~In the Resistance hideout, a few hours until Eggman's plan~

"Guys!" Silver exclaimed as he runs in the planning hall. He stops to catch his breath before looking at the resistance with alarm in his wide eyes. "Shadow is in Sunset Heights."

"And he's tearing our troops! We need help!" Vector shouted who was running behind the time traveler.

"Shadow." Knuckles hissed under his breath. "Last time we saw him he was beating our troops to death with Infinite!" He growled with his red fur raising in anger.

"It doesn't make sense. Why would Shadow join the bad guys?" Tails asked with sadness in his blue eyes.

"Maybe he's mind controlled?" Everyone turned to Sonic. His eyes were full of hope, but his ears were down.

"That...could be a possibility." The silver one said with uncertainty in his voice.

"Regardless, we have to stop him before he kills us." The echidna stated.

"I'll fight him!" Charmy shouted with his fist held high. "I'll die, but it'll be a heroic death." The bee said while being dramatic as much as possible. His teammates all gave him half-closed eyes.

"He'll squish you like an actual bug. Maybe Silver could do it." The crocodile said while his bee friend glares at him with his arms crossed. Silver flinched when he heard his name.

"I'm still recovering from my fight with Infinite. Besides, every time I see Shadow I have a fear of him kicking me in the head. For some reason." The psychic said and murmured the last part.

"I would fight him. But he almost killed me in our last battle. Hate to admit it, but he's too strong for me." Knuckles said with narrowed eyes as he remembers the battle.

"And there's no way Classic can handle Shadow. He's too strong for the little guy." Amy pointed out. The hero then sighs softly before speaking.

"Then it looks like I have to fight him." He says while rolling his shoulders to get rid of the gripping tense in his body.

"Alright, good luck." His Fox friend said with a thumbs up. When the blue one did the same, Classic could see a hint of sadness in his older self's eyes.

"Be careful. I can't lose you again." Amy whimpered with tears forming. The hero went to her, and wipe the tears off of her watery eyes.

"Don't worry about a thing. I'll be back in no time!" Sonic assures the female with a grin. He flinched when he felt a small hand patting his leg. The hero looks down to see Classic patting him good luck.

"Thanks, little guy." The blue hero said. The little guy only crossed his arms with a nod. The adult version runs out of the building to the city where his opponent waits. But a frown rests on his face during the run.

"Shadow, why did you join the villains? I thought you wanted to protect the planet?" He thought. The image of Super Shadow fighting Devil Doom popped up in his mind. Sonic closed his eyes as he runs through the robot invested city.

"Just why?" He opened his eyes as the memory of Shadow falling towards Mobius after using Chaos Control to stop the Ark. Sonic stopped as the image of the falling black hedgehog having tears, thankful that the plan worked. The hero sighs through his nose while his eyes were looking at the ground.

"I wish you wouldn't go down like this." He murmured under his breath. His ears twitched when he heard someone landing a few feet ahead of him. Emotional green eyes meet soulless red eyes. The wind hit their fur and quills as they stare at each other. The black hedgehog only stood there with his arms crossed over his white-furred chest. After about a minute of silence, Sonic decided to break it.

"Shadow let's talk this out. Tell me why you joined Eggman!" He demanded. The said hedgehog didn't say anything and only continue to stare. Green light surrounds him before disappearing in a flash. Sonic got on edge as his eyes and ears turned sharp. The green light flashed behind him but reacted slowly, as he got a roundhouse kick in the back. The blue hedgehog grunted as he rolled on the ground several times. When he stopped, he spits out tiny pebbles that he accidentally ate during the roll. But he had to move to the side to dodge a Chaos Spear landing directly on his head. Sonic glares at Shadow while grinding his teeth before performing a spin dash at the other. The ultimate life form caught the ball of spikes in his hands without any trouble. That only made the hero spin faster to hit the traitor. But he gasped as he saw smoke and blood coming out from Shadow's hands. While being distracted, the black one threw him away like a baseball. The traitor slowly walks to his enemy while his cut up hands were dripping blood. Sonic got up and saw the red liquid flowing down the other's fingers and painting the ground red.

"So he isn't a faker. But that means I can't hurt him badly." He thought. The hero jumped back to dodge a punch then it went through the ground where he stood. Shadow struggles to get back his hand from the cracks while he grunts.

