Disclaimer- I don't own any of the Sonic the hedgehog characters.
A/N- Hey! Welcome to my new fic! Well, it could be, depending on how much you guys like it :) I know that there's a number of Sonic monster stories on the site, but this plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone. So, hopefully you'll enjoy!
Chapter 1
All he heard were the rain drops splattering against his windshield. They were hard and heavy, causing a near opaque blanket of grey that prompted the frown already present on his muzzle to prominently grow.
Shadow stiffly increased the frequency of his windshield wipers as if annoyed that he had to turn them on in the first place. The flailing devices did little to improve visibility of the rarely used road he was traveling on. Regardless of the obtrusive clouds blocking the late afternoon sun and making his drive near impossible, Shadow never did release the gas.
The striped hedgehog had not encountered a single vehicle ever since he had turned on this empty road. The reason could be the severe weather, or that it was in the middle of nowhere. Shadow didn't particularly care. The road was an alternate route for him to avoid traffic on the highway caused by idiot drivers who couldn't keep their wheels on the damn asphalt.
Shadow had been leaving Emerald airport and making his return to Station Square on a freeway that was supposed to lead him straight to the city, taking no more than an hour. However, there were so many cars at a dead stop that would test any driver's patience.
Shadow wasn't in the mood for it. His patience was already drained and basically in the negatives. His adoptive grandfather believed that it was a great idea to expand the hedgehog's summer stay at his home/laboratory in Green Hill to the day before the hedgehog had to start his senior year. Brilliant, was it not? Shadow was all for saying no and leaving a week ago like he had planned to so he had plenty of time to not rush. However, Maria had been on her grandfather's side.
Dammit. Shadow needed to learn to say no to that girl.
Her excuse was that she wanted to see as much of him as she could before she went back to college abroad. Spagonia was so far away and her work was so rigorous that she didn't have the time to come home. If that wasn't enough to sway the dark hedgehog, she also had used the puppy eyes on him, and that's why he was in the middle of this downpour not knowing exactly how long it would take him to get to the city now.
It was also because of his delayed flight, but he felt it was easier to be angry at people than inanimate objects.
Shadow adjusted himself in his seat, sitting straighter and squinting his eyes. He could barely make out the white and yellow lines that defined where his car could and couldn't go. Agitated scarlets snapped to his right when he passed by what he guessed to be a speed limit sign. Those red orbs then drifted to his speedometer. He didn't know what the sign said that flew by, but when the rain wasn't bad earlier, the limit had been fifty-five.
He was going eighty.
The cops were just going to arrest him when he got back home. He wasn't worried about any tickets either. Gerald would pay the full amount needed when told. That man was too nice for his own good.
Shadow debated drowning out the constant rainfall with the radio, but then decided against it. No amount of music would make the headache-inducing weather any more pleasant, and he needed to focus before he turned into those idiot drivers and headed straight for a flooded ditch.
His high-beam headlights were activated because of how the clouds blocked out the sun and turned the day into early night; they did nothing but highlight each rain drop as it fell in front of Shadow's car. The hedgehog's grip tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles began to throb.
Shadow shifted his focus from the road for a split second to curse the clouds above. Before a single word escaped his tanned lips, a loud tone erupted from his pants pocket, causing him to return back to earth. Shadow was highly irritated, but he wasn't crazy, so he let up on the gas a bit to slow his speed as he dug into his pocket.
He gripped his phone and took it out. Shadow knew that there were no police around that he could see; however, he scanned the area outside anyway. Tickets were one thing; being arrested was another. Unsurprisingly, he didn't see anything but the sheets of rain and the occasional glimpse of blurred trees along the side of the road.
Using more muscle memory than visual assistance, Shadow unlocked his phone and went to his messages. Hardened rubies flickered down to the device, and his ire nearly dissipated at what he read.
Maria: Sorry we kept you so long lil hedgie! Forgive us? I know you might be mad…
A breathy sigh breezed by the white chest fur sticking out of his black tee. Shadow's gaze softened. They just wanted to spend time with him. With Maria studying out of the country, Gerald busy with his unmovable work many hours away, and Shadow going to the school that had the best score academic wise, the trio weren't together often.
