Thank you to everyone who reviewed, subbed and faved just on the first chapter! Hopefully it's as enjoyable as the first, even if it has more plot than porn (but I do promise porn, so don't leave me? Please? I'll be lonely.)

Also, for those who review in Spanish - that's why I have Google Translate. =] Your contributions are amazing too! No apologising.

And thank you for the well wishes. Things are starting to go a little more smoothly now, so fingers crossed. xx

Hey look, it's Chapter 2!

Again story progression, and until Shadow gets out of GUN that's what this fic will be.

...or will it? ;D

Well, this chapter is. It builds a little on the Shadow/Rouge relationship.

Maybe next time there'll be a lime... maybe.

You'll have to keep reading, won't you?

BATTLE OF WILLS (PART 1)

It's twenty minutes before the meeting is supposed to start, ten since Shadow's bike had been signed into the compound. The Commander drums his fingers on his desk impatiently as he stares at the door. Behind him, Rouge attempts to ignore the loud, repetitive tapping drilling through her sensitive ears and continues to scroll through her social media feed, admiring pictures of her friends in the city from a recent gathering at Club Rouge. The place was her baby; an investment of all her surplus funds, and she loved tending the bar and gossiping with regulars.

Not that she ever got to man the bar herself anymore.

She represses the sigh that always accompanies that thought; she and Knuckles has taken their relationship to the "next level" - engagement to a normal person, but the old-fashioned echidna insisted he was "courting" her for at least six months before they got rings - and between spending time with him and working her arse off for money for the distant wedding she'd already begun to plan, she never had time to step behind the bar and get drunk on a Tuesday night anymore.

Even when she did have time off, she seemed to end up back here… tonight was supposed to be date night. She'd managed to get Knuckles off his isolated rock and down to the Emerald Coast for dinner and drinks, with plans to spend the rest of the evening in bed. Or in the kitchen. Perhaps on the sofa… once he got a bit tipsy and she riled him up, the location didn't matter.

That was something she loved.

But no, she was in Tower's office, waiting for Mr Fashionably Late to decide to show. She shakes her head slightly and licks her lips in thought. That wasn't entirely fair; he was late by the Commander's standards, but she'd bet the Master Emerald he'd swan in dead on time and act like they hadn't been waiting for him for the last half an hour, like he didn't know the Commander was as uptight as he was emotionally intense and hadn't expected them him at least a quarter of an hour early.

If she didn't enjoy Shadow's blatant boundary-pushing, she'd be annoyed, but she expected it from him by now. It was how he stayed in control, despite Towers' superior status.

She glances to her left where Topaz sits. The always obedient prude that she was, the woman was sat with her back straight and her hands in her lap, gaze also fixed on the door as she awaited the final member of their impromptu meeting. At least she had the decency to remember how sensitive her colleague's hearing was and wasn't strumming her fingers as well, but she's obviously irritated; her lips are pressed together and her jaw is set, teeth likely clenched.

"Rouge." The flat commanding tone snaps her eyes to her boss' back. He hasn't bothered to look at her, but she can imagine the sharp glare he'd be giving her despite this not being her fault, different-coloured irises encased by wrinkled, narrowed eyes. "Locate Agent Shadow and inform him we await his arrival." His fingers continue to rap on the wooden tabletop, though this ceases suddenly as if he remembers her discomfort at such actions before he continues. "If he's delaying us for a caffeine fix again, I swear to God..."

His threat drops off, and Rouge can't help but smirk a little at the back of his head. After all, there's little the old human can do to her former partner simply for grabbing coffee before the meeting is even scheduled to start. "I'll check the staff room first." Because he'll be there. Making coffee. She omits the last part of that sentence as she slips past Topaz and heads out into the hall, hearing Towers grunt in acknowledgement of the unspoken reality of the situation before it can close behind her.

Heels click on the metallic flooring as she walks, hands pressed into her jacket pockets. As much as she did enjoy watching Shadow pull his strings, she was concerned that one of these days, he'd pull too hard. When that happened - because as it stood, with the two making power plays even when they hadn't seen each other for months, it was a matter of 'when' not 'if' - she hoped he had a contingency plan to fall back on that didn't rely on her hospitality for two reasons.

Firstly, she was a GUN employee and lying to them could put her job at risk, and could amount to treason in a skilled lawyer's hands. Second, Knuckles was not going to allow him to hide out on Angel Island and risk being found to be harbouring a fugitive, since that was exactly the kind of crap Towers liked playing up to acquire things that didn't belong to him.

Like a Master Emerald, for example.

It's barely five minutes walk from the boss' office to the staff room. Too much time, it seems, as she ends up mulling over her relationship with the hedgehog in question along the way. Their last real interaction had been… heated. On their last mission together, just after he'd moved to his new place, he'd taken her by surprise and asked her what they "were", and for all the composure and bluster she could usually muster on the spot, she was left stunned into silence, because it hadn't ever crossed her mind that he'd ever thought of their intimacy as anything other than extra-curricular.

At the time she'd been blunt, flaunting her relationship with Knuckles and how serious it felt, unintentionally admitting to Shadow she'd been sleeping with both of them at the same time. Shadow had been furious, and now, almost six months later, she could understand why; she had drawn him into sexual acts before he truly understood what he was doing, strung him along for both their pleasure - But mostly my pleasure, she corrected herself - then dropped him like a used diaper.

