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Chapter 9 - Never Wake The Demon Up
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Sonic awoke slowly, his ears still ringing like hell. He didn't want to open his eyes, everything was aching all over, like he'd been run down by a very fast moving vehicle, or something worse. Maybe he'd tripped and fallen into one of Eggman's traps? He didn't remember it but with his head hurting like it did, who knew?
"Gah.... what happened...?"
"You passed out while we were escaping." Knuckles explained, "You should thank Shadow for that. He ran like hell with you on his shoulder. It took me half day to calm him down enough that he wasn't on the edge."
"I.....passed out?" Sonic started to push himself up to a sitting position but ceased when his eyesight more or less exploded into fireworks, and his head began singing a song of pain. "It doesn't.... FEEL like I just fainted.....more like a truck was attracted to me at high speeds....."
"That would do it..." Another voice muttered.
Tails.
"Whatta?" Sonic laid back down, trying to turn his head enough to see his twin-tailed friend. "What'd do what?"
"Stop moving around." Knuckles growled, using one hand to push the hedgehog flat. "You've already practically gotten yourself killed. If what Shadow told us is right, you'd have been a dead rodent if you two had stuck around another few seconds. That.... thing, had you practically hypnotized..."
"Hyp....no....wha?"
"I think it damaged your hearing too..." Knuckles commented with a smug look.
"Hypnotized, Sonic. Shadow told us that you started hearing children's voices. Right?" Tails explained, his patience infinite.
"....yeah...I think so...." He started to lift a hand to his head, but Knuckles batted it away, earning a glare from the blue hero. The Echidna did not flinch, instead returning to peeling and cutting a gnarled root.
"Well, according to Shadow, those were only illusions sent to you by this Foe to keep you there and then kill you easily. If it wasn't for Shadow's panicked status, he wouldn't have grabbed you and ran like that..."
Sonic remained silent, thinking about how he tried to calm Shadow. In the end it was panicking that had saved them both then? He was silent until the root Knuckles had been peeling was dropped onto his chest.
"Eat that. You've damaged your senses badly enough as it is." Sonic looked skeptically at the scarlet Guardian, but moved to grasp and nibble the herb anyway, abruptly bulking at the bitter taste.
Tails sighed, then looked at the echidna, "Knuckles? Would you like to try to calm Shadow? I tried, but he keeps on shaking and walking up and down the corridor... and it has already been a long day..."
"Will do..." Knuckles grunted, standing. He glared down at Sonic. "You get some rest." Then he disappeared. The sapphire hedgehog immediately looked to the young foxling.
"Can I see him?"
"No Sonic. You're in no condition to face Shadow right now."
"Why not?" Sonic whined, grimacing as he took another bite, wanting with all that was in him to spit the awful tasting thing out. "I mean, I owe him my life. Might as well say thanks. It's not like we're gonna DO anything, Tails..."
"You should wait till he has calmed down. Paranoia is not a good thing to deal with... ESPECIALLY in your condition..."
"I'm not paranoid..." Sonic grumbled, feigning a rough ignorance.
"I'm not talking about you, Sonic...."
"Well....Knux is calming him down right now, right? So I CAN see him...." Sonic finished off the root finally, feeling sick to his stomach.
"I'm not that sure. Shadow has been unhinged all day by now, and this is his third try..."
"Well....maybe he'll calm down when he's seen me?" Sonic tried again, feeling very tired all of a sudden. "Crud...I knew it. He gave me something that'll make....me sleep...."
"Don't worry about it. In a way or in another, Knuckles will calm Shadow down."
"By...giving him drugs too...I presume...?" Sonic blinked lazily, yawning.
"Maybe, but it's always better than have a paranoid black hedgehog walk up and down the corridor..."
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Knuckles would have agreed with that logic entirely; in fact, he might have turned it into a religion, the way things were going. Said 'paranoid hedgehog' was currently grinding his nerves with his pacing, and wild-eyed look.
"Shadow, I told you, he's awake now. You don't have to worry about him. He's fine."
"He's fine. Yes. Yes. But it will come back. It won't stop. I have to run away.... why do you keep me locked in here?!?" Shadow asked glancing at the only way out of the corridor he was currently in, which was blocked by an enormous rock.
Chaos Control was out of the question; he was too troubled to find the concentration to pull that off.
"Shadow. Calm. Down." Knuckles growled. "It has no idea where we are right now, and Amy doesn't either. We made sure of that already." He grabbed the hedgehog's shoulders. "And if you DON'T calm down, you'll end up upsetting Sonic when he's well enough to let you visit him. He's in a bad enough state right now. Do you want to jeopardize him?"
Ruby eyes full of terror locked on Knuckles' own, "You don't understand... IT ALWAYS comes back! No matter where I hide! It always knows where I am. In a way or in another it will be back to finish its work! And the only thing I can do is to run!" He almost screamed.
"And if you run, it will ALSO put Sonic's life in danger, have you thought about that?!" Knuckles forced his voice down. "Do you want him to nearly kill himself worrying over you again? The first few times have been hard enough on him, and with his body and mind as frail as it is right now, just hearing you SOUND like you're scared could make him snap. Do you want him to die?"
The black hedgehog shook his head, "Then I'll take him with me as soon as he's back to full health, and then we'll run away as far as possible."
Knuckles gave him a droll look. "He won't be ready for that kind of travel for a few days at least, Shadow. Longer if you doing anything to upset him. Whatever that thing did to him could've been worse, I'm sure, but right now it's almost more than just my knowledge of herbs and Tails' of more modern medicines can cure."
"He's going to NEED you as his crutch for a while, even if he doesn't admit it."
"Then what about it? It'll come back! I can feel it! He's playing with me! And as soon as I relax, it'll strike back!"
"Then don't relax! But don't flinch every time someone talks to you!" Knuckles was becoming impatient. "We're all worried right now, but we can't have a negative feel around Sonic, or he'll stop trying to get better. People have been known to give life up easily, Shadow, and as stubborn as the little blue beast, he's not going to recover fully, mentally AND physically, if he doesn't think he can."
"How I can do that? How I can smile when I'm so scared? I can't even rest..." He said quietly.
"You don't have to be scared for now, Shadow. For now, I suggest you be more angry than afraid. Anger fades away more quickly. Fear likes to hide and return."
"I can't... I can't.... You haven't seen those yellow eyes, and that pitch darkness. You didn't!"
"Shadow....I hate to do this...." Knuckles sighed, his hand coming up and running through his quills. "But if you won't willingly sit down and rest a while...."
"I can't rest! It will come back AND it will find me unprepared!" Shadow said resuming his pacing trying to calm down his already fried nerves.
So Knuckles made his decision quickly, and made a fluid grab for the hedgehog. If he could pin him down long enough to hit a pressure point, he could set the hedgehog down for a nap, near Sonic even, since the dark creature seemed far calmer and more rational when Sonic was present, or even mentioned.
The ebony hedgehog felt his fur stand on end and ducked to avoid being grabbed; he rolled a few feet away and turned to face the Guardian, fur still on end, "What are you trying to do?!" He asked preparing to avoid another grab or to attack if necessary.
He couldn't permit himself to sleep. Not now. Not when that thing was looking for him.
"I'm going to put you down for a while." Knuckles growled, lunging for the hedgehog again, "When you wake up, I hoping you'll be a lot more cooperative."
Shadow crouched down on all his four, then jumped and twisted in mid air, surpassing the charging echidna over his head and landing several feet behind him still crouched and raised his quills.
"No." He growled narrowing his eyes, "I can't sleep! It will come while I sleep! I won't be able to protect Sonic, nor run away..."
The Guardian jammed a fist into the ground and used it to make a quick change in direction, vaulting himself after the hedgehog again, this time grazing him just barely on the jaw with an outstretched fist.
"You'll be in no condition to protect anyone, Sonic or yourself, if you wear yourself out with paranoia!"
The black hedgehog jumped backwards, regaining distance from Knuckles, "No... You don't understand! You haven't seen that thing! You won't understand until you see it! And I pry with all myself that you WILL NEVER see it."
"I don't have to see it so know well enough just how dangerous it is!" He skidded to a stop, fangs showing in an angry snarl. "Look what it did to Sonic! If you're half-dead from exhaustion when it DOES come, how much better do you think you'll fare?!"
Shadow showed his teeth too, "I'll manage!"
"Manage?!" Knuckles dove again, catching one arm and shoving the dark furry back. "You'll manage to get yourself in the same fix Sonic had to get you out of! And he WON'T be here to save you again, Shadow!"
Shadow's free hand grabbed the Guardian's throat and started pushing away, "I won't die that easily. Not now that I have to care for Sonic!"
Instinct made the echidna jerk backwards, out of Shadow's grip, and in doing so, releasing the captive arm. "And when you're malnourished and can barely keep your own two feet under you again?! How are you going to take care of Sonic if you can barely keep yourself safe?!"
"I was created to function for days even without food and little water." He countered.
"Sonic, however, wasn't!" Knuckles landed a shot directly in the middle of Shadow's chest, sending the hedgehog back a few feet. "I'll be the first to admit that Sonic can improvise nicely when he has to, but he wouldn't survive sudden travel on less to no nutrition!"
"I never said that he won't be eating." He answered back crouching to the stone floor with a hand to his chest, "He can rest as much as he wants. But I can't. It will come back for me, and I have to be prepared to lead it away, giving you all enough time to escape."
"Do you think Sonic will eat and rest when you refuse to?!" Knuckles growled, fists at the ready. "He'll be as stubborn as you. It's his nature."
"Leave me be, Red One. I do not want to sleep." He growled threateningly.
"Too bad. You need it just as much as Sonic does." Knuckles braced himself to tackle the hedgehog. "More, if you don't calm down soon..."
Shadow growled and crouched on his fours again, "I can't calm down! Not after I felt its presence again! I can feel it still surrounding my soul!"
