Chapter Text
It was late, just the time Eclipse preferred to visit settlements as there were less people to panic from his presence and those that were out seemed to have a higher tolerance for oddities. They minded their business so long as no one was bothering them and he could appreciate that.
This night, he was in a cafe with his little ones. Each had their own warm beverage and a cookie—Eclipse simply couldn't ignore their pleas for a treat rather than real food. He sipped his drink, getting whipped cream on his muzzle, forcing himself to relax in this quiet moment.
"My-my, I never expected to see you at a place like this," came a sultry voice.
Eclipse glanced up only to sigh and roll his eyes. It was Rouge, the usually infuriating bat-woman whom his brother saw as a trusted companion. The darkling reflexively rubbed his upper arm where the bat had jabbed him a syringe before, still not trusting her himself.
"While I was still at G.U.N. HQ, I tried coffee to see why Shadow liked it so much, but I couldn't get used to the taste. I did, however, find I... don't mind white chocolate mochas," Eclipse explained, deciding to at least attempt to put up with her for Shadow's sake.
"How interesting," Rouge noted, pulling up an uninvited chair and sitting down. She had her own drink and a croissant. "Please tell me you didn't get coffee for your little monster babies."
Eclipse rolled his eyes, something he felt he would be doing quite a lot while she was here. "No, of course not! I'm not out of my mind!" he scoffed. "I got them steamed milk, full of protein and fat."
Rouge grinned, amused at his defense. She took a sip from her drink—a caramel macchiato—then a bite from her flaky croissant.
"What did you want anyway?" Eclipse questioned, annoyed that his peace and quiet had been interrupted. "Because I doubt you wanted to just catch up."
Rouge blinked slowly, looking at Eclipse with a more focused gaze. "Well, I have been hearing rumors about a Black Arm causing trouble. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
Eclipse shook his head. "No, but Knuckles heard the same thing. People just assume I'm a threat even when I rescue them from Eggman's robots."
"Knuckles?" Rouge fluttered her wings in surprise. "When did you run into him?"
"A while ago, before the zombots," Eclipse answered, then took a drink. "He thought I was terrorizing a town, but I had actually defended them from Eggman's robots. Shadow showed up and helped sort things out."
"Oh, how unusually chivalrous of you," Rouge commented, not fully sure that the darkling was telling the whole story.
Eclipse frowned. "The Eggman Empire has been an enemy of the Black Arms for a while and his attack on G.U.N. led to Obsidians death. Besides, we got a feast out of it."
"I see..." That made more sense to Rouge, so she could let the matter rest for now.
Eclipse quietly sipped his drink as he watched his little ones finish off their cookies. They drank more of their milk, each having straws as they had no way to safely lift the cups. "I have been feeling a... pull," Eclipse admitted. "But I don't know if I'm imagining it, if it’s just wishful thinking, and... I wanted a break after, well, everything."
"Well, why don't we investigate?" Rouge suggested, her croissant finished. "I could use your... expertise."
Eclipse sighed. What was he getting himself into?
After fully finishing their treat—Eclipse was not going to give up on the rest and relaxation he had planned, however short it was—they left. At least travel was simple enough since they both could fly. Eclipse made sure to show off, flying circles around Rouge several times to rub in how much wider his wingspan was. This stopped when Rouge reached out and dug her fingers into Eclipse's armpit.
"Hngehgehgehgeh!" Eclipse's wings reflexively pulled in close to his body, causing him to lose lift and crash into a tree. Crim and Cyzer giggled while Rhygenta, Blurk, and Iveryte panicked.
"Oh my, I guess Black Arms are ticklish," Rouge teased as she hovered over the tree.
Eclipse popped up out of the treetop, eyes bright with rage. "What's the big idea, lady?! You could've broke my neck!"
"Doubtful," she dismissed. "Now stop playing around. Not only is this area central to the Black Arm sightings, it's also the location of a former Egg Base. Shadow destroyed it before the war, but that doesn't mean there aren't any dangerous robots left over."
Eclipse grumbled, launching from the tree. "I doubt it. Shadow's usually pretty thorough."
"Usually," Rouge emphasized, running a finger under Eclipse's chin.
Eclipse recoiled and snarled; his survival wasn't from a lack of trying on Shadow's part. "Whatever. If there really is a Black Arm in the area, he's probably just using the base for shelter, and I can handle any robots we may run into." A pause. "Why not just bring Shadow along instead of me?"
Rouge's playful grin faded. "Because Shadow's had enough of his past coming back to haunt him and if it is a Black Arm, you can just make it go to sleep like you did before."
Eclipse looked away, recalling his time in White Space. He had lulled some of his brothers to sleep rather than let them fight Rouge and meet their ends. The darkling wasn't just made to kill Shadow; he was a kill switch for his own kind. "I just wish I could've brought them with me..."
Rouge stayed quiet this time. She may not be friends with the darkling, but she understood that he had much in common with Shadow. He had his own haunting past, though the marauding Black Arms were a far cry from the innocent girl his brother had lost. In many ways, Eclipse had a much worse upbringing, yet his dedication to family paved the way for a better life. It was remarkable, really.
They landed amongst bright lights, the casino theme of this base apparent. It would take some time to search all of it.