Lost Memories Chap 10

The large room went dead silent when the three parties all but stared at each other. Two pairs of eyes were clearly more horrified than the other. In their shock they asked themselves how on earth they didn´t hear him come in. Eggman on the other hand said nothing. He simply looked down at the two startled mobians, the little device in his raised hand still at full display and obviously meant to draw their attention. However, the unforeseen appearance of the imposingly tall human overshadowed it by a long shot.

Knuckles took a nervous step back, forcing Shadow to do the same as he was practically pressed into him from his earlier reaction. The hedgehog meanwhile was too focused on the human to realize either of those two things. With every passing second the atmosphere in the room got heavier and the scientist's quiet observation was only adding to it. What made the situation even more unnerving, was the fact that Eggman's dark glasses shielded his eyes, making his expression and true intention hard to determine. One thing was crystal clear though: They were busted. When he still didn´t speak up, even after a minute of him staring, Shadow managed to compose himself enough to break the looming silence. "How… How much did you hear?"

Admittedly the hedgehog sounded a lot calmer than he felt. Whatever or not Eggman noticed, he didn´t show. Not that he needed to. After finally lowering his raised hand, he answered with a slight tilt of his head to the side. "Enough to figure out you two consider becoming traitors"

In an instant Shadow went quiet and averted his eyes to the ground. There didn´t seem to be anger in the man's voice but Shadow felt it didn´t necessarily mean anything. Knuckles too avoided Eggman's gaze. He glanced at his friend and didn´t know what to do or say to salvage the situation they found themselves in. The other was the better talker between the two, so when Shadow didn´t even try to save it, Knuckles decided it was the best to keep his mouth shut as well. He really didn´t want to make it worse with poor excuses.

Eggman kept observing them. Watching how the hedgehog's eyes remained fixed onto one spot of the ground, while Knuckles kept his own low but moving. Eventually a sigh found its way out of his mouth, followed by the shadow of an eyeroll. One that was well hidden behind his glasses. "Oh, keep it together you two" he voiced rather calmly. This exact tone drew their attention more than the words coming out of his mouth. "You act as if I'm going to horribly punish you! Which I won´t. All I want, is to sho-"

Eggman cut himself off when he lifted his gaze away from the two mobians and finally became aware of the junkyard of broken robots Knuckles created in his attempt to release stress. He was so focused on the two, he didn´t even notice the utter chaos in the slightest. With his mouth stuck in a half open position, he let his gaze wander over the countless destroyed machines, until something very prominent got to the center of his vision. The giant hole in one of the heavily armored walls, in which a disembodied torso of a recently outdated model was halfway sticking out. Sparks were still emitting from its ripped and tangling wires, their noises drowned out by those closer to the group. Quiet glances were exchanged between Shadow and Knuckles. One looked clearly a little more guilt ridden than the other. After a few seconds, the tall man snapped out of his somewhat stunned stance and immediately glared down at them. Mainly at Knuckles though.

"Oh, come on! Are you serious, Knuckles?!" he exclaimed loudly, making the echidna shrink into himself just a little. Shadow on the other hand was just pinning his ears down at the volume. "I just repaired that wall too!"

Taking an awkward peek at all the damage he had done, Knuckles' only defense was a nervous chuckle and a shrug of the same kind. Yeah, he really had no excuse for what he did here. Shadow could feel the unease his friend gave off. Without surprise since he stood so close to him and the feeling went nowhere with how excessively the human glared him down. That very scowl eventually turned into an angry squint before a hand found its way onto Eggman's face in a facepalm. His fingers curled until he held the bridge of his nose. Just a moment later a deep inhale followed to calm him down.

"You know what?" he suddenly said, his anger seemingly gone in an instant. The abrupt change made the pair of mobians wide their eyes. They did not expect that. "This is fine! I'm fine! Everything's fine! The casualties and property damage?" Eggman continued, pointing into the room with the entirety of his hand but without casting it another glance. "Not important right now! However, what's important right now… is this!" The USB in his hand was swiftly raised as soon as the sentence met its end.

Witnessing this complete change in behavior made Shadow and Knuckles uncomfortable. And they thought the uncommon calmness was already unnerving. It came so out of nowhere, neither of them knew how to properly react and instead only traded bewildered peeks. Eggman meanwhile took one more deep breath to collect himself further before calling out to his small robot assistants. "Orbot, Cubot. Bring in the monitor"

When no sound of faintly squeaking cartwheels appeared even after a few seconds of silence, Eggman blinked and slowly turned around in confusion. Almost timidly the crimson-colored robot peeked inside, most of his metallic body blocked out by the wall. The sight made a frown appear on the man's face. What the heck was he doing?