"Which is WHY you need to sleep!" Knuckles lunged, going for a direct tackle, "You can't heal yourself as quickly while you're awake! Sleeping is the best way to rejuvenate yourself quickly!"
"I can't sleep if I see it in my dreams! It'll be like I see it in the real world! I won't be able to rest if I see it!" He countered starting to move sideways so the echidna would miss him again.
Of course, Knuckles had expected the dodge and had already adjusted his direction to grab the hedgehog and knock him to the floor. "If you don't sleep, however, it'll be far worse!"
The dark creature was unprepared for that move and found himself being pinned to the floor by the Guardian, "I. Won't. Sleep! Not NOW!"
"How are you going to stop me if you can't move?" Knuckles was calming down a little now, less stressed since the hedgehog wasn't pacing and hissing.
Shadow growled again and head butted the echidna in the forehead, "Like this."
Knuckles fell back, a surprised growl rumbling in his chest as he held his head. "Dammit Shadow, you're worse than Sonic!"
The black furry shakily stood up, "Told you that I won't stop easily..."
His scarlet opponent rubbed his forehead, still grumbling. "I should've known..." He crouched in a flash and sprung into Shadow, moving around the dark hedgehog and hitting him square in the back. "But neither will I!"
Shadow's energy seeped away and he stumbled onwards, but managed to stay up with the help of the wall, "Damn you!" He said shaking away the effects of the blow and slowly regaining his energies back.
Knuckles strode to him, cautious. He didn't want to hurt the hedgehog anymore than he had to. "You could've made this a LOT easier on yourself."
The black creature swung around and, with a Chaos Energy charged index finger, slightly cut the Guardian's muzzle, "And you should know that I don't like to be pissed off." He snarled.
Knuckles drew back immediately, wiping the blood away. He braced his feet, a small strike of something akin to fear striking the back of his mind. Shadow almost sounded like he had before his memory loss...if he had regained his madness, they were in trouble. Sonic was already unconscious from the root by now, if Tails had made him eat it.
Shadow stood away from the wall and made to reach the echidna; however, after just a step, he sighed and collapsed to the ground, eyes half open in a desperate attempt to stay awake.
"So... sorry... didn't... my body moved on it's own...." he muttered still trying to not fall asleep.
Knuckles gently pulled the hedgehog to his feet, guiding him back toward the room Sonic was in. He looked like he was going to pass out on his feet, so the Guardian decided he might as well make sure there was something better for him to wake up to.
"Can't sleep... now... It will come back...." He muttered trying to push the red male away, "It'll find me helpless..."
"We'll wake you up long before that." His helper reassured, holding tightly and pushing the door open. "For now, just go to sleep before you pass out and don't wake up for days like Sonic tends to do."
"Everything will be fine when you wake up, you'll see...."
"Are you... sure of this..?"
"I'm fairly sure." Knuckles answered, almost dragging the half-gone hedgehog to Sonic's side on the mat of woven grasses he'd made earlier. The stone floor was soft enough with all its mosses, but that collected dampness too easily.
"I dun wan..."
Shadow never finished his sentence that he went limp still halfway in Knuckles arms.
Knuckles almost dropped the unconscious hedgehog, only just making it to Sonic's side in time to lay his load down. Almost instantly, Sonic shifted to get closer to Shadow, and the crimson furry rolled his eyes, before looking toward the kit on the other side of the snoozing two.
"I told you I'd get him to calm down."
The fox smiled shyly and giggled a little, "Thanks, Knuckles. It scared me to see Shadow like that."
He regarded the sleeping hedgehogs and moved around them, back to the bowl of herbs he'd gathered. "I'm hoping he'll be far more put together when he wakes." He took another root out of the bowl, this one different from the one he gave to Sonic, with a look similar to that of a carrot, but not. "He almost unhinged himself for a while. Sounded like he had before..."
Tails tilted his head a little to the side, "What you mean?"
"That's right.. you weren't there..." Knuckles handed the root to the small kit, then took another for himself. "Shadow, before he lost his memory, was slightly...mad."
"He was triggered into extreme attacks of violence at times...I would think emotion triggered it, but I was only witness to one, or two if you count this time."
The fox was shocked, "You mean... that he's dangerous?"
"We're ALL dangerous, Tails." He took a bite of the root he held, noting that they were a little overripe, but still good. "Shadow just had a tendency to forget who he should and shouldn't be attacking..."
"So, you're saying that if triggered, he slips into madness without even knowing it and he stop reasoning at all?"
"He reasons fairly well." Knuckles chewed the rest of his 'meal' and swallowed. "He stills knows the people he sees, but he sees them all as potential threats, it seemed. Sonic calmed him the first time, and according to Amy, saved her from him twice."
"Do you know how he did it?"
"He refuses to tell me more than that he 'accepted him as he was'...but seeing them like that..." He gestured toward the two. "Gives me a rather good guess at what happened."
The kit's face brightened with knowledge, "Ohhhh... I see."
"See what?" Knuckles raised an eye ridge, fishing around in the bowl. Perhaps he had picked up some fruit while he was out? He couldn't recall...
"Well," Tails started, forgetting the root, "Love is a powerful emotion. You can do everything with it, even kill. It appears that Shadow has found something in Sonic that helps him to keep himself stable. I do not know what, but half of it is it because Shadow LOVES Sonic. If he wouldn't love him, Sonic would be already dead in the first try."
Knuckles considered that, then nodded his own approval of the theory. There was enough evidence for that to be supported quite well. "Then I wish them luck and hope they don't take each other's heads off."
The fox raised an eyebrow, "What you mean with that?"
"Think about it. They're both stubborn as rocks, and they're got the natural speed and energy to back up any challenge either extends. Sooner or later they'll get into a fight over one thing or another, if I've learned anything about people down here."
"Maybe, but if they are as crazy about each other as I think, then they'll stop once one of them is under the other.."
The Guardian chuckled, covering his mouth with one hand, silently agreeing. "At least they haven't gotten to the stage where no one else gets to sleep either. When they get that far, we're going to have to send them away for a while."
"Do you think that's necessary?"
"As loud as they naturally are? Yes." He pulled out another carrot-like root with a sigh, finding no fruit.
"I don't think I have heard them the morning while I slept in the room of that base..."
"First, you were out harder than these two." Knuckles thumbed towards the hedgehogs. "Second, I heard some of it, and that was plenty. They're bad enough now, wait till they REALLY get started."
"Well, you shouldn't complain that much... You have an island floating on the sky where you can go to sleep, while I live with Sonic, and since Shadow has nowhere to go, I'm sure that he'll be invited to stay in our house permanently..."
"You could always kick them out..." Knuckles grumbled, nibbling his food. "Besides, two hedgehogs will mean twice as many bodily injuries, whether accidentally or while fighting against Robotnik. That means I'll be down here even more often helping you pin them both down, because you know they'll help each other get away."
"I don't know about that... Shadow seems more concerned when dealing with wounds."
"Unless they're his own." The Guardian countered, eyes still on the root in his hands.
"However, I'm sure that he'll help you with Sonic."
Knuckles grinned at the thought. "I suppose. He does seem to worry about the little monster a lot..."
"Yeah." Tails agreed biting down the root and gulping down the piece.
"We should both sleep too, soon." Knuckles was pondering the thought. "When the others wake up anyway, and Sonic is feeling better..."
The fox saddened, "Knuckles, what really happened to Sonic?"
"His mind was almost unattached for his body." Knuckles said simply. "That's the best I can give you. I'm not a witch doctor, or of the priest order, like Tikal. Whatever Sonic heard called to him, and when he tried to answer, almost killed him."
"Then why Shadow was unaffected by that?"
"He told us that he knew it was the creature, come after him again, did he not? Perhaps in his panicked state, the sounds he heard frightened him rather than attracting." The Guardian gave a shrug. "I am only making assumptions; I know no more than you do."
"Should we ask him after he wakes up?" The kit asked looking at the black hedgehog sleeping rather peacefully next to Sonic.
"If he is calmer and we are sure he will not begin to panic again, yes." Knuckles finished the root with a sigh. "I do not wish him to be as upset as before. Not with the fragile state they are both in at this time."
Tails tilted his head, "I don't see Shadow in a fragile status... I just saw him paranoid. That's all..."
"I saw him nearly go insane and charge Chaos Energy. That means he is reverting back to his old self." Knuckles put his namesakes beneath his chin. "That to me, indicates a fragile state of mind. It will be hard soon, to keep him quiet and still at all."
"You mean that he's going to be back his normal self soon even if he doesn't remember at all what happened in the recent past?"
"He may. I cannot be sure." Knuckles redirected his gaze to the hedgehogs. "With those two, almost nothing is certain."
In that precise moment, Shadow grimaced and rolled on his side, hiding his face into the blue hedgehog's side and curling up as best as he could.
The Echidna frowned, watching still. Sonic's sleep, drugged and heavy, had remained undisturbed by Shadow's movements, and Knuckles was slightly grateful. He did not want to force Sonic into eating more medication. The second time would be too hard.
"Do you know what time is it?" The small fox asked breaking the almost unnerving silence.
"No...but I'll go outside and check, if you feel the need to know..." Knuckles stood dusting himself off. This would also give him a good excuse to pick a little fruit.
"Ok, just be careful, who knows what's out there..."
"I know what's out there..." Knuckles sighed. "It's how to deal with it I'm unsure of." He stepped out of the room, disappearing from view, already plotting to venture for some apples he'd noticed earlier.
Tails sighed as he watched the red male's back disappear from view, "I just hope that this time they won't find us too soon..." He muttered laying down in his own mat and closing his eyes.
An hour or so later, Sonic felt the fuzzy warmth of sleep receding. He was still sprawled on his back, but now there was something beside him. Something breathing.
