A/N - Hello everyone. I wanted to write a story about where Shadow possibly was during Sonic Forces and the six months where he wasn't a part of the Resistance. I've made a few changes to the main story, so it's not completely canon, and I don't believe my story to be 'canon', this is more so of a suggestion of what could have happened, since it is grounded in their reality. If you asked me where I actually thought Shadow was for six months I'd say 'He was laying low and gathering intel on Infinite' but I'd rather explore his side of the story to the fullest, and put my own little spin on it. I also want to explore and expand upon the dynamic he has with Infinite, as I think that was the best part of 'Episode Shadow'. I don't know how many chapters they'll be, but I have the plot pretty much all figured out, I think it might run into the main campaign of Sonic Forces, and I'll be posting whenever I finish a chapter. Chapter 2 is already finished, so I'll post it in the next few days.

I just want to thank sonicwind-01 for letting me use their fanart of Shadow. Go check them out on tumblr if you want to see more of their incredible art. They are really good at what they do.

And that's it. Enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you think!

Chapter 1 - Beginning of the End

~I'll handle things my way~

Green Hill was burning. Shadow felt the blistering heat coming from the fiery blaze on his face as he rushed through the area at blinding speed. The flames rose up unnervingly close, threatening to scorch his fur.

A flock of startled birds flew across the red tinted dusk sky that was filled with choking black smoke and rising embers. Eggman's robots were laying waste to the valley, turning what had once been fields of lush green grass to a blackened, smokey desert ruin. Shadow didn't let the destruction faze him, instead he just pressed on, even when some of the robots spotted him. The sounds of heavy gunfire didn't even register to his ears as he plowed through the walking junk piles, reducing them to scrap metal in seconds.

He wasn't there to save Green Hill or the wildlife that once inhabited it. It was beyond saving. He was merely taking a shortcut, trying to reach the city as quickly as possible. Rouge's last call had worried him, there had been panic in her voice. Images of what might have happened flashed through his mind, each one worse than the last. None of them were pleasant.

Shadow feared what Infinite had planned more than the roaring flames that surrounded him. That brief amount of time he had spent in virtual reality had left him scarred. Their encounter a mere month ago had given him a taste of what Infinite was capable of. If his power hadn't been 'tuned' back then, it undoubtedly was now.

Infinite's words echoed in Shadow's mind as he jumped across a large gap, the ground crumbling beneath his feet as he continued moving. "Not even Sonic will be able to stand against me now."

What he said scared Shadow just as much as what he had experienced in virtual reality. If Infinite managed to get his hands on Sonic, he wasn't going to hold back, he was going to be relentless. He had to stop him, he had to save Sonic.

He just hoped he wasn't already too late.

Shadow finally made it out of the inferno and left what remained of Green Hill behind. Torched countryside quickly turned to city ruins. Eggman was already targeting this area. As soon as Shadow reached the tall city blocks, he climbed a fire escape on the nearest building, making his way up to the roof. Once he was up there, Shadow crossed the rooftops, scanning everything around him, trying to find any trace of Infinite or Sonic.

And then he saw it, something that stopped him dead in his tracks. The aftermath of a horrific fight.

Sonic was lying on the ground, battered, bruised, bleeding, completely limp, showing no signs of getting up.

Is he... Is he dead? Shadow questioned. No, he can't be...

Infinite was there, hovering above the ground, surrounded by a glowing red aura. Eggman was there too, sitting in his Eggmobile, looking rather pleased with himself as he stroked his prized moustache, a huge, menacing grin stretched across his face. Infinite used his unknown power to lift Sonic's lifeless body into the air, holding him high above everyone's heads, for all the world to see. They were showing him off, as an example, or even as a trophy.

Eggman laughed maniacally "Yes, yes!" He shouted with glee. "At long last, Sonic has been defeated!"

"He wasn't nearly enough of a challenge." Infinite muttered. He almost sounded disappointed.

