As always, please comment and enjoy! -Anne

Just a few days later Robert, as he had predicted, was not there. Edward was there though, his stance and stride was nonchalant as usual, with Percival following closely behind, nipping at Edward's heels.

Edward just nodded towards Shadow as a hello. "Robert finally found a job," Edward finally said after a few minutes of silence. They were all seated in their usual places, Edward up against the wall, Percival sitting straight up on a box and Shadow slumped up against the wall on his crate. No one replied, no one asked what job he had started.

Percival looked around anxiously, the silence wracking his nerves. He opened his mouth as if about to say something then closed it again and looked down at his feet. All the while Edward watched Percival, eyebrows raised, "Go ahead, then, what were you going to say?"

"Nothing…" Percival muttered, sweeping some dust off his knee, "It's just a little quiet is all."

"Peaceful if you ask me," Shadow commented.

Again, Percival opened his mouth, but Edward had already begun to speak. "I almost forget," he said and opened up the flap on his canvas backpack, "I picked this up in front of the post office." Edward then handed Shadow a folded newspaper.

"Thanks," Shadow said and took the newspaper. He let it drop down so he could see the entire first page and examined it. In the top left hand corner was a picture of the other hedgehog. The headline read, "Flash the Hedgehog does it Again!"

"It seems like they're writing something about him every damn day," Edward said airily, "What do you think of this new arrival?"

"You know what I heard?" Percival interjected, "That he's from a different planet! Where everyone is anthropomorphic like him! Have you heard of this planet, Shadow?"

"Yes." Shadow answered and raised the newspaper so that it blocked his line of sight.

"Oh you should try to go there, perhaps you could live out a normal life," Percival suggested.

"Blasting through the German lines, Flash the Hedgehog has given the Axis powers something to really fear. British forces hope to recapture El Alamein months earlier than formerly expected." Shadow read, his voice tinged with disdain. "I don't trust him," he finished and lowered the paper.

"Why's that?" Edward asked, "With him, the war will be finished within a year. Your sister can come back."

"I don't think it's so simple," Shadow grumbled.

"Hmm…" Percival said and leaned toward Shadow, "if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a bit jealous of this Flash character!"

"That's ridiculous," he sneered.

"Not really if you think about it," Percival mused, "I mean, he comes to this planet busts through some tanks and he's the hero of the Allied forces, while your sister's probably stuck with nurse duty and sitting with the two of us here."

Shadow looked to Edward to say something in retaliation, but he remained silent. "I requested to join Scarlett in training soon after she left, but I was turned down. That's beside the point, though," Shadow continued, "Why would he involve himself with this? He has absolutely no reason; there must be something else he's looking for…"

"Perhaps he's just doing what he thinks is right regardless of whether it benefits him!" Percival said, indignantly turning his nose up.

"No one does that, he's after something," Shadow insisted.

"Well Edward- do you think Flash the Hedgehog has some ulterior motive?"

"Honestly, I don't particularly care why he's ending the war, so long as he ends it," Edward said nonchalantly.

Percival scoffed and crossed his arms, "So neither of you believe in heroes? You both just think everyone is out for their own ends?" His lip curled up in disgust, "I'm disappointed. How are we ever supposed to have faith in humanity with an outlook like that?"

"Wait-wait-wait," Edward said and held up his hand, "I never said anything about Flash being honest or not, I just said I want the war over and done with. Don't involve me with in this."

"Really, Edward? You are only concerned with the end and not the means? I'm disappointed. How are we ever supposed to have faith in humanity with an outlook like that?" Shadow said mockingly.

Edward laughed but Percival's sneer only became more pronounced, "You're hopeless, Shadow." Percival stood up and gathered his belongings, "I think it's about time I got going. Mother wants me to go to the store for her." He then sauntered out of the alley, his wide, flat nose still pointed up.

July-

It was an early Sunday morning, and the streets were still empty. Shadow had just left the church before the priests arrived for mass. The sun had just risen and dew still covered all the benches and street lamps. He yawned and kicked a stray rock out of his way then continued to wander. He looked down at Scarlett's rosary around his wrist and stopped for a moment. He had almost forgotten he had it. Maybe she did care about him, Shadow thought. Otherwise, why would she have left him her rosary?

The thought that she might be dead crossed his mind. His heart seemed to stop. That would be an explanation to why he hadn't heard from her. Every time he thought of the last time he saw her, the vaguer it became. He could remember her speaking, but now couldn't remember the words or her voice. Shadow tried to remember what her voice sounded like, but failed.

Her name sounded strange as he repeated it in his head. He decided to run back to the protection of the alley. Suddenly, he whipped himself around and ran. Now that he was aware of the rosary, he could feel it burning against his wrist. Finally, he came to the alley, unusually out of breath. Shadow went to the very back of the alley, and slid down so that he was seated.