He rolled his head to the side sleepily, blinking down at the creature. For a moment, he wondered if his eyes were closed, since he saw only black. Then he was able to make out the familiar red marks.
"Shadow.....?" He yawned.
The dark hedgehog mumbled out something in response as he was still deep in his sleep and snuggled closer to Sonic in search of comfort.
Sonic shifted onto his side, his limbs feeling weighted with lead almost. He let one arm draped over the slumbering creature affectionately, and debated going back to sleep. This seemed too comfortable to waste.
Shadow mumbled out something else and pressed his body in the warmth of the blue hedgehog, nuzzling his face onto the other's chest with a content smile.
A smile crept across the blue hedgehog's face, as his mind plotted for a way to wake Shadow up. Nice as this was, having Shadow awake was a little more appealing. Carefully, he began blowing air into Shadow's closest ear.
The ebony creature mumbled out a protest and folded his ears, hiding them into Sonic's chest.
Sonic felt a little foiled, grumbling softly. He would have to think of something else....
"You better leave him to sleep..." A deep masculine voice said from behind him, "You don't want to wake him up right now. Trust me."
Sonic looked up, trying to roll over enough to see. When he'd finally achieved that goal, he was faced with the Guardian. Immediately he made a face, eyes darting to the bowl of herbs nearby, but unable to resist asking.
"Why not?"
"Because, first, he went to sleep an hour ago, second, he needs it, third, I'm not sure of this, but he may wakes up pretty bad, and I do not want to deal with a mad Shadow that doesn't want to go back to sleep right now."
"....ah...." Sonic's gaze reverted back to the hedgehog, then set on the scarlet echidna again. "I don't have to go back to sleep, do I?" He sounded almost like a child.
"No, but eat this." He answered giving him the bowl of herb extract, "It'll help you get better."
Sonic's arms fought having him hold the bowl, and almost buckled twice, but he kept it from spilling. "If it tastes as bad as just about every other medicine you give me, I think I'd rather stay sick...."
The echidna raised an eyebrow, "And never be able to enjoy him again?" He asked motioning with his head the black and red bundle next to the blue hedgehog.
"Never....enjoy...." Sonic's eyes narrowed. "What are you thinking?!"
"You know, Sonic. You know..." He said walking away and sitting in another hay mat next to Sonic and Shadow's
"Uh huh. You have a VERY sick mind, Knuckles..." Sonic had started eating the herbs without realizing it, stopping instantly when he did notice.
"I'm not sick, Sonic. I'm just stating the obvious. If you don't get better you won't even be able to stand, nor run and much less do what you do with him."
".....sicko." Sonic growled, resigning himself to eating the medicine. "You don't even know what we do. I don't even have to stand...."
"We're talking on energy terms here, Sonic. You won't have the energy to do anything but to sit up and eat and drink."
"....oh..." He mumbled. "What about Shadow? You make him eat this too?"
"No. He just passed out from exhaustion. He'll wakes up once he has rested."
"Well, why doesn't HE have to eat it?" Sonic growled, poking at the mashed herbs, almost positive them were poking back. "I mean, he was there too...."
The echidna crossed his legs and arms, facing the blue hedgehog, "Because he reacted in a different way."
Sonic blinked, then sighed. "But I don't want to eat them...I think they're...alive..." Another poke. "See?! It's trying to eat me!"
"Then eat them before they eat you."
The blue hedgehog made a face. "That's just gross, Red. Really, really gross."
"Sonic...." He said rolling his eyes, "The are vegetables! They don't bite!"
"You don't know that..." Sonic hissed more toward the bowl before him than the other furry. "They're not trying to engulf YOUR finger."
"Sonic! Stop complaining and eat those herbs before I make you." He warned through gritted teeth.
"You can't make me do anything!" Sonic challenged. Every second with those herbs not being swallowed was a second well-spent. "I'm your patient! You have to be nice to me!"
The echidna stood up and grabbed the bowl, "You'll regret this, hedgehog." He said with narrowed eyes, "You'll regret this..."
Automatic panic button engaged. Sonic was sitting up and backpedaling in seconds, quite happy to find that he wasn't dizzy or in pain like he'd been the last time. His back hit the stone walls too soon for his liking however.
"Crap..."
Knuckles advanced, the darkness of the night making him look creepier than usual when he was angry or upset, "For the last time, you want eat this on your own or want me to make you?"
Sonic gulped and dug his fingers into the mosses on the wall behind him, readying for a dashed get-away. "Never!" He took about three steps before tumbling. "Darnit!!!"
The Guardian grabbed him by the waist, "Don't force your body like this, Sonic. You want to be restrained to bed for all your life?"
"Bed or bad tasting stuff down my throat? Oh pleeeeeaaase don't make me choose...." Sonic grumbled.
"Sonic, if you want to get better you better follow what I say..." He answered dragging the hedgehog back to the hay mat, "Now, eat this or I'll force them down your throat, and it wont be pleasant"
"But I don't want toooo!!!" The hero wailed, his voice whiny, almost akin to Amy's normal one. "Don't make me eat it, Knux, it'll KILL me before it cures me!!"
There was a grumble of protest coming from the dark hedgehog and Knuckles regarded him briefly before returning his gaze to Sonic, "Damn, Sonic! You're worse than a baby! Now, eat this before I get REALLY mad."
"No." Sonic crossed his arms and pouted, mimicking Knuckles peeved expression. He knew sooner or later Knuckles would either give up and stomp away, or actually back up his threats, depending on the seriousness of the situation. He was seriously hoping for the former.
The Guardian growled and pinned Sonic to the hay mat and forced his mouth open, "Told you that you would regret it..." He muttered bringing the bowl over his face.
Sonic yelped in surprise squirmed, trying to force his jaws closed, and when that didn't, tried to bite Knuckles' hand, though both knew he couldn't reach. Finally he opted for violently turning his head this way and that as well as he could. Maybe Knuckles would give up if all the herbs spilled.
Knuckles growled and forced the blue hedgehog's head down on the mat, immobilizing it, then he started to slowly spill the content of the bowl into Sonic's mouth, closing it and forcing the hedgehog to gulp it down.
He repeated this till all the herbs extract was finally down Sonic's throat.
"Told you so, hedgehog." He said releasing him and walking to his mat.
Sonic's throat was burning like hell now, and his pride more than injured. He made a rude gesture at the other's back, not caring if he saw him, and shoved himself up, trying to swallow the taste left behind by the medicine.
The red male rummaged through his sack again and took out a half-inch long amber crystal, then he launched it at the blue hedgehog, "Suck it, and you'll feel a little better."
Sonic snorted. "Everything you say will make me better tastes worst than the last thing you gave me. Sometimes I wonder if you're not just curing me of your own medicine...."
"It's crystallized honey, you moron! It will take away the nasty taste of the medicine AND give you some energy."
"I'm not a moron..." Sonic retorted, picking up the crystal and examining it. "And why would you crystallize honey? It never spoils. That's been proven."
"It's easier to transport than it's liquid form." He explained sitting down and fishing in a bowl for some fruits, "Think about it."
"You could just put it in a jar..." Sonic popped a small portion of the crystal into his mouth, wincing at the sudden rush of taste, but leaving it there.
"And have it broken in one of our rushes and then have all the honey spilled around in the bag?"
The azure hedgehog kept his mouth closed, pretending that it was because the honey crystal was in his mouth instead of him thinking through the logic of his companion's answer. He pulled the crystal from his mouth to answer.
"But if one of these breaks, or melts, you have the same problem, don't you?"
Knuckles rolled his eyes, "They wont break that easily, and they wont melt unless put under the sun of the desert at least for half a hour."
"Hmm..." Sonic's praise was lost, the honey-cycle already having retaken its place in his mouth to dull his speech again. He had to move it. "How come you don't always give me one of these then...?"
The echidna stifled a growl, "Because those herbs I gave you before have more properties that will benefit you than what the honey holds."
"Honey tastes better." Sonic said it as though it was the taste that mattered more than how healthy something was. And in his case, that's what the hedgehog truly believed.
"Whatever, hedgehog. Whatever..." He muttered munching on an apple, "But I'm sure Shadow would agree with me."
"Only because you're both sadistic and enjoying torturing me to now end." Sonic growled, returning the honey to his mouth. "Amh yuuer bot imshame...."
"Yeah, yeah..." Knuckles countered back, more intent on eating his apple than listening to the blue hedgehog, "I wonder how Shadow could fall in love with an annoying hedgehog like you..."
"Am noth ammoyim..." Sonic mumbled, crossing his arms.
"Yes you are. And that's it."
"Yuuer worsh." The hedgehog wasn't going to give this up. "Forthim shuff dom peepolsh throoshs..."
The echidna looked up at him with sharp eyes, "Sonic, before you talk. FINISH EATING, YOU IDIOT!" He half screamed, nearly waking up the black hedgehog, which, fortunately, only mumbled out some protests and curled up more near Sonic.
If Sonic was a flower right then, he would've wilted. As it was, he made an insanely sad and frightened face, one they both knew was a facade, but it was more to annoy the echidna then make him sorry.
The Guardian raised an eyebrow, then he shrugged, "I won't fall for that, Sonic."
Sonic removed the honey, grumbling. "You know, you're supposed to be my friend, and be NICE to me."
"How I can be nice to you if you're a total asshole to me?"
"You're the one that starts it." Sonic replied, debating finishing off the cycle or leaving it for later...or whatever. "You're always yelling at me."
"I wouldn't start if you would cooperate nicely and without complaining every 5 seconds."
"I wouldn't complain and fight if the stuff you gave me to make me better actually tasted like what it was made out of instead of dish washing soap." Sonic gave into the honey's taste and sucked on the leftover crystal.
"Then go and complain to Mother Nature for doing the better herbs taste horrible."
"You could just go to a pharmacy and get the flavored stuff." Sonic swallowed the last of the crystal, surprised it had lasted so short a time.
