Holy snappin crap, nearly 100 chapters?! XD

To think, I was planning on ending this, like, at chapter 40ish. HA!

This one's really dialogue heavy. Haven't done one of these yet...I don't think O_O


-Chapter 99: Report and Relaxation-


Shadow sighed as he sat at Knuckles kitchen table with Sonic and Rouge. He begrudgingly dialed the Colonel's internal line, voice only.

'Major Shadow, you're late with your report. I'm sure there's ample reasoning.'

"Yes, Sir. With constant information coming in, I couldn't fathom where to begin. Instead of calling each day, I decided to wait until a stasis was reached."

'Go on.'

"Upon arrival, Dr. Eggman was ready and willing to house and assist us in locating the old Chaos technology. He was even able to direct us to maps of the locations of the temples. Town hall is unaware of our actions to this date, our cover as geologists hasn't been compromised."

'That's what I like to hear.'

"Unfortunately, Dr. Eggman's loyalties have recently wavered. With the help of Team Sonic in conjunction with The Lightening Bolt Society, we've reclaimed nearly all of the recovered technology. I regret to report a set of one dozen batteries containing an unknown amount of Chaos material has been lost and sent overseas to aid the Duchad Empire, via the Iron Kingdom's royal fleet. Because of this, the Iron Kingdom is most likely aware the technology exists and may act on pursuing it in the future."

'That is troubling. We took a risk when we trusted the doctor in the first place. We'll manage damage control on our end.'

"Next, the leader of Team Sonic accompanied me on an expedition and was badly injured as a result. His injuries required over a hundred stitches."

'Is he pressing charges?'

Sonic shook his head.

"No. In addition to an injury, the Chaos energy seems to have given him the ability to transform into larger creature, similar to that of a werewolf. The form has been called 'werehog', for simplicity."

'...are you serious?'

"Sir, I can teleport and pull lightening spears from thin air; are you really questioning reality now?"

'...go on.'

"Furthermore, we have come to learn that there is a second 'werehog' form that has affected his Chaos Emerald. If in possession of the gem, a second form comes forward and is irreconcilable. In his second transformed state, he laid waste to Dr. Eggman's fortress over loyalty disputes. It looks as though Dr. Eggman has since repaired his property with the use of nano technology, thought to previously be owned by the owners of Project Shadow. Presumably he has the rights to the company's intellectual property since Eggman Industries is a direct subsidiary of the parent company."

'We'll have to look into that for sure. When it comes to dealing with traitors, we take every angle we can. If he's dipping into stolen information, he'll be in cuffs by days end.'

"We can only hope it's so easy. Next, we've come in contact with one surviving member of the original Project Shadow, and two members who were involved with the project after it moved to Mobius. The latter two are currently in the works to become members of Hedgehog Village, while the other member has, literally, run off and joined the circus. He may remain a vagabond for some time but hopefully his desire to be a disability support worker for the hearing impaired forces him to get on the roster for the city up north, aptly named North Valley."

'There's only one circus, I assume?'

"Correct. I don't want any of them targeted. As off putting as this may seem, I take full responsibility for their actions. I'll deal with them accordingly if they act up, or go rogue."

'Proper procedure, as usual.'

"We've enlisted the help of Chaotix. Their members are willing to assist in our cause. The consensus is we suspect an invasion. Town hall is concerned that if desirable ore is in large enough quantities on the island, it would attract the attention of pirates and, or, Duchad's enforcers. It would be best to excavate the materials. This island has high potential of being used as a munitions outlet. The war is slowly moving up the coast line; Seaside Island and the surrounding archipelago are only twelve hours away from the third biggest port on the east coast. Again, this part is only speculation, but with fair reasoning. The Duchess has commented, and thinks it highly likely this is factual."

'You've made direct contact with the Duchess?'

"We believe we have. She was aware of information we were confident only the royal family would know. We've received orders not to tamper with her cover and have been instructed to keep any and all knowledge of her to ourselves. Team Sonic will be our primary source for contact with the royal family from now on."

'Understood. That lines up with our information as well. It's rewarding when contacts are confirmed and colleagues can be trusted.'

Shadow sighed, "About that. Private Walker; he's not in much trouble, is he?"

'Potentially not. We wanted to clear with you whether or not his story was accurate.'

Shadow huffed. "We did ask him to do some digging for us. I didn't ask him to break into my apartment and scratch my bike. He's trustworthy; even if he does deserve a punch in the face."

'Noted. How about his former partner? Has she been staying in line?'

Rouge gave him a closed eyed smile and drew an imaginary halo above her head.

"She's been following the mission to the letter."

'More good news. I'll inform the General of her improvments. Another promotion may be on the horizon.'

Rouge clenched a fist in success and silence.

