MWAHAHAHAHA!
Because a normal entrance for this chapter just wouldn't cut it. 'Nuff said.
Standard disclaimer applies. Translated lyrics come from AnimeLyrics dot com. Milo's intelligence comes from Wikipedia and other research.
Shadow: I'm absolutely positive that they're going to kill you for this one. You won't get away with this, Dei.
Dei: Yeah... I'm a little worried about that myself. FSM knows what they'll do to me next chapter... *shifty eyes*
Sonic: No spoilers. Even though you deserve to be shot, you shouldn't ruin the story for them. Those sick bastards.
Mephiles: *rolls eyes and crosses arms* Dei would like to beg for enough reviews to have her hit the one hundred mark before she leaves on 8/28. Unfortunately, she's too afraid that she won't get any more after you read this chapter.
Dei: And with good reason! *dives behind Mephy*
Shadow: Dei! What the hell is he doing here?
Sonic: *hides behind Shadow*
Dei: It's my dramatic chapter! I'll do what I want! D:
Mephiles: *shakes head* I'm only crazy when she makes me...
Dei: Hedgenip. X3 Works like a charm.
Ulquiorra: Just get on with it, woman.
Dei: ...what the hell are you doing here?
Orihime: *grabs* Sorry! DX
Mephiles: *headdesk*
There was nothing left for him to feel. Of that much, Shadow was absolutely certain.
He didn't want to feel anything but blood on his hands.
The others in the room didn't matter. They were not in his sights, and he fully intended to do enough damage to Mephiles that he would have nothing to do with them, either. There was no doubt in his mind that one of them would die today. He didn't have the heart to hope that it wasn't him.
He threw himself at his brother, taking him by surprise and knocking their weapons to the floor. Mephiles landed hard on his back, the breath knocked out of him, but Shadow didn't have the mercy to let him recover.
He knew much better than to hesitate.
His fist connected solidly with his brother's face. And then again. And again.
Mephiles was not pleased.
The man hissed and shoved Shadow hard, knocking him off-balance and using Shadow's weight against him, rolling them over and pinning the younger's legs with his knees, wrists held securely to the floor. Though he was angry, interest and amusement was clear in his eyes, which narrowed as he smirked.
It didn't last long.
Shadow's eyes were as piercing as they were cold, and any of the love and worry that may or may not have once been there was gone. He no longer saw Mephiles as family- no longer saw him as a person, the way that Mephiles had looked at Shadow all this time while looking down on everyone else.
Shadow had turned away, his heart being ripped out in the process, and Mephiles was alone.
"After everything I've done for you," the man hissed, smile fading and gaze filled with bitterness. "This is how you're going to repay me? You would have nothing without me, Shadow. Nothing. You'd be wandering the streets alone in our homeland, and you would be no better than any of the other worthless creatures who grew up there."
"I was born on the streets," Shadow replied evenly, body winding with tension as his eyes narrowed. "And, when I arrived at Mobius, that was where I grew up. I may share your blood, but I made my own family. That family did not and does not include you."
"Family?" Mephiles exclaimed. "For people like us, there is no such thing as family. We hunt and kill. We are solitary, and we do not associate with anyone. That is our life."
"Then why do you still try to stay?" A cold laugh escaped Shadow, and he reversed their positions yet again, his hands resting loosely around his brother's throat. "If we are solitary, then why do you insist on being with me? Why do you have Scourge and Milo, if we are solitary? Why were you too afraid to act alone?" His hands tightened, putting pressure on Mephiles' airway. The man glared hard at his brother, but fear was slowly making itself known. "Why did you take me from Japan, if you wanted to be alone? Why were you worried about me at all? If you truly longed for solitude, you would have left me to die. You lie, Mephiles. You lie and you cheat and steal and kill. You are a coward as much as you are a liar." Shadow bared his teeth. "And I hate liars."
"I may not have been there, but I still raised you," Mephiles hissed. "I directed every step of your life. I was responsible for you coming to this country, responsible for you finding the Kintobors. I orchestrated everything from your first step to your first kill. You owe me your life. Don't you think you should be a little more grateful?"
He brought his knee up into Shadow's stomach and pushed him away. His hand dove into his pocket, and with a click-woosh and a flash of silver, there was a knife in his hand. Shadow clutched at his stomach as he collapsed to his knees, fighting the urge to vomit. Mephiles stalked forward.
