of his throat was persistent and irritating, leaving his eyes watering and cheeks flushed. He tried to hide it with a flute of champagne, earning him confused looks from friends who knew he didn’t drink, but still the itch persisted. Luckily, he was able to keep himself away from the object of his illness easily, seeing as how Shadow never interacted with him unless he absolutely had to.

“Sonic, over here!” The hero in question winced, clearing his throat, and turned to see who called him.

Amy looked gorgeous in her floor-length red dress. She had traded in her usual boots for a pair of heels and was adorned with shining jewels. Her arm, covered by an elbow-length white glove of satin, was looped with Shadow’s. And, for as beautiful as Amy was, Sonic couldn’t help the way his mouth dried up looking at Shadow. The hedgehog’s quills were shining in a way that said he had oiled and preened them before coming. He wore a smart suit of charcoal and crimson, and though it clashed with his look, he still wore his airshoes. Shadow was staring at Amy’s arm, a grimace pinching his face.

“Hey, guys,” Sonic said with a wobbly smile. When Shadow’s eyes met his, Sonic could feel a cough working its way back up his throat. He tried to subtly clear it again, but Amy’s concerned gaze told him he wasn’t successful.

“Are you sick? Your throat seems to be bothering you a lot today.” She let go of Shadow to place her hands on either side of Sonic’s, feeling for a rising temperature. Sonic laughed awkwardly and gently wiggled from her grasp.

“I’m fine, Ames, just swallowed something wrong.” Shadow was staring at him, calculating. “I know I look good, Shads, but hasn’t anyone ever told you staring is rude?” Shadow grunted, looking away from them. Sonic coughed into his elbow and cleared his throat again.

“Seriously, Sonic. If you weren’t feeling good, you should've sat out,” Amy scolded, hands planted on her hips.

“How could I turn down a chance for free food?” Sonic dismissed her with a wave of his hand. Before Amy could dig into him any further, a chest-rattling cough snuck up on Sonic. Tears pricked in his eyes, and he quickly turned away from the two, bending slightly at the waist.

“I’ll get you something to drink,” Amy said, rushing off in a swirl of skirts. Once she was gone, Sonic turned, darting towards the bathroom. He could feel something solid in his throat, begging to escape, and there was no way to hold it back now. The door to the restroom slammed open, bouncing off the wall before closing with a creak, and Sonic went to the first stall available. He never thought he would be kneeling in front of a public toilet, but here he was, staring into the murky water and trying to ignore the smells assaulting his nose. He coughed weakly, feeling whatever was in his throat loosen, and forced another hack.

Something red and slick slid from his throat, into his mouth, and he spat it out with disgust. Immediately, he could breathe easier than he had in weeks. Through eyes blurred with tears, he peeked into the toilet bowl. A crimson dahlia floated innocently in the water, flecked with what Sonic guessed was blood. Previously, he had only coughed up little petals and pieces of leaves, but now he was coughing up whole flowers. Sonic couldn’t help the rueful grin that pulled his lips. At least the flower was beautiful.

“What are you doing?” Sonic startled, almost falling over as he tried to spin around on his knees.

Shadow stared down at him, eyes guarded, and lips in their typical downward turn. He was standing in the entrance to the stall, arms crossed. Sonic prayed that he was blocking Shadow’s view of the bowl.

“Man, can’t a guy barf in peace?” Sonic asked shakily.

“Why are you throwing up?” Shadow asked, tone demanding.

“Didn’t you hear Amy? I’m sick, and I’ve been drinking.” Sonic reached behind him, trying to find the lever of the toilet without looking. Shadow’s eyes tracked the movement.

“You didn’t drink that much,” Shadow denied. Sonic’s finger was on the lever now.

“Why are you interrogating me about this?” Before he could push down, Shadow’s hand was snapping forward, wrapping around his wrist in a vice. Sonic gasped, the contact causing his chest to constrict and his throat to begin tickling immediately.

“Let go,” he ordered through coughs, trying to turn away from the other. He could feel another bloom working up his throat. He needed Shadow gone now.

“Is that a flower?” Shadow’s eyes were locked onto the dahlia sitting in the water. Sonic felt his heart stop, his entire body feeling as if it was doused with cold water.

“Yeah, it was in there when I got here,” Sonic tried.

“You have Hanahaki.” Shadow’s eyes were hard, an unidentifiable emotion glittering in ruby depths.

“I don’t even know what that is.” Sonic was scrambling, still pulling futilely at his captured hand.

“Who is it?” Shadow was in his face, a snarl pulling his lips.

“Let go, Shads,” Sonic ordered. Shadow’s hand tightened.

“Who is it?” His voice was rising.

“Let go!”

“Who?”

“You, you asshole!” In any other situation, Sonic would have reveled in the stunned look on his rival’s face, but right now, all he could feel was despair. “Are you happy? It’s you. I fell in love with you, even though I know you can’t stand me.” He could feel months and months of bottled tears begin to pool in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He wouldn’t give Shadow that, too. “Now, move.” Sonic staggered to his feet, his chest still aching with the flowers clawing through his ribs, but he ignored them. He wanted to go home.

“Sonic, wait,” Shadow said, blocking his exit. Sonic wondered if it would be worth it to punch him.

“Move, Shadow,” Sonic snarled.

“I love you.” Shadow’s voice was firm and heavy, like he was giving an order on the battlefield, rather than confessing.

“That’s not funny.” Sonic really was going to punch him.

“I’m not joking,” Shadow hissed, frustration bleeding into his voice. “I love you.” He looked pained when he said it, but his eyes were locked onto Sonic’s, fearless. Sonic searched those eyes, looking for any sign of deceit or pity.

“Why?” Sonic demanded. His chest felt lighter, but he refused to cling to hope if it was false. Shadow’s lips thinned, and he spun on his heel, marching towards the bathroom door. Sonic felt his ears droop and the pressure in his throat return as he watched the other leave, but instead of walking through the door, Shadow locked it. Before Sonic could question him, the dark hedgehog was standing before him again.

“I can’t stand how hopeful and optimistic you are,” Shadow began.

“Dude--”

“Shut up,” the agent snarled. “I hate how you trust everyone you meet and how you’re always willing to give people chances even after they’ve hurt you. When you jump straight into danger, it pisses me off. Your smug face every time you win a race makes me want to punch you.” Sonic’s eyes squeezed closed, and he coughed miserably. He put a hand to Shadow’s shoulder, determined to push past, but a hand on his waist stopped him. “And yet, I love all of that, too. You gave me a chance when no one else would have. You never hesitate to help, and you always put others before yourself. You’re the only person who can keep up with me, and who isn’t scared of me.” The hand on his waist tightened, pulling him flush to a firm body. “So, I’ll say it again: I love you, Sonic.”

Sonic wished he could’ve brushed his teeth or at least rinsed his mouth before their first kiss. He was sure his lips still tasted like blood and champagne, but the self-consciousness didn’t stop him from leaning further into Shadow. Blue arms wrapped around Shadow’s neck, creasing the pristine folds of his suit, and the pressure of their kiss increased. Sonic could’ve stayed that way for the rest of his life, but forced himself to pull away, panting.

“I probably taste so gross,” he laughed.

“Yeah, you do,” Shadow agreed, and Sonic pinched his side in retaliation.

“I can’t believe you kissed me in a bathroom stall.” At this, Shadow’s eyes rolled.

“If you had confessed to me somewhere nicer, then we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“If you hadn’t cornered me--”

“Enough. I’m tired of this party. Let’s say bye to your friends and go.” Shadow pulled back, reaching up to fuss with his suit and quills.

“Where are we going?” Sonic watched the other groom, entranced.

“My apartment,” Shadow said with a smirk, before turning away and unlocking the door. Sonic gulped, reveling in the fact that there was nothing lodged in his throat preventing the movement, and chased after him.

Chapter Text

Sonic really didn’t mean to get into the messes he got into. It always started with the best intentions: jumping in to save people or stop Eggman from damaging more property than he already has. Usually, it ended with Sonic posing atop destroyed robots and shooting a wink to the cameras. But today, it ended with him leaning against a partially destroyed building, prodding at his broken leg with a hiss.

“Sonic? How’s everything on your end?” Amy’s voice rang crisp through their communicator.

“Going great!” Sonic forced false cheer into his voice. “How about you guys?” He prodded at the lump on his leg, almost shouting at the sudden spike of pain. Oh, yeah, that was definitely broken.

“We’re almost done,” Amy said, and Sonic could hear the sound of battle in the background. “Shadow’s the closest, so we’ll send him your way to help.”

“No, no, no!” Sonic shouted desperately before laughing nervously to try and cover up the reaction. “That’s not necessary. I’ll be done before that slowpoke can even get here.” He dug through his quills while he talked, praying he remembered to bring his field medkit. His fingers brushed against what felt like a scarf, a paper (probably that coupon for the chilidog stand he was looking for the other day), and his keys to Tails’s house. No medkit, of course.

“Well, he’s already on his way. Said he wants to get this over with because he and Rouge have a GUN mission after this,” Amy said, tone apologetic. Sonic closed his eyes and let his head tip back, thudding dully on the wall. Just what he needed.