Shadow had suggested that he leave his apartment and move back in with Gerald at the beginning of summer, but the man insisted that Shadow have the best experience with the educational system. The schools near where the scientist worked were not great by Gerald's standards (Shadow's books and lessons during his first two years of high school proved that), so he had helped Shadow find an apartment in Station Square before junior year started. He covered all of the expenses as well. Shadow had a bank account, and Gerald generously provided him with enough money to last him until he turned forty-five.
Not quite that much, but it was an impressive amount.
The man trusted him not to abuse it because he was – as Gerald put it – mature for his age, and he didn't.
The most expensive thing Shadow had bought was the car he was currently inside that was being abused by the weather. The hedgehog at the wheel blinked when a bolt of lightning lit up the sky, and his ears twitched at the base-filled boom of thunder that quickly followed. Just perfect.
Shadow kept his eyes on the road for a short while until he went to answer the text. However, before he could, another tone echoed throughout the interior again. The hedgehog read what popped up.
Maria: Wait wait wait! You're driving, aren't you? Shoot! Don't answer these, okay? I don't want you to get in trouble or get hurt! Be safe for me, alright? Don't answer that either! Just text when you get back to your room!
He just shook his head in jest. Sometimes, Maria was the mom he never had.
Shadow: Don't worry. I will.
Maria: Shadowww! That's illegal!
Shadow: If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around, does it still make a sound?
Maria: I'm serious!
Shadow: Okay. I'll stop.
Maria: :(
Shadow stared at the emoticon and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Maria could also be a small child if she so desired. The hedgehog was then brought back to the situation he was in when his vehicle began to drift. Breath hitching, Shadow swiftly placed both hands on the wheel and guided himself back to where he was supposed to be, phone slipping out of his hand in the process.
The hedgehog bit back an expletive as he debated going after it. He wanted to so the phone couldn't somehow mess with his pedals, but then he would be taking his eyes off the road again. Shadow thought for a moment before reaching down, now unable to see the rain, only hear it.
He kept his steering hand steady as he searched by his feet. It took little time to locate and grasp the phone. Shadow sat back up in his seat just in time to nearly jump out of his skin when something hard bumped into his front bumper, making the car slightly lurch. Eyes wider than they had ever been, Shadow stomped the brake, and his stomach flipped when he felt the car roll over whatever he had hit.
The car impressively skid to a complete stop despite the horrid weather outside. Shadow was clutching the steering wheel, staring out of the windshield in front of him, unmoving. The rain and thunder were still roaring, but his heart was pounding his chest so hard that he could hear his pulse clearly in his ears.
Shadow's mind was in a frenzy. Should he get out and go check? But what if it was a wild animal? Furious that it had been hit? Or what if it was just a random object that had rolled to the road from the wind? What if…it was a person? No. That was crazy. No one sane would chose to be pelted with this rain. But…
"Shit," Shadow panted out, arms trembling as he carefully steered his vehicle onto the shoulder of the road. He put the car in park and placed his phone in the passenger seat. Taking a second to steel himself, Shadow opened the car door and immediately was soaked. His shirt plastered against his torso, and his pants clung uncomfortably to his legs. He wasn't focused on his own discomfort though.
Shadow closed the door until it was open just a crack. The hedgehog looked the way he came, but couldn't see what he had hit though the tons of rain drops coming down on him. With a lump in his throat, Shadow first went to survey the damages, heading to the front of his car.
As expected, there was a sizable dent in his bumper. Nothing that could identify what he had ran over. There was no blood, but the rain could have easily washed it away.
Swallowing, Shadow stepped away from his car and jogged back down the road, wiping away the water dripping into his eyes. His shoes splashed into the puddles as he went, mind fearing the worst the closer he thought the victim was.
When the striped driver eventually found what he hit, he felt his blood run cold. It was a person. Oh fuck. It was an unconscious hedgehog with drenched cobalt quills. Shadow's eyes searched the stranger's body for injuries until he realized that it – a male, Shadow knew now – was completely naked.
Why the hell was he naked?
Shadow then deemed that question unimportant and filed that away for later, seeing that there was a sizable gash in the side of the victim's head. The rain was rinsing the blood, but the wound was still very visible. Shadow then noticed that still one's left leg was bent the wrong way, clearly broken. There was bone poking out of the tear in the other's calf were it bent.