"It's true, ototou. I could have left you to die, but I saw something in you that I couldn't bring myself to leave behind. I was weak and I was young- too young to take care of you. I did everything I could to make sure that you survived." The man swallowed, hands clenching. "I did things that you can not even imagine, little brother. And I did it all for you. You can not possibly understand the pain of doing everything to protect someone you care about. Even now, I'm protecting you from having to go through what I did." Mephiles took in a shuddering breath and exhaled, staring at the boy who he had watched grow as he looked up at him, eyes filled with pain and confusion and anger.
He could not possibly understand. And that was why Mephiles had to stay.
"You deserve more than this life, Shadow. But only if you stay can I give it to you."
The knife shook in his hand, and Shadow curled into himself. Thoughts raced in his mind, but one pushed its way forward and could not be ignored.
"I would have been happier, Nii-san, growing up on the streets in Japan and you with me, than the life I have led thus far."
Mephiles swallowed. "Well, Shadow," he replied. His voice shook slightly and his eyes darkened, knowing Shadow's words for what they were- a rejection of his efforts. All his work, wasted and cast aside. "That's just not how it went."
He stepped forward.
When they arrived outside the room, Sonic stopped Knuckles from entering.
"What?" Knuckles whispered.
"Go back," Sonic replied.
"What?" The redhead exclaimed. "I can't leave you-"
"You have to," the blue-haired boy replied. "The others need you. And... whatever is going on in there is between us three. I caused this, and I won't let anyone else get hurt."
"But-"
"Knuckles," Sonic cut in, staring at his best friend. "Let me do this. Please."
The echidna-hybrid stared at the other for a long moment before he nodded, turning to go back the way he came- back to the others.
Sonic sighed and turned- the time for this to be done was long gone.
As he entered the room, he took in several things quickly.
One- Shadow was on his knees, curled into himself. Two- Mephiles was stalking forward, a knife in hand. Three- the guns were still on the floor across the room. And four- Mephiles turned to him, a blank look on his face before his eyes brightened and anger took hold.
"You," he hissed at Sonic. "This is all your fault."
Faster than anyone could react, Mephiles had whirled around to grab his gun and had it pointed straight at Sonic. His eyes were wild and certainly crazy, and for the first time, Sonic wondered if he shouldn't have just taken the others and left. I'm fucked.
"I didn't-" Sonic started.
"Silence!" Mephiles shouted. "You are not to speak again. I promised you would submit, did I not? You will pay for everything, now."
Sonic swallowed, looking to Shadow with wide, nervous eyes. And, from what Sonic saw, Shadow was just as surprised and confused as he was.
"Mephiles-" Shadow exclaimed, but was cut off.
"I apologize, baby brother," the man replied, scowling at the blue-haired teen. "I failed to realize that this was not your fault. I've miscalculated again- how silly of me. When this one is out of the way, perhaps then you will realize."
"No," Shadow said softly, staring at Sonic like he had that day in the hallway- alarmed and almost terrified. It was the first real expression of emotion that Sonic had seen from him. "No, Mephiles, this is between you and me!"
"And he wormed his way into it," the elder growled. "He should have known better than to meddle in the affairs of brothers, don't you think?"
"Please-" Shadow started, but when he was cut off, it was not by his brother.
"Don't beg, Shadow," Sonic said firmly. "If he really wants me to die, well, at least I'll know that it was coming." He glared at Mephiles. "There are so many things that I wish I could say to you. Unfortunately, our lives aren't long enough to get it all out."
"Oh, by all means, feel free to try," Mephiles replied, a slow smirk spreading across his face, eyes full of malice. "I'm a fan of famous last words, after all. It would be interesting to see what yours would be- all I've gotten out of the people here were 'why are you doing this?' and 'please, no!'. So pathetic."
Sonic narrowed his eyes, green boring into green as they glared at each other. "The only pathetic one here is you. Shadow is your brother! How could you treat him like this? Keeping him away from people, interfering with his life- you don't treat him like a person at all. You treat him like an animal, and he will only ever hate you for that."
Oh, Sonic was on a roll now. Shadow's mouth opened slightly in surprise, but he was also flooded with anxiety- one wrong word, and Sonic would be dead.
Mephiles blinked and glared harder at the blue-haired boy. "You don't know a thing-"
"Oh, I think you'd be surprised at what I know," Sonic snarled. "I know how he feels. Did you ever think about what Maria's death would do to him? Hm? Did you?" Sonic's scarred hand fists tightly and shook. "You've never lost anyone you cared about, so how would you know how he feels? Do you even care about anyone? If you loved Shadow, you wouldn't torture him the way you have!"