“Okay, Ames, talk to you later,” he said, reaching up to turn the communicator off. Green eyes scanned his surroundings, looking for anything he could use as a crutch or splint. A little bit away, buried beneath some debris, he saw a broken plank of wood. Perfect. Now, he just had to get to it.

Sonic took a deep breath, bracing himself, and began to push upwards.

The pain was immediate, and he almost fell over trying to remove the weight from his leg. Nausea surged through his stomach as he felt bone grind against bone, and tried to take quick, short breaths to fight it off. Do not throw up, he repeated to himself, beginning to shuffle forward with the support of the building. Every step jostled his leg, sending stabbing pain from his shin to his brain. He felt dizzy, everything taking on an almost otherworldly tinge.

“There you are.” The voice was familiar, but through the haze of pain, Sonic couldn’t place a name. “Why are you just standing around?” The voice was starting to sound judgmental.

“Shads?” Sonic slurred, eyes still locked on the splintered wood. He tried to step towards it again, but stopped with a sharp yelp.

“Are you injured?” Shadow demanded. Suddenly, Sonic’s vision was blocked out by black fur and pissed, crimson eyes.

“I’m fine, I just need to get that wood.” Sonnic pointed around Shadow’s shoulder at the wood in question. Shadow didn’t look; instead, staring at Sonic’s obviously broken leg.

“Idiot, do you want to risk permanent injury?” Shadow growled, pushing at his shoulders. Sonic cried out as the movement jarred his leg. “Sit down.” Shadow pushed down harder, and Sonic couldn’t help but collapse to the ground. His entire body was a bright spot of pain; even his teeth hurt. He was panting and trying desperately not to throw up on himself. “Don’t move,” Shadow said, voice carrying a sinister threat. The GUN agent snatched up the wood Sonic had been working so hard to get, and kneeled before the hero. “Do you have anything I can use to pad it?” Sonic clumsily dug through his quills again, pulling out the ratty scarf he had felt earlier. Shadow looked like he wanted to snark something, but bit his tongue, snatching the red scarf from Sonic’s hands. The dark hedgehog pulled a length of rope from his own quills, pressing the scarf to Sonic’s leg before securing the wood around the limb with the rope. Sonic twitched and hissed through his teeth as Shadow worked.

Finally, the agent leaned back, weight on his feet.

“There. Now don’t put any weight on it.” Sonic blearily looked at the splint tied around his leg, then at his rival.

“Easier said than done,” Sonic groaned. “I still need to get home.” Shadow looked at Sonic, then towards where Tails’s house was, then back at Sonic with a pained expression.

“You owe me,” Shadow said darkly, reaching out and putting one hand behind Sonic’s back, and the other beneath his knees.

“Dude, what are you doing?” Sonic yelped as he was lifted into the air, busted leg dangling awkwardly.

“Getting you home,” Shadow stated, deadpan. “Get the Chaos Emerald from my quills.”

“Hell no!” Sonic pushed himself away from the other, ignoring the warning snarls as he almost threw Shadow off balance. “If you Chaos Control us, I’ll throw up!”

“Damnit, fine, just stop moving!” Shadow shouted, snapping his teeth at the gloved hand pushing against his face. Sonic froze, eyeing the other wearily, before finally crossing his arms over his chest. Shadow sighed heavily, and the sound of his airshoes sparking to life echoed off the concrete buildings.

In a blast of energy, they were moving, traveling swiftly, but carefully. Sonic bit his lip, trying to suppress the noise of agony threatening to rip from his throat as every small movement bothered his injury. Despite his efforts to hide his discomfort, Shadow adjusted his grip, supporting the hero’s leg more gently. The rest of the trip was uneventful, Sonic refusing to relax into the hold despite the way Shadow’s smooth gliding lulled him. In minutes, he could see Tails’s house, the garage open with the Tornado sitting inside, and his friends talking beside the plane. He could tell Shadow saw them too, the hedgehog’s lips thinning, but instead of taking Sonic towards the garage, Shadow was stopping by the front door.

“Keys,” Shadow ordered.

“But what about--”

“Keys.” Sonic grumbled under his breath, digging through his quills for the third time that day, and pulling out the set of jangling keys. Shadow leaned so Sonic could reach the lock, kicking the door open once the mechanism turned.

Shadow looked around the living room distastefully, snearing at the piles of takeout boxes and dirty laundry littering every available surface. Despite his obvious irritation, the agent set Sonic on the couch gently. Shadow straightened, turning away from Sonic silently, but stopped when the blue hedgehog grabbed his wrist.

“Thanks, Shads.” He offered his rival a small but genuine smile.

“Don’t mention it. Ever.” Shadow was out the door before Sonic could say anything else. The hero sighed, leaning back into the cushions, grinning softly as he thought about how long he could hold Shadow’s tenderness over his head.

Chapter Text

Sonic woke gagging, scratching at whatever was blocking his throat.

“We need him back under!” Someone shouted over the beeping in the room. Sonic could feel panic begin to drown his mind, and he tried to work faster, but his limbs felt heavy and clumsy. He could hear people rushing around him, but he had no recollection of who they were or where he was. His vision was spotty and dark, and everything seemed so loud. Someone was holding his arm down, keeping him from removing the thing in his throat. He choked, and everything went black.

--

When Sonic woke again, he felt dizzy and nauseous, but at least he wasn’t choking. Something warm was wrapped around him, and that monotonous beeping was still there. He groaned in displeasure, the sound aggravating his sore throat and causing him to cough weakly.

“You’re awake!” A chair scraped against the ground, and Sonic winced. “Sorry.” Emerald eyes blinked open, vision foggy, and it took another handful of slow blinks before he could see. There was a monitor right in front of his face, showing the steady rise and fall of his heart and displaying his blood pressure in bright, green numbers. There was an IV stand next to it, slowly dripping, but Sonic was too tired to read the label on the bag. He turned his head slowly, every movement feeling like he was moving through molasses, and finally looked at Tails.

His brother’s eyes were red and puffy, like he had been crying. His fur was mussed and sticking up at weird angles, and Sonic noted the pillow and blanket laid out on the bench seat by the window. Tails was wringing his hands and staring at Sonic with hopeful, yet anxious eyes.

“Wha’ ‘append,” Sonic slurred, and his brows furrowed with frustration.

“Do you remember the fight?” Tails asked rather than answer. Sonic tried to focus on the images flashing through his hazy mind, but it was all slipping through his fingers. He shook his head.

“We were clearing out some Badniks by the village,” Tails said, and Sonic had a flash of imagery pop into his mind: Amy swinging her hammer into robots, Knuckles launching huge machines into groups of smaller minions, and Tails directing it all from the sky. “We were close to finishing when Eggman called in Metal.” Sonic’s head throbbed at the memory of steel fists colliding with his jaw and hard feet smashing into his legs. He sifted through the memories, trying to find the one that would explain it all. “You got hit really hard.” There. Metal’s heel striking his temple while Sonic was distracted by another Badnik. “You collapsed, and another Badnik set off an explosive nearby. You got hit by shrapnel and stopped breathing.” Tails’ voice warbled.

“The tube?”

“Tube? Oh! They said you woke up in surgery. They had to intubate you, and I guess you woke up while they were removing some of the shrapnel.” Sonic shivered at the memory of something hard and unmoving lodged in his throat.

The door at the far side of the room opened softly, and in stepped Amy and Knuckles.

“Oh, thank Gaia!” Amy was at his side in seconds, tears glittering in green eyes. Knuckles didn’t say anything, but Sonic saw how his shoulders loosened, and the echidna breathed out a relieved sigh. “How are you feeling? Are you in pain?” Amy was fussing over him, adjusting his blanket and smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles.

“‘M fine. Tired,” Sonic said simply. He still felt like he was swimming through thick syrup, and it was getting harder to stay awake. He wanted to keep talking with his friends, make sure they were okay, but his eyelids were so heavy.

“Painkillers must be working,” Knuckles hummed, moving Tails’s makeshift bed over so he could sit.

“Don’t like painkillers,” Sonic mumbled. He hated them, actually. Anything that dulled his reactions, made him slower, was to be avoided.

“You want them for this.” Knuckles said firmly. Amy shifted the blanket, examining something Sonic didn’t have the energy to look at.

“I’ll call the nurse; he’s bleeding through his bandages.” She covered him back up, reaching up to gently pet through his quills. Sonic was too disoriented to process what she had said and allowed himself to slip back into a deep sleep.

--

When he woke again, the lights were off and Tails was snoring gently on the bench. Sonic looked around himself, and was relieved to see a styrofoam cup at the bedside. He reached for it, frustrated when his hand quivered uncontrollably, and grabbed the cup. He tried to bring it to his lips, but his hand spasmed and the cup fell to the floor with a bright thunk. Tails started, sitting up faster than Sonic had ever seen him move, and whipped around to look at the hedgehog in the bed.

“Sorry,” Sonic whispered hoarsely. Tails looked confused before he saw the cup on the ground.

“Oh! Hold on a second.” The fox hopped up and rushed to the en-suite sink, grabbing another cup and filling it with some water. He brought it back and offered it to Sonic. The hedgehog wrapped his hand around it, and with Tails’s support, finally brought it to his lips. Drinking the cold water burned his throat, but he couldn’t help but sigh with relief at the feeling.