"Yeah… about that" Orbot began, vanishing just a little more behind and into the safety of the thick wall. "Are you sure he's not going to berserk us too? Because if that's the case… we much rather stay here" Obviously he was referring to Knuckles and his robotic murder spree. Looking around the room again, said echidna felt more and more awkward. He surmised he would get flack for it, but he didn´t expect he would be put on the spot like this. Slight embarrassment overcame him, painting his cheeks a weak shade of red. It was enough to make the echidna avert and cover half his face to shield it. Shadow however noticed and gave him a comforting pat on the back. Unknown to him that only made the blush stronger.

Oblivious to what was going on behind him, Eggman kept on staring into his creation's direction. When it came to his robots, his patience dropped faster than a stone in water. "I said… Get. In. Here." He commanded through clenched teeth, getting more aggravated by the second. Even someone as unobservant as Cubot could identify this as a warning. How could he not when his buddy actually flinched? A trait unique to them among robots. Since neither of the two wanted to upset their creator even more, they quickly got the monitor-cart and pushed it through the doorway into the hall. Given the choice between the wrath of this man or the steel breaking fists of the echidna, the latter seems like a more merciful demise.

Seeing them finally obey pleased the scientist. There had been enough distractions and he was itching to get this over with for a while now. Contently he turned back around and put his hands behind his back, waiting for them to set everything up. He simply watched the two mobians again and could tell very easily they were unsure about what was going on. Their confusion shall not last for long. Eggman had to suppress the urge to smirk. Just a little longer and everything was set up, safe for the connection to the power. Cubot swiftly attached it, making the screen jump to life. As soon as it was done and after the yellow robot gave him the okay, Orbot faced the human. "Everything's ready, boss"

"Good" he replied, moving his attention away from Shadow and Knuckles and to his assistant instead. Like before he raised the USB in his hand. "Time to finally put an end to this irritating issue that has been pestering us for far too long" Even though he was not looking at them, it was clear his was as much talking to Shadow and Knuckles as he was to Orbot. While the latter simply nodded and took the device handed to him, the former were once again glancing at each other.

With the memory device plugged in, the screen went quickly from 'No source found' to what seemed to be a digital folder containing one single file. To be more specific: A video file under the name 'Eggmobile_Footage_#260264_Restored'. Upon seeing what it was, a frown appeared on the hedgehog's face. Whatever this was, it had to be big if it was enough to keep the human from getting absolutely furious at them for their earlier discussion. Red eyes moved from the monitor to the bald man, who was reaching for the remote on the cart. "…What are you showing us?"

"Watch and you'll see"

Not the answer Shadow expected and especially not such a vague one at that. Usually, the scientist was straight forward or at least appeared to be. So, this was pretty weird. The frowning hedgehog then looked at Knuckles who only gave him an uncertain, halfhearted shrug in return. Obviously, he didn´t know what to make of the reply either. That or maybe he just didn´t have the energy left for a proper response. Knuckles was and looked really tired after all. All that was really left for them, was to look at the screen and watch what the man wanted to show them. And as soon as their attention was where it was supposed to be, Eggman opened the file.

Neither of the mobians were quite sure what to expect from it but it definitely wasn´t the sight greeting them at the very beginning of the video. Pictures of nothing but utter devastation of a land unfamiliar to them. The existing trees were no longer holding their majestic green crowns but instead looked dead and charred. Bringing even more concern was the fact that their bark was gone too. Scorched off of their trunks with what must have been extreme heat. Many of those once proud standing giants now lied broken on the ground. Fallen through a force of nature too powerful for them to withstand. The wood's floor itself was covered in dark ash and the remains of the life that fell victim to what was obviously a catastrophe. Not one single bit of green could be spotted on the moving picture. If anything, the movement just made the extent of damage the more obvious. Grass and bushes might as well never have called this place their home. Aside from their burned leftovers, there was nothing left that proved their prior existence. The air too was filled with dust, ash and smoke, thanks to the wind blowing over the sparse land. It clouded the sky and blocked the sun in the process, giving the surroundings a disconsolate grey color. Here and there isolated spots of ember shone through the low-lying smog, highlighting their locations. What once may have been a beautiful landscape was now reduced to nothing but a sorrowful wasteland.

