The Search For Shadow seemed to be going in circles from the toddlers' standpoint. Someone found a lock of Shadow's fur, having been torn off from a jagged edge of a tree while he and Sonic were out searching for them, and they were able to track his scent for a little while before meeting the sudden, painful smell of dry cement and every smell in the world caked into it. After taking up traveling the sidewalk in a pack, and earning many stares and many other mobians and humans screaming at them in fear and/or trying to attack them, they hid in the nearest dark place they could find to figure some things out.
A few things were wrong. Number one, everyone they passed walked on two legs, not all four. Two, their eyes were similar to Sonic, Tails, and Shadow, and not a shade of green with a lighter portion serving as their iris. and three, all of them could speak English, or at least a version of it. So, in order to get going and ask if anyone knew who Shadow was, they had to correct all three of those problems.
The first was pretty difficult to master, but eventually they got it down. Each padded the dirty, empty, dark alley with bare paws in pride before Champ warned them about glass and metal and how much those things could hurt if stepped on or thrown at you. So, they became a bit more cautious. Though they walked with their arms up at their sides, ready to drop back down at a moments notice back onto all fours, that was the first thing done and tackled.
The second seemed impossible at first, before one of the female Hive minds showed that she already learned how to do it a while back and started teaching the others. It took way longer for that part to happen, but, after nearly twenty to thirty minutes, they all had a normal set of eyes with green irises. Shadow was gonna be so proud of them!
The last bit was Steve's work, where he held up a black rock and struck it down against the brick of the building containing the alley and left a smudgy smear. Then, he drew a crude version of a black hedgehog on it, very small and very messy, but he got the message across. The rest asked him how he obtained such a magical stone before he went over to a brown, almost paper bag with a name they couldn't read. The bag was ripped open and contained the black lumps that smelled of fire or burning wood.
Armed with their magical black drawing lumps, they set off on the streets again and faced the many mobians and humans, who all... still... continued to give them odd looks.
Who just let eight children wander the streets alone? And why did they keep drawing all over the sidewalk with charcoal?
A blaring noise followed by a yelp of glee made Shadow spring up from his desk, a lone sheet of paper slowly peeling off his cheek as he turned to stare at Vector.
"Huh?" The croc mumbled, looking up just to meet Shadow's death glare and grinned sheepishly. "O-oh, sorry! I just got a case for next Saturday."
Shadow sighed and looked over to Espio, who seemed to have turned into a cat and somehow fell asleep curled into a ball in his rolling chair. Charmy had settled in the little nook next to his stomach, the two of them apparently not bothered by the terrible noise their boss just created.
It made Shadow fear how long they worked with him that his loud noises didn't even phaze them.
"That's... that's enough for today," he grumbled, voice raspy from just waking up, but he didn't bother to clear it. "What time is it...?"
Considering he came to work at 7 on the dot, right on time, and it was now going onto 12:45, he had worked/slept an hour and 45 minutes over his normal work schedule and was in overtime. So, that meant extra pay, which he didn't really need but didn't complain about, someone knew he was in overtime but didn't come to tell him, and that he should probably go visit the Hive Minds and make sure Sonic and Tails didn't die yet.
"Vector," he frowned, blinking exhausted eyes "Wake up Espio and that bee, you all can go."
The croc nodded a bit happily, knowing that the General would pay them considering Shadow had to bring in outside help. General always hated when Shadow did that, but Shadow openly stated that he didn't care anyway.
Shadow watched them wake and leave, then collected all the paper in a pile, took the emerald, shut off the computer, and left his office while locking the door behind him.
He passed Harold on his way out, who was supposed to take over his shift an hour and fifty minutes ago, drinking hot chocolate and eating a granola bar. They shared a stare of rivalry hatred as they passed each other, before their stare was cut off by the wall and Shadow continued on his way.
As he neared the door, he waved goodbye to Rouge, who blinked at him in confusion as she glanced at the clock then simply shrugged it off. He was glad she did. He did not want to explain that he fell asleep for so long.
Teleporting to their house would be cool, but it'd be more draining than simply walking there. And walking seemed nice, anyway. It was a good day out, Shadow noticed. The sky was a wonderful baby blue and the clouds fluffy and drifting. The agent found himself staring upwards for a moment, a small smile gracing his muzzle until he looked ahead once again and started on his way to the brothers' house.
He remembered the first time he looked at the sky. The actual sky, and not Space. He was so shocked to know the sky was blue. It was a shock to feel spring rain for the first time, to feel the brisk chill of autum and the freezing snow of winter and the blazing heat of summer. It was nice.
His thoughts were a bit interrupted by looking down, noticing that he was now walking on a bunch of black scribbles. Looking closely, he could barely recognize that they were supposed to be drawings. Then, facing the street, saw a small crowd of people gathered on the sidewalk that was slowly growing bigger by the minute.
Waking up, finally, Sonic groaned and turned over in bed before yelping as he was suddenly acquainted with the floor. He sat up and looked around his room before finding his alarm, which somehow ended up upside down and under the bed. He took it out and read it as 1:03 PM.
"Man, I know I sleep late, but jeez this is a new record," He chuckled, coughing a few times to clear his throat as he stood.
Sonic made his way to the bathroom first, then after a quick wash up, went downstairs just to look around in confusion. A few things were wrong, like why breakfast wasn't made by now and why none of the Hive minds were asleep on the couch, where he left them.
The kitchen was also slightly torn apart, with boxes and bags and cans tossed everywhere. there was even a can slowly dripping onto the floor that looked like someone stabbed it once with a knife.