“Thanks,” he said once he was done. Tails threw the cup away and pulled his seat back up. “Go back to bed, bud.” His voice was still raspy, but much better than before. Tails shook his head firmly.

“Not until you do.” Sonic smiled softly at the other’s stubbornness, warmed by the signs of himself in his little brother.

“Are you okay? What about the others?” Sonic asked instead of arguing.

“We’re all fine. It was only you who got hurt.” Tails muttered, eyes locked on the floor. Sonic frowned.

“It’s not your fault,” he said, placing a shaky hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“I should’ve seen the Badnik with the bomb.” Tails’s fists were clenched, and angry tears were pooling in his eyes.

“Come here,” Sonic ordered softly, opening his arms. Immediately, Tails was crawling into the bed, careful of all the IV lines, and pressing his face into Sonic’s chest. The hedgehog nuzzled into soft, yellow fur, breathing in the comforting scent of the kit. “I’m right here, bud. It’s not your fault.” He wouldn’t comment on the wet patch he could feel forming on his chest, or the way Tails’s shoulders shook. Sonic leaned back, arms still secured around the fox, and ran his hands up and down Tails’s back. Eventually, the kid fell asleep, back to snoring softly. Once he was sure he wouldn’t wake again, Sonic let his eyes slip shut and followed his brother back into sleep.

Chapter Text

The horn signalling the start of the hunt blared, and Sonic ran. The heavy shackles inhibiting his chaos energy jangled with each step and chaffed the sensitive skin beneath his fur. He was panting in no time, dread and suppressed powers combining to create a suffocating fatigue. He could hear laughter and excited whoops behind him, and the pounding of footsteps. He needed to get away.

Three days ago, Amy had gone into stress-induced heat in the middle of town. Sonic had tried to get her out of public, but the police had already been called, demanding to take the omega into custody to be readied for the mating hunt. All it had taken was a single glance at Amy’s terrified face for Sonic to make his decision. The police had dragged him away on the charges of being an unregistered omega, and he had been prepared for the monthly mating hunt.

Now, he was sprinting through the forest, desperately trying to put distance between himself and the alphas hungering for a bite of his neck. Sonic was moving frustratingly slow, stumbling over his feet and tripping over roots.

“Come here, little omega!” One shouted, his call being answered by raucous laughter. Sonic snarled, forcing his legs to pump faster.

“You’re going to need to run faster!” Another shouted. He wasn’t even in heat, but the directors of the mating hunt had thought this through. While Sonic was prepared in the three days of lockup, he had been smeared with artificial omega pheremones. It wasn’t as strong as his natural scent, but still enough to be tracked. Sonic was grateful he had gone instead of Amy. There was no way an omega in heat would have any chance of evading so many alphas.

Up ahead, the forest sloped upward steeply, patches of mud spotting the grass. Sonic scrambled to get up the hill, but his bare feet slipped.

“Shit, shit, shit,” he gasped. He couldn’t get purchase on the slick surface, sliding back down every time he made progress.

“There he is!” They were close enough Sonic could smell them, the stench of excited alphas making him viciously nauseous. Panicked, the hedgehog pressed his back to the mound, raising his fists as he prepared himself to fight. Another preparation for the hunt: he hadn’t been fed, a ploy to make an omega desperate. Normally, this wouldn’t affect him too horribly, but without his natural chaos energy to bolster him, Sonic’s typically limitless energy was nonexistent. His arms trembled, and exhaustion clawed at his body. Soon, four alphas were closing in, trapping him in a half-circle against the hill.

“Back off,” he growled, quills bristling.

“Come on, hero, just a bite,” one crooned, a gray wolf with a deep scar across one of his eyes.

“He can’t take all of us. Well, not like that, anyway,” a lion said, snickering at his own joke. The alpha on the far right was slowly approaching, backing Sonic in further and further. The omega snapped his teeth in the alpha’s direction, fur standing on end to try and make him seem more intimidating. They all just looked more intrigued.

“I said, back--” A flash of light, a blur of black and red, and the alpha closing in was on the ground, howling in pain. The other three startled back, surprised, and weren’t quick enough to protect themselves from Shadow’s onslaught. Fists collided with stomachs, the heels of heavy boots smacked into heads, and quills ripped through fragile skin. Shadow was a whirl of red energy and fury, pushing the four alphas back effortlessly.

“Fuck, fine, he’s yours!” The wolf shouted, turning tail and sprinting back into the woods. The others weren’t far behind, limping as fast as they could away from the snarling alpha.

“What are you doing here, Shads?” Sonic didn’t let his fists lower. He was still in the presence of a predator, after all.

“I could ask you the same,” Shadow said, turning to face Sonic. The dark hedgehog didn’t look fazed by the battle, quills still groomed meticulously and fur pristine. The only flaw was the smattering of blood on his gloves.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Sonic laughed humorously. Shadow eyed his raised fists, wisely choosing to stay put. “That still doesn’t explain why you’re here.” At this, Shadow looked awkward, eyes sliding to the side to fix on the ground.

“Amy told us what happened,” he said, like this should explain anything. Sonic was starting to get frustrated with his rival, hunger and stress causing his frustration to boil.

“And? Anyone could have come to break me out.” The hunt was held in a fenced-off forest and guarded heavily, ensuring an unmated omega wouldn’t get out. Shadow’s fists clenched, and he looked constipated, before he seemed to come to a decision.

“I want to court you.” Shadow proclaimed it boldly, shoulders back and chest puffed. Despite this, Sonic could see anxiety in every line of the other hedgehog’s body.

“You--what?”

“I want to court you,” Shadow said again.

“So, you find out I’m an omega, and all of a sudden you’re interested?” Sonic scoffed, trying to push down the throb of hurt in his chest.

“No!” Shadow denied vehemently. Sonic was startled at the raw emotion in the other’s voice. “I’ve wanted to court you for years, but I always thought you were an alpha, and Amy--” Shadow cut himself off, eyes squeezing shut. Sonic was confused, flustered, and honestly too tired to process this.

“But, you don’t even like me,” the hero tried to argue. It had to be the false pheremones, right?

“I’ve always liked you,” Shadow said with a shake of his head. “You irritate me, and I don’t understand half the things you do, but I’ve wanted this for a long time.” Sonic chewed his lip, the heat flushing his cheeks and chest warring with his frayed nerves.

“Let’s get out of here first,” Sonic finally said, and watched Shadow’s shoulders sag with the relief of not being flat-out rejected. The other approached slowly.

“Can I?” A gloved hand hovered over Sonic’s shoulder, and the omega nodded. Shadow’s hand was warm on his fur, and with a whispered command, they were gone.

Chapter Text

Everything that could go wrong had, of course, gone wrong. The mission had started simple enough: find badniks and destroy badniks, but of course, Eggman had to throw them for a loop. The deranged man had introduced a new robot, designed to relentlessly track and attack spikes in chaos energy, whether that spike was from a Chaos Emerald or a super-powered hedgehog. At first, Sonic hadn’t been worried. The solution was as easy as destroying the robot. However, Eggman had reinforced the thing heavily, making it effectively immune to his quills.

Then, Shadow showed up. The spike in chaos energy caused by his Chaos Control had pulled the bot’s attention from Sonic, now focused entirely on the GUN agent. Shadow had hurled Chaos Spear after Chaos Spear at the thing, but still nothing.

“We need to destroy the reinforced plating!” Sonic had shouted, panting. The stupid robot had been chasing him around for hours.

“Obviously!” Shadow had hissed back. The dark hedgehog dodged a blow aimed for his head, skating around the bot in arcs a figure skater would be jealous of. Sonic racked his brain for any idea to remove the plating from the badnik, but was coming up blank. He could use Tails's brains, but his communicator had been smashed forever ago, and his friends had yet to find him. A cry of pain had him whirling back towards the battle, eyes widening at the sight of Shadow flying through the air.

“Shads!” Sonic was dashing after his rival, desperate to prevent him from hitting the ground. Blue arms wrapped around a limp, black body, and they tumbled to the ground in a flail of limbs. Sonic disentangled himself quickly, looking down at Shadow’s unconscious form. “Come on, man, we don’t have time for naps. Wake up!” He tried shaking the other, but the only response he got was the fluttering of red-lined eyelids. Sonic looked over his shoulder, watching the badnik lumber closer. “Shadow, seriously!” Sonic wasn’t super confident in his ability to carry the other, not with how long he had been fighting the damn thing. That left him with only one option.

Sonic set Shadow down as gently as possible, before hopping to his feet and whirling on the enemy.

“Alright, ugly, come and get me!” In a flash of blue, he was gone, the surge in energy pulling the bot towards him and away from Shadow’s prone figure. Sonic led the bot through the forest, wincing with each tree felled in the giant thing’s path. He would come back to plant new ones later, but unfortunately, he had to prioritize not dying. The ground shook with each step the badnik took, and its red eyes tracked Sonic effortlessly. The hero spin-dashed the bot, trying to put even a dent into the plating, but was no more successful than before. Sonic had his heels dug in, teeth bared at the machine as he readied his next attack, when he heard the roar.

