Detonate
4 minutes 33 seconds
His Chaos Powers were already drained by now, and probably of little use.
Yet, he kept slamming Chaos Spears into the vault door. Hoping that metal could dent.
Rouge was attacking the vault door alongside him, using whatever she had left in her.
Their breathless panting echoed around the vault walls.
They stopped and exchanged glances, and held each other's gaze for a long, thoughtless moment.
"I'm not giving out. Are you?"
"No. Not at all."
He continued to spear into the door, as she tried to deactivate the detonator.
"Wake up."
His eyes opened, and he was startled to find her there with him.
"How did you get in here?"
She gave a light shrug. "Shut your windows next time, darling. I just thought I'd give you the wake-up call this morning."
He felt somewhat pleased and somewhat annoyed.
"The boss says we'll be in Doctor Eggman's place today, so you best be prepared."
He stood up out of bed. "I'm plenty prepared for that, I just wish that you would have let me be prepared for you."
"I wasn't expecting anything special anyway."
He stood in the doorway and looked her way, begrudgingly. "You know what I meant."
She smiled. "Suurre."
3 minutes 15 seconds
They both stopped, momentarily. To look on one another, to gain strength and will from one another; and then they kept trying.
"I like your choice of cereal. Plain wheat oats. You know, I wasn't sure what to expect…I'm glad you weren't really unprepared and left the marshmallow- cereal out."
"Of course not."
Silence filled the room.
"Hmm…you sure are talkative aren't ya?" She glanced around his small kitchen and admired the way his curtains were pulled back, letting the sun glisten in like waves.
He noticed it. "I let the sun speak for me."
She looked his way and watched the lights flickering in his eyes.
"So I see."
2 minutes 29 seconds
He cursed loudly, and she joined in.
They sat down, against the metal wall together.
"We're going to get out of this, right?" It was pointless asking.
"…."
"Should we just stop?"
"Probably not. Are you worried, Rouge?"
"No."
The same sun continued to shine as they walked to HQ.
"What's the sun speaking for you now?"
"It's peaceful. I hope it lasts."
"It most likely won't."
"I know it, but at least I'll have-" He didn't finish.
"What?"
He looked at her for a moment, and still didn't reply.
"Forget it."
She didn't.
2 minutes 10 seconds
They stood up again, and fought together. They fought the walls of their confinement.
"We're going to make it," Shadow promised, less of a question than she could fathom.
We're going to make it where?
She knew in some way, they would.
Their orders from HQ were plain- get to the base and get the weapon from the vault.
They both knew it wouldn't be so simple, but they didn't really mind.
It was a long walk, anyway.
There was something in the air that didn't seem the same as ordinary though.
"Do you feel that?"
She did, and it was starting to bother her. "Yeah, I wonder what it is."
Neither of them had an answer, and so they kept going.
1 minute 20 seconds
They weren't going to panic, they promised.
They wouldn't. They already knew there was no way.
But they weren't going to panic.
Shadow was panting too heavily.
Sweat drenched both of their bodies and made their clothing articles stick to their tired skin. And she hadn't realized it at first, but she was exhausted. More exhausted than she'd ever be again, she supposed.
But they didn't panic.
"What will we do when it comes down to thirty, Shadow?"
His only answer was, "We'll fight."
But it came down to 30 seconds
This time they didn't fight. They collapsed onto the steel floor, side by side, each panting with their heart's beating loud in their ears.
"Thank you."
She didn't ask what for, because she knew what he meant.
He sat up, against the restricting walls, as did she.
He tried to give her a hopeful glance, but shut his eyes instead.
She slumped back, as the detonator reached 10 seconds.
They were about to enter, with the omnious feeling still hanging overhead.
"Shadow."
He glanced at her sapphire eyes, and he never forgot the way they looked.
"Yes?"
"You've got me."
He didn't understand what it was, but it scared him when he heard the words. Maybe it was because he knew something was different.
"I know."
"I know it sounds strange, but-"
He didn't let her finish. "We'll make it out. It's not the end until it's the end. You can't just trust a feeling."
"Right, I wasn't suggesting that." But she was trusting one feeling. "I just wanted to say because…you looked a little nervous."
He shook his head. "Only if it was for your sake."
She didn't reply.
They walked in together.
At 0 seconds, they made it out together.
Except it wasn't as they thought it would happen, because they came out in pieces.