Going back into the living room, the front door was scratched heavily at the bottom and a bit at the sides. The wall under the window also had scratches too.
So, the Hive had woken up and went somewhere, Sonic thought to himself.
His first idea was to check the lab, because Tails originally wanted to experiment on them anyway, but found it locked. Pounding on the door proved no results and he didn't hear anything going on in there other than the usual whir of the active machines, so he went back upstairs in case they snuggled with Tails to stay warm
The fox was just now waking up, groggy and squinting with one eye shut because it was a bit too bright. "Hey, Sonic. What time is it?" He smiled faintly, but his brother didn't return it.
"It's like, 110, something like that. Have you seen the Hive minds?" Worry started to rise in his voice, and since he just woke up, Tails only shook his head with a dull stare.
"Nope. Man, did we really sleep that late?" He smiled again, but when Sonic still didn't return it, he frowned. "What's up?"
"The Hiveminds are gone, Tails. I don't see them anywhere." he huffed, setting his hands on his hips and tapping his foot.
"What do you mean 'gone?' Didn't you set your alarm?" The kit quickly stood and hurried downstairs, rubbing his eyes clear along the way and barely recovering from his slip down the stairs once again.
The word 'alarm' made him frown. He did set an alarm at 6:30 to feed the hive so Shadow could come over and find them full and sleep, but, since the clock ended up upside down and under the bed, he figured he banged on the 'dismiss' button and knocked it under the bed with the same hit just to go back to sleep.
"I'm not responsible." He admitted, and Tails stared at him before rushing into the TV room. It was only used to play games when Knuckles got the chance to come over, so usually the door to it was cracked closed. This time, it was pushed wide open and the vent near the floor was yanked off and laid against the ground.
"They got outside." The brothers breathed, then shared a look of fear.
Pushing into the crowd and earning a few glares, Shadow growled and announced his presence. Those who turned saw and recognized him as not someone to mess with, immedietly went silent and gave him room. By the time he got to the center of attention, he saw why.
Inside a cardboard box, ripped and torn with a corner of it soaked in an unknown liquid, sat all eight Hive Minds. Half of them were exhausted and laying limp in the box, while a few were swiping at whoever got too close. All their hands were smeared aith black charcoal and their eyes 'normal' but looking around in fear. They all were clicking out his name in pleads while someone, a squirrel, sat on a stack of milkcrates and was announcing something.
There was a sign behind them labeled 'Chao Hybrids: 1 for $5!'
Shadow didn't even attempt to listen to what he was saying and stepped forward. Once he was seen, the Hive minds perked up and went to rush for him but were held back by the squirrel waving a large stick in their faces and knocking them back in.
"Who are you? Care to buy?" He smirked. His bushy tail swung happily, but Shadow's glare deepened.
"They are not yours. They are not Chao. They are not hybrids. They will not be sold and will be coming back home with me." He hissed, and the squirrel was taken aback slightly, but glared right back.
"I don't know what your problem is, pal, but these here hybrids are mine, and I have the right to sell them or not. Got me? No if you're not buying--"
"Steve, slash the box. Champ, come here."
At the command, their eyes returned to their normal green slates and they followed. Steve's tail reduced the box to shreds and everyone was freed. Champ jumped out and climbed Shadow's body like a tree, perching on his shoulder while the rest brought up enough strength to turn to the squirrel and snarl threats he couldn't understand. The crowd began to break up and shrink back, now fearing the 'chao hybrids.'
"Now, will you kindly clean all this up before I have you meet the bad end of my and my kids' temper?" Shadow spoke evenly, and the squirrel quickly nodded.
He tore up the sign and tossed the crates back where he found them, smiling in pure terror the entire time until everything he created on the spot was destroyed. "N-no prob-- no hard feelings, right bud? Buddy? Pal? God I'm so sorr--"
"Shut up. Hive, we're leaving." his mask fell back into a deep glare and the last seven climbed up onto him, finding a place to perch and hold on to that allowed Shadow to walk freely.
What he didn't notice was someone from the remaining crowd narrow his own green eyes before sinking into the floor and fading from view.
Shadow only walked another block, not speaking, then teleported to the living room of the brothers' house. "Get off and on the couch," He started, and they followed silently.
A few offered an appology, claiming they were hungry and tried to find him, but he didn't respond nor acknowledged that he even heard them and continued into the kitchen.
Thus commenced the angriest way anyone could make eight bottles of cool milk as he was not in the mood to warm it up for that long. Shadow walked in, gave each one their bottle, and sat on the chair directly opposite and stared at them.
They sat, staring at their bottles for only about two seconds before lifting them to drink. It was the most stressful meal they ever consumed, and while it was good, none of them dared try to drink any different way they were so used to doing with Shadow staring them down like that.
He was crossing both his arms and legs, and the leg that stayed down was bouncing anyway. He refused to admit the fear that shot through him at the thought that, had he not woken up, he would have lost them all. He also refused to admit how he called them his 'kids' and not 'experiments.'
He also refused to admit that he was crying right now.
xox
I got a wonderful review from both Blazepyro and Linz2 and man did it make my day! i always wonder why people like this weird story lol. like, Shadow now has 8 kids. thats the story. why did people like this so much? but man i was so excited I typed this and part of Transformation without even working on Moving On at all lol
(usually I hate typing Hivemind, but I guess theres always exceptions)
also excuse spelling errors bc apparently i cant ever fix them or realize I did it wrong.