It sounded like an injured beast, howling its pain and fury into the sky. The sound had Sonic’s heart rate jumping instantly, ears angled towards the sound. He had never heard any of the forest animals make that kind of noise before. The bandnik didn’t react, continuing its relentless trudge towards Sonic. The hedgehog was caught between the instinct to flee, the howl from the forest sending primal fear straight through him, and the desire to stand and fight. His choice was made for him.

Unbelievably long and slick in texture, a writhing appendage wrapped around the badnik and hurled it. The bot flew through the air, slamming through multiple trees before finally tumbling to a stop. Sonic could see bits of reinforced metal littering the ground, and his jaw dropped in disbelief. Before he could react to this new development, the sound of something slithering through the grass drew his attention. The blue hedgehog gasped, stumbling backwards, as he looked at the creature.

Most of its body was dark and slimy-looking, and Sonic realized the thing that had grabbed the badnik was a tentacle. The creature had numerous appendages, all of them working to haul its body across the ground. Pupiless, crimson eyes were locked onto him, and Sonic had never felt more like prey in his life.

“Uh, hi?” He tried, laughing nervously. The creature made a gurgling sound and lunged. Sonic yelped, scrambling out of the way of the monster’s catapulting body, and barely managed to dodge the tentacle that reached for him. The squid-like beast made a frustrated sound, a lightning-fast arm snapping out towards the hero. Sonic kicked at the limb, wincing as his shoe made a wet sound on contact. Behind him, he could hear the badnik stumbling upright. “Now would be an amazing time to show up, Shads.”

Trapped between two enemies, Sonic decided to turn tail and flee. He whipped around, dashing further into the woods. Something thick and slimy wrapped around his ankle, and he yelped as it tugged him off his feet, sending him face-first into the dirt. The monster was pulling him in, like a fish being dragged to shore, and Sonic desperately tried to kick it away with his free foot. The creature growled at him, eyes narrowing, pulling him in closer and closer. The hedgehog couldn’t make out a mouth on its cone-shaped face, but it didn’t quell the fear of being eaten.

“Let go!” He shouted, writhing in the squid’s grip. It was lifting him into the air now, crimson eyes focused. “Shadow!” It was a desperate call, and the sound made the monster pause. The robot was approaching, shoving the collapsed corpses of trees out of its path. Sonic clawed at the tentacle wrapped around his foot. If this thing didn’t eat him, then that badnik was going to melt him while he was stuck. The creature hadn’t moved, and Sonic thought it almost looked confused. “Stupid Eggman. Stupid Shadow. Ultimate Lifeform, hah! More like Ultimate Napper,” Sonic muttered, digging his fingers between his ankle and the tentacle in an attempt to gain some room. The squid startled, and Sonic froze. It was staring at him intensely.

The badnik’s fist detached in a whirl of machinery, firing out towards the captured hero. Sonic’s eyes squeezed closed, bracing for impact, but none came. Cautiously, he squinted, still waiting for the pain, and gasped at the sight before him. The monster had the bot’s fist frozen in the air, a tentacle keeping it from Sonic effortlessly. Slowly, the hedgehog was set on the ground, and finally, the limb holding him hostage retreated.

“Uh?” Sonic said intelligently. The red and black creature hurled itself towards the badnik, a feral roar echoing through the woods. They clashed in a flurry of steel and gooey flesh, the robot struggling to keep the monster from wrapping its limbs around it in a deadly bear-hug. Sonic watched, awed, as the squid squeezed the badnik brutally. Metal groaned and cried, plating began to collapse inward, before the entire thing catastrophically failed. The badnik crumbled, legs and arms folding inwards and internal pieces scattering across the ground. Its glowing eyes flickered, brightened, before fading entirely. The monster released the robot, dropping to the ground with a thud. Its eyes turned on Sonic. “Listen, can’t we just be friends?” Sonic implored, backing away slowly.

The creature made a soft, warbling sound, and the hedgehog stopped in his tracks. It almost sounded…sad. The squid didn’t move, lowering its massive head to the ground, almost like it was trying to appear smaller. The tentacles flattened to the grass, and it stopped moving entirely.

“Are you okay?” Sonic asked softly, but of course, it didn’t respond. Despite the voice in the back of his mind screaming for him to flee, the hero began to approach the animal slowly. It didn’t move, but Sonic knew it was watching him. “This is crazy,” Sonic whispered to himself. He stopped, well within snatching range of those tentacles, and carefully sat down. Finally, with the badnik gone and the monster seemingly tamed, he had an opportunity to really look at it.

Its skin looked rough, but had a wet and glistening sheen, and Sonic noticed that its entire body seemed to undulate at all times. There were more tentacle-like arms than he cared to count, and each had a red, ribbed texture at the tip, almost like a snake’s belly. Its eyes were unblinking, but alert and intelligent. As Sonic focused on it, he realized he could feel a faint thrum of chaos energy emitting from the creature. He reached out to it with his own, like two threads wiggling towards each other, and brushed against it.

“Shadow?” He gasped. The chaos energy was unmistakable, red-hot, raw, and powerful. The creature made a clicking sound, and Sonic knew he was right. “What the hell? How did this happen? Never mind, I know you can’t answer. Oh, man, what do I do?” Sonic was up and pacing, while the creature--Shadow--watched. The hedgehog wondered if the other needed a hospital, or maybe Tails would be able to figure it out, but halfway through his brainstorming, Shadow made a low, pained groan. Sonic hurried to his side, hands hovering over his body, and he watched as Shadow began to twitch sporadically.

The transformation process was long and painful. Shadow’s entire body spasmed, sometimes strongly enough that Sonic had to dodge flailing limbs, and he shook constantly. It seemed like Shadow was trying to keep silent, but strained, agonized sounds still echoed through his massive body. Gradually, tentacles went limp, falling off the main body before collapsing into piles of goo. Then, Shadow’s skin seemed to boil, splatterings of inky liquid staining the floor. Sonic watched, horrified, as his rival’s body was slowly reformed. The entire transformation took what Sonic guessed was half an hour. By the time all of the squid’s slimy skin had been sloughed off, Shadow was a shivering heap on the ground.

Sonic kneeled beside the other hedgehog, hesitating to touch him, when ruby eyes flickered open.

“Sonic?” Shadow’s voice was hoarse and weak.

“Hey, buddy.” Sonic tried to smile, but knew it was shaky. “I’m going to ask you a lot of questions later, but right now I need to get you somewhere safe.” Shadow seemed barely aware of what he was saying, but the hedgehog hummed in affirmation. Sonic carefully lifted the other into his arms, wincing at the wet feeling, and dashed off. Shadow was asleep in seconds, face pressed to Sonic’s chest, as Sonic carried them home.

Chapter Text

“The police have been actively searching for the ex-hero, Sonic the Hedgehog, who is wanted for murder. If you see him, do not approach, as he is considered very dangerous. Instead, call the number below.” Every TV he passed blared the same message, as they had for days. Sonic sank lower into the hood of his jacket, stuffing his hands in the hoodie pocket and keeping his eyes low. Some people stopped to watch the news broadcast, their shocked expressions reflected in the windows of the shops. Sonic turned away from them, tired of seeing their reactions.

One week ago, he had killed Ivo Robotnik. No one would believe it was an accident. Sonic had gone Super, like he had thousands of times before, but this time, things went wrong. The golden hedgehog had slammed into the newest towering death machine the deranged doctor had built, the man screaming insults from inside the cockpit. But this time, when the machine fell, Eggman didn’t evacuate. Sonic had watched, stunned, as the doctor pushed the red button that would launch him from the head of the robot repeatedly, but nothing happened. By the time Sonic snapped out of his stupor, it was far too late.

His friends had found him, Chaos Emeralds scattered long ago, standing over the corpse of his long-time enemy. He had dragged the man out of the machine, ready to perform any lifesaving procedure he could, but he was already gone. Instead, he just stood there, trying to process the fact that he had killed the man he had been fighting for most of his life.

“Sonic?” Amy had looked at him, horrified. Tails had stared at him like he was a stranger, and Knuckles looked at him like he was a threat. Maybe he was. Sonic had fled before any of them could say anything, unable to handle the betrayed looks in their eyes. Now, he was on the run, though he wasn’t sure why he didn’t just stop.

“Hey, watch where you’re--” Sonic collided with someone, too lost in his thoughts, and the impact caused his hood to shift. The human, dressed as if he were on his way to work, looked shocked. “You’re that guy on the news!” He was loud, and now people were staring. Sonic began to walk away, hoping most people would just shrug it off, but was stopped by the sight of a group of GUN officers on the corner. Dread filled his chest, and he whirled on his heel, but another person was blocking his path.

“Don’t try to run,” Shadow said. His eyes were detached, his mouth pulled down in a familiar frown. Sonic glanced over his shoulder and saw that the street had been cleared. Guns were pointing at him, humming with energy. The ex-hero’s shoulders sagged. This was it then.

“I won’t,” he told his rival. Ex-rival. Whatever. Sonic held his hands towards Shadow, wrists together. The GUN agent cuffed him without a word, and Sonic felt the effects of inhibiting technology on his chaos energy immediately. The other agents swarmed forward, one grabbing Sonic by the arm roughly, and dragged him towards a dark van. Some people were watching from nearby buildings, phones trained on him and eyes wide. He was shoved into the van without ceremony, three armed men following him, along with Shadow. The dark hedgehog took a spot right across from Sonic, ruby eyes alert. Sonic leaned back against the cold wall of the van and let his eyes slip shut.

