Chapter 2: Reunited Brothers

Shadow calmed down after a few seconds of running, and quickly wiped his tears away. He sighed with something near to relief as he approached the exit of GUN's base, and walked past the guards without a second glance. He was glad to be leaving the military organization behind.

"I guess I should go see...my brother." Shadow smiled, something he rarely did. "I just hope he doesn't think I've gone insane when I tell him..."

He ran to Sonic's house and knocked on the door. A few minutes later, Sonic answered it. "Hey, Shads. What's up?" He frowned, noticing the tears in the other's eyes. "You're crying...what's wrong?"

Shadow reached up and felt that his cheeks were wet, he'd started crying without realizing it. Sighing, he gave a weak smile. "Can I come in? I have something to tell you...and it's pretty crazy, so having a couch to fall on might be in your best interests."

Sonic nodded and let Shadow inside. Shadow sat on the couch and looked at his brother, then handed him the DNA results.

"What's this?" Sonic asked, taking the slip of paper.

Shadow sighed, then spoke up. "It's the results of a DNA test GUN had done on me...and it revealed something I never thought was possible. Read it."

The blue hedgehog did so. His eyes widened in shock as he read it. When he was done, he looked at Shadow, his eyes filled with tears. "You're my...brother?" Shadow nodded, and Sonic sat down, starting to cry. "I have a brother..." he said. "All this time, I thought I was an orphan...I thought I had no family...but I have a brother..."

Shadow looked over at Sonic, tears in his own eyes, and suddenly, to the surprise of them both, hugged him. "And I thought I was just an experiment, but I'm a natural being with a brother..." Here Shadow smiled. "Admittedly, he's an annoying brother, but there's only so much one can ask for." This prompted a small laugh from Sonic.

Sonic sighed, tears falling down his face. "I don't remember much about my childhood. All I remember was that I lived in an orphanage most of my early life...it was horrible. The people there...abused me...physically...emotionally...eventually, I couldn't take it anymore and ran away."

Shadow looked at him in pity. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you..." He gave Sonic another hug, and the two of them started at a knock at the door.

Sonic went to open it and saw Tails. "Hey buddy," Sonic said. "How've you been?"

Tails smiled and walked inside. "I'm good. What were you and Shadow talking about?"

Sonic chuckled at Shadow's groan as he answered the fox. "Just the fact that the Blue Blur and I have a...blood connection." Tails gave him a confused look, which prompted Sonic to speak.

"We're brothers."

Tails stared at them in shock, his mouth wide open. "How?" He asked.

This time, Shadow spoke. "GUN ran a DNA test on me that matched our DNA. Towers called me to his office and revealed everything to me." Shadow gave a small smile. "I'm not an experiment made in a lab, Sonic and I were kidnapped as toddlers, and a GUN soldier apparently went against orders and killed our parents. GUN conducted experiments on us, which gave us our speed and Chaos powers. Sonic escaped, and Gerald Robotnik requested I be kept for further experimentation...for Maria's sake, I imagine. And the other reason...well, I haven't even told Sonic about that yet."

"Is it because we're werewolves?" Sonic asked him.

Shadow looked at his brother, shocked that he knew. "How...?"

"I figured it out when I turned into a Werehog the next full moon after the Dark Gaia incident. I can change at will now. Since you told me you're my brother, I figured you're one too."

Shadow nodded. "I am a werewolf, but I can't transform. So, your werehog form is a partial transformation? I assume you can't change all the way? Towers said that only a bite from a full-blooded werewolf would unlock our abilities completely."

"Yeah, my Werehog form is a partial transformation. Have you seen it before?"

"No, actually. I haven't. I was busy with the rest of the GUN organization. We were defending towns and cities from the Dark Gaia creatures and rescuing the people around the cracks where the Earth split apart."

Sonic smiled. "Let me show you, then."

He closed his eyes and began to transform. Shadow could only watch with wide eyes as Sonic changed. He noted that Tails didn't seem surprised at all. The blue hedgehog's arms and legs grew muscular as lush fur covered them. Claws grew out of his fingertips and his ears went to the sides of his head and curved, growing pointed. His face changed as it lengthened into a snout.

Shadow whistled, impressed. "I can see the wolfish features. So this is what you turned into every night when Dark Gaia was awoken?"

Sonic nodded. "Yeah," he said in a deep, gruff voice.

"Do you change on the full moon too?" Shadow asked, curious.

"I do."

"Do you have control?"

Sonic shrugged. "Yeah, sometimes."

Shadow narrowed his eyes. "Sometimes? What does that mean?"

"I don't have control on the last full moon, and when I get really angry, I transform by force."

Shadow spoke up, confused about one thing. "What do you do when you're not in control? I haven't heard anything about any attacks."

Sonic pointed at Tails as he answered. "He built a cage when I transform. Want to see what kind of powers I have in this form?"

"That would be interesting."

The Werehog smirked and walked out of the house. Shadow followed him and watched Sonic. Suddenly, Sonic turned around. His right arm stretched out, his hand forming into a fist that aimed at his brother. Shadow smirked and blocked the attack. In the other hand, a dark energy ball formed. The energy spread around Sonic into a blue aura. Sonic threw back his head and roared, then threw another punch at the shocked Shadow, his fist doubling in size and speed. He was barely able to block it this time, skidding backward a few feet as he caught the punch.

Looking up, he watched as the blue aura faded from Sonic. Once it had, Sonic retracted his stretched arm as his fist shrunk back to normal size. Shadow spoke up as it did so. "What was that?!"

"That was my Unleashed mode," Sonic said, smirking. "My abilities, senses, strength and speed enhance greatly while using it."

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Impressive. You nearly sent me flying with that punch."

The Werehog chuckled and they walked back inside. Sonic sat down on the couch next to his brother and looked at him. "Do you want to stay here, Shadow? You could live with me."

"Sure, I don't have any place to go to after all. I slept in one of GUN's Agent Dorms. And besides..." Shadow's smile widened slightly. "I'd enjoy getting to know my brother better."

Sonic smiled and nodded. Tails noticed them snuggling up against each other and smiled, then left to go home. He noticed that it was getting dark, and the full moon would be out soon. The two brothers talked to each other for a while before Shadow fell asleep. Sonic smiled and stood up as he looked outside, then left a note for Shadow and walked outside. The Werehog howled and ran off on all fours towards the forest.