Filled with mostly confusion the two observed the screen in front of them. The scenery had suffered a lot, there was no doubt about it, but what really muddled them was something entirely different. Why was Eggman showing them a destroyed forest? The recordings didn´t change much at first, aside from the camera unmistakably moving. Shadow and Knuckles exchanged gazes of uncertainty. They really didn´t know what this was supposed to be about. Once their attention returned to the ongoing video, one's frown became a lot more prominent than the others. Shadow tilted his head and took an even closer look, trying to find potential details that would clear things up. Despite his best efforts however, he just couldn´t make any sense of what was shown to them. Of this, what may as well be a 'nature documentary' if he didn´t know better. Eventually he let a barely audible huff of frustration escape his nose before he turned to the taller human. "Okay… what is this?"

Eggman didn´t answer right away and just kept quietly gazing at the running screen with his arms behind his back. After, what many would call a pause for dramatic effect, he ultimately granted the hedgehog's request for knowledge. The one thing he did not do, was looking at him. "This recording was taken during a dying forest fire. One that I recall telling you about"

Another frown came to Shadow's face at the reply he received. A forest fire he told them about? For a moment, the hedgehog fell into the blank space of his mind. The gap one's trapped in when something feels familiar but you just can´t seem to remember it happened. Gears started to turn rapidly inside his skull as Shadow dug deeper and deeper into the memories he possessed. Red orbs moved from one side of the ground to the other and back as he pictured all the instances in which the two of them had an important conversation with the scientist. Having all the images in front of his inner eye, Shadow traveled back further and further. Apparently, he was pretty lively while doing so, because even the worn-out echidna next to him noticed and had to look what his friend was doing. Wearing a questioning expression Knuckles watched him, but it was obvious enough that the other was oblivious to it. Shadow was too spaced out in his attempt to find what he was searching for. And eventually… he did. Crimson eyes widened a little when their owner lifted his head back up. In one fast motion he turned back to the mustached man, while all Knuckles did was tilt his head behind him. "…wait… are you saying-"

"Yes" Eggman practically cut in, causing Shadow to stop in the middle of his sentence. That's when the human finally decided to pull his eyes away from the video to peer down at his subordinates. On the other hand, he used one limb to gesture back to the monitor. "This is the day I found you two burned to near death"

Two pairs of eyes widened at this crucial piece of information and instantly both looked back onto the display. Somewhat in disbelief, they didn´t want to miss anything now that they knew what it was. Especially Shadow. He just needed to know if it was true! Even though Eggman seriously had no reason to lie with the footage being played right in front of them. It was still just showing the burned landscape but gradually the camera seemed to get closer to the ground. At long last the picture stopped moving, causing it to float stationary above the soil. A moment of silence and a short shake of the camera later, a dull thud appeared outside the device's range of vision. Presumably from just behind it, given how the file's name practically confirmed that the footage was recorded by the doctor's flying vehicle.

And like on cue the man in question stepped into the frame from the side, the ground beneath him crunching softly with every step he took. The position of the camera made it impossible to see anything above the top portion of the man's stomach. He had to take a few steps away from his carrier for the entirety of his upper body to become visible. Once in full view, it was pretty easy to tell that the man was searching for something. At least judging from how he moved his head from side to side, looking into one direction for a couple of second before slowly redirecting his gaze into a different one. This repeated for a solid minute and ended when the doctor's shoulders visibly sunk, assumingly from a sigh leaving his system. Shortly afterwards he turned around to head back to his trusty flying machine. Whatever it was what he was looking for, he clearly didn´t find it here.

Eggman was already close enough to put a hand onto the surface of his Eggmobile and he was very well into the motion of getting back on board. Though, all of sudden he stopped, followed by him turning to the side. The camera even picked up a faint "Hm?". Quite obviously his reaction was caused by a sound grabbing his attention, which he then went to investigate. With him out of the picture the recording device was left filming the wrecked land once more and it wasn´t until a loud bang accompanied by a bright light interrupted the dim atmosphere. Unexpected as it was, it actually made Knuckles slightly jerk back. Not much but enough for Eggman to give him a side glance. If the hedgehog next to him noticed, he didn´t show as his eyes were too glued to the screen. He didn't even seem fazed by the unforeseen loud noise.

Either way, being what it is, the video naturally proceeded to play and just a moment later the voice of the Eggman inside of it could be heard. It wasn´t very loud but even throughout the Eggmobile's noises there was a distinguishable "What in the?!" coming from outside what was visible. A simple exclamation of surprise but one with great effect. Even if it was subconscious, the two spectating mobians knew it was the indicator for what was the whole point of this. If only the camera was kind enough to show it to them too. Luckily their common but silent demand was met, and the picture shifted while also getting into motion. Eggman got right back into view, even if he was facing it with his back at first. Then came the moment he turned around and the sight was enough to make hearts stop beating for a fine second.