"That's enough!" Mephiles exclaimed.
"No, it's not enough!" Sonic yelled back. Fingernails dug into his palms until they bled, ruby-red droplets dripping through his fingers. Sonic looked to Shadow, eyes both desperate and warning before he turned back to Mephiles, and all traces of those emotions were gone. "If you loved him, you shouldn't have left him, don't you think? Did you honestly believe that in the time you were gone, he wouldn't find someone else?"
"Sonic," Shadow whispered, eyes widening. Oh, god, please don't. Please, just stop.
Mephiles bared his teeth. "The fault was not his own. He did not have a choice."
"Oh, he had a choice," Sonic replied, a vicious and victorious smile overtaking his face. "He had a huge choice in the matter. It's such a shame that you weren't there for him more, Mephiles- but don't worry, because I was there even when you weren't."
"What are you trying to say?" Acid-green eyes were steadily narrowing as crimson widened.
"Sonic, don't!" Shadow exclaimed. "Stop. Please. He'll kill you."
Sonic tilted his head, considering his lover carefully before that smile was back, albeit a bit softer. "I already told you that I didn't mind dying, Shad. If it's for you, then you know that I'd go gladly. And I'm not going to hide it- it's done, and I'm happy." The blue-haired teen smiled wryly. "Though, I suppose I should have asked for your dear older brother's blessing, first."
Shadow let out a sound that was somewhere between a dry sob and a bitter laugh. His eyes connected with Sonic's the way they had the night of the Homecoming, and though it had never been said aloud, Sonic knew that he was doing the right thing.
Slitted pupils contracted. "You-"
Sonic smiled, but only a little. "Shadow will never love you," he said quietly, gaze still connected with Shadow's. "His heart is mine, and mine is his. He is my mate, and even if I die, there will never be another." Sonic licked his lips, clenching his eyes closed for a moment before he looked back at Mephiles, who was visibly shaking. "You're too late, Mephiles."
And Sonic didn't have to see him pull the trigger to know what was coming.
He didn't see it in slow-motion, like the movies said. No, Shadow saw it all in real time at 1080 HD.
And this time, he didn't get the benefit of his emotions leaving him behind.
"Sonic!" He exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. A shot embedded itself in the concrete next to where his body just was, but Shadow didn't care about that. Though it did change his priorities a bit.
Shadow lunged for his gun, grabbing it as he moved into a somersault, taking a vague sort of aim and firing. He heard his brother's groan as it caught him and the clatter of his gun falling to the floor. He used his momentum to bring him into a stand, taking a step and kicking it away from where the man lay, then kicking him in the side for good measure. The bullet had caught him in the abdomen- the wound probably wouldn't be fatal.
Shadow had a brief inner war- would he rather let the man rot in a cell or see him dead? It didn't really take much thought, but it was enough to let Mephiles speak.
"Shadow, you ruined everything," he hissed, hand pressed over the bullet hole, pressing hard to attempt to staunch the bleeding. "You betrayed me. I loved you."
"Not enough," Shadow snarled. "Never enough. It would never compare. And I betrayed you?" He bared his teeth, tears stinging at his eyes. "No, Mephiles. I merely played the game by the rules, and you did not."
The man let out a pained, bitter laugh. "But I won, Shadow."
Scarlet eyes narrowed and he leveled the gun to his brother's forehead. "Winning doesn't mean shit if you get disqualified at the finish line."
He took the shot, wincing as he was splattered with foreign blood. He dropped the gun that had been a gift onto his brother's unmoving chest before he ran to Sonic, skidding on his knees in an all-too familiar way.
"Sonic," he said softly, voice cracking.
Green eyes fluttered open and the blue-haired hybrid forced a tiny smile. "Hey, Shad."
"You idiot!" The dark-haired boy exclaimed, lips trembling as he leaned over to grab Sonic, shifting so he could sit with the younger's head in his lap. He didn't bother calling for the others- he knew they must have heard the shot, with the way the place echoed.
Sonic reached up with a smile, hissing as it jostled his twice-punctured torso, and gently wiped the blood from Shadow's face with the back of his hand. "I couldn't let him win, Shadow," he said, answering the unasked question. "You might not be my mate, but... maybe someday you could have been. You know, if you wanted to be." He coughed slightly, turning his head away as blood stained his lips.