"Shadow please stop! I don't want to hurt you!" Sonic pleaded. The traitor only snarls as a response before getting his bloody hand free. In a second, he got up to slap the hero with his backhand. Sonic flinched at the sudden pain as Shadow's blood smeared on his now bruised cheek. Before he could get his senses back, the black hedgehog kicked his legs making him hit the ground. The fall made Sonic hit the back of his head on a rock under him. Everything was spinning as shocks of pain make him groan. He could see two Shadows digging into rubble near them. Once the hero's vision was back to normal, the traitor pulled a rusty metal pipe out from the pile. Green eyes widened as the ultimate life form drag the weapon to the wounded hero.

"Shadow! Shadow! Shadow!" He screamed as the said hedgehog was over him and held the pipe high. The hero put his arms over his face to try to block the hit.

"Shads!" The said hedgehog stopped at the spot with the pipe still in the air. Blood from his palms rolls down his arms as he stares at the cowered hero. His eyes widened as a loud ringing echoed in his head.

"Hey, Shads wanna do a race?"

"My name isn't Shads."

"I know, but it rings."

Voices echoed in his mind. His drenched arms violently shake as his eyes shrink while clenching his teeth.

"S-Son-Son-" Sonic opened his eyes when he heard Shadow murmuring.

"Shadow?" The hero whispered. The said hedgehog tried to say something, but he's stuck on the S.

"Emo!"

"Disgusting hybrid!"

"Traitor!"

Dark voices echoed his mind that made his head jerk like a malfunctioning machine. His eyes closed as his whole body shakes violently. At this point, Sonic got up and put his hands on the other's shoulders.

"Shads are you-" He froze as he feels his blood turning into ice when the black hedgehog opened his eyes. His head was slightly down, making his red eyes look darker as he glares at the hero. There was one emotion in those soulless eyes. Anger.

"Sh-" The pipe finally went down, and slam it on Sonic's shoulder. The hero fell to his side as he clenched on his wounded shoulder. He hissed through his teeth as blood was coming out from his wound. The blue one yelped when the other kicked his shoulder, forcing him to lay on his back. Sonic flinched as he sees a pipe coming towards his face. Using his other arm, he grabbed a broken brick to block the attack. Both the pipe and brick fought against each other as their owners try to push the other away.

"Shadow please don't do this. You're my brother. I love you!" Sonic pleaded. Shadow flinched as he looks surprised. He slowly lifts the pipe off of the crumbling brick. The hero could see the other's eyes water as he stares down at him. His face was twitching, trying to find the right emotion.

"They're friendly to you because they're afraid you'll kill them. Did you believe that someone could truly love you? Your 'best friend' could have a better life if you weren't there. You're not keeping her wish since you've created a monster like me!"

Shadow drops the pipe to scratch and pull his ears. Imaginary pain flowed through his body, and he feels his insides on fire. The pain spread to his chest, making him scream in agony. The blue one dropped the brick as he gets up to grab the other's wrists to stop him from tearing his ears off.

"Shadow stop!" Sonic pleaded. The black one shakes his head violently while making painful noises.

"Besides, why would someone like an emo monster?"

Shadow tries to get his wrists free from the hero's grip. He could feel his wrists going to be crushed until the bones become dust.

"I'm not letting go!" Sonic shouted.

"No no no no no no!" The ultimate life form continued like a broken record.

"You're a faker. And that's what you'll ever be."

The blue hedgehog then pulled the other into an embrace. Shadow was confused as Sonic tighten the hug.

"You're my friend. I can't lose you again." The hero whispered. After hearing that, tears roll down the ultimate life form's cheeks. It soon turns into a waterfall as he shakes with his eyes closed. His breathing turns into hyperventilation while Sonic rubs his back to calm him down. The hero noticed underneath the black fur was pale scars. He sighs as he saw some of them were seven months old.

"What did Infinite do to you buddy?" He thought as he continues to rub the other's back. After a few minutes, the black hedgehog's breathing turned to normal.

"Son-Son-Son-"

"It's okay I'm here," Sonic whispered to Shadow. The ultimate life form's eyes were half-closed as tears still going down his cheeks. He stared at nothing for a few minutes. The pain was slowly disappearing as his mind goes clear.