“Why’d you do it?” Shadow asked, breaking the silence for the first time in their entire history of knowing each other.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Sonic replied, voice hollow. Everything about him felt hollow.

“Try me.” The other agents weren’t looking at them, but Sonic knew they were listening.

“It was an accident,” Sonic said, and waited for the laughter. There was none. Shadow gestured for him to continue. “When I destroyed the robot, I expected Eggman to emergency launch out, like he always does, but something must have been jammed because it didn’t work. It collapsed with him inside. I dragged him out to see if there was anything I could do, but he was already dead.” It felt…nice to finally tell someone.

“But you still killed him,” Shadow pointed out. Sonic felt a pang of guilt and self-loathing, a familiar feeling these days.

“Yeah,” he whispered.

“No one is upset he’s dead,” Shadow told him. When Sonic raised a questioning brow, he continued: “They’re upset you did it.” For some reason, this hurt more than anything Sonic had heard yet. “You aren’t their hero anymore.” Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, and the ex-hero couldn’t help but think back to Tails's face. The kit had almost looked scared of him.

When they arrived at the GUN facility, Sonic didn’t fight the agents who dragged him off. Shadow watched them go, impassive, before turning his back on his old rival. Sonic knew this was as close to a goodbye as he would get from anyone he cared for.

The cell he was placed into was heavily reinforced, not that he would try to escape. An entire group of guards was placed right outside, and a turret in the corner was aimed right at him. Every time he moved, it followed. Sonic sat heavily on the ground and prepared to wait for the end.

Chapter Text

His fur hides the bruises well, but Sonic knew they were there. There was a massive one on his right hip, just below the joint, that throbbed with every movement. There was another on his left biscep that only hurt if he pressed on it. Finally, the yellowed one on his lower back that no longer hurt, but had stung for weeks while it healed. Sometimes, he would push blue fur aside so he could stare at the red, black, and purple spots. Sometimes, he would catch himself pressing his thumbs into the marks unconsciously.

Right now, in the dark of his room with the navy curtains pulled tight around the window, he lay in bed, one finger idly poking at the bruise on his hip. Every press sent a dull throb through his bones, but he found the rhythmic pattern--press, pain, press, pain--almost soothing. His mind was in a hazy fog, like he was floating in a still lake. He wasn’t thinking of anything, just staring at his ceiling and absently pressing on his skin. Press, pain, press, pain.

Months ago, he had promised himself that he would stop this. He knew, after all the self-help groups Amy had dragged him to, that this was what others would call “unhealthy coping mechanisms.” He should get up, make some food, maybe go on a run, or call one of his friends. Yet, he didn’t do any of that. Instead, he lay on his rumpled bed and pressed cold fingers into the heat of his bruises.

It was a habit he picked up as a hoglet. When everything became overwhelming, the constant battles, the endless pressure put on him to be a hero, or when shit went horrifically wrong, he found himself doing this. He was almost always covered in some kind of bruises or scrapes, just an occupational hazard. It started innocently enough, poking at some of the healing wounds to test how far along the healing process they were, but when he realized that the little throbs of pain helped quiet his mind, it became a habit.

It was an easy thing to hide, his fur hiding the evidence of any injury from others, and Sonic was good at only prodding the marks behind closed doors. And no one expected their hero to do something so dark and shameful. No one was worried about Sonic, optimism personified. Sometimes that made it worse: the knowledge that no matter how badly he was injured or how loud his mind screamed, no one would even think to consider that he could be struggling.

Sonic rolled onto his side, agitated at his own thought process. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking right now; his mind was meant to be quiet. He dug into the bruise on his biscep viciously, angry at his own brain. The ache pulled him away from his own thoughts, and he slipped back into weightlessness. Like this, time passed in a syrupy haze. Sonic thought he may have fallen asleep at one point, but was unsure. By the time light had begun to peek through the little holes in his old, ratty curtain, he thought he might finally be ready to surface.

With surfacing came the guilt. He felt it every time this happened, a different kind of pain, and like every time before, he swore this wouldn’t happen again. He would force himself out of bed, wander to the full-length mirror hanging on the back of his door, and plaster on a smile. Sonic would stand there, adjusting his grin, until he could see Sonic the Hedgehog, Hero of Mobius. Some days it took minutes, others hours. There were times were he became so frustrated by his own reflection, he would crawl back into bed to hide from it. But today, he couldn’t.

Amy’s parties were always an ordeal. Most days, Sonic enjoyed them, reveling in the attention, food, and seeing his favorite people on the planet. Today, though, he just wanted some quiet. He thought of his couch downstairs, of being able to wrap himself in a blanket and stare at the TV, but knew if he skipped out on this, people would ask questions. Sonic the Hedgehog loved parties, so Sonic would go. He stepped through Amy’s door, holding a dip he had bought on the way there, and gave her the grin he had practiced in the mirror.

“Sonic! You’re actually on time for once,” the pink hedgehog greeted him cheerfully. She was dressed in a pastel green dress that made her eyes sparkle. Her quills had been pulled into an updo, and her eyeshadow sparkled in the low light.

“Miracles can happen, Ames,” Sonic responded, and his voice sounded odd to his ears, but Amy just laughed. She led him through the door, and the noise that immediately assaulted his ears made him want to turn tail and run, but he forced himself forward. Sonic the Hedgehog was not a coward. He set the dip by some chips another person had brought, and began to make his circuit around the room. Sonic fell into the routine of pleasantries: saying hello to this person, asking about this one’s job, or that one’s family. Making jokes about Eggman and laughing at someone’s joke. Through it all, he felt like he was trudging through mud: thick, difficult, and left feeling dirty.

“Hedgehog,” a deep timbre called. Sonic turned and offered Shadow a small smile, less forced than the others he had slapped on. Shadow was dressed in a crisp leather jacket and his iconic air-shoes. The other hedgehog looked just as thrilled to be there as Sonic felt, and Sonic couldn’t help but ask: “What brings you out of your cave?” Bantering with Shadow was another routine, but one that felt more natural.

“For the last time, I don’t live in a cave,” Shadow grumbled, arms crossed. “Rouge brought me here.” Sonic looked around and spotted the bat flittering around Knuckles, the Guardian’s face flushed.

“Ah,” Sonic hummed. “Well, it’s nice to have you here, Shads.” Probably one of the only honest things Sonic had said that night. Shadow grunted at him, and they lapsed into silence. Sonic wondered if he should fill it, because that’s what Sonic the Hedgehog would do, but decided that he would take this small reprieve while he could.

“Alright, everyone! Time for dessert!” Amy called over the din of the party. And just like that, it was over. Sonic shot Shadow a strained smile and shuffled towards the kitchen with everyone else. He didn’t notice the crimson eyes that followed, narrowed. Sonic stayed towards the edge of the crowd, joking with the people nearby while he waited for his slice of cake. Typically, he was excited to taste Amy’s delicious baking, but tonight the thought of eating anything made him want to throw up. He accepted the plate, loaded with a strawberry, spongey-looking dessert, and gave his thanks.

“I’m going to head outside. Getting overheated out here,” Sonic said into Amy’s ear. She waved him off towards the balcony, and he hurried over. Once outside, he quickly hucked the cake into the yard and prayed wildlife would grab it before Amy could find it.

“Never thought I’d see you waste food.” The voice startled him, and Sonic whirled around.

“Geez, we need to put a bell on you,” Sonic said, clutching his chest. Shadow hummed, eyes roving over Sonic’s body. “What?” He didn’t like how Shadow seemed to be searching for something.

“Something is wrong. What is it?” The other asked bluntly. Sonic stared at him, mouth agape, before shaking his head slowly.

“Nothing’s wrong, Shads. What makes you ask?” He wondered if he had slipped somewhere, but he thought he had kept his image perfect.

“You’re sluggish. Every time the music gets turned up, you wince. And you’ve been favoring your left arm.” To say Sonic was stunned would be an understatement.

“I think you’re reading into stuff too much,” he laughed, but even to him it sounded tense. “I’m just a little tired and banged up from the last Eggman fight.” Carmine eyes burned into his, and Sonic’s ears flattened. “Just leave it, dude,” he finally sighed.

“Why are you here if you aren’t feeling well?” Shadow asked.

“Why are you interrogating me about it?” Sonic shot back. He was feeling anxious and defensive. He didn’t know how Shadow had noticed all of this, but he didn’t like it. Shadow didn’t respond to his question, simply crossing his arms. “Whatever,” Sonic huffed, moving to push past the other. “I’m going back inside.” Before he could cross the threshold, Shadow grabbed his arm, right over the bruise. Sonic hissed, pulling out of the dark hedgehog’s grasp, and they stared at each other, surprised.

“Sonic--”

“I’ll catch you later, Shads.” Sonic pushed past his rival and returned to the party, trying desperately to ignore the eyes he could feel boring into his back.

Chapter Text

Shadow hated the sound of heart-rate monitors. It was rare that Maria ever had to be attached to one, but the few times it did happen had left their scars on him. Memories of sitting beside her bed, clutching her hand desperately with his forehead pressed to her chest, fear choking him. Those experiences made him hate the smell of antiseptics, and he avoided hospitals at all costs. Yet, here he was, sitting in one of the most uncomfortable chairs he had ever sat in, staring at a motionless form as those damn monitors beeped.