With emotions running riot, their job had been a bust. Unable to secure their target, the pair had returned to GUN in silence. They had been debriefed separately, and it was then she learned that Towers was already aware of their intimacy; he had been allowing it since Shadow had seemed to be more manageable, but now it was jeopardising missions he demanded to know everything - who started it, if it was consensual, how long it had been going on - with strong implications of "handling the situation as [he] deemed necessary".

Rouge wasn't stupid. The threat to return Shadow to stasis either pending action or indefinitely hung in the air. Guilt for taking advantage eating her up inside, she'd taken full responsibility, leading to her own demotion and, just days later, her partner was officially "retired".

With that in mind, she'd let her relationship with him cool off, friendship and all. Being the introvert he was, he never tried to contact her, so until the other day, they hadn't spoken in almost six months. Being worried for his mental health and aware he was likely to isolate himself without someone actively seeking his company, she'd managed to get Sonic to agree to go bother him occasionally, but the Blue Blur was pretty busy with his own life nowadays, so he hadn't visited as much as she would have liked.

Still, Towers had him under surveillance, so she knew he was alive. His health was an entirely different matter, but at least he was there, working on that junk-heap of a motorbike and watching cooking program reruns until he passed out. When Sonic dropped by, they'd go bowling and sometimes to her bar, according to her staff, but otherwise his days were always the same: Noodle cup, TV, mess with or ride the bike, TV, order in, TV, repeat.

With luck, Amy would break him out of that slump. That was the plan, anyway...

oOoOo

The canteen was smaller than it should be, crammed with tables with bench seats that had long since lost their original colour to rigorous cleaning, though the occasional irremovable stain remained as a reminder of those that had passed through the room before. With little ventilation and nothing decorative, the room always smelt of the last thing to be blitzed in the microwave and served only as a waypoint to most; a place to stop for half an hour, fill their face and chat with fellow soldiers before their next assignment, or the mountain of paperwork required to filled in on a daily basis.

At this time of night, the place was empty. Most recruits had better things to do with their precious free time than hang out in the canteen, especially when the kitchens were closed. Shadow liked it that way; it meant the place was quiet. He could grab one of the newspapers from amongst the pamphlets and advertisements on the table on the far wall and enjoy a cup of coffee without worrying about being interrupted. He was doing just that when he heard the click of heels on the walkway outside and sighed in irritation.

He slips his phone from his glove and unlocks the screen. Fifteen minutes before he was due in Towers' private office. The former agent himself had little patience for wasting time, but he did appreciate time to relax. It seemed this was something the Commander wasn't too familiar with, because he always tried to start meetings early.

Disregarding Rouge's footfalls, he focuses back on his paper and rests one leg over the other, frowning at the page before him as he takes a sip of coffee. A scientist employed by GUN had discovered that the average temperature of the planet every year was slowly rising, and they weren't sure why. It disconcerts the hedgehog that something could change entirely outside of his perception. Further reading uncovers that they believe it to be the fuels humans had used for centuries to power their homes and factories, and this man was calling for a major shift to Chaos Drives.

Shadow snorts at the idea of a Chaos Drive being fitted in every home. The cost would be enormous.

The tick-tacking of heels comes closer and he still ignores it, already aware of Rouge's presence as she comes to a halt less than a foot from where he sits. Her perfume hits his nose, and he has to forcibly eject certain indecent memories from his mind, focusing on the words before him to keep himself in check. Shadow feigns ignorance and takes another sip of coffee, continuing to read. Given their history in addition to she and Knuckles dumping the pink hedgehog on his doorstep just yesterday and expecting them to play nice - which they had, admittedly, but that wasn't the point - he has no intention of engaging her until forced to do so.

He manages another paragraph before she speaks, her tone tart and berating. "I'm pretty sure the Commander's going to be thrilled to find out you held us up to catch up with current affairs." He glances at her over the top of his paper with an expression of nonchalant boredom, narrowed gaze a clear indication of how much he cares about what Towers thinks. The smirk she's failing to quash indicates she finds this entire arrangement amusing, and he can only assume Towers got impatient and sent her cajole him into moving faster. She has her hands on her hips and tries to look annoyed despite the evident humour on her features.

Having not seen her for some time (minus the aforementioned Amy incident), he takes a few seconds to study her, raising an eyebrow at her attire as he does so. She's hardly dressed for a serious meeting; thin white heeled sling-backs are partially obscured under the tapering legs of skin-tight dark blue denim, which leaves none of her curves to the imagination. The jeans in question are low-waisted and tenuously held up by ample hips, though he imagines there'd be a view to appreciate if she bent over in front of someone. Tucked into the waistline is an equally tight shirt of dark pink, the front plunging between her breasts to reveal a deep triangle of white fur almost down to her navel. A small white jacket he doubted could do up around her breasts covers her arms and hangs down to her waist.

Shadow snorts and folds the paper in his lap, holding her gaze as he speaks and mug poised to take another sip. "I had fifteen minutes to spare. You obviously had more."

His former partner rolls her eyes and, to his surprise, looks relieved as she folds her arms across her chest and lets out a puff of frustration. "Yeah, I'm supposed to be on a date." He grunts in response, folding the paper in his lap as she continues. "I know! First I'm called back from vacation in Hawaii, and now I can't even go out for dinner!" She smiles, eyes half-lidded as she leans