"Sonic?" The said hedgehog let go to see the other's face.

"Shads?" The hero asked with a smile and watery eyes. He was glad to see life in those red eyes. Shadow nods slowly.

"Ya." He whispered while looking down. He stares at his palms which were dry of blood along with his arms. He flinched when the blue hedgehog hugged him again. The hero tightens the embrace with his face buried in the crook of the other's neck.

"I'm glad you're back," Sonic whispered with a weak smile. The black hedgehog didn't say anything, which makes the blue hero let go of the embrace to look at him.

"So what happened?" Sonic asked. Shadow froze as memories of seven months ago rushed him like a wave. His black fur rose as everything around him turns black. The only light were red glowing cubes surrounding him.

"Shads?" The said hedgehog blinked from the memories to turn his attention to Sonic.

"You're shaking." He pointed out. Shadow looks away in embarrassment while trying to stop the shaking.

"O-Oh I didn't know." He whispered with his hands awkwardly shifting around. The hero noticed that.

"At least that you finally break from the mind control." He said with a small smile. The ultimate life form nod while his eyes were looking down.

"Ya." He simply said. Sonic stood up and grab Shadow's arm to do the same. The black hedgehog flinched at the contact as he gets up.

"Come on everyone's waiting." The blue one said with his usual smirk. The agent looked at the other with shock.

"A-Are you crazy?" He pulled his arm back from the other's grip. "They'll kill me on sight! I-I can't go back after what I did! What I did to you!" Shadow shouted with his hands on his head as his shaky eyes look at the ground. Sonic wasn't affected by the sudden outburst.

"No, they won't." He said as his hand goes to the other's shoulder to calm him down. But it didn't work since the black one pushes them away.

"Yes, they will Sonic! I'm a traitor to everyone's eyes now." His red eyes look down on his bloody palms. "I have blood in my hands from innocent people." Tears hit the tattered gloves. "I-I didn't mean to kill those Jackals! Now their leader rules this planet because of me! It's my fault that you were tortured for six months! I didn't keep Maria's wish to protect this world!" Shadow's voice gave out as soon as he said his friend's name. The hero felt his heart break to see him in a crying mess.

"So?" Sonic asked. The other looked at him with confusion and tears in his eyes.

"So what?"

"You were a bad guy before remember? You still save the planet even when it took your life." The blue hedgehog said with the memory of the Ark in his mind. Shadow had the image too, but he shook it off.

"Ya? Well, at least I didn't kill anyone back then." He said with his ears down.

"And when the government was on your tail when those Black Arms came. Everyone thought you're on their side. But not me! I still see you as my friend, heck even see you as a big emo brother." The hero said with a big grin. The black hedgehog let out a chuckle with his arms crossed.

"Big emo brother eh? That attitude will kill you one day." He said with a small smile. The blue hedgehog shrugs with the grin still on his face.

"That still won't stop me. I'll be an annoying ghost that won't stop until you accept my friend request. " Sonic then make ghost sound effects with his arms moving around. Shadow tried to hold it in, but he let out laughter. It only made it worse when the other increased the ghost act.

"Alright! I accept it! Now can you stop haunting me?" The black one asked with a smile.

"Maybe?" Sonic said with a smug look. The moment was over when Shadow frown.

"Sonic can I ask you a question?" He asked. The said hedgehog nods with a smile.

"Of course. What is it?" He asked.

"How do you stay like this? You know, happy? Even when there's a war going on." Shadow asked. The hero crossed his arms before looking down as if he's thinking.

"To be honest," He started after a few seconds of silence. "The prison almost broke me." Shadow was shocked at the answer.

"But even when I was losing hope, I remember my friends. Tails, Knuckles, even Amy. I'll let them down if their hero is broken." Sonic said a with his arms behind his head and having his famous smirk. The ultimate life form stared at him with awe. An image of Rouge popped into his mind smirking. Omega shows up with his gun arms ready to shoot. Finally, Maria looks away from a large window and smile at him. Shadow formed a smile.

"Ya, you're right. It's out of character of me to be like this. Let's kick some ass!" He shouted with a fist up and fire in his ruby eyes. Sonic chuckled at the attitude.

"We will but let's go back to the base. Knux has been messaging me crazy for a few minutes." He showed the other his watch which contains the messages. They were concerned but quickly turned irritated.

