Chapter Text
I didn’t stick around to hear the details of their plan. They could handle it. I trusted them. But I couldn’t trust myself.
Lumi had just informed me of the disturbing reality that I had somehow been turned into a biological spy camera.
One of the moths hit me with a dart back on the island. I thought it was strange, but didn’t have time to question it as we had to make a quick escape. It turns out, the dart injected me with a tiny camera that implanted itself in my brain. Everything I saw and heard was being broadcast to the moths’ surveillance system.
Sonic tried to convince me to stay, but I knew it would be foolish to. I was a danger to everyone as long as the moths were watching.
So, I took off on my air shoes, back to the outskirts of civilization where I went to be alone. Shortly after I’d gone into isolation, another voice began to speak in my head. One that was unfamiliar.
“Running away won’t do anything, you know. I can still find you easily. Of course, the Speed Demon is my priority, but you’ve more than earned a place on my hit list.”
It had to be her. It couldn’t be anyone else.
“You must be Lumi’s mother. I gave you the benefit of the doubt, you know. I thought you were just grossly incompetent. But it turns out you’re much more unpleasant than I could have predicted.”
“I’M unpleasant? Hm, that’s interesting coming from someone who tried to eat my daughter.”
I sighed. “She asked me to scare her, so I did. I had no intention of actually harming her. Unlike you, who left her defenseless on an island with killer robots. My conscience is clear.”
That… wasn’t entirely true. I felt horrible about leaving her behind, even if it wasn’t on purpose. The moment I realized she wasn’t with Tails anymore, I was devastated. I may have been right to criticize her mother from the very beginning, but I wasn’t much better. I failed to protect her.
“You’re a monster, just like the rest of them. I’ll see to it that you get what you deserve.”
I scoffed. “You wouldn’t be the first to want me dead. But as you can tell, I’m still here. Go ahead and try.”
That was the last I heard from her. But I knew she was still out there, and likely, still watching.
The moths seemed to have been dealt with. Swarms of armored bugs leaving destruction in their wake were nowhere to be seen. But I stayed out of it. Regardless of if they could fight or not, they still had that camera in my head. They would always be able to find me wherever I went, and if I crossed paths with the others, they would be at risk.
As far as I knew, no one was looking for me. There were a few times I spotted Rouge flying overhead and I evaded her, but I wasn’t sure if she was looking for me or if she was just on another treasure hunt.
It was for the best. I wasn’t actively being sought out by the moths because I didn’t pose an immediate “threat” to Lumi. Any association with Sonic and the others would change that.
It wasn’t until about one month later that I finally encountered someone.
I heard a pair of voices in the distance. One sounded like Tails. The other, I almost didn’t recognize.
“Check this one out, Tails!”
“Lumi, be careful! Your wing’s still new, you might damage it!”
“Relax! I used to do this all the time!”
Lumi sounded different. It was definitely her, but she sounded happier and more energetic. A stark contrast to the guarded and anxious moth that I remembered. It was clear more than just her wing had healed.
Suddenly, she screamed, and I heard the sound of leaves rustling behind me. She crash landed in a shrub.
Not long after, Tails came running to her aid.
“Lumi, are you okay? Nothing’s broken, right?”
“I’m okay. But I think you’re right, maybe I should stop for today. That landing’s got me a little dizzy.”
“I was gonna suggest we go home, anyway. Sonic got back to me, he’s coming by tonight!”
“Yes! Alright, let’s see if we can beat him home!”
She was staying with Tails. And the way she spoke to him reminded me a bit of Sonic. It was a relief to know she was doing better. After everything, she deserved to be a part of a loving family.
Just when it seemed they were about to leave, Lumi’s voice lowered to a whisper.
“Hey, is that Shadow over there?”
“Looks like it. Rouge said he still doesn’t wanna see anyone, though. We should leave him alone.”
“Can I just talk to him real quick? I want him to know I’m okay.”
“You can try. He might run off again, though.”
I sighed. There was no point in pretending I couldn’t hear them.
“I know you’re there.”
There was an immediate shift in Tails’ tone. He was stunned and embarrassed.