"Idiot," Shadow replied, leaning over to press his forehead to Sonic's, ignoring the harsh metallic smell of blood. Then, softer, he said, "Of course I want to. I still will be. The others heard- they're coming. Just..."
Sonic laughed again, though it was a sickening, wet sound. "It doesn't hurt that bad."
"Shut up, Faker," the elder replied with a tiny laugh-sob. "Stop talking. You're going to be fine, but it will get worse if you talk."
Sonic frowned, gently stroking his thumb over a tan cheek, damp with blood and the tears that were starting to fall. They both knew it wasn't true- even with an injury that wasn't this serious, he would never make it out through the tunnels. He couldn't even stand, let alone walk, if he wanted to.
Sonic tried to move, but found himself unable to do so, whining softly at the pain, ears lowering to his skull. Shadow wordlessly twined their hands together, leaving one free with which to play with Sonic's hair. He glanced at where their hands connected- smooth, tan skin contrasted against pale, marred with a pink-and-red scar. He squeezed the younger's hand lightly, shuddering as a fresh round of tears made him want to cry to hard that he would be sick.
Sonic sighed softly, shallowly, looking up and meeting Shadow's tear-wet eyes. "I love you. You know that, right?"
Shadow nodded, another quiet sob forcing its way out as he nuzzled Sonic's cheek. "Yes, and I love you, as well. So very much."
"I know," Sonic whispered, smiling a little and turning to carefully press his lips to Shadow's, chaste and longing and sad. "I've known since Homecoming. Do you know-" he coughed a bit, eyes squeezing shut in pain. Shadow pushed blue bangs away from his face- "That I've loved you since that night? The one when you were playing guitar."
Shadow laughed quietly. "I lied when I said I didn't know what that song was about, you know."
"I know," Shadow replied. "Rouge told me once that you're from Japan. I figured that you would probably know."
"Do you want to know what it said?"
Sonic nodded a little. "Yeah. I've been wondering about it for weeks."
"Falling in love, saying goodbye, with a vow that this is the last heartbreak, even the cherry tree, swaying in the wind, will eventually blossom," Shadow started. "The summer rain that started to fall gently streaked past my tears. Images that resemble memories- autumn's drama reruns. Why have I suffered almost the same blows such countless times? But, even so, I'll probably fight again. That is one of life's mysteries.
"Falling in love, giving it everything, with a wish that this is the last heartbreak, even the cherry tree, swaying through time, will eventually blossom. In the revolving seasons, my shoes are wearing out more and more. Release the tension in your shoulders so you can seal away the past somewhere. From here, they're probably not too far- sceneries you haven't even seen.
"I want to overcome the ceaseless pain in my chest and become closer to you. I have wandered once and returned, always reaching for the blue sky.
"Falling in love, saying goodbye- with a vow that today's the first good day, everything, even the cherry tree swaying in the wind, gently reaches out to you. I love you-" he paused, sniffling- "I love you, it can't be helped, but it has nothing to do with this."
Sonic smiled and reached out to Shadow again, carefully pulling him down to press their lips together once more before pulling away. "It's a beautiful song. And terribly ironic."
Shadow snorted softly, playing with blue hair. "I know."
Footsteps- alarmed shouting was only a few seconds early before the others burst into the room, some with guns in hand. Knuckles, Rouge, Silver and Blaze recognized the situation first, crowding around their fallen leader. Milo came over after, Scourge carefully trailing behind. Cherry hung back, for once unsure about what to do as Sarina inspected Mephiles to be sure of his death and Hyou poked at the body.
"What happened?" Knuckles asked.
"Sonic decided to be a smart ass and got himself shot," Shadow replied, laughing and crying at the same time. From the look on their faces, they knew as well as he did that Sonic would very likely not even make it out of the building alive.
"Mephiles?" Rouge asked, her eyes the only ones that were not focused on Sonic and entirely on Shadow.
"Dead."
Blaze stared at Sonic, her eyes large and sad as Silver reached out to carefully pat Sonic's shoulder. Knuckles stared at his friend, who smiled a little at him, despite the blood staining his lips- and Shadow's. "I did what I had to. I don't regret that."
Knuckles nodded as Milo muscled his way through the crowd of significantly larger and stronger bodies, backpack in hand. "Can you guys friggin' move? I might be able to help!"
"What could you do?" Knuckles retorted, glaring at the blonde boy. "You're just a kid."
"So is Tails," Sonic reminded his friend.