He jumbled with his glove, trying to find the rosary. At last he found the small cross charm. Clenching the charm in his fist, Shadow gave a sigh of relief and let his head hit the back of the brick wall. He stared at the dull silver cross and tried to conjure up memories of his sister. He remembered walking past her room and seeing her knelling against her bed, eyes closed, holding the rosary up toward heaven. The scene of her room vanished, and the alley came back.. The heavy air that filled the area weighed down on him.

Percival and Edward, came as usual. Shadow only slightly recognized their presence, his thoughts still stuck on his sister. Then Percival's bright voice jerked him awake, "Robert is getting off early today!"

"So he'll be here in awhile," Edward added.

Edward sat down near Shadow, his chin placed miserably and his knees which he held tightly to his chest. Shadow heard him sniffle, holding back a sneeze. "Edward's sick," Percival clarified.

"I figured," Shadow said, glancing over at the pitiful looking teenager.

Percival then continued to babble on about school and a teacher who had unjustly punished him with a ruler. Shadow turned his attention away while Edward sneezed and coughed, his eyes becoming bloodshot and his nose an irritated red.

"HEY ALL!" Robert boomed while grinning, he waited for a response, but only received Percival's usual greeting. Robert frowned, dissatisfied, "What's with you lot?"

"Tired," Edward grumbled.

"And sick!" Percival added with inappropriate exuberance.

"And sick?" Robert was clearly awake and well, "who's sick?"

"Edward," Shadow answered dully.

"Well, you two are sun shines as usual," Robert commented with a laugh.

"Melancholy is more like it!" Percival said disapprovingly, "What has happened with you two!"

"I'm sick," Edward answered, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

"Alright, the one day I'm off," Robert said with playful self pity.

"Won't you drop it?" Shadow muttered. .

"Oh Shads," Robert started while Shadow took a moment to shudder at his new nick name, "Cheer up! I've brought with me, the best damn stuff on earth," Robert said and pulled an unlabeled bottle out of a torn backpack.

Percival and Robert had both left, and the sun had long since gone down. "Are you not going home?" Shadow finally asked after a long silence.

"Not tonight." He answered.

Shadow looked at Edward for a clue whether or not to press the issue. He seemed perfectly calm, so Shadow continued, "Why not?"

"No reason to go back anymore," Edward said and took a breath, "my aunt left and I'm staying there alone with my dad."

Shadow thought for a moment of how to put what he was trying to say without being too blunt, "Isn't your dad a…."

"A drunk? Yeah," Edward replied, feigning an uncaring attitude, "It's nothing new, though."

"So, are you ever going home?"

"Don't think so. I have everything I need in my book bag. Plus, I managed to steal some pounds from my aunt and my dad's stash."

"Nice," Shadow said and grinned at the little bit of comic relief, "But couldn't you wait until you weren't sick anymore?"

Edward smiled for the first time Shadow could remember, "It's not that bad. If I can get my ass to school then I'm fine."

"At least," Shadow said, and he could feel the cool cross against his arm. "What time is it?"

"'Bout eight thirty," Edward said, looking at his watch.

"Only?"

"Yup- still early."

"I'm starving," Edward said, going back to his usual short answers.

"C'mon, let's go and get something," Shadow said, "I haven't eaten much today."

"Guess we should save the money we have…."

"Exactly," Shadow agreed.

They went down the sidewalk as Shadow looked from window to window, choosing where he would strike. "You want to know a secret?" Shadow started, deciding that now was the best time to show Edward his emerald.

"Sure, what?" Edward asked with slight curiosity.

Shadow reached into his pocket on the inside of his jacket, "This," he said secretly. In his hand was a glowing, black emerald.

Edward leaned in, in disbelief, "What the hell is that? Why haven't you sold it? You could get a fortune for a jewel that size!" he kept his voice low.

"Sell this?" Shadow said, "never- you'll see why it's more valuable if I have it. You want something from the deli there?" Shadow asked, planning to show Edward that way.

"Alright, yes, let's stay on course."

"Chaos control," Shadow mumbled inaudibly. He disappeared with a slight flash. Edward instinctively jumped back. In just a moment's time, Shadow was back. He tucked the emerald back into his pocket. In his other hand was a brown paper sack.

Edward took the sack in awe and looked inside. "Brilliant!" he admitted, "how did you do that?"

"The emerald. It's a chaos emerald."

"So it makes you teleport?"

"It can, or I can just go really fast. Either way," Shadow shrugged, "Now let's get out of here before they notice." They walked off, trying to remain inconspicuous.

Still, they both occasionally looked back to make sure that no one was coming after them. "I think we're in the clear," Edward said and Shadow nodded in agreement. Edward reached into the sack and grabbed two of the sandwiches, and gave one to Shadow and kept the other for himself.