"I do not thrust those artificial things."
"Why?" Sonic blinked in surprise. "I mean, they work."
"And they have a lot of contraindication and if you're allergic to some stuff they put in it you can even die... and they cost a lot of money that I DO NOT have."
"I have credit at most of the pharmacies in the city, Knuckles. Where do you think Tails gets all the first aids kits? We're on a tight budget, they give them to us for free." Sonic rolled his eyes. "And I would think you wouldn't care that there's a slight risk with those medicines. You're not taking them after all."
"Oh, ok. Then next time I'll into the city to buy things and come back with a whole army from GUN AAAND that thing Eggman loves to send after Shadow. Is that ok with you?"
"...I meant BEFORE we were on the run..." Sonic growled. "I'm not stupid, Knux. I know what'll happen if we stroll into downtown for supplies right now. But you can't say that you've only JUST starting giving me this stuff. You and Tails force it down my throat all the time."
"Because we both know that this stuff is better than that."
The hero heaved a dejected sigh. "I don't see either of YOU eating it."
"Because I never hurt myself like you do."
"I don't hurt myself..." Sonic blinked and looked confused, trying to remember the last time he had. "The knife doesn't really count, Tails shouldn't have tried to show me how to fast-slice tomatoes...."
The echidna shook his head and sighed, "You sure are stubborn."
"What are you talking about?" Sonic blinked, leaning forward. "I'm not stubborn. I'm persistent."
"The same."
"No." The blue blur shook a finger. "They're not. Stubborn is worse. More annoying. Persistent means you know when to quit."
"Exactly. You never know when it's time to quite."
"Do too." Sonic countered automatically. "I just choose NOT to. Difference between knowing and doing."
The echidna stood up, and walked in front of Sonic, kneeling and giving him a quick hit on his neck that would make him go straight back to sleep, "That is why I make you do it."
A small protest the second the hit landed, the cerulean hedgehog slumped forward, connect with the Guardian's chest and leaning there, limp and quiet, the only hint of life being the movement of his chest and back as he breathed a sigh.
Knuckles sighed in relief and moved the hedgehog back to lay down next to his black partner; surely in the morning Sonic would be pissed off, but he could always put him back to sleep....
Finally free of his annoying blue friend, the Guardian went back to his mat to lay down and get some sleep; for the moment they were safe. The ruins in that part of the forest were practically invisible from the air... and the thick vegetation around provided a good shield against enemy's eyes.
---------------------
Was he awake? Lessee......what did he want to do first.....?
....kill Knuckles.
Yeah...he was awake.
His eyelids twitched, then pulled back, fogged emeralds searching around for the scarlet target, the constant 'kill' command running through his mind. A flash of red caught his eye, and he swerved toward it, teeth bared.
Oh....just Shadow....
.....what was Shadow doing on his chest........?
The black hedgehog had shifted various time during the night cause his nightmare and found comfort and safety on Sonic's chest, hearing the soothing sound of his heart and the lulling movement of breathings; now he was just sleeping peacefully with a small smile on his lips and his right hand over the other's belly to make sure that he wouldn't go away.
Sonic blinked a few times, expecting the other to not be there when they reopened, but finding instead that he still was. It was unnerving, and yet...comforting. He shifted carefully, freeing one hand and placing it on Shadow's uppermost center quill, running his fingers along its streak of bloody crimson.
The dark hedgehog's smile grew a little at the petting and for the first time, a faint purr started coming from the depths of his throat as he snuggled closer to Sonic's body in an attempt to capture all the body heat.
Sonic laughed quietly, letting Shadow cuddle against him, wondering if he should move to seek out Knuckles and kill him. Shadow would probably still be sleeping when he got back, but if Knuckles got a head start, Sonic wasn't sure he'd find him in time to tear off the Guardian's dreads a force them down his throat....that would be gratifying...
Shadow, however, had other plans running through his sleeping head; his hold on the blue hedgehog tightened visibly and he almost shifted his body over his partner's.
Sonic's eyes narrowed, and he gently freed his other arm, bring it up to Shadow's side and pushing it against him, trying to adjust him back to his earlier sleeping position. He wasn't about to let Shadow wake up while he was trapped beneath the dark hedgehog.
The dark hedgehog let himself be pushed back, but his hold remained the same.
Sonic sighed, and thought about prying Shadow off of him, opting to try and gently remove the black-furred fingers from where they clung to him.
The ebony creature's fingers tightened as soon as he felt someone try to pry them off.
Sonic grumbled under his breath and laid back, still combing through Shadow's quills. He obviously wasn't going to get out of this without waking Shadow up, or Shadow himself waking.
Knuckles walked into the room and regarded Sonic with a small grin, "Already awake?" He asked.
Sonic's head snapped up and he growled at Knuckles, annoyance and rage bearing down through a glare that should've set the furry across the room on fire. "That was a dirty trick to pull, Red."
"You want it to be pulled again?"
"Come over here and try..." The azure hedgehog was taking his predicament as well as was to be expected. "I guarantee you won't come back this fingers on one hand."
The echidna crossed his arms and grinned, "Sure, sure. We both knows who's the stronger one between us."
"May be stronger, but I'm faster." Sonic began to push himself up off the mat, tired of lying there. "You come over here again, I'll have your arm at the very least by the time we get through. Not like you can actually catch me."
"I'm sure that your little bedmate wont like the idea of you getting away from him." He said as he saw that the black hedgehog was now clinging onto Sonic with all his strength.
Sonic considered this, and settled back down, grudgingly. "Stop acting like you did nothing wrong." He grumbled, trying to find a comfortable way to lie.
"I did nothing wrong. I just sent you to sleep. That's all."
"You sent me to sleep when you knew I didn't want to, and didn't need it." Sonic growled, crossed his arms and staring forward, or was it upward now? "I was perfectly fine."
The Guardian shrugged and turned, "You better stay there on the mat UNTIL I say so, or I will put you back to sleep till you're better. And I'm not joking, Sonic." He said so seriously that the tone itself didn't admit negations or protests.
With a few mumbles under his breath, the echidna was out of the room. Like Tails.
So Sonic did what was most natural to him when he wasn't getting his way in an argument, because he never would say he'd LOST one. He laid back, and sulked.
This made Shadow much more than happy and he demonstrated it slightly increasing his purr.
Sonic blinked in question, but gave in, reaching out and continuing to pet the ones ears, still glaring out of the corner of his eye toward where Knuckles had disappeared. Perhaps after Shadow woke up, he could persuade the other to help him beat the crap out of Knuckles for revenge?
The dark one twitched his ears and gave out a small happy giggle.
Sonic faltered, a little more than amazed. He'd never thought of Shadow as the type to even think about giggling, let alone do it. But.. he sounded almost cute when he did. As cute as someone who looked, and sometimes acted, like a demon dragged up for the pits could be anyway...
Shadow snuggled closer and smiled a little more, "Love you..." He mumbled out in his sleep.
If Sonic had been standing, he probably would've face-faulted. As it was, he simply flushed, a smile sneaking out in the corner of his muzzle. "Love you too..."
The ebony creature smiled and went silent again, without dreaming of those nasty yellow eyes.
Sonic closed his eyes too, but only for a second. He didn't want to go to sleep, not yet. The hero had just woken, and unless Knuckles came back and forced him to sleep again, Sonic planned to stay awake. Just...bored while he was.
Shadow finally started stirring from his sleep and he stretched his muscles, then he relaxed and mumbled out something incoherent.
Instantly, Sonic shifted to look at the other hedgehog more fully, eyes observing. He pushed himself up a little, watching closely, hoping that perhaps he could get Shadow to awaken a little more quickly, and yet not wanting to.
The black furry's eyes twitched a few times and he mumbled out something again, trying to get closer to the source of the warmth.
"What was that, Shadow...?" Sonic shook the hedgehog's shoulder as gently as he could, curiosity getting the better of him.
His only answer was another mumbled sentence that was too far incoherent to be understood.
"Shadow, I have no idea what you're saying...." He shook the shoulder harder, but not roughly, trying to jar the other out of his sleeping world and into that of the living.
The dark hedgehog mumbled out something else with a scared tone and tried to hide into the other hedgehog's arms.
Instinct made Sonic arms automatically surrounding Shadow, embracing him to comfort. "Shadow? Shadow, what's wrong?"
"Back...." He mumbled out relaxing in the warm embrace, "It'll be back..."
'Oh. That thing again.' Sonic didn't loosen his hold, almost afraid to. "Don't worry Shadow, everything will be fine. I promise." He smiled, though the other couldn't see it.
At those words, Shadow finally relaxed and resumed his sleep, somewhat relieved to have heard them and be in Sonic's arms.
'Argh, he's asleep again....' Sonic flopped back, still somewhat hugging Shadow. "At this rate, I'm NEVER going to out of this bed..." He groaned.
The black hedgehog's eyes opened by a crack and he looked around, "Where...?" He asked confused trying to remember what exactly happened.
He could remember arguing with Knuckles, then involuntarily attack him and then collapse to the ground; after that it was just too hazy to remember.
"Oh good!" Sonic sat back up quickly. "You're awake! Yes!!"
Shadow sat up too and rubbed his left eye, "What?" He asked confused and in a whisper.
"Do you think you can stand? Huh? Or at least roll off of me so I can try?" Sonic's eyes darted to the door now. "We gotta hurry before Knuckles comes back!!"
"Why? What's happening?"
"Nothing yet...not until I get to my feet and get the hell out of this room before I go insane...." Sonic grumbled, not happy that Shadow wasn't complying already.
"You won't go anywhere but the next corridor. Knuckles closed the entrance with a big rock..." He muttered in answer.
"I don't care!!!" Sonic yanked his ears, which amazingly stretched quite far. "I tired of laying here and Knuckles knocks me out every time I try to get up! I've been in this same room for too long, and I want a change of scenery!"