It was them. Unconscious, bleeding and burned, cradled limply in the human's arms while the flying device came closer. Right from the start there was none of their vibrant red fur shining through the dusty air. And it only got worse from there. With the incoming of the tool, details began to become so much more explicit. Their pelt was partially scorched off and so were parts of their skin, revealing some awful wounds all over their bodies. Blood was dried onto their singed forms, adding to the overall horrific sight that was their condition. If one had no access to seeing what they saw, their expressions were enough to be telling. Their entire beings radiated pure horror. From their faces to their general body language. Knuckles even reflexively turned his head away upon realizing what was going on in this nauseating image. The classic attempt of 'if I can´t see it, it isn´t really there'. Sadly reality was all too often not that kind. And the echidna had to accept that the next time he opened his eyes. Shadow's reaction wasn´t quite as strong as his friend's, but certainly also visible. He never withdrew his eyes from the display though.

Meanwhile the Eggman inside the video was not wasting any time in getting back into his carrier. Fortunately, this disgusting and awful scene passed rather quickly. But as the image burned itself into their skulls, it made the entire moment seem longer than it actually was. The last they saw of the recorded man was him giving the two near dead mobians an extremely concerned glance before he vanished out of the camera's vision. Shortly afterwards the ground started to move further and further away, accomplished through the gaining of altitude by the Eggmobile. Just a moment before they started to speed over the wasteland, the doctor's quiet but stressed voice could be heard one last time. "…Hang in there, you two...! I'll patch you up...!" The video lasted a couple more seconds with the bright horizon in the distance. It was the last thing on screen prior to it abruptly cutting off.

Even more silence loomed heavily over the large room upon meeting the recording's end. Shadow and Knuckles stared at the now frozen screen. Shock and disbelief were written all over their faces at what they just witnessed. Neither of the two knew what to say as they have not yet processed the capture of this event. Eggman very evidently wasn´t fazed a single bit at the responses… or the lack therefore. Yet he stayed quiet for a short period of time, just in case one of the two managed to find his voice. When it wasn´t the case, he finally stepped forward right into their sight. He was greeted with no reaction whatsoever when he set an arm down on top of the monitor and put his focus back on them. Undoubtedly, they weren`t going to break the ice, so that was left for the human to do as well. "And? Did this help in clearing your doubt? Or are you still considering to be traitors?"

The sound of his voice gave the impression to have been enough to pull Shadow out of his trance like state. The hedgehog's attention instantly shifted to the tall man. His expression changed from shocked to one of anger, which was not too unexpected. Eggman was prepared for what was thrown at him next. "Why didn´t you show this to us sooner?!"

As ready as he might have been, it didn´t alter the fact that he was absolutely no fan of how accusing the hedgehog immediately got. Understandably so, but it directly pushed into the doctor's temper. Aside from the growing irritation, he also went into his own offensives. "Well, excuuuse me!" he proclaimed vociferously. Not only was it effective in making Shadow shut his mouth but it also kept everyone from interrupting him. The advantages of a loud prepotent voice. "Forgive me for not immediately thinking of the possibility that the footage my Eggmobile recorded might have survived, after practically all of my data got destroyed alongside our old base!"

One thing was for sure: Eggman needed a breather after that declaration. His glare on the other hand didn´t go anywhere. The impressive volume didn´t only intimidate his assisting robots, but also kept the other two from saying anything right away. Knuckles was generally fading into the background and let his partner do the talking, for he was too tired to gather enough energy to do it. He simply stayed close to Shadow and kept his gaze low. The hedgehog's eyes on the other hand remained stubbornly on the tall man. He refused to get overawed by him. However, the words spoken replayed in his mind multiple times and with every repeat more and more of a frown manifested itself on his face. He took another glance at the now paused recording, his brows knitting together even further. Faint shakes of his head strongly hinted towards a lack of acceptance of the reality he was just exposed to. "…then… how did you-"

"How did I think of checking its data storage, you ask?" the bald scientist cut in without shame or remorse. Aside from the slight turning of his ears and moving his red ovals off the monitor, the chaos wielder didn´t react. If it wasn´t already so apparent that he was correct, these subtle gestures would have served as enough of an indicator. A deep breath went through the doctor's nose. "If you must know… I knew you still didn´t fully trust me even after all this time. Because of the doubt Sonic planted in you and quite frankly? I got frustrated. Immensely. And obviously, so did you" A clear callback to the conversation Shadow and Knuckles held prior to Eggman's arrival. The two in question were aware of it, to which they reacted with a whiff of guilt. Meanwhile, their superior simply carried on with his explanation regardless of their visible responses.