"Glad to see that echidna hasn't changed," Shadow commented with a chuckle. The hero did the same.

"I know. Let's race to the base. Ready set go!" Sonic said quickly before running away. The black hedgehog stared where he went for a few seconds. He smiles before running after the other.

The two were standing at the entrance of the base.

"Remember the signal I told you earlier," Sonic said before entering the building with Shadow following behind. The first thing he saw was Vector and Charmy lifting a large object while Espio was guiding them.

"A little more to the left." The ninja said.

"Charmy lift it up more!" The crocodile shouted. The bee's wings flapped faster as his face was sweating.

"I'm trying!" He shouted. Knuckles had a frustrated look before fading away when Sonic came into the room.

"About time. You should text me back." The echidna scolded with his arms crossed.

"I know that feeling," Amy commented with a chuckle. Tails ran up to the hero.

"Sonic, Classic and I found out more about the Phantom Ruby." He said.

"That's great. But I have an announcement to make." Sonic said getting almost everyone's attention. Gadget and Classic who were chatting with each other look at the hedgehog with confusion.

"Say hello to our new slash old friend!" The hero moved away from the entrance to reveal a nervous looking Shadow.

"Did someone ordered a lot of supply of edge?" He asked with an awkward smile. Everyone in the room froze in place. Vector dropped the large object, making Charmy fall with it with a scream.

"Maybe we should have worked on that line," Sonic whispered to a still nervous Shadow. Everyone jumped when Knuckles walk towards the two hedgehogs. The hero felt a twitch of nervousness when the echidna had an angry expression. Shadow felt himself shrink as the echidna stared at him with intense violet eyes. Everyone was silent as the two Mobians stare at each other for almost a minute. Finally, the commander responded by clicking his tongue with a smirk.

"You gave us one hell of a scare." He said as he crosses his arms. The Resistance looked at each other in confusion while Shadow was utterly confused.

"What?"

"Well, duh you don't have those soulless eyes anymore." The commander explained. His fighters felt at ease after their leader said that. After everyone's faces changing to happy, the ultimate life form felt himself smiling.

~Later~

"So Infinite's goons are only illusions?" Knuckles asked with his arms crossed. Shadow nodded while leaning against the main table.

"Yes. The only way to defeat them permanently is to defeat Infinite. Since he has the Phantom Ruby." The black one explained.

"Alright good to know. All we need is a plan." Silver said with his fist gently hitting his palm.

"Well, we can think up a plan on the way. It's about the end of the time limit." Vector informed. The commander nodded.

"Right. Everyone, let's move out!" He ordered everyone in the room. In seconds the Resistance runs out of the building except for two hedgehogs. The hero was about to go with them but was stopped by a voice.

"Hey, Sonic," Shadow said with his usual frown. The said hedgehog turned to him, and ready to listen to what the other was going to say.

"I wanted to say," Paused for a moment. "Thanks. Without you, I would have run away." The agent thanked with a weak smile. Sonic stared at him for a moment before smirking.

"No problem. I couldn't leave someone behind. No matter what!" The hero said with a grin. Shadow rolled his eyes playfully with a smirk.

"I know. Come on we have a war to finish." He said. His fist was out for the blue hedgehog. The hero understood the offer, so he gently hit his fist on Shadow's.

"Yes, let's finish together!" Sonic said with his usual smirk. With that, the two rivals speed out of the base to join the fighters to defeat Eggman and Infinite.

I hope you enjoyed! This took longer than I expected. I started it during the summer, around July or August. But I was busy with other projects.

The idea was from a comic on YouTube. It's in Spanish, but it's still good. Look up Shadow Regresa.

I'm sorry if Shadow is out of character in this story. But then again, it'll be weird if he wasn't.

Fun fact: Almost the whole fight scene took me one night to complete. And the title was going to be Who I am. But I was listening Unravel while writing the fight scene. So I name this story after the song.

There was a dropped scene where Charmy tried to beat Shadow up after Knuckles said "Well, duh you don't have those soulless eyes anymore.". But it would break the mood, so I cut it.

It's been a long time since I've written a one-shot. Almost two years ago. It's nice to do a one-shot once a while.

Anyways, have a good day/night!