(your go)
Az *Fear the seahorse-like chip. FEAR IT!!!* scrive:
Shadow chuckled, "If Knuckles says that you have to stay here. Then you will stay here. I'll make sure of that."
"What?! Shaaaaadooooow...." Sonic pulled his ears further, whining. "I don't WANT to stay in bed! I'm fine! I want up! NOW!!"
"I won't help you in your little run, and if you don't stay here and quiet, I'm going to make you." He said grinning like usual when he was plotting something.
"You traitor!" Sonic crossed his arms, fuming. "I should've shoved you off the mat! Hope Knux forces something down YOUR throat one day, and when it happens, I plan to be there so I can laugh."
The dark creature moved his head so his lips where near Sonic's ears, "The only time that he will force something down my throat will be when I'll be unconscious. And I'm sure that you won't laugh at it."
A shiver traveled down the hero's back, though he tried to hide it, and he pushed the other away. "Don't suck up now, Shadow, I refuse to be pulled into your little ploy."
"I'm planning nothing but keeping you here and quiet... Knuckles would agree with me." Shadow said snaking his arms around the other's waist.
Sonic tried to move out of reach, growling as well as he could, and still pushing the other away. "Stop that right now. I'm angry with you." His tone was failing though.
The black hedgehog released Sonic and stepped back, his face a mask of pure sadness and his eyes threatening to release tears, "You... you..." He lowered his head and a small tear landed on the mat, "You don't mean that, right?" He asked with broken voice.
His azure companion's ears folded, and he frowned, moving back to him, and wrapping his arms around him. "No...I'm not angry...just a little frustrated...that's all...." He nuzzled Shadow's cheek.
Shadow sniffled, "Then why you said that?"
The hero shrugged, still hugging him. "I'm just tired of laying here that's all. You don't know how boring it is to just lie in a bed all day. Every time YOU were bedridden, you fell asleep!"
"But you have to stay to bed. If you walk around the time needed to get better will become longer."
"If I wasn't bored out of my skull, I probably wouldn't want to walk around though..." Sonic grumbled resting his chin on the other's shoulder. "I mean, what does he want me to do? Stare at the ceiling? I've already counted how many patches of moss there are."
"Sonic.... Knuckles trapped us into a room and a corridor..."
"I know, but I've SEEN the room. I need to see something else for at least ten minutes or I'm going to go out of my mind! There is absolutely nothing to do in here, save collect some rocks and throw them at Red when he gets back...." Frustration was clearly getting the better of the hedgehog.
Shadow's head raised and his mouth was once again next to the blue furry's ear, "Then why don't we collect some stones for you to throw at him? I'll even carry you in the corridor to take a breath of.... 'new air...?" He whispered.
Sonic shuddered, tightening his hold, "I thought you were going to keep me in bed, Shadow? What happened to that resolve?"
"I told you that I won't let you move... not that I couldn't move you..." He answered smiling devilish.
"Knuckles is going to murder us, you know..." He released his hold to regard the darker hedgehog. "And I don't mean just yell and send us both back to sleep. He'll tear our heads off." He was grinning though, giving away his consent to the plot.
Shadow hugged the blue hedgehog and brought him as close to him as he could, holding him gently, "Then I'll keep it from happening." He said in a hushed tone into the other's ear, "To lay a finger on you... he first has to deal with me."
"You're so possessive." Sonic rolled his eyes, wrapping his arms the other's neck, moving so that he was eye-level with Shadow, brushing their noses together. "Not as bad as Amy yet...but you're getting there."
The black hedgehog's ears folded and looked away, "I'm sorry.... yet... I can't help it. I love you too much. I would die if you left me or something happened to you. I... can't help it." He said as small tears slowly fell from his eyes.
Sonic nuzzled the other furry's neck gently. "I don't mean that as a bad thing Shadow, it's just an observation. It's actually kind of cute when you do it..." He sighed.
Shadow brightened and melted in the nuzzle, "Really?"
"Really." Sonic continued. "Plus there's the fact you giggle in your sleep, that's cute too...though mildly disturbing." He raised the nuzzle back to the other's cheek.
"Me? Giggling? And why it would be mildly disturbing?" He asked returning the nuzzle with his own.
"Because of the kind of person you look like, acted like. You were always so dark, and you wouldn't really expect someone like that to giggle, now would you?"
Shadow stopped his nuzzle, "Was... I really that dark before my memory loss?"
Sonic blinked. "Well.. you had a dark personality. Like being really quiet and the brooding thing..." He snapped his fingers. "Like Knuckles. Now, what do you think you do if Red started randomly giggling?"
"I would be... perplexed... QUITE perplexed..." He answered truthfully, "So I was that dark..." He finally muttered to himself.
"Give or take a scowl. Plus, you didn't call me a moron." Sonic tilted his head, watching Shadow's reaction.
The black hedgehog rested his head on the other's shoulder, "Do you... prefer me like this or how I was before?"
Sonic frowned at the question. "Why would you ask me something like that...?"
"I want to know."
"I guess that's a given...." Sonic sighed and leaned against the other thinking. "The other Shadow is the one I knew first...but you seem...a lot happier this way." Sonic frowned deeper. "So, I suppose this time, after you don't always seem so frightened and angry, is the best time, the best Shadow, I could hope for."
"In truth, I'd love you pretty much any way you came out, since you're still the same person."
"Thanks, Sonic. But... I might return my old self sooner than we all thought..."
Sonic pulled away. "What are you talking about....?"
The dark one looked down, "Yesterday... I... I attacked knuckles straight away without even thinking about it..."
"....oh....well, I do that..." Sonic was trying to make light of the situation, his fingers automatically combing through Shadow's quills. "I mean, Knux has a way of making people mad..."
"No Sonic. I snapped at him like I was out of my own control... it seemed that my body was moving on its own...."
The hero's free arm went around the other's shoulders, pulling him close, and he kissed the striped forehead. "Don't worry about it, Shadow. We kept you under control before...we'll make sure nothing happens."
"It's not that Sonic. I don't want to be that dark..."
Sonic frowned. "Well, the best we can do is hope that you don't become that person again. We can't make you forget again, the chances were so slim the first time...well...we COULD drop a tree on your head, but well...."
Shadow hid his face into Sonic's neck, "I don't want to remember. It hurts..."
The embrace tightened. "I know...I know, but you can't just stop remembering..." He sighed.
"It's just.... that I don't want to be evil.... nor kill..."
"You were never evil...and we won't let you kill. We've kept you from doing as much as you're capable of, that's for sure." Sonic moved to press his cheek against the other's forehead. "So you don't have to worry..."
Shadow nodded and closed his eyes, enjoying the contact with the other hedgehog that brought him a sense of safety.
Sonic smiled, relieved that Shadow wasn't so upset anymore, and began to play, carefully, with the dark hedgehog's ears, knowing that it would make his companion feel better.
After a minute or so of ear stroking, the black creature stood up, "Well, shall we start collecting rocks?" He asked with a grin.
"You're relentless....." Sonic rolled his eyes. "But sure. Think you can help me up?"
"You can piggyback on me." He answered turning around and showing his back.
"Ugh, this is so undignified..." Sonic grumbled, hoisted himself up onto the offered ride. "When I get my legs back, I'm breaking Red's...."
"well, first you need to get them back under you, right?" He asked standing up and securing Sonic to his body.
A loud grumble. "Yeah, yeah, I know...Think we can find out how Knuckles gets outside? Cause I mean, he has to, cause he's got those herbs and fruit."
"He just move the big rock aside every time he needs to go out or to come in."
"Well...crap...." Sonic went limp on the dark hedgehog's back, like a deflated balloon. "That really sucks.....means we can't go outside...."
"I could use Chaos Control..." Shadow mumbled to himself.
"You could..." Sonic nodded, eyes pricked forward now. "But wouldn't that be inconvenient for you? I mean, you only just woke up, and Knux said you were exhausted...."
"I know. That is why I said 'I could'."
"Oh. I thought you said could as is, 'I can do it right now.'" Sonic blinked, growing quieter.
"I could do it, but I'll have a good probability to end up having a Chaos Drainage. This will surely endanger both of us..."
"Then don't do it." Sonic pointed out logically, then a question came to mind. "How could the Drainage endanger me, besides me losing you? You're the one who could die."
"Yes, but you would be left outside alone without any help." The dark one answered starting walking towards the corridor.
"Well, what's the worse that could happen?" Sonic hugged him tightly, since his arms were looped around the other's shoulders and chest so he could hold on. "There aren't many wild animals in the Mystic Ruins, and it not like Robotnik likes it here..."
"GUN..." Was the whispered answer that Sonic received.
"Oh.....you remember them now?" Sonic buried his chin into the crook of the other's shoulder.
"No. You kinda told me that day in that base...."
"Oh yeah..." Sonic laughed at himself. "Sorry. I'm not fully here today....I think all the junk Knux's given me is finally eating away at my brain..."
The black hedgehog stopped his walk as he entered in the corridor, which was at least 35 feet long with one dead end and one closed exit; there were also other doors, but they were blocked by rubbles.
"Well then, why don't we make him pay for that?"
"What do you have in mind..?" Sonic asked eagerly, trying to extend his head over the dark shoulder.
"Why should I plan? You're the one wanting his little revenge, not me."
The azure hero poked his head. "Because you're the plotter of this relationship. And he knocked you out too, don't you want to get back at him?"
"First, I plot only when I want to pin you down, second, he didn't knock me out, I just collapsed on my own without him lifting a finger."
"Get him back for me then?" Sonic gave him a set puppy-dog eyes, looking as pitiful as possible.
"No. But I will help you along the way."
The hero heaved an incredibly too-heavy-too-be-legit sigh, and slumped against his carrier. "Oh well....think you can at least help me plot? I'm not good at it..."