“Oh! Uh… sorry, Shadow. We didn’t mean to-”
“Don’t worry about it.”
I could hear the sound of wings flapping as Lumi fluttered around my head. I shut my eyes tight. They didn’t need to see her.
“What, you can’t even look at me? Shadow, it’s over. The moths are all deroboticized now. You don’t have to be afraid.”
I huffed. “I’m not afraid. I just don’t want any of them seeing you. Regardless of if they can do anything or not, they have no right to know where you are.”
Lumi sighed, then suddenly flew over and landed on my head. I flinched. Even though I knew she was harmless, a warning would’ve been nice. That and her little boots walking across my head felt very strange. Almost like a bug…
Well, exactly like a bug.
She sat herself down beside my ear and stuck her hand in it.
“W-What are you doing?!”
“I’m gonna see if I can deactivate the camera from here. Now, hold still.”
I decided to humor her. Mainly because I knew she’d keep running around on my head if I tried to grab her. I didn’t expect anything to happen, though. The gem’s energy was channeled through her fear, and she wasn’t afraid in the slightest.
Then, all of a sudden, a quick and painful feeling seared through my head like an electric shock. I jolted, nearly shaking Lumi off my head.
“Whoa! Are you okay? I’m sorry, I didn’t think that would shock you. Do you think I got it?”
I took a second to recover, groaning as I held my hand to my head.
“I would be surprised if that didn’t kill it. I may have also lost a few braincells, but otherwise, I’m fine.”
Lumi flew off my head and hovered in front of my face. She even looked different from the last time I saw her. She was wearing actual clothing instead of a plain black jumpsuit, and her wing had been repaired with an artificial one, allowing her to fly again.
“That’s good! Ah, not the braincell thing, but, well, you know what I mean!”
I nodded. “Yes. Thank you. I… really didn’t like having that thing in my head.”
She smiled. “Glad I could help! So, does that mean you’ll come back? The others are worried about you.”
I wasn’t surprised that she wanted me back. Even though she’d recovered, she still very clearly had an issue with attaching herself to others she hardly knew. I had my doubts that everyone wanted me back.
“If they really are worried, they shouldn’t be. Besides, I prefer my solitude.”
She fluttered closer, looking me dead in the eyes.
“Hey. You matter. Your friends care about you. Don’t forget that.”
I sighed. “Alright. I suppose I should go let them know I’m alright. But I won’t be staying long. I find them to be a bit exhausting after a while.”
Lumi was satisfied with that response, and she proceeded to land on my shoulder. I glanced over at her, confused.
“You can fly now. You know you don’t have to do that anymore.”
“I’m trying not to strain myself. Still getting used to the new wing. Also, I kinda like traveling like this!”
Of course she did.
“I’m not cuddling you like Sonic does if that’s what you’re after.”
“What? No way!”
Judging by the look she exchanged with Tails, that confirmed she was lying. Such a strange little thing…
We met up with the others, and I explained to them how Lumi was able to free me from the camera. They had a lot of questions about what I’d been up to, but there wasn’t much to tell.
I decided to take my leave after a while. Admittedly, it was nice to see everyone again, but I could only handle being the center of attention for so long. Just before I left, Lumi approached me.
“You’ll come back, right?”
I still didn’t understand her insistence on trying to be close to me. She didn’t even seem to like me when we first met. But that was also a constant with her. It made me realize that her emotional attachments weren’t a weakness. They allowed her to grow.
“I can’t say for certain if I’ll be around much. But… if you ever need me, you know where to find me.”
All I could do was stand there as she abruptly rammed herself into my chest fluff, attempting to hug me. I sighed, letting it slide. Though, after a few seconds I had to pluck her off as she was starting to get a little too comfortable there.
I left after that, smiling to myself as I thought about how far she’d come. It truly was something to be proud of.
Of course, I wasn’t about to tell her that. I could tell Sonic’s personality rubbed off on her, so she would be absolutely insufferable if she knew I was proud of her.
In any case, seeing her find happiness after all she’d been through gave me hope that one day, I could do the same.