The striped hedgie gritted his teeth, clenching his quivering fists. What should he do? Call the police? Who knew how long it would take for them get out here in the middle of a raging thunderstorm. It would be better if he just…
Shadow stepped closer to him. It isn't like he'll die of blood loss. His injuries could be worse. A lot worse. The hedgehog squatted down and gathered the unconscious one in his arms, careful of the broken leg. Shadow frowned at how light the other was, almost unhealthily light. The striped rodent swiftly paced his way over to his car, but briefly paused in his step when he noticed the blue stranger's hands.
They were severely callused, and the nails were unkempt and dirty and sharp…almost like claws. Shadow shook that ridiculous thought out of his head. This person was probably homeless, but that was bizarre in itself because he looked to be around the same age as Shadow.
Said hedgehog hesitated a split second as he stood in front of one of the back doors of his car, wondering if he should do this. As nasty as it would be, he could always just… No. He was raised better than that. Even if he might face charges with that dent in his bumper, he couldn't leave the hedgehog here.
Shadow, soaking from head to toe, opened the door and gingerly laid the blue one down on his cloth seats. Dammit, how was he going to explain the inevitable stains? Hire a cleaner maybe? And a mechanic as well…
Taking a shaky breath, Shadow closed that door before opening the driver's and hopping in, knowing that water was being absorbed by his seat and sighing. Foot on the brake, he put the car in drive, but before he pulled off, he glanced over to his phone beside him.
Should he…? No, they'd have a heart attack, especially Maria. He would tell them later.
Shadow pocketed the phone, checked for any cars – although knowing good and well that there wouldn't be any – and his tires met the slick asphalt once more. He never shifted his attention from the road even though his mind was split at the moment. Half of his focus was on his steering so that he wouldn't cause another incident in this insane weather, and the other half was him listening for any sound or movement from the one behind him. The last thing Shadow wanted for the stranger to go berserk on him and risk both of their lives.
Every now and again, the driver would glance up into the rearview mirror only to see the blue hedgehog in the same position Shadow had put him in.
The striped hedgie's heart rate slowly decreased to normal as the ride went on. Shadow got more comfortable, and it seemed like the rain was letting up. He believed that his guest would stay knocked out until they got to the Square's hospital, which was hopefully not too long of a drive.
Some of the clouds started to part, and Shadow saw that the sun had almost completely set, the formerly blue sky now filled with a multitude of darkened colors. Because the rain had decreased to only a drizzle and he could afford to, Shadow looked over to the radio clock. It wasn't too bad. Despite everything that he had went through, he shouldn't make it home too late. Well, if him dropping off the one in the back didn't take long.
Shadow ran a damp hand down his face and sighed. He really needed some rest after this was over. Between the stress and the full-out panic, Shadow was ready to say goodbye to today.
The striped hedgehog rode peacefully as the natural light faded.
His moment of tranquility was then interrupted when a low moan emitted from the backseat. Shadow peered over his shoulder to see the formerly unconscious hedgehog slowly coming to.
Shadow turned back toward the road and made himself speak. "Don't move too much. You have a broken leg."
His only answer was more groaning and something snapping. If that didn't raise red flags, the tearing, ripping, and breaking that accompanied the now low and guttural growls sure did.
Shadow was too petrified to find out what the hell was going on. His body was frozen as those unnatural and terrifying noises went on behind him. After a particular crack of what the hedgehog could assume was bone, a couple drops of blood landed on his right arm. Shadow was tempted to jump out of the moving vehicle then and there. To hell with the car and whatever was in the back seat.
However, Shadow continued to sit there and drive. He wanted to carry out his plans – oh how he wanted to – but the sounds had suddenly stopped.
The eerie silence was worse than the gruesome noises from before.
Shadow gripped the wheel like doing so could save his life. Maybe it actually would, because he was starting to feel like picking up the stranger had been a bad idea despite the circumstances.
The driver attempted to stay calm, and he did so by slowly counting down from thirty in his head. When he got to zero, he was going to look in the rearview mirror to see what had happened. Maybe he was just being paranoid. 25. Someone under intense stress could possibly hallucinate. It wasn't impossible. 16. Shadow didn't know why he was so paranoid. Nothing was going on with the boy behind him. He was still unconscious back there with an injury on his head and a broken leg. 5.
Shadow took a deep breath and shifted his gaze up.