"Well, what would you like to do?"
"Break him in two and sew the top half on backwards..." Sonic growled, his clasped hands tightening. "Or maybe tear his arms and legs off and make him lie on hot coals......"
"I'm not sure that you'll like it afterwards..."
"I know..." The sapphire hedgehog whined. "...but I need stress relief."
The black hedgehog started trailing his right index finger over Sonic's arm, "Can I do something that may help you relieve this stress?"
Sonic held back a squeal of surprise. "Like what....?"
Shadow chuckled and threw his head backwards, "I have no clue." He said grinning.
"You're just evil, you know that..?" Sonic muttered, moving forward to nuzzle what he could reach of the black furred throat.
The dark hedgehog chuckled more, "Yes. I know, I know."
"Good." Sonic grinned. "Because heroes always beat evil, which means I always beat you. So there."
With careful, but quick moves, Shadow managed to bring the other hedgehog in front of him, keeping him up and against his body by placing both his hands under Sonic's rear; then he slightly pressed him on a near wall, trapping him.
"You were saying?" He asked nuzzling the other's neck.
The captive hedgehog squirmed, clinging both on the darker furry before him and the wall pressed against his back, trying to find a way down without falling. "Shadow, you cheater!!"
The black hedgehog grinned, "Just joking, Sonic. I would do nothing with you in these conditions." He said maneuvering the other hedgehog back on his back, "You should relax more."
"How can I relax when you're constantly jumping and pinning me against walls and floors and beds and such." The hero growled, clinging tightly. "You keep that all and I'll end up with a twitching disorder..."
The only thing that the hero got in response was a shake of head and the resuming of the walk towards the blocked exit.
"You....do know that's a dead end ahead...right, Shadow?" Sonic pointed toward the rock. "I mean, we can't walk though it, or break it..."
"I know, but I have nothing better to do but walk around..."
"Oh...so you're just gonna turn around and go the other way?" The hero asked. "Like shooting gallery ducks?"
"Have you better ideas?"
"No....not really....though if you see any chalk we can play tic tac toe...?" Sonic leaned back to look at the ground, "Or some really light, grainy rocks..."
"Tic-tac-what?" He asked confused.
"Tic-tac-toe, Shadow. It's a game, using Xs and Os to get three in a straight line and win. For bored people." Sonic was still searching the floor with his eyes, not noticing the faint cracks of light appearing around the boulder.
Shadow, however, had seen it and started to quickly walk back to the room; no need for Knuckles to find both of them out of the bed...
"Shadow, what are you doing?" Sonic growled, seeing that Shadow was backtracking, but not noticing the movement of the rock until light began to wash over the floor. Then he looked.
"Oh crap!!!" He whispered urgently. "Busted!!"
The dark hedgehog bolted for the room and the hay mat, not wanting to get caught and feel the Guardian's anger on his own skin.
Just as they disappeared around the threshold, Sonic noticed the rock being pulled out of the way, Knuckles, of course, clutching it. Then he was back in the stone room, listening to the sounds on it being replaced.
"Hurry Shadow, he's already inside!!!"
The black hedgehog managed to reach the mat, but he tripped over its edge and fell forwards, slamming his chin on the rather soft surface and releasing a muffled ow of pain.
"Yipe!" Sonic quickly rolled off of his comrade and sat on the mat beside him, able now to pick up the Guardian's footsteps. He took Shadow by the shoulders and hoisted him upward. "You okay?"
The dark creature massaged his jaw and mumbled out an ok, trying to clear his vision from all those colorful spots.
"Good...." Sonic sighed, relaxing slowly. "Just in time too...."
"Just in time for what?"
His quills shot up, and he looked over his shoulder, praying for his mind and ears to have tricked him, hoping that he hadn't heard what he had, and wouldn't see what he knew he would. But he did.
"Hey...Knux..."
The echidna placed his bag near the entrance of the room and crossed his arms, "Just in time for what?" He repeated
Sonic gave his friend a guilty smile, and twiddled his thumbs. "Um...if I was to say 'nothing,' would you believe me?"
"No."
A short and short answer that told that the echidna wanted the truth.
Sonic's grinned faded, by his fingers still moved in apprehension. "Please don't hit me...?"
"It depends on what you say to me."
"I was bored..." Sonic whimpered, looking at the ground. "So I asked Shadow if he'd move me so I could at least look at something besides the room for a while...." He was currently trying to calculate how quickly he could move himself and Shadow out of the way of any attacks they were about to receive.
Shadow managed to clear his mind a little, "To tell the truth, it was my idea to move him instead of letting him move by himself..." He said still too dazed to move properly.
"You're not supposed to TELL him I wanted to walk, Shadow!" Sonic yanked on his ears. "That increases the chances of him hitting us!! Do you know how to get OUT of punishment!?"
"A well placed Chaos Control?" He answered sighing.
"You can't Chaos Control, remember...." Sonic growled, still pulling his ears.
"I can. With more risks of it going out of control, but I can."
Sonic gave him a droll look. "I repeat. You can't Chaos Control."
Shadow charged his right hand with Chaos Energy, "You want me to show it to you that I can?"
Sonic put his hand over Shadow's, wincing as the Energy took his bare hand. "Can't as in, if you do, if the Drainage doesn't kill you, I will."
"You would really kill me when I'm all helpless on the floor?" The dark creature asked in return, still holding the energy in his hand.
"I'd wait till you got better." Sonic corrected, feeling his arm slowly numbing and the tan fur on his arm now standing on end. "I'm not completely unfair."
Knuckles sighed and uncrossed his arms, "Tell me when you two are done that I brought back food..."
Sonic head swiveled. "What? Food?" A grin crossed his face. "Food's good."
The only thing that Shadow did in that moment was grinning devilish and snickering; his plan had worked perfectly.
Sonic was too busy trying to see into the bag Knuckles had brought to ask Shadow what was so funny. "Whacha get me Knux? Huh? Huh? Huh?"
The echidna looked at Shadow with sharp eyes, "Your plan, uh? Figures... plotting like usual..."
Shadow's grin widened, "Plots are my specialty." He answered.
Sonic had already inched his way to the bag and was rummaging through it. "Fruit...junk...veggies....more fruit...where do you keep the chilidogs, Red? You didn't crystallize them too, didja?"
"I don't think they grow on trees like the fruit does or from the ground like veggies..."
Sonic heaved a sigh. "On the run, confined to bed, and no chilidogs. Someone up there just hates me to little bits today...."
Shadow looked at him, "You still have me, right?" He asked tilting his head a little to the side.
"One of the few very good things about this days, much as you enjoy jumping me every five seconds...." Sonic selected a pear-like fruit and half-dragged, half-scooted his way back to the mat.
Shadow scooted next to Sonic, "Ahhh... but you enjoy that, right? All those moans and whimpers say so..." He whispered into his ears in a husky tone.
Sonic shivered and pushed Shadow back a distance. "I'm EATING Shadow...Don't you start."
The dark hedgehog snickered again, "Then I'll start once we're alone again. Knuckles here would surely kill us both if we start playing."
Said Guardian raised his eyebrows at the two, then coughed, moving to the doorway. "I think I'll give you some time anyway. Have fun..."
"Knux, you jerk!!" Sonic growled after him, but the Echidna was already gone.
As soon as the black creature heard the rock move two times, he looked at Sonic with longing eyes and a devilish grin.
"You will stay RIGHT THERE until I finish my food, mister." Sonic warned, taking a bite of the fruit, eyes wary.
The black hedgehog stood up and went to grab the bag, "Ok." He said walking back to the mat and sitting down to fish into it and get something to eat, "But as soon as you're done, you're all mine." He said happily. Sonic muttered something about making sure to eat extra slow, and swallowed his bite, taking another, much smaller one.
"By the way, Sonic." Shadow started, taking a bite of an apple, "Why don't you tell me what you usually did on your time before meeting me?"
"Besides fight Robotnik, spar with Knux, and hang out? Not much. Mostly took runs. There are a few nice places to go, and the Chao Gardens aren't such a bad place to visit. I keep thinking about raising one, but I've never had the time..."
"Do you... travel?"
Sonic shrugged, "I guess you could call it that. I go a lot of places, but travelling usually means you go there cause you WANT to, not HAVE to..." He had almost finished the pear without noticing, and still did not. "But yeah, I go places if that's what you're asking..."
The dark hedgehog finished his apple and brought his legs to his chest, hugging them, "Once this ends... will you show me those places?" He asked, voice muffled by his arms.
Sonic regarded him, and smiled. "I was planning to anyway, Shadow. Especially the Chao Garden. There was one there, don't know who's it is, but it's got your markings....or really close." He poked the other's quills.
Shadow raised his head from his arms and regarded the blue hedgehog, "What are Chao?"
"You...oh right, space. Sorry." Sonic pondered. "Imagine....something with a head shaped like a lemon.. and a round little body...with really big eyes...they're kind of like babies, I suppose. You'll get it better when you see one, they're cute enough to melt Eggy's heart. I know for a fact he's got at least two, and spoils them rotten."
"I would like to see them, then." He said with a small smile.
"I'll bet..." He bit into the last of the fruit, and set the core down, spinning it. "I still want to adopt one, but hey, what can you do?"
"You really would adopt one of them? Didn't you say that you had no time to yourself?"
"I would, if I did have time. Chao aren't allowed to leave the Garden, so I'd have to have someone babysit all the time, every time Robo-man started something..." Sonic gave the core another spin. "But you just can't help wanting one anyway..."
Shadow turned away to look into the space in front of him, "Oh. I understand."
"Yep." Sonic laughed. "I'll have to introduce you to Cream, she can tell you this stuff better'n me. She grew up with the little things..." Another spin, and he let the leftover pear fall, then leaned back. "Maybe after all this, we can get a Chao anyway though. That way, one of us can always take care of it..."