"Resulting out of this issue I went through every single file on my computer in hopes I could find any surveillance backup from our previous base. As expected, everything was gone. …from the base itself at least. Dispersed into the void to be never seen again. As you can probably imagine, my patience suffered greatly from that. But that tiny glimpse of hope to find something… anything prevented me from giving up. With that and enough perseverance I eventually stumbled over the Eggmobile's folder. It was… empty actually, but it made me realize one thing: I have a camera installed on the Eggmobile! It was so obvious and yet I forgot about it! Talk about no longer seeing the wood for the trees. Naturally, the next thing I did was to connect it to my computer and behold! There were video files! Good thing I never programmed that thing to automatically sent them to my main storage server or they'd be gone too. Anyway, long story short: Many files were faulty or corrupted because part of the hardware got damaged when the facility exploded. Including this file but there was just enough data left for me to be able to largely restore it. But you know that because you just saw it!"

The end of this verbal essay was met with a long silence, mostly caused by the hedgehog struggling to find the right words to respond. After all, it was a rather big clarification he just received. One he had to go over again to make sure he understood everything correctly. Knuckles wasn´t of much help. Shadow was sure he listened to every word spoken but the echidna clearly made no effort to get out of his current passive manner, leaving the hedgehog to be the only one to take initiative. Perhaps not the best situation since Shadow was surely no master of communication himself. To prevent the pause from getting way too long and uncomfortable, he eventually replied with what could only be described as an awkward attempt. "…I suppose your enthusiasm for surveillance came in pretty handy here, huh…?"

In reality he just had absolutely no idea what else to say and as soon as he did, Shadow could have slapped himself. What an incredible smooth comeback from the otherwise serious natured hedgehog. Lucky for him Eggman didn´t comment on it. He highly doubted it was because he didn´t show how he felt, since the human rose an eyebrow at the reply. Most likely, he solely saw no point in it. Something Shadow was grateful for since it would only put him on the spot and make it more awkward.

"Yeah" the man dismissed before continuing to pry back into the main topic at hand. "Anyway. Did the footage finally provide enough proof to convince you I'm telling the truth? Or do you need even more? Like, I don´t know, footage of the second incident that was ultimately traumatic enough to get you into this mess in the first place? Granted that recording was even more ruined than this one and it's overflown with static, but you can still see what's happening"

The last bit was said a little bit too enthusiastic in Shadow's honest opinion. If anything, it was quite alarming. Then again… unsettling things were to be expected from someone who thrives for world domination. "…no, thank you. I'm sure I speak for us both when I say we're good…" the hedgehog politely declined, not really feeling the need for a second round of seeing his friend and himself covered in life threatening injuries. Both parties traded looks for a moment until Shadow felt a weight coming down on his shoulder. Blinking he turned his head to the sudden occurrence, only to find Knuckles resting his forehead on him. He heard him take a deep breath through his nose. "…you okay?" he asked in concern that slightly rose when he was given a delayed answer.

"…Hm…? Oh… yeah… just tired…" Knuckles returned without lifting his head off the other.

Shadow faintly tilted his head, trying to understand what was going on with him. With how drowsy the echidna seemed, the hedgehog of course didn´t just brush him off. He didn´t want him to suddenly fall over or something. The questioning attitude wouldn´t stay for long once Shadow recalled just what exactly Knuckles was previously doing. It also reminded him of an earlier question running through his mind. "…If you don´t mind me asking. Just how long exactly have you been trashing robots?"

Knuckles took a few seconds to think about it but in the end could only muster a sleepy shrug. "…I dunno… last time I checked it was something six or seven…"

"Oh" was Shadow's only response. The period was not specified but he guessed the red one meant in the morning. Vaguely he could remember seeing him the late evening before. Not too sure though, because of the stress he was under. Nevertheless, Knuckles was fighting at least for a few hours since it was well into the afternoon at this point. The result of his actions spoke loudly. Aside from his delayed responses, the echidna could barely muster enough energy to keep standing, let alone stay awake. He was leaning on Shadow for support after all and it was a miracle he didn´t fall asleep yet. The bearing person sympathized with him and really didn´t enjoy seeing him like this at all. He had to do something about it. "Come on… let's get you to bed"

Shadow expected a little bit of protest regarding his suggestion and was caught pretty off guard when, instead of talking back, Knuckles only mumbled a drained 'Okay…'. That… made things magnificently easier. However, the hedgehog also recognized how exhausted the other was and asked in a further act of thoughtfulness. "Do you want me to carry you?"

