The first sign that things weren't right on the comet came when Black Doom started his morning routines. The normally crowded corridors were empty apart from a trail of dark coloured spines.

Picking one up, Doom's three eyes widened in surprise, "Shadow?"

Deciding to investigate the appearance of the spines Doom headed towards Shadow's room. It was merely a visit to tackle a clear problem that appeared to be preventing his soldiers from moving around the Comet; certainly it was not in response to a concern that something must be wrong with the hedgehog if he had lost all his quills. Before Doom could stop it the thought of a defenceless hedgehog entered his mind and the alien's pace quickened.

Opening the door revealed a sea of the black and red pins littering the floor and Doom found himself grateful of his lack of feet. Amongst the mounds of cast off amour was the hedgehog in question; for once his gloves appeared to be missing and the usually smooth spines had tufts of quills sticking out.

"Shadow." Black Doom spoke softly to alert the hedgehog of his arrival.

"What do you want?" The hedgehog flashed his small fangs as he spoke and the alien noted bitterly that the loss of the quills seemed to have worsened the reclusive hedgehog's mood.

"I assume that the loss of your quills in natural?" Doom fought the wave of relief at the sight of fresh, sharp spines amongst the dulling, grey cast offs.

"I'm growing new ones." Shadow's teeth sank into his lip as he spoke in to create what appeared to be a snarl.

Black Doom contemplated, "Would it not be more efficient to shed them all at once along with the skin?"

A growl was his only reply. As he left the irate hybrid to his restoration, Doom vaguely wondered if his Earth hedgehog was having as much trouble as his son with this quilling process.