Shadow crawled over Sonic and trapped him with his hands, "I'm not sure that I will leave you alone in one of your... mission against Ivo.... "
"Hey, I've beat him before. Relax, he always pulls the EXACT same stunt as before, and it's always easy as pie." Sonic grinned up at the dark hedgehog.
The ebony creature straddled him, "It's not that, Sonic. It's the pure fact that you'll get all the fun while I'll have to remain home with the Chao..."
"Aww...Chao are so cute though. You think I'd want to leave? I'm just the more experienced fighter here, and I know what to expect."
"Last time it was me who pulled you out of certain death..."
"So I got side-tracked. I'm sorry!" Sonic rolled his eyes. "Curse my natural instinct to help others, okay?"
Shadow leaned down, "What would have happened if I was not there?"
Sonic shrugged and looked away. "I don't know...."
"You would have died." He answered for him, "And now I'd be all alone."
The blue hedgehog's ears folded. "But you WERE there, I DIDN'T die, so can we not talk about this anymore...?"
Shadow grinned like his usual when plotting, "Then, what should we talk about?"
"I don't know, but not about people dying. It's depressing...." Sonic grumbled, turning his head back. "Wait a sec....why are you grinning like that...?"
The black hedgehog started petting Sonic's chest, "Last time we got interrupted, right?"
Sonic cheeks flushed and he squirmed, trying to swallow a rising purr. "You little scheming....."
"You should know me by now, Sonic, that I love this over every other thing."
"I've noticed..." The purr was evident in his voice and he gave in, enjoying the attention. "I wish you'd give me a warning before you do this stuff though...."
"So you could avoid it and maybe counter it?"
"No, so I wouldn't practically have a heart-attack every time you do..." Sonic twisted a little, the purr deepening.
Shadow used his other hand to grasp Sonic's shoulder and immobilize him, then he dived with his mouth in the blue hedgehog's neck, "Stop complaining. You're still alive." He said starting to tease the flesh there with his lips.
A garbled protest broke through the captive mouth and he tried to move away, trapped. Soft moans and whimpers chorused immediately after that realization.
Shadow smiled at Sonic's moans and whimpers; that meant that he was pleasing him.
Sonic tilted his head back, letting Shadow gain more access, and enjoying the attention quite a bit now, until he heard something. A faint scuffling sound, and his ears pricked, trying to listen to the noise through Shadow's ministrations.
"Shadow...? Stop for a sec...do you hear that..?"
The dark hedgehog stopped and moved his ears around; then his eyes narrowed. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
And he didn't like it at all.
"Does...that sounds like Knuckles to you?" Sonic twisted, trying to move in order to hear better. The scraping sounds had started, and suddenly voices reached his ear.
"Get the rock out of the way, men! He'll be inside!"
Shadow felt his fur stand all on end; this was bad. Really, really bad. They were trapped in a hole without any other exit...
He looked back to Sonic, and after a few seconds he made his decision.
Chaos Control...
The dark one started to charge up for one big enough for the two of them, hoping that he would survive enough to place to safety his partner.
"Shadow! No!" Sonic covered his companion hand with both his own, wincing as the Energy meet bare flesh. "You'll die!" The sounds were already growing louder, and the noise from the boulder being pushed away had come to a halt. They would be here soon.
"Better death than imprisonment!" He screamed in a whisper, "I won't go back there. Never!"
With that, he freed his charged hand and looked in Sonic's eyes, "Don't worry, everything will be alright as long as we're not caught by GUN."
"Shadow, please, don't!" Then he broke gaze with the other, meet with an armed soldier's, just as they were coming into the doorway.
"FREEZE! Or I'll shoot!!"
The black hedgehog slowly turned his head to look at the human and snarled viciously as something stronger than him started to build up inside him; the Chaos Energy in his hand was morphed from a Chaos Control to a beginning of a Chaos Spear attack.
"Shadow!!!" Sonic quickly wrapped his arms around the other's waist to anchor him. "No!!! Stay still!"
Shadow was too far gone now to hear his partner's plea, and with a growl of anger, he launched his attack towards the enemy, killing it instantly; then he quickly recharged for another attack. He wouldn't fall without a fight.
Sonic gasped, then grabbed onto Shadow's charged hand again, wrenching him back to his side, and glaring straight into the scarlet eyes. "Shadow. Stop. Now! Before you kill more people!!!" He whispered harshly. More men were already coming. "We can fight without killing any of them..."
The dark hedgehog's eyes narrowed greatly at him, "Better death, be mine or theirs, than to be caught!" He answered snarling and charging more his hand.
A soft whimper threatened to escape Sonic's throat, but he held it in, forcing his face to look calm and forceful. "Shadow, we're NOT killing anyone, innocent or not. That's not the kind of people we are, you KNOW that!" His eyes darted toward the soldiers; taking in the weapons, until he spotted something he didn't want to see.
Darts, being loaded quickly...'Oh...crap..'
Shadow turned around quickly and unloaded his Chaos Energy blast on the humans; however, one of them managed to hit him with a dart, and he started immediately feeling dazed.
However, he was created to sustain more than one dose of the tranquilizer that the had used and he pried the dart out of his side; with another growl, he charged his right hand again and waited for the dust to settle back on the ground.
Before it did however, there were two wild shots, one being another dart, the other a bullet. The more fatal bit of ammunition zoomed by its target, missing completely and embedding itself into the moss wall behind them. The shot would've missed almost no matter what, but that didn't stop Sonic from instinctively moving 'out of the way.'
Into the path of the dart.
With a soft yelp of surprise and pain, Sonic slumped backwards, and his eyesight hazed.
Now Shadow was really mad and screamed his fury; this brought him back a few memories. The worst ones.
That made him madder than he could be and he charged both his hands with all the Chaos Energy he could muster.
They would all die for their sins.
The soldiers all panicked, most fleeing, the others taken random shots, which, surprisingly, did not hit either hedgehog. One, the one with the dart gun, maybe to land three shots directly into Shadow, but in his rage, it seemed there was no effect.
Sonic, trying hard to push himself out of a daze, eyes hurting from the rush of blinding lights, sought out Shadow's form and clung to him, trying hard to stay awake, a noise of distress leaking for his throat before his eyes began slipping close.
The dark hedgehog looked down at his partner that had fallen asleep; then he shifted his gaze to the few humans that had remained there. His eyes narrowed and he growled deeply; now the imaged of pure madness and rage, Shadow morphed the Chaos Energy in his hands into two Chaos Swords.
A crazy grin appeared on his face, "You're all dead."
The soldiers did exactly what they'd been taught to do when this happened. Shoot to kill. They fired all they had into the hedgehog, but nothing struck home, and what did, was of no use. The insane hedgehog seemed to notice no pain, and did not bleed.
He only became angrier.
Shadow, even if in his berserk status, had raised a thin shield of Chaos Energy that surrounded his body; this made him immune to every type of weapon that shot bullets.
That was why he was never wounded even if hit.
He folded his ears and slightly lowered his head, raising his quills; only a thought in his mind...
Kill them all.
His opponents panicked, and made a hasty 'retreat.' A better way to describe their actions would be to say they dropped their weapons, empty and useless, and ran like hell in the direction they hoped would hold safety.
The crazy hedgehog grinned and made to follow them, but stopped as he heard a soft snoring; he turned around and looked at his partner sleeping on the floor.
"I... am sorry... I... can't stop this... it's... too strong..." He whispered with tears in his eyes as he stroked him on the shoulder, "I... want to forget again..."
With a Chaos Energy charged finger, he started to write something on the floor; when he was done, he stood up and left in a hurry.
The writing simply read, "Help me."
At the same time both Shadow and Sonic was attacked inside, Knuckles was tearing through the guards who were trying to hold him down in the Mystic Forest outside. They had almost managed to cuff his arms behind his back, but the echidna had thrown they off before they could do anything of the sort.
It had boiled down to will-power keeping the Guardian from keeling over down, two darts already having been buried in his shoulder. He knew, as did his attackers, that his legs would buckle under him soon, it was only a matter of time. But damn be him if he didn't give them all hell before he went.
The forest went silent in a matter of a second as a loud and chilling scream echoed through it; no doubt that it was directed to the humans and that its owner was filled with rage, hate and a wish for death...
Knuckles froze, and almost fell over, recognizing that noise enough to know exactly what was happening. The men did not, and stilled, the last and worst thing they should've done, and turned to look. If he'd been in better health, and the distraction something less terrifying, he would've taken advantage of this, knocking the rest down for the count, or getting out of there.
He should've.
There was an explosion between their hideout and the location of Knuckles that shook the whole forest as the shock wave spread across the land irradiating it with Chaos Energy, then, silence once again. There was no sound but the rustle of the leaves.
The echidna was thrown against on of the trees behind him by the shock wave, but had suffered no mortal injuries. If the same could've been said for the human bodies littering the ground, Knuckles might have been less apprehensive when the dust began to clear, and he could make out the shape of the explosion's cause.
There was a low growl resonating on the air; a growl that instilled pure fear in the heart of everyone that would hear it and see its owner.
As the dust cleared, Shadow tilted his head to the side and grinned crazily to the humans that had the misfortune to survive the shock wave.
"Hellooo..." He said in a fake sweetness.
Knuckles shoved himself to his feet, trying to search the battlefield for Sonic. The sapphire hedgehog was no where in sight, and that caused a serious problem in Knuckles' book. The hero practically clung to Shadow when he was like this, and him not being here when Shadow was crazier than hell....two and two make four.
"Shadow!! Where's Sonic?" Not his smartest choice, but he had to be sure...
The dark hedgehog tilted his head to the other side and softened his face, "He's... napping in the hideout. Go help him. Hurry."