Shadow glared at Infinite, shooting daggers into the back of his head. However, his attention shifted off of Infinite for a moment, as he quickly observed Eggman's other minions. There was a creature made of pure water, with a brain floating inside of its see-through head. Shadow assumed it was Chaos, a being he had never met face to face, but had been mentioned to him by Sonic at least once. Metal Sonic was also there, along with a tall, bulky, red, horned creature that he had never seen or heard of. But what his eyes eventually landed on shocked him to his very core. It sent chills rushing up his spine, twisted his stomach into knots and made his heart drop.

It was him. No, it was his mirror image. A copy of him. Another Shadow.

At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but as he continued to stare, it became all the more apparent that he was definitely not mistaken. The hedgehog that was by Infinite's side looked exactly like him. They had black fur, with the same red markings, they were wearing his rocket boots, his gloves, his inhibitor rings, they had his face, his eyes, they were even standing in his normal stance, with their arms folded, a frown on their lips. This was insane!

Shadow stood there, frozen to the spot, blinking in disbelief, watching his double.

How is that even possible? Shadow thought to himself. This can't be real. His mind was racing, filled with so many questions.

He was snapped out of his trance when Infinite spoke up again. "What should I do with the small, trembling, mutated fox kit?"

Shadow followed Infinite's gaze and his eyes widened in horror when he saw Tails, cowering in fear. He hadn't even noticed the two-tailed fox until now, had he really been there the whole time?

Tails had seen everything. He had watched Sonic die. He saw Infinite snuff out his big brother's life.

"Hmm." Eggman pondered.

"I'm surprised he didn't run away like the other cowardly pests, who fled as soon as they saw an opening." Infinite muttered, adjusting his mask. "No matter. His presence didn't change the outcome. I can just as easily dispose of him, like I did with the blue fur ball."

"No, wait." Eggman interrupted before Infinite could deal any sort of blow. "He is rather clever, not as clever as me of course, but he's very good with machines. He'd be a valuable asset to the Eggman Empire. The perfect slave."

"I'll- I'll n-never work for you!" Tails stuttered, a sob caught in his throat.

"Who said you had a choice?" Eggman questioned. He then turned to Infinite. "Bring him in, by any means necessary." He ordered.

Infinite drew closer to Tails, still hovering effortlessly above the ground. "Don't worry little kit, it will only hurt for a second." He warned, his hand outstretched, with a dark, pulsing ball of energy forming and growing in size and strength in his palm.

Shadow had seen enough. He may not have been able to save Sonic, but he could still save Tails. He clenched his fist, chaos energy coursing through his veins. A bright blue light enveloped him as he teleported down there, scooped Tails up in his arms, and teleported away in a matter of seconds. If anyone of them had blinked, they would have surely missed it.

"Wh-what was that?! Where did he go?!" Shadow heard Eggman shout, his voice thick with confusion.

Shadow had teleported himself and Tails a safe distance away. They were hidden in an alleyway, but were still in earshot. Shadow glanced around for a moment, making sure that the coast was clear, and that there were no Eggman robots lurking close by. He peered round the corner and caught a glimpse of Eggman, looking dumbfounded, while Infinite's mask hid any emotion he might be feeling. Thankfully, it seemed like they were none the wiser. His gaze landed on the other Shadow. His exact copy had a sort of... Deadness in his eyes. It was unnerving.

Tails' soft weeping caught his attention. Shadow looked down at the two-tailed fox he was cradling in his arms. Tails' eyes were closed, his face buried in Shadow's chest fur, with a tear streak on his visible left cheek. "Sonic..." He whimpered, his tightly clenched fists pulled up to his face as he cried. He was shaking like a leaf. It seemed like he was stuck, trapped in a brief moment in time, unable to move forward. He probably still thought that he was back there, about to be struck down by Infinite.

"Tails, it's okay. I've got you, you're safe now. No one is going to hurt you." Shadow told him in the most nurturing and comforting manner he could muster. His usual low voice and quiet tone didn't make his attempt at consoling Tails very successful. What Tails needed right now was Sonic, and Shadow wasn't him.