Something that caught Knuckles off guard was the soft tone Shadow used. It made his eyes flutter open, as well as lift his head back up after an additional delay. "No… no… I got this…" he indistinctly replied, while rubbing an eye. Then there was a pause. His weary mind realized an opportunity which he voiced more lucidly afterwards in an almost coy demeanor. "…unless you are offering a piggyback…?"

Unquestionably that wasn´t something Shadow saw coming either. It made him look at Knuckles for a moment, the occasional blink sneaking in as well. That short time span was needed for him to adjust to the wish that just came out of the red one's mouth. And as soon as it was the case the hedgehog turned his back towards his comrade without a second thought. "Hop on"

An unanticipated outcome to his request. Knuckles truly didn´t expect he'd actually take it. What a pleasant surprise to be a follow up to the disturbing pictures they had witnessed. It even got him to faintly smile. Of course, the echidna would not let such an offer go to waste and climbed onto Shadow's back without another word. A sigh passed his lips when his body instantly relaxed, now that he didn´t have to stand anymore. Again, he rested his head on the hedgehog's shoulder. Only this time with his cheek instead of his forehead, followed by purple eyes sliding shut. Yep, he desperately needed some sleep.

Feeling just how quickly the tense echidna eased up against him, made Shadow's face warm up enough to be noticed. He didn´t pay it any mind and glanced at his tired partner from the corner of his eye, not really awaiting a reaction. Knuckles was practically knocked out already anyway. In the company of a mellow sigh through the nose, the dark one adapted to the additional weight to have an easier time walking. Usually he'd just start to go, however once he lifted his gaze the hedgehog was taken aback. His crimson ovals fell onto the still switched-on screen and stayed there as if hypnotized. He analyzed it although not for too long, because he willed his eyes away after a couple of seconds. Then it was finally time for them to leave, but not before Shadow and Eggman exchanged looks for one last time. Unclear to outsiders what the soundless trading precisely meant, the red pair of eyes were the first to drop and with that, their owner got into motion at last. The scientist watched silently as the mobians made their way out of the hall in a slow pace and eventually disappeared behind sturdy walls.

Their way back to their quarters was of no event. Knuckles was beyond glad he didn´t have to use any energy to walk and Shadow kept quiet through its entirety. It was okay though because the silence was the first comfortable one in a couple of days. A few minutes later they left the maze of corridors behind and entered their room. Shadow spoke a mild 'We're here' and set the echidna down when he seemed awake enough. While attempting to rub the fatigue out of his eyes, Knuckles of course thanked him for the kind act and proceeded to fall flat onto the bed face first. Having not foreseen such a graceful move, Shadow could only stare and raise a brow. Sure, Knuckles was tired but he didn´t think he was that tired. Ultimately what he thought didn´t matter because he was proven otherwise by real life. The recent quietude was then broken when a groan, followed by a weak chuckle, filled the air. "…I am going to be so sore later…" the red echidna mumbled into the sheets.

A statement the hedgehog yet again didn´t see coming and one where he needed a moment to think of what to reply. He closed his eyes and let out a small huff preparatory to his answer. "Was to be expected after your-" Shadow couldn´t even finish his sentence because as soon as he reopened his eyes to look, Knuckles was already out cold. Snoring into the surface below as if he had been lying there for a while already. That was… fast. Incredibly fast. And left Shadow flabbergasted. Tilting his head, he ended up observing him in wonder. Little by little his typical stern expression melted away and was instead replaced by an affectionate smile. Shadow shook his head fondly and got closer to his now sleeping friend to properly tuck and cover him up. Wouldn´t want to risk him getting a cold after all.

Satisfied with his doing, the hedgehog took a step back and kept looking at the wrapped-up echidna a little bit longer, the smile still present. However, it gradually faded as a thought popped up in his mind. Slowly Shadow turned his head to gaze out of the open balcony door. The horizon was peaceful and unbothered by the mental images passing through the spiked head. Images that made fury boil up inside of the hedgehog's stomach. Steadily Shadow's countenance turned dark, vicious and only served one single meaning.

Sonic…

You are done for.