"...napping...?" Knuckles blinked but suddenly realized what Shadow meant. They had sedated the hedgehog. He cursed and started to move for the opened entrance, stumbling to the ground after a moment, and taking far longer than he wanted to get back to his feet.
The black hedgehog grabbed him by a wrist and made him turn, "Protect him... even from me..." He said disappearing in a Chaos Control
The jerk of Shadow's sudden absence caused Knuckles to almost fall again, but he regained his balance and propelled himself to the safety of the stone wall nearby leaning heavily onto it and making his way inside.
To his relief, he found Sonic just as Shadow had left him, or close enough, curled into a small ball , quills half out and for the most part, unharmed.
Meanwhile Knuckles was busy with Sonic, the dark hedgehog had returned to his killing spree, but by now he was starting to visibly suffer from all the tranquilizer in his system. Yet, he would never stop until the last human was laying at his feet in a pool of blood.
The GUN warriors did all they could to fight back, what was left of them anyway, after slaughter and desertion. He were noticed the hedgehog's weakness, that he was slowing, and more darts were fired in rapid succession, the majority never reaching him, but the few that did pumping excess chemicals into the hedgehog's blood stream.
By now, any normal hedgehog would've been dead, but better the Project, GUN decided, than them.
With all that sedative in his blood stream, Shadow started to slow down and wobble on his legs, yet, he still refused to fall. He had his mission to accomplish, and there was no way that he would stop.
Not now, nor ever.
GUN noticed, they had been waiting. The last of the force pushed forward, using everything they could get their hands on to bring the hedgehog down. He was not invincible after all, they knew now, simply difficult.
The black hedgehog watched as the last forces advanced and tried to charge up for a final attack; however, in doing so he would end up in having a drainage, and if he survived that, he would surely end up in their hands since the possible blast could leave some alive to call for back up.
Nonetheless, Shadow decided that it was best to risk his own life and kill a few more humans than just surrender.
The humans saw the charge, and to their credit, held their ground; reinforcements were already on their way, and if they didn't take the 'monstrosity' down, their fellows would.
The dark creature raised his hands to the sky and clenched his fist, "I DESPISE YOU!" He screamed as several Chaos Spear formed into the sky and 'locked on' the humans.
"YOU'RE ALL DEAD!"
And with that scream, he lowered his arms and the Chaos Energy weapons were fired.
The Chaos Spears tore into the small crowd, and all but ten at the very most fell, the Energy sizzling through chest, limb, and torso, screams of pain racing each other to the sky.
But by then, more were already there.
Shadow started wobbling dangerously on the spot, but he still refused to fall down even if he could feel his heart protesting loudly, his lungs screaming for the air they received and his body just wanting to shut down. Possibly permanently.
He raised his hands in front of him; he could still break a few bones before collapsing definitively.
He could've.
If only Shadow hadn't been so focused on the men he could see. If only he hadn't been blood crazed and out of his own control. If only one of the soldiers hadn't already snuck up from behind, taser at the ready...
The resulting shock was the final straw.
Shadow heard a click, and was fast enough to turn around and see a man holding a different weapon; then, there was a surge of pain running through all his body, and when, after a few seconds that seemed eternity, the electric charge stopped, he collapsed on the ground half awake, half dead on his side. The only thing he could do was move his eyes and launch a death glare at the human that hit him.
The man smiled, something akin to the way Sonic did when he won an argument, and waved to the others. Ropes and chains were hurriedly brought over, and the men, careful so as to not injure themselves, quickly began binding the hedgehog.
"I swear... I will kill you all. I swear it. I'll do it. Even if I have to wait another fifty years and even if it'll be the last thing I'll do." He weakly growled out as he felt the humans bind him with everything they had, "I swear it."
"Shut up." One of the soldiers brought the taser, turned off luckily, across Shadow's face, hoping to keep him quiet. It was bad enough having him look like a hell-spawn creature, if he started cursing them like one...
The dark one grunted and narrowed his eyes as much as he could, ruby iris as bloodthirsty as they could get, "And you will be the first." He growled out raising his quills as one man tried to bind his hands behind his back, "Then all the others. You will all die of a painful death."
"Not before you..." The sound was almost like a child's voice, and a young face appeared, accompanied by the taller man in uniform.
"Our many thanks, Amy Rose, you've been an outstanding citizen today." The man shook her hand, smiling warmly. She returned both gestures.
"I should be thanking you, for getting hold of that creep before he hurt my poor Sonic more than he already has. You haven't done anything to him, right? Just like we agreed...?" She looked concerned, but eager.
"No. He had to be tranquilized, since he refused to cooperate, my men tell me, but he'll have no more than a sore head when he wakes..."
At the sight of the pink hedgehog, Shadow started thrashing violently, "You! It was you, little bitch! I swear! I'm gonna tear you piece by piece and you'll be sorry to even be born! I swear it over my own life! You'll regret what you did! I swear it!" He growled out with apparent new energy that was given to him by his hate and rage.
"Yes, yes, with the thousands deaths and my whole line, my children's children etc." The girl waved his words away. "You'll take that back though. My children will be Sonic's too, you know." she leaned over him, knowing he was bound too tight to reach her, and grinned.
"And when he's found you've disappeared to who knows where...you do you think he'll come to for comfort? I've been kept confidential, so the only one who will ever even say I was here, will be you..." Her eyes sparkled. "And I doubt you'll be able to tattle on me when your lips are frozen shut for at least another fifty years..."
The black hedgehog went mad again and he lunged for Amy's right leg with his mouth, biting down and cutting the flesh deeply with his teeth; then, he started trashing his head around so he would do more damage. It wouldn't kill her, but at least he was getting a small satisfaction on her pain.
The soldiers were on them immediately, yanking Shadow's jaws off of the hedgehogette's leg and pinning him back down to gag him tightly, while three or four tended to the leg wound and helped Amy stand.
"Bastard..." She growled, a vicious glare directed toward the mass of streaked fur.
Even if the black creature was feeling tired, he trashed anyway, growling and raising his quills, managing to bite the hand of the human that was trying to gag him and never letting go as the blood started to pour into his mouth and muzzle; he would never surrender.
Never.
Humans took turns moving around the Project's head, tightened the thick cloth to keep him from tearing out anyone else's flesh, already naming him a vampire, keen as he was to bite.
"Don't worry Ms. Rose..." The commander soothed the young girl, and she smiled toward Shadow, glitter in her eyes. "...we know exactly what to do with him..."
Shadow, now gagged, could do nothing but return the gaze with a death theme in it; now it was official that when he was free again, he would seek her and kill her, or better... show her what hell was. After all, he knew that Sonic would look for him every where; even hell itself. He knew it. He trusted him to do so.
Upon that thought, he smiled at Amy, sure that she had already lost the war even if she had won the battle.
'Soon, little bitch. Soon you will see hell and you will live covering in pure fear.' He thought smiling with knowledge in his red eyes.
Amy felt a small shiver and averted her eyes back to the commander, smiling. "Where's Sonic now? I want to be the first thing he sees when he wakes up."
"He's in that ruin," One of the remaining men said, "He should still be asleep."
Unfortunately for them, Shadow had managed to give Knuckles enough time to take Sonic away from there, and knowing this, the dark hedgehog laughed behind the thick gag.
Amy stood and looked down at the black hedgehog. "What's so funny? Finally gone off the edge?" She resisted the urge to kick him.
The black creature stopped laughing and tilted his head.
Perfect; she was near enough for him to give her another attack.
With a mad grin half hidden by his gag, Shadow twisted around and lifted himself on his shoulders, then, with a muffled growl he quickly swung with his bounded legs down at Amy, hearing a satisfying crack.
Good. A broken nose and more blood spilled. There. Feeling better now.
Amy went down with a yelp, and another uproar to pin down Shadow and help the girl followed, at least two soldiers threatening the dark hedgehog with tasers.
"Hurry, we'll take her with us, she'll need medical treatment...."
Shadow let loose a chuckle that was halfway happy and halfway mad, 'This was only a little sample of what I'm going to do with you, bitch. I'll be back for more. Remember it.' He thought as he started to twist weakly, for hedgehog's standards, under the humans' hold.
For all his meek struggles, Shadow was still taken along with the soldiers, dragged aboard a large aircraft, similar to a plane with a touch of helicopter. Amy was helped after by a private, and the commander himself.
The black hedgehog, however, even if he was starting to quickly lose the fight, he was not going to stop his struggles and his muffled growls of hate and rage could be still heard over the silent engine.
The commander, watching the Project fight with his bonds and snap at his captors, nodded to one of his underlings who quickly rushed to his side. Her helmet and visor had fallen away during battle, revealing a short shock of red hair, and dark brown eyes.
She didn't give time for her looks to be praised however, she was too busy filling the dosage with more sedative, and trying to tap out the bubbles.
Knowing well what the woman was planning, Shadow raised his quills and growled deeply in warning that he would give everything he had left to hurt her.
She paused and looked down at him, an inquiring look crossing her face. Obviously she was new to the GUN unit, for an experienced soldier wouldn't have hesitated like she had. She frowned, and put a hand on the hedgehog's shoulder, a surprisingly strong grip for someone as young as she seemed, mouthed a sorry, and began to administer the sleep-forcing liquid.
The dark hedgehog was taken aback by her mouthed sorry, but started squirming around nonetheless, managing to roll away before all the drug was pumped in his system.
Now laying on his stomach, he looked at her an raised more his quills; sleepy growls leaving his gagged mouth as the sedative started to slowly take its effect on his body and mind.
She backed away slowly, her mouth still set in a frown, but she finally turned and went to the rest of her squadron, replacing the needle into a pack, seeming almost relieved she didn't have to give him the rest of it.
Shadow's eyes slowly closed; that woman seemed different from all the others. Maybe... just maybe she could understand before she did the irreparable...
Maybe....
With that last thought, the dark hedgehog ceased every movement and fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.