Sonic was asleep, but Shadow could see his eyes move beneath his lids. Now and then, his hand would twitch, and Shadow futilely hoped his dreams were pleasant. One of the scratchy, blue blankets had been drawn up around Sonic’s shoulders, ready to fight off the chill if the hero’s fever relapsed. An IV dripped steadily at Sonic’s side, like the leaky sink in the en-suite bathroom. Shadow had been in this awful chair for days, despite the nurse’s attempts to shoo him out. He would be damned if his boyfriend woke up in this place alone.

As he sat there in the silence, his mind drifted back to the mess that landed them here. Eggman had been more persistent than usual, sending wave after wave of badniks to them. Two Chaos Emeralds empowered them, and although it wasn’t impossible to manage, the battle had been brutal. Team Sonic and Team Dark had split the battlefield, weaving around each other in an effortless dance of carnage. Sonic and Shadow had moved together like water, seamless, graceful, and unrelenting. Shadow loved the feeling of fighting with his partner, of knowing that there was someone at his side who knew exactly how he would move before he budged. But that confidence had made him complacent, and Sonic paid the price.

The blade had come flying out of a group of robots, whirling through the air with a dull hum. Sonic would’ve been fast enough to dodge it, had it not been for the fact that he was focused on covering Shadow’s six. The saw had ripped through the fur and skin of Sonic’s back like butter, blood splattering the ground wetly. Shadow had watched, stunned, as his partner collapsed to the ground with a thud. Everything had slowed, almost frozen. All he could see was the red staining blue fur, and all he could hear was Sonic’s agonized wheeze.

By the time they got him to the hospital, Sonic was unconscious. Doctors had whisked him away, refusing to allow Shadow to follow, and slammed the doors behind them. Their friends watched Shadow pace the lobby, quiet because all attempts at comfort had only earned harsh words. Finally, three hours later, a surgeon had tiredly entered the room and requested to speak with Tails, Sonic’s next of kin. The fox kit, quivering and trying valiantly to hold back his tears, had okayed the doctor to talk in front of everyone.

The good news: Sonic was expected to make a full recovery. They had to do emergency surgery because pieces of the saw had snapped off in the wounds, and the shrapnel needed to be removed. Sonic would stay at the hospital to be monitored and kept stable. It all sounded so simple, but the process had been anything but. Within the day, Sonic had come down with a fever, the chaos energy in his body rejecting the pain medication and antibiotics. It had taken trial and error to find a combination that Sonic’s body wouldn’t fight, but it meant the hedgehog had to suffer in the meantime.

Now, it was all a waiting game. Sonic slept and slept and slept. Sometimes he would wake, barely lucid, and Shadow would kiss the back of his hand and whisper comfort to him. His heart clenched when tears trickled down pale, blue cheeks. Sonic would try to talk to him, slurring gibberish, before falling back into blissful sleep. Then, Shadow would wait again. Nurses periodically came in to check the IV and change Sonic’s bandages each morning. The wound would scar, they had warned them all, and the fur would take time to grow back.
Shadow had gotten a glimpse of the spot while the nurses changed the bandages, and had almost thrown up at the wave of self-loathing that bubbled up through his chest. Sonic’s gorgeous cobalt fur now had a huge bald patch, with a clean, sutured slash through it. The skin around the wound was irritated, but not infected. Perhaps it was a blessing Sonic slept so much, because Shadow was sure the hedgehog’s restlessness would pull at it. Still, he wished to see those gorgeous emerald eyes clear of the fog of medication.

“Shads?” His name was murmured weakly. Shadow snapped to attention, meeting
Sonic’s gaze.

“Sonic?” He grabbed the other’s hand, squeezing gently.

“Hey.” Chaos, Sonic’s smile was so beautiful, and Shadow ruthlessly crushed the urge to cry. “Wha’ happened?”

“You were wounded in our last battle. You’re in the hospital.” Sonic seemed to process this information slowly, blinking heavily.

“What’s the damage?” Shadow hesitated for a moment. Should he tell him? Would Sonic be upset?

“They had to do surgery to remove some shrapnel from your back. It’s been closed and is healing,” is what he settled on.

“How bad does it look?” Sonic asked, just sounding curious rather than upset.

“Not great.” Sonic hummed, eyes slipping closed.

“Okay,” he said dreamily. Shadow pressed a feather-light kiss to his forehead, and the hedgehog was asleep once more.

--

Weeks later, Shadow and Sonic stood in front of the mirror in the en-suite bathroom, staring at the healing wound. Sonic’s face was unreadable, and Shadow held his breath, waiting.

“Pretty ugly, huh?” Sonic laughed, but the sound lacked humor.

“I don’t think so,” Shadow replied. The patch of missing fur was evidence that Sonic had survived.

“My fur probably won’t grow back right,” Sonic said. There were other small scars on his body, the fur growing at odd angles and slightly different hues. None of them would be as noticeable as this.

“You’re alive. That’s all that matters,” Shadow whispered, coming close to press his lips to Sonic’s shoulder.

“Easy for you to say. You’re effortlessly handsome.”

“You are, too. And anyone who disagrees is a blind fool,” Shadow huffed, irritated at the thought of anyone looking at Sonic and being stupid enough to think him unattractive. This earned a laugh from his heroic boyfriend.

“Help me to bed?” Sonic asked, taking Shadow’s hand into his own.

“Of course.” Shadow guided Sonic to the bed, sitting back in the uncomfortable chair to wait for Sonic’s recovery.

Chapter Text

The chaos energy binding his wrists burned, and the smell of burnt fur was making his eyes water. Sonic tried to squeeze his hands closer together to get away from the sizzling rope, but all it did was tighten. The same had been used to restrain his ankles, rendering him effectively useless.

“C’mon, Shads, can’t we talk this out?” Sonic asked, shooting the other a grin. It was ineffective, as Shadow didn’t even turn to look at him. The other hedgehog had invited Sonic to a spar, which the hero had readily accepted, of course, and used the opportunity to overpower the blue hedgehog and tie him up. The agent offered Sonic zero explanation, and wouldn’t even look at him. “Silent treatment, huh? That’s creative.” Sonic wondered if he could use his own chaos energy to break the ropes Shadow had created, but he never had such finesse over it.

“There’s no point in talking anything out,” Shadow finally responded, though his back was still to Sonic. The agent’s arms were crossed, but Sonic could see how his shoulders hunched. Shadow was good at putting on a confident mask, but Sonic could see through it.

“Agree to disagree,” Sonic said. Trying to converse with Shadow and focus on moving the chaos energy in his body at the same time was difficult. Every time he grasped the slippery power, attempting to turn it into something solid and focused, he lost it again.

“I know what you’re doing, and it won’t work.” Shadow glared at him over his shoulder, and Sonic sighed.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying,” he said with a laugh. He kept trying to grasp his chaos energy, even though he knew Shadow could tell. This seemed to frustrate the other, and he stomped towards Sonic. Finally, a reaction.

“Stop,” the dark hedgehog ordered.

“Make me,” Sonic snarked back. Maybe if he could rile Shadow up enough, he could get his rival to spill. Shadow tensed, and Sonic braced for the blow he was sure was coming, but was left gobsmacked when Shadow just took a deep breath and turned away. “Seriously, dude, you’re acting weird. I mean, tying me up is already weird, but not punching me in the face is extra out of character for you.” Shadow didn’t respond. Again. Sonic huffed, frustrated, and instead looked around him.

They were in their usual sparring spot: a clearing in the forest surrounded by towering oaks, but with a clear view of the sky. Emerald eyes looked up, fascinated by the sight, like he always was.

“The stars are beautiful tonight,” Sonic said, knowing he wouldn’t get a response. Shadow, as predicted, said nothing, but crimson eyes looked upward, too. “I think I can see the Big Dipper.” Sonic traced the constellation with his eyes and watched Shadow do the same. He could see conflict flash over the other hedgehog’s face. “It’s nice to share this with a friend.”

“Knock it off,” Shadow commanded, but his voice was strained.

“Why won’t you talk to me, Shads?” Sonic asked softly. He knew he had Shadow right where he wanted him; he just needed to give him a gentle push. Shadow looked at Sonic, then the sky, and his eyes squeezed shut.

“GUN has a warrant out for your arrest,” he said finally.

“So?”

“So,” Shadow snapped, “I need to bring you in.” Sonic leaned back against the tree Shadow had propped him up against eons ago, and laughed.

“That’s what this is all about? I don’t even know what I did to upset them.”

“Remember the city you and your friends leveled last week?” Shadow demanded. Sonic winced, thinking back to the battle.

“We didn’t level anything, that was all Eggman.”

“And the robot you led straight through downtown? Or the cars your friends threw at it?” Shadow asked, unimpressed.

“What else were we supposed to do?”

“None of you care about how your fights affect people. You cause just as much damage as Eggman.” That stung, and Sonic glared at him.

“Without us, Eggman would have actually leveled the city and enslaved everyone there.”

“GUN already had three teams on the way. It was handled,” Shadow said.