"Lastly, I haven't had a chance to watch the debate as of yet. I know Jami and Duchad were supposed to have a meeting to discuss, as far as I'm concerned, the mere possibility of existing along side one another. Has that drawn a conclusion?"

'Overall, it was informative. Jami has an excellent grasp on what her people really need and how they can achieve that. Towards the end, radicals hailing to Duchad detonated bombs in the lobby in protest. No casualties thus far, but we're still on high alert.'

Rouge and Sonic exchanged a worried glance.

"I figured something like that would happen. Were there any large mechanical guards or mechanical suits present?"

'None that we could identify. Strictly artillery and riot gear.'

"It would be best to note the timing of the enforcers, or enthusiasts, use of technology from here on out. If their tech power begins to climb exponentially, we'll not only know when they receive shipment, but also if they're developing their own.

'Keep alert to shoddy craftsmanship and noticeable knockoff's. I'll keep intel in the loop.'

"That being said, while it's somewhat unrelated, I'm unable to teleport due to the use and, or, misuse of Chaos magic. This may last for several weeks. I'll keep you posted if anything changes."

'Also, noted. I believe that covers everything. Unless there was anything else you want to share, Major Shadow?'

"..." He huffed, "Tell Boris he owes me five hundred dollars."

There was a moment of silence and then the Colonel burst out laughing. 'I can tell you're serious! Haha! You're buying me drinks tonight. Congratulations, soldier. Keep doing us proud.'

"Goodbye, sir," he said ruefully and hung up on the cackling older man.

"What was that last part about, dear?" Rouge had her suspicions.

Shadow said no words but rolled his eyes away from her. He got up, grabbed a cookie and headed to the living room.

"Well, I never! Do I even get a cut," Rouge asked as she pretended to be offended and followed him out of the room.

"Okay, I missed something." Sonic took a second to piece together the information. "Wait...does that mean...you two..." Sonic touched the two tips of his fingers together.

Shadow stormed back in the room. "You're figuring that out, just now?"

Sonic held up his hands defensively. "I had my speculations! I didn't know for sure and I didn't want to assume!"

"For crying out loud," Shadow said and held up the cookie. "You said these will make me sleep?"

"Yes! Not with Rouge! Not on my couch!" he snapped.

Shadow pointed a finger directly at his face. "We're even...okay? Shut up about this."

Sonic calculated in his head that Shadow referred to calling him six times in one night. He groaned and accepted that which he could not change. "Fine! And stay off my pillows." He followed Shadow back into the living room with Rouge.

Rouge giggle lightly to herself as she examined the stereo that stood nearly as tall as she did.

Sonic sat on a nearby beanbag seat and sulked. "Ew."

Rouge laughed louder as she tuned the radio to her favourite station. "I'm sure that wasn't the first time your couch has seen action."

"To make myself clear, what I spoke to the Colonel at the end wasn't for what you're both thinking. It was for this," Shadow said and pointed to the cookie he'd selected for himself. "Boris said he'd pay me five hundred to try these."

Sonic sat forward, made eye contact and, still sour, said, "Ew."

Shadow huffed, "You're going to be like this all night?"

He swished a hand and dismissed the negativity. "I'm over it." He came around, "What are you waiting for; havin' second thoughts?"

Shadow nodded and sat forward to let his weight rest on his elbows on his knees. "If this does effect me, how long will the effects last and will I be able to function in case of an emergency. While the information is good to know, I don't want to learn it at the expense of my and others safety."

"We can trip-sit you, darling," Rouge said and turned up the music she'd located on the airways. "We stay kosher and keep an eye on you in case anything happens."

"Not to be rude, but we can take care of the island on our own. You can take a day off," Sonic said and rested his hands behind his head and lounged down in the beanbag chair nook. He squirmed a bit and readjusted his seat.

Shadow encouraged himself. "...five hundred..."

"Hold on," Rouge said and messaged private Walker. "'How much would you bet me I can convince the Major to eat space cakes?' And send," she said her message aloud. "...he's responding...there, another two hundred. Seven hundred dollars are coming your way."

Sonic read from his communicator, "'Tell him, whatever it is, I'll double it.'" He looked up from his communicator. "Mina wants in."

Shadow huffed.

"Fourteen hundred. That's a chunk of change," Sonic said.

"I'd take it if I were you, dear."

Shadow folded his arms tightly. "Really; for this? You all seem pretty anxious to see this happen." Shadow huffed. "Guaranteed I won't be out fourteen hundred afterward?"

"One sec," Sonic said and texted away.

Within five minutes, Mina was with them. Not only had she brought the money in cold hard cash(paper), she also brought milk to go with the cookies. "In the name of magic and science," she said and cheersed glasses of milk with Shadow. They enjoyed a 'magic gingersnap' each.

