Chapter 8: You're giving me a Headache
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"-OING!" Tails shouted something at the top of his lungs, and Sonic's eyes snapped over to where he was… about seven ships away. Sonic took a jump, and he dashed and leapt, like a blue wind, destroying the ships on his way back to the plane. Then he braced himself and jumped.
(Jumping between airships high up among the clouds while having missiles fired at you was nothing compared to water.)
He soared through the air, and with a thud and a screech he landed on the wing of the Tornado, sliding a bit on his feet before he stopped.
"Good! I'm going to try and get us out of here now!" Tails then shouted, and Sonic turned around to look at him, giving him a quick nod.
"'kay." Sonic said, and turned to look at Shadow. He stood with his arms crossed, and when Sonic looked at him he narrowed his eyes just faintly. The blue hero then quickly looked away again, trying to resist the urge to chew on his lip.
The plane then shot forwards, and soon downwards too. Sonic hastily dropped to his knees, taking hold of the wing again. Shadow did the same, while Tails focused on the controls. They had managed to blow up quite a lot of airships, but there were still more than half of the fleet left. Sonic just hoped that Tails could get them out of here before the battleships had time to try a new strategy…
Missiles were fired after them, and Tails evaded them to both the left and the right. If the Tornado would leave white trails after it, then it would turn and twist so much that it would look like a lump of yarn that the cat had been at.
BOOM!
Sonic held up an arm to shield his face as splinters flew past them. A missile had flown into another missile, and they both had exploded, painting the sky in ember like a firework.
"…That was close!" Sonic then exclaimed, looking behind them for more missiles.
"Hmph, you should be more careful." Shadow said. Sonic looked at him, but he were looking away at the steadily approaching Station Square.
"-you should be more careful." ? Sonic repeated in his head, slightly hopeful. He let a small smile bloom on his muzzle, and then he gazed down at Station Square he too. The cars crawled forward like ants down there, and mobians and humans were just tiny colourful dots all over the place. It looked like a map, having been rebuilt almost completely after the 'flood' that Eggman caused.
Sonic turned his head to look over his shoulder at the remains of the Egg fleet. They had fortunately stopped following them, but of course that could also mean that they were preparing another trap… For another time, hopefully. They've all used up so much firepower in the last hour that the fighting would be enough for a whole week…
"We're landing!" Sonic looked up at Tails' exclamation, and then he immediately looked down.
"Don't crash!" He said with a grin. Beneath them lay the coast, an endless strip of sand meeting the sea dotted with rocks and cliffs and even more rocks. Tails' workshop was just up ahead, on a little peak above the sea. The air here was also much fresher and livelier, though it wasn't even that windy today.
It was your typical summer day, so to say.
The Tornado flew around the house in a wide circle, and then it started to go down, flying closer to the runway. Sonic let go of the wing again as the plane rolled inside of the workshop, and he jumped down onto the floor as soon as the door closed behind them. Lights turned on at Tails' command, and the fox climbed out of his plane. Shadow leaned against a wall with crossed arms and a frown as Sonic and Tails high-fived, happy over their success.
Tails then went to check if his plane had actually got any damage, and Sonic walked over to Shadow. He was really glad that the black hedgehog hadn't gotten hurt, but hid it behind his usual grin. The black hedgehog looked at him when he approached, but didn't say anything. His eyes were enough.
"You did great too, Shads!" Sonic complimented him happily.
'Shads' was not pleased by that. "Why do you bother?" He sneered. He seemed to contemplate for a second, before then adding. "You know I don't care about your opinion."
Sonic was quite taken aback by that rude comment, and hoped that his face didn't show how he felt. His stomach had dropped, and he became immensely aware of how Shadow looked at him. 'I don't care about your opinion' hurt way more than it should, and he wanted to sneer back, defend himself, or just leave altogether. He did neither.
"Woah, faker! It's not like we were talking politics or anything!" Sonic exclaimed, emerald eyes just slightly widened.
"Hmph." Shadow closed his eyes with an irritated grimace, and looked away, his ebony quills swaying with the motion. In Sonic's world it looked almost like a gesture of when you're ashamed, but since this was Shadow, and the black hedgehog was as likely to be ashamed as Knuckles admitting his undying love for Rouge, then it wasn't possible. If Shadow said something, then it was because he really meant it.