Knuckles stared at the kid for a moment before he sighed, shifting for him to make room.
"How long have you been down?" he asked, voice transitioning into a serious tone that Sonic recognized as Tails' no-nonsense voice.
"Five to ten minutes," Shadow answered, glaring at Sonic in a warning not to speak. "Shot twice in the torso."
"Do you have anything to put pressure on the wounds and stop the bleeding?" The blonde asked, frowning and digging through his backpack, but for what was yet to be seen.
Shadow didn't bother to answer, pulling off his leather jacket and tossing it to the side, then pulling his shirt over his head. The cold air assaulted his skin, and he shivered a little, but, at this moment, he couldn't bring himself to care.
"That will do. Now, put him flat on the ground and press that against the wounds with as much pressure as he can stand."
Shadow nodded, Knuckles helping him to carefully move Sonic's head back to the floor and bunching up the shirt, leaning over close to Sonic. "Are you ready?"
Sonic carefully moved so he could take the collar of his own bloodstained shirt into his mouth, clenching it tightly between his teeth and nodded.
He groaned in pain when Shadow pushed sharply downwards, his eyes clenching shut for a moment before Milo made a small noise of victory and pulled out a zip-locked bag with a small capsule inside.
"What is that?" Knuckles asked.
"I've been working on it for a few months, just in case Mephiles ever did try to kill me. Taking this will induce clinical death for about an hour, give-or-take a few minutes." He gazed at Sonic, unusually solemn. "This can buy us time, but I've never tested it, and it's very likely that the lack of oxygen to the brain will result in subsequent damage to the hippocampus and neurons if it takes any longer than the time we have allotted. It's dangerous, but without it, I'm certain that you'll die."
Sonic's mouth quirked upward into a smile that no one could quite explain before he nodded, releasing the sleeve from his mouth.
"Alright, then," Milo replied. "Knuckles, take over with the pressure. Shadow, reach in my bag and get the water bottle that's in there. The pill will take about a minute to activate- it should be like falling asleep."
Sonic nodded again, and Shadow glanced at Knuckles, who took over applying pressure when he turned, rooting through the bog to find the water bottle. Sonic took the pill that Milo offered, but instead of waiting for the water, he dry-swallowed it, knowing that nothing could taste worse than the blood that was already in his mouth.
He felt it start working almost immediately- he felt slow, sluggish, almost as if he were drunk and his body wasn't quite matching up to his mind. His vision blurred, and then focused. His eyes widened.
Because there, written in ink between Shadow's shoulder blades was the word Chaos.
He wondered if this was how others felt before they died- that sense of enlightenment, of complete understanding, but not having enough time to explain it all to the living.
Chaos is power, power enriched my the heart. The controller is the one who unifies the Chaos... remember that, if nothing else.
Union. Chaos.
Unified Chaos.
Sonic's vision blurred again. "Tikal... is that what you meant?"
A red-haired blue turned to him, asking something that his brain couldn't quite process. It came out jumbled, but Sonic's mind was still clear, though everything else was quickly shutting down.
"Shadow," Sonic started.
Somehow the soft, "Yes?" made it through the haze.
"I was right."
And he faded.
"Everything happens for a reason."
Shadow turned, pulling his legs up and balancing cross-legged on the thin metal bench. "How can you be so optimistic?"
Sonic shrugged again, not bothering to open his eyes, but voice much more serene than it was a moment ago. It was almost… Zen. "I think it's realistic to believe that everything influences other parts of life. So, in theory, it's true. Everything that happens, it happens because of something else, whether it's someone else's decision or your own. I don't think there's any such thing as chance."
Shadow frowned. "So you think my injuring you was fate?"
Sonic cracked open one eye and grinned toward the other boy. "Yeah, I suppose so."
Red eyes widened slightly. "You're crazy. There's no such thing as fate or destiny. Life is just a series of random occurrences."
"You think that it's a coincidence that we are completely alike and yet complete opposites?" Sonic asked, sitting up straight. "Think about it. We have everything in common, but yet we're almost completely different. How can you deny that it's something more than spontaneous events?"
Shadow swallowed. "What do you mean?"
Sonic frowned, frustrated. "We look almost exactly alike. Are you trying to tell me that it's just coincidence?"
"Yes," Shadow answered. "Some people look alike. Some don't."
"I'm not talking about some people," Sonic growled. "What about us? That's what I want to know."
Hey, Shadow. I get it now.