“The bot was already in the city! By the time GUN arrived, there wouldn't have been anything to handle!” Sonic was getting frustrated now. He and Shadow didn’t always see eye to eye on their methods, but he had to know that this argument was ridiculous.

“It doesn’t matter. I still have orders to bring you in,” Shadow said, a tone of finality to his voice.

“You know this is ridiculous. Without me out there, Eggman is going to win,” Sonic growled. Shadow had turned away from him again, staring up at the stars. Sonic could hear the hum of a helicopter in the distance, and he began to struggle. The restraints burned, but he kept wiggling, hissing out a pained breath.

“Stop,” Shadow said, but Sonic ignored him. “Dammit, Sonic, stop!” Sonic was bashing his own energy against Shadow’s, hoping brute force would work, but the ropes of chaos energy kept steady. The helicopter was getting closer, and Sonic was growing more desperate. If GUN imprisoned him, there would be no first line of defense against Eggman. There was more on the line here than his freedom.

Shadow was walking close again, and just as he got within arm's reach, the restraints snapped. Sonic was gone before the other could even blink, and the hero heard an enraged shout over the buffeting wind in his ears. Now that he knew GUN was out for him, he had to alert his friends and make sure they all kept their eyes peeled. He could hear the sound of Shadow’s air-shoes powering up, and smell grass burn beneath their fiery energy. First, he needed to escape.

Chapter Text

The sun was finally beginning to set, casting an orange glow through the kitchen window, reflecting off the stove brightly. Sonic winced at the light, turning away slightly so the glare wasn’t right in his eyes. The hero stirred the soup idly, watching his hand go around and around, listening to the sound of his spoon scraping against the bottom of the pan. It was nothing fancy, not even a homemade soup, something out of a can, but he hoped Shadow appreciated it nonetheless. The other was at work, having been called to GUN Headquarters early in the morning, leaving with a tender kiss on Sonic’s forehead. Sonic wanted to go with, aching with boredom, but between Shadow and his friends, his house arrest was well monitored. The second he left the house, someone would appear within minutes. Sonic wasn’t entirely convinced Tails hadn’t snuck some kind of tracker on him.

The blue hedgehog sighed, scratching idly at the skin above the bandages wrapped around his stomach. The wound hadn’t even been that bad, really. He had had worse. At least this time, the piece of metal that had pierced him was smooth rather than jagged, and it had been treated quickly enough that it hadn’t gotten infected. Despite this, his friends insisted that Sonic be benched until the wound was completely healed, and his overprotective boyfriend didn’t argue.

When he wasn’t at work, Shadow was in full nurse-mode. The dark hedgehog was constantly on his case about something. “Sit down, Sonic. Let me lift that, Sonic. No, you can’t go for a run, Sonic.” It was driving him crazy! Everyone knew that telling the blue blur to stay in one place for longer than half an hour max was like asking him to cut his arm off, and they now had him cooped up in this apartment for a whole week. He needed to feel the wind in his quills, the grass under his feet, and hear the birds sing! He needed to get out of this apartment.
The sound of the front door lock turning snapped him back to the present. His ear flicked towards the sound, and his tail wagged unconsciously as he heard Shadow step into the apartment with a low sigh. Sonic could hear his partner’s heavy air-shoes thud as Shadow took them off, followed by the sound of socked feet across the hardwood.

“You should be resting.” Sonic groaned loudly, throwing his head back.

“Come on, Shads, I’m literally just stirring some soup.” This was getting absolutely ridiculous. The dark hedgehog was by his side swiftly, gently shouldering Sonic to the side.

“Let me do it.” Despite knowing that Shadow was just trying to care for him, Sonic felt frustration begin to build in his chest. Being trapped in a little room all day and being made to feel useless was really starting to wear on him.

“No, seriously, I’ve got it.” Sonic held firm, refusing to let Shadow move him. He knew his partner wouldn’t use much force in his attempt to relocate Sonic, and he used that to his advantage.

“Sonic--”

“Shadow, if you don’t let me stir this soup, I’m going to punch you, and that’d be way more strenuous.” Shadow looked at him in disbelief, but Sonic met his gaze firmly, daring the other to try him.

“Fine,” Shadow finally sighed, crossing his arms and leaning back against the counter.

“Thank you,” Sonic huffed, returning to his task. A few minutes later, the soup was finally heated and just needed to be plated. Sonic moved the pot off the burner and stepped towards the cabinet where they kept their bowls. He reached, momentarily forgetting about the gash in his stomach. “Shit!” The ceramic bowl smashed against the ground, shattering. Sonic clutched at his stomach, hissing out a pained breath.

“Sonic?” Shadow was at his side in seconds, warm hands wrapping around his shoulders. “Are you okay?” His voice was laced with anxiety, and Sonic’s embarrassment tinged with guilt.

“Yeah, just pulled it a little,” he muttered, slowly straightening. The edges of the wound stung viciously, and the momentary relief from pain he had been enjoying today was gone.
“I’ll get your meds,” Shadow said, hurrying off before Sonic could stop him. The hero sighed, looking at the mess on the floor. Great. So much for proving he wasn’t useless. Sonic turned to retrieve their broom and dust pan, but was instantly halted by a wave of dizziness. He stumbled, catching himself on the island counter, and blinked rapidly. His stomach pulsed with pain, and he looked down, seeing red seeping through the bandages.

“Here--” Shadow was interrupted as Sonic fell forward. The Ultimate Lifeform was there in a flash of light, catching his partner before he could fall to the ground. Sonic’s eyes were hazy and unfocused, his breath coming in short little gasps. “Sonic? Sonic, what happened?” The hedgehog didn’t respond. Shadow lifted his partner, moving him to the living room quickly, but gently. He set the other on the couch, pressing a hand to his forehead.

No fever, yet Sonic suddenly looked so clammy and pale. Shadow shook out the blanket they had on the back of the couch, a dark blue one Sonic had seen at the store and immediately fell in love with, and draped it over the hero. Sonic was looking around the room, eyes confused. Shadow kneeled beside him, taking a peach hand into his own after removing his own gloves, needing to feel Sonic’s skin against his own.

“Can you hear me?” Shadow asked softly. Emerald eyes floated towards him, and Sonic blinked a handful of times.

“Shads?” His voice was slurred.

“Sonic, what happened? I went to get your painkillers, and I came back, and you were falling.” Shadow tried to keep the anxiety from his voice, but he wasn’t sure he was all that successful.

“Don’t know. Got super dizzy all of a sudden,” Sonic responded. Shadow sighed through his nose, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to regain his composure.

“You need to take care of yourself, Sonic,” he chided gently. Sonic never responded well to being scolded, but Shadow needed his partner to understand.

“Sorry. Just hate being cooped up like this,” Sonic whispered, eyes falling to the floor. Shadow frowned, guilt warring with his concern for the other, and he pressed a gentle kiss to blue fur.

“I know. The more you rest, the sooner it’ll be over.” Sonic nodded absently, and Shadow knew this conversation was far from over. The dark hedgehog pushed himself to his feet, heading for the kitchen. He ignored the shattered bowl for now, beelining to the cabinet to grab another bowl and fill it with the now lukewarm soup. He brought it to his partner, setting it into shaky hands carefully.

“I’m sorry, Shads,” Sonic said, looking down at the bowl miserably. Shadow reached out, wrapping his hands around Sonic’s own over the bowl, and squeezed gently.

“Don’t be. We’ll get through this.” Sonic gave him a grateful, albeit small smile, and brought the first small spoonful up to his mouth. While his partner ate, Shadow went about cleaning the kitchen. The road to recovery was never easy with Sonic, but Shadow would ensure he made it to the end as unscathed as possible.

Chapter Text

Shadow and Sonic sparred frequently, but it would never compare to a full-out brawl. They hadn’t fought like this in so long, not since Shadow’s attempt at destroying the world all those years ago. At the time, Sonic was like a lighthouse in a foggy sea, calling Shadow to the safety of the shores. Now, it was Shadow’s turn to guide Sonic to the light.

The hedgehog had been missing for weeks, simply dropped off the grid without a word. He didn’t contact his friends, didn’t leave any note, nothing. Simply disappeared. At first, Shadow hadn’t been concerned. It was normal for Sonic to leave for weeks, sometimes even months, off on his own little adventures. It was odd that he hadn’t told anyone, even Tails, but Shadow was sure Sonic would turn up at some point. And he did, but something wasn’t right.

Sonic had looked at them all without any recognition, gazing at them with aloof, distant eyes. Shadow had never seen such an expression on the normally grinning face, not even in Sonic’s darkest moments. To see it now, while Sonic stared at the people he called family, was disturbing to say the least.

“Why are you here?” Even the hero’s voice was wrong; gruff, stern, everything Sonic wasn’t.

“Sonic, where have you been?” Tails stepped forward, wringing his hands anxiously. Shadow could tell the little fox wanted to go to his brother, but the uncertainty of the situation stopped him.

“I asked why you’re here,” Sonic snapped.

“It’s his house,” Shadow interjected, pulling that focused intensity away from the fox and towards him.

“What the hell is your problem? You disappear for weeks and come back acting like an ass?” Knuckles was pushing forward, too, the Guardian and GUN agent making an effective barrier between Tails and the hedgehog. Sharp emerald eyes locked on them, and blue quills bristled. Shadow tensed, instinctively preparing himself for a fight.