Shadow checked his watch and set a timer. "You can taste it a little. Pungent," he said through chewing with a semi closed mouth. The cookie was gone. "Aftertaste is piney." He drank the remainder of the milk to douse the flavour.

"Are you recording this?" Sonic asked Rouge quietly.

She nodded, "Of course, darling." She held her communicator still. "While you're at it, see if you can contact Chaos anyway. No sense in wasting a perfectly good trip."

He agreed with a single nod.

"Can anyone speak to them?" Mina asked. She was familiar with all that had been going on with team Sonic via Tails info, and being caught up briefly upon arrival.

"Since you aren't imprinted, you'll need to make physical contact." Shadow brought forth two gems and they floated in front of him. He grabbed the cyan stone and handed it to Mina and kept the red stone in his free hand. "This belongs to Amy Rose. If you manage to make contact, be sure to state your purpose. If Chaos thinks you're trying to steal from her, they will defend the gem." The red one vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Mina nodded and sat back on the couch next to Shadow. "My purpose is to find out what's going on with Sonic's emerald?" She pointed to the green stone on the table that occasionally flickered in red.

"Correct. With three of us trying, we're bound to get somewhere," Shadow sighed. "I'm having second thoughts."

Rouge scoffed, "Honey, you're way past that point."

"When Knuckles and Jules get back, I'm sure they'll give it a shot too." Sonic did his best to relax on the beanbag but couldn't find a comfortable spot. "This chair isn't working out. Beanbag chairs are comfy, but you got to be in the mood for em." He took up a vacant armchair with a stiff cushioned back. "There we go." He sat, legs crossed beneath him and eyes shut.

Shadow briefly took a look at the large, red bean bag chair.

"Go for it," Mina said to him. "I see you eyeing it."

Shadow gave a light smile as he got up. "It's been a while since I sat in a chair like this."

"You never crossed me as a 'beanbag chair kind of guy'," Rouge said and lounged in her seat that swung from the ceiling with a hemp rope. It looked like a wide open, wicker bird cage with a fluffy turquoise cushion for a seat.

He nodded and sat in the centre of the cushy chair. "We had them all over the space station. They were easy to move around, clean or refill. Plus, if there was turbulence and things were thrown around, it didn't hurt to get hit with one." He examined the fabric the chair was made of. "Ours were a soft velour, with a leather bottom. This is suede, I think." He felt the smooth but resilient surface of the fabric.

Rouge took a small notebook from her bag and kept a timestamp, with the help of a stopwatch, to track the time things changed for the two.

"Are you from here on the island originally?" Mina kept the chit-chat up.

"The shortened version is this: I was created on a space station; I lived there for fourteen years, was put in stasis for fifty years and then about thirteen years ago, landed on Mobius."

Rouge clarified, "By 'landed', he means he fell from the space station to the surface of the planet."

Mina leaned forward on the couch, eyes wide with anticipation. "Get out! That's hard core."

Shadow looked impressed that Mina was so interested in his story. "I landed in the canyon where I lived in for several years. Hence the name: Shadow Canyon."

"They named it after you? Did it have a name before?" she asked.

He nodded, "Dusty Canyon, in the Mirage desert."

Mina scoffed, "Wow, broke their backs naming those, didn't they? No wonder they changed it."

"Indeed," he said with a chuckle. "I wasn't intending to be infamous, but I suppose when you fall from the sky, make a half kilometer crater and emerge on fire, but seemingly still okay...people talk about you."

"Can you blame them?" Rouge said.

"People are naturally curious," Mina said. "Being 'on fire' and being 'okay' don't normally happen at the same time. My interest would have been peaked."

Shadow nodded. "I tried to stay elusive. I eventually became the 'Loch Ness' of the canyon and people started to question whether or not the witness accounts of the crater were true. That's when Eggman caught wind of the stories. The reason he woke me up in the first place was to help him deal with this guy-" Shadow referenced Sonic.

The blue blur sat there, silent, deep in meditation while his gem floated in front of him. His eyes shut and head slightly leaned forward, his breathing was steady.

The other two took notice and were stuck for words. "Did he-?" Mina began.

"He did it," Shadow said. "Now we wait."

Mina was in awe of the weightless floating green bobble. "I wonder what Chaos is like."

Rouge shrugged, "I suppose we can ask when he's done."

"Though we should keep talking. The noise level might have been what helped him concentrate in the first place," Mina said and used a nearby remote to increase the stereo volume by two notches. "Now back to this whole 'history of Shadow' thing. Why were you 'created' and not 'born' on the space station?"

The three got to know one another while Sonic got to meet Chaos and get to the bottom of his cursed emerald.


Time to talk to Chaos in person ;D