…And that's why 'I like you' would be so much sweeter if he was the one saying-
"I can't believe this!" Tails then wailed, and Sonic's inner monologue derailed straight into a wall as he spun around, startled. He half expected robots to storm inside, but nothing of that sort happened. "Look at it, the paint is frayed! I have to redo the whole thing!" The fox shouted and threw up his arms in a gesture of hopelessness, and pointed at the Tornado. One of the wings had gotten some paint scratched away, and Sonic sweat-dropped at the sight. He could practically hear Shadow roll his eyes…
An hour or so later…
Sonic the Hedgehog, currently laying on his couch while scrolling through channels on the TV Tails had built, was soon going to be reminded of why he should've taken a run while he still had the chance. But now it was far too late, as the doorbell rang.
"Comin' in a sec!" He turned off the TV, and sped out of the living room without a second thought. He reached the door in an instant, and opened it just as fast. And then, everything went pink.
"Sonic darling!" Amy pulled him into a hug, crushing him between her dress and her arms. Sonic let out a mental sigh, while the other part of his brain screamed insults at him for having forgot all about Amy's visit. Why hadn't Tails reminded him…?
"Ames, I'm also really, really glad to see you but-" Sonic began unenthusiastically, only to be silenced by Amy's happy,
"You are?"
He swallowed a sigh, and said. "Yes, but would you please be so kind to release me?"
"Of course!" She exclaimed cheerfully, letting go of him. He stumbled backwards, and took a deep breath, rebuilding his smile as he did so. Shadow looked at him strangely from the kitchen, and Sonic tried to ignore him.
"So, Ames…" Sonic began, clasping his hands together in front of him. "What brings you here?"
Please say that she's forgotten, please say that she's forgotten about Twinkle park, please-
"Oh silly you! The date, of course!"
"Date…?" Sonic asked, trying to look like he didn't know what she was talking about. In the kitchen something collapsed, it sounded like. He just hoped Shadow wasn't tearing down the counter or something…
"Yeah! To Twinkle park! You promised you'd go!" Amy said, tilting her head slightly sideways, looking at him.
"I promised…?" Sonic repeated. He was pretty sure he had never promised her anything like that…
"That is quite enough, Rose." Sonic looked up at the sudden remark, surprised. Shadow had emerged from the kitchen, and was leaning against the wall beside them. Amy looked confused.
"Uh, hello." She tried. She smiled slightly. "I didn't think you would still be here, Shadow."
He just looked at her like he was judging her, and deeming her unworthy. Sonic hadn't ever seen him look at people like that before, though his eyes were usually not what Sonic focused on… Or well, back then a few days ago when they weren't so… magnetizing.
Sonic looked at Shadow then, as the black hedgehog replied, "And I didn't think you would still be so annoying."
Sonic's eyes widened slightly, and so did Amy's. Then she narrowed them. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me." Shadow just said, leaning back against the wall with closed eyes and crossed arms. Sonic stared. You just don't call Amy annoying, you simply don't. Either because it will make her upset, or because she will bloody murder you for it. And then there was the question – what the hell, Shads? Since what reason did the striped hedgehog have anyway?
"You… you don't know me!" Amy cried out angrily. Shadow just snorted. Sonic stared and contemplated on what to do next.
"No." Shadow then said, and Sonic glanced back at him. His eyes were still closed, and arms still crossed. "No, I don't know you, and honestly I don't want to neither." He then opened his eyes, slowly, and glared at Amy with garnet eyes. "I really don't get why faker even bothers to keep an annoying little brat like you around."
Okay, now he's stepping across the line-!
Amy's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth. Then she closed it, and clenched her fists. Shadow smirked. And then Sonic stepped forward, coming to stand right between Amy and Shadow, feeling like a lone peace-maker on a battlefield
"Amy." He began hesitantly, glancing at said hedgehog. Her malachite coloured eyes gleamed as she looked up, almost unnaturally moist…
Shadow! Why'd you have to go and make her upset!
Now with more confidence, as Amy clearly needed comfort, Sonic spoke up again, softly. "Ames, you're a wonderful friend, and I'm really glad that you're sticking by my side."
The girl's eyes lit up as he said that, and she unclenched her fist. Then she clenched them again. "Thank you, Sonic…" She breathed. Sonic tried to smile reassuring, and then he looked up again, and at Shadow, who looked like he had just seen a new and particularly nasty kind of stinging nettle.
"And you, faker…" Sonic began. Is an asshole, the rational part of his brain chimed in. Is unnecessary rude, it then tried again. And lastly; is finally telling her something I've should've done ages ago. And he could obviously not say anything like that out loud.
"…is giving me a headache." Sonic then finished weakly. It was true, though…
To be continued…
A/N: And I've exchanged all fluff for fighting! *Evil laughter*