“I don’t know who the hell you are,” Sonic hissed, and Shadow’s eyes widened, “but I won’t let you take my mind again!” Sonic was blasting forward in an instant, and Shadow darted to intercept. Knuckles could keep up with Sonic in terms of strength, but in a battle of speed, Shadow was their only chance. The echidna swiftly gathered Tails, ushering the fox inside the kit’s workshop, saying something that Shadow couldn’t hear. He was too focused on meeting Sonic’s blows, trying to keep insanely fast fists away from tender spots and dodging kicks meant to knock him out in one hit.

Sonic’s face was twisted in a snarl, and for a moment, Shadow was tossed back to the ARK. Looking at Sonic was like looking into a mirror of the past. The hedgehog’s eyes were alight with rage, his body screaming fear and aggression, every move a neon sign of desperation. He looked just like Shadow did.

“Sonic, stop for two seconds,” Shadow growled between blows. Sonic was barely giving him time to think, let alone speak.

“Shut up!” Sonic screeched, aiming a brutal fist at Shadow’s jaw. The GUN agent dodged, barely, and responded with a chaos-infused kick to the hero’s stomach. Sonic flew back with an oof!, rolling across the ground a few paces. The hedgehog shook his quills out, a low rumble vibrating from his chest.

“What did you mean you don’t know who we are?” Shadow asked, fists still raised defensively. Sonic pushed himself to his feet, blue energy crackling around red sneakers.

“You tell me. I can’t remember anything except your faces and this house. You must have been the ones to take my memories.” Before Shadow could respond, Sonic was sprinting at him with a loud boom. Shadow braced himself, catching Sonic by the shoulders and trying to halt his momentum. His feet slipped in the soft soil, and they both went tumbling to the ground.

“We’re your friends, you stupid faker!” Shadow snarled, trying to wrestle Sonic to the ground. The other hedgehog was snapping his teeth at Shadow’s wrists, pushing against Shadow’s muzzle with his hands. It was a disgraceful display, two experienced fighters reduced to wrestling in the mud like animals. Shadow pinned Sonic’s head back with one of his hands, and startled when the hedgehog let out a strained yelp. He snatched his hand back, concerned he had wounded the other, and Sonic whined. “Sonic?”

Sonic’s eyes were squeezed shut, his face pinched with pain, and he writhed restlessly. Shadow sat up, still pinning the other with his legs, and tried to see if there were any visual injuries. Sonic’s hands flew up to his temples, rubbing at the fur there and moaning lowly.

“Hurts,” Sonic wheezed. Shadow’s hands hovered, indecision making him useless.

“What do I do?” The blue hedgehog didn’t respond, still clutching at his head and making low sounds of pain. As suddenly as it had started, Sonic froze. Shadow tensed, waiting for the other to strike, but green eyes simply blinked open and stared at him.

“Shads?” His voice was hesitant, like he wasn’t sure.

“Sonic?” Shadow was confused and worried, lost and unsure of what to do.

“My head hurts,” Sonic whispered, eyes slipping shut again.

“Okay,” Shadow said. “Okay.” He slowly got up, cautious for any flip in the hero’s mood, and reached out a hand. At the same time as he helped Sonic to his feet, Tails and Knuckles came running from the workshop, the fox holding some kind of device. “Careful, he’s still acting a little odd,” Shadow warned, halting them in their tracks.

“I made this to scan him. Maybe we can get some clues about what’s going on,” Tails said, holding up the scanner. Sonic eyed it warily before nodding, still using Shadow as support. The hedgehog seemed fatigued, legs shaking and shoulders hunched, swaying in place. Tails inched forward, holding the scanner out, and pressed a button on the side. The device began beeping, information flying across the screen faster than Shadow could keep track, but Tails was focused. The fox frowned. “There are traces of Cybercorruption in his body.” Shadow had no clue what that meant, but judging by the serious looks on the other two’s faces, it was nothing good. At his side, Sonic shuddered.

“What do we do?” Knuckles asked, arms crossed.

“We need the emeralds,” Sonic said, voice weak. “They’re the only things that could stop the corruption from spreading.” Shadow noticed he didn’t say it would cure it.

“Okay. I’ll call Amy and Rouge, and we’ll start looking.” Knuckles was walking away, communicator glowing. Tails just stared at Sonic, eyes somber.

“It’ll be okay, bud,” Sonic said with a shaky smile. Shadow had a feeling he was lying, but didn’t say anything. Tails nodded, looking at where Knuckles was pacing, talking into his communicator.

“I’ll prep the Tornado,” Tails said. Shadow and Sonic watched him go. The GUN agent eyed the hero beside him, noticing how tired Sonic looked.

“I need your help, Shads.” Rare words.

“Anything,” Shadow said, and meant it.

“Can you keep an eye on me? Make sure I don’t do anything…stupid while they look for the emeralds,” Sonic sounded grim, and Shadow frowned.

“Stupid like what?” Sonic offered him a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Like what I just did.” Shadow knew in that moment the next few weeks would be hell for both of them, but in the same breath, vowed he would keep his promise to the hero, no matter the cost.

Chapter Text

Shadow knew he should’ve gone with him. Sonic was a magnet for trouble on the best of days, but Shadow had foolishly thought his partner could go a few hours without the agent’s hypervigilant presence by his side. Sonic had, after all, made it most of his life without Shadow guarding his back, so what was a single day? Foolish.

Shadow had been waiting in their apartment, sitting on the couch and staring at the blank TV because, despite Sonic’s best attempts, modern television didn’t appeal to him. At times, when grief choked him and left him yearning for the past, Shadow would turn on I Love Lucy simply to reminisce. Right now, the screen was a dark void, echoing Shadow’s anxious thoughts back to him. Sonic was late, which wasn’t odd in and of itself, but it still made the hedgehog’s nerves alight with tension. He had pinged the hero’s communicator a handful of minutes ago and received no response. Also not strange, especially if Sonic was still fighting, but no amount of rationalization would set Shadow at ease.

Then came the knock on the door.

Shadow was to his feet in seconds, gliding across their hardwood floors to the door. His gut screamed at him that something was wrong, that something awful would be behind that door, and his gut was never wrong. He pulled the door open, expecting to see his boyfriend leaning against the threshold, bloody, but still smiling, with a joke on his lips about forgetting his keys. Instead, his eyes meet the soulless, red gaze of Metal Sonic. Shadow tensed, knowing his reaction would be a split second too late to properly respond to the android, but Metal didn’t move. That’s when Shadow saw Sonic.

His partner was in Metal’s arms, crimson blood staining the blue shine of the robot’s body. His eyes were closed, and his breathing ragged. The hero’s quills were disheveled and battle-torn, and Shadow absently noted that they would be a pain to fix later. The more pressing issue was the gunshot wound on his shoulder, slowly draining his lifeblood to the concrete floor. Shadow stood there, stunned for a moment, and Metal reached out, offering Sonic’s limp form to him. The dark hedgehog glared at the other warily, placing his hands hesitantly beside Metal’s, waiting for the blow he knew was coming.

But nothing happened. Metal transferred Sonic to Shadow’s waiting arms, and with one last glance, the robot was gone in a blast of smoke. Rather than stand there and ponder the metal fake’s motivations, Shadow hurried his partner into the apartment. Sonic groaned, eyelids fluttering, but otherwise didn’t respond.

“Sonic?” Shadow called. No response. He set Sonic on their couch, rushing to their bathroom for their first aid kit, and kneeled at the hero’s side. The wound was a clean shot, through and through. The edges of the hole were burnt, like Sonic had been shot up close, the smell of scorched fur burning Shadow's nostrils. How anyone managed to get so close to him, Shadow wasn’t sure, but questions could come once his partner was stable.

Shadow’s pulled gauze from the kit, molding it into a firm pad and pressing it to the wound. Sonic moaned, writhing beneath his grip, and Shadow shushed him.

“I know, I know,” he whispered. He hated inflicting pain on the other, but he had no clue how long the hedgehog had been bleeding out. He kept up the firm pressure for what felt like hours, brow furrowed as he tried to keep track of Sonic’s breathing through the process. The pristine white of the gauze began to saturate with blood, and Shadow lifted it gently. The wound was still bleeding. Shadow cursed under his breath, pulling more gauze from the kit. Sonic was sweating, face pinched, and Shadow mentally apologized to the other as he began to pack the wound.

Sonic yelped, body convulsing, and Shadow used his shoulder to hold the other down. Sonic panted in his ear, low sounds of pain tumbling from his lips, and Shadow’s ears pinned in an effort to block it all out. Sonic needed him to focus. He packed the entry and exit wounds as best as he could, finishing it off with a bandage to wrap around it and hold the gauze in. Sonic was shivering lightly, and Shadow sacrificed the blanket on the back of the couch to cover his partner.

Gradually, Sonic seemed to ease, body loosening and breathing steadier. His brow eased, and with it, Shadow’s tension began to dissipate. Sonic would need to be taken to a hospital to make sure the wound was properly sterilized and treated, but for now, Shadow needed him stable. The agent sat beside the other heavily, making sure not to jostle him. Sonic was never going on a mission without him again.