It felt like an elephant sat on his chest. He couldn't breathe. There was no way that he could, because there was a very muscled and very bloody beast crouched down low in the backseat looking straight at him. Shadow couldn't tear his eyes away from those deadly claws ripping into his cloth, those bared teeth ready to shred anything in sight, and those wild blood-thirsty eyes that were boring into Shadow's skull.
The hedgehog's brain shut down as he gradually turned his head until he was staring into the mouth of the beast. The dark-furred monster pulled back his lips more and let out an animalistic snarl that blew hot breath into Shadow's pale face.
Then the beast lunged, and the scream left Shadow's throat before he could stop it.
The striped rodent ripped his seatbelt off and plastered himself against the door when the other chomped down in the space right where his face would have been, forgetting all about the steering wheel. Fearing for his life, Shadow tried to open the door with the handle, but his hands were shaking too much.
When a giant clawed hand grabbed the back of Shadow's seat and pulled, instantly snapping it in half, the hedgie knew that it was either fight or flight. Since he couldn't escape, he made the rather dumbass move of kicking the beast in the nose.
He instantly regretted that when his ankle was painfully grabbed.
The car then drove off the road and into a neighboring ditch, dipping into the water-filled depression in the ground and flipping over itself. The sleek black vehicle rolled over and over, causing the airbags to go off. Shadow was hit in the side with his that sent him tumbling towards the back of the car and by the growling beast who was bracing itself.
Shadow yelled out in pain when glass shards cut his arms, and then he was knocked out when his head smashed against the roof of the car. His world quickly cut to black.
Everything hurt when he came back to. Over ninety percent of his body was either throbbing or bleeding, and his head was killing him. He was currently laying in the backseat. Shadow cautiously sat up, careful not to move too violently. Feeling blood run down his cheek, he wiped it away only for it to be replaced a few seconds later.
"Great," he coughed out, voice dry and rough. Shadow looked around, seeing that his car was trashed, littered with shattered glass and mud that had entered from the roll. He was relieved that the vehicle had landed right-side up, but then again, he was sour about the actual condition of the car. All of the windows were shattered and the frame was bent and broken beyond repair.
Things could have been worse, he supposed. He could've been more injured than he was now, or that beast could have-
Shadow's heart skipped a beat when he whirled his head around, searching for the monster that had attacked him. He then groaned when the movement made his world tilt on its axis, horribly dizzy. He held his head, but still wondered where the hell that thing was. Did it leave? What was it anyway? He had picked up a normal person, and in the stranger's place was…
Just what the hell…
It looked like a freak cross between a wild bear and a wolf with a predatory drive of those two put together. However, it still resembled that blue hedgehog from before…vaguely. So did he…transform? Like a…
Shadow shook his head softly, almost laughing at his insane thoughts. That wasn't possible. He was delusional. He had to imagine it. The claws, the fangs, the other grabbing his leg…
The hedgehog coughed again and realized with urgency that he needed to get out of the car. There was smoke rising, and he could smell the potent odor of gasoline. His body protesting every movement he made, Shadow crawled over the seat to the closest door, hissing in pain as he did so. He cracked the door before it refused to open anymore. Gritting his teeth, he shoved it using all of his weight and yelped in surprise when it sprung out, sending his aching body to the muddy ground.
Shadow quickly crawled away from the deathtrap on his hands and knees, too weak to get his feet under him. The hedgehog trudged through the muck until he reached the road again, settling down right where the asphalt began. Shadow panted as he watched the smoke rise over the trees that had stopped the car's destructive path.
Tired and traumatized scarlets then focused on said plants, having a shiver travel down his spine at the sight of the darkened woods. As he gazed on, he couldn't help but feel that something was looking back. Blaming that on his most likely concussed brain, Shadow dug in his pocket and pulled out his phone. It was cracked and damp, but it still worked.
He dialed a number and put it up to his ear.
Shadow's world was then suddenly filled with light and warmth when his car exploded, pieces of metal and glass reaching his feet. There went all of his clothes that were in the trunk. He just observed as the fire lit up the night, too spent and hurt to care anymore.
"9-1-1. What's your emergency?"
"I need an ambulance…and send your best shrink too while you're at it."
So how'd you like it? Should I continue? If I do, I don't think updates will come as frequently as Reality Breach, but I'll try :D