Tails' eyes shot up open, they sparkled with fresh tears as he thrashed his arms around wildly, punching Shadow as hard as he could. It felt like more of a light tap, since his punches were weak, there was no force behind them. "Get off me! Put me down!" Tails cried.

"Keep your voice down." Shadow warned in a hushed whisper. "Tails, I don't know what you saw but I swear to you, that wasn't me."

"Let me go!" Tails shouted, hot tears streaming down his already wet cheeks. He seemed to be frustrated, angry, and sad all at once.

Shadow did as Tails was demanding and set him down on his own two feet. "Murderer! You helped that- that monster! You helped him kill Sonic." Tails exploded, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Tails, calm down. You're not listening to me." Shadow replied calmly. "I know you're upset, but I promise you, I didn't lay a finger on Sonic, I would never do that."

"Liar!" Tails cried, more tears streaming down his face. "I saw you, I saw everything!"

"Tails, please, just think about it, you know me, you know I wouldn't-" Shadow began.

"No!" Tails cut him off. "I thought I knew you, but I don't. Sonic trusted you, I trusted you! How could you do that to him? To all of us?" He weeped.

"Tails..." Shadow reached out to him, but the young fox backed away, shaking his head.

"Stay away from me!" He cried, before turning on his heels and running down the alleyway. Shadow chased after him, but stopped when he saw a troop of robots stomping round the corner at the far end of the street. Luckily, Tails was running in the opposite direction, and disappeared from view before the robots could spot him.

Shadow slid back into the shadows of the alleyway as the robots past. As much as he could easily take them out, the destruction of his robots would most likely alert Eggman to Shadow's presence, which was something he'd rather avoid. This wasn't a good time for confrontation. He was also the last person that Tails wanted to see right now, so it was probably best if he left him be, for now at least. He just hoped he found somewhere safe to take refuge.

"Perhaps the little fox managed to develop some sort of teleporter." Shadow heard Infinite suggest, as his ears tuned back into their conversation. "Should I go after him? He couldn't have gotten far." He then asked.

"No, he's not worth the time and energy. Besides, without Sonic, he's vulnerable, weak and useless, so he won't prove to be much of a threat." Eggman replied. "It's a shame though really, even if he refused to work as my slave, he would have made an excellent robot."

"A weakling like that? I doubt it." Infinite scoffed.

"Quiet, I need to address the public." Eggman ordered.

There was a few seconds of silence as Shadow waited, his back pressed up against the cold, stone brick wall.

"Greetings, citizens." Eggman's voice boomed. He must have been using some kind of amplifier, maybe he had a speaker on the Eggmoblie, or he had hacked the speakers across the city in order to broadcast his message. "I know you're out there somewhere. I want you to listen, and I want you to listen close. You're beloved hero, Sonic the Hedgehog, is dead. Now there is no one to stand in my way, and no one to protect or save you from me. Long live the Eggman Empire. I look forward to seeing you all volunteer for robotisation. Those who resist, will suffer the same fate as Sonic."

"Come, Infinite, we have work to do." Eggman ordered after he had finished. And with that, they left, taking Sonic's body with them.

Shadow watched the trail of red energy that was the last traces of Infinite fade before switching on his wrist communicator. "Rouge? Rouge come in."

The only answer he received was radio static. "Rouge, I don't know if you can hear me, but... Sonic is down. I'm sorry... I wasn't fast enough. I'm withdrawing for now. Call me as soon as you can. Let me know that you're safe."

It was still a shock to the system, even to him. Shadow couldn't quite believe it... He didn't want to. Sonic was dead, and Eggman had won. And worst of all... There was another Shadow, helping them, and framing him for a crime he didn't commit.

Where was he supposed to go from here? How could he or anyone else salvage any sort of victory after such a massive blow?

Was this really the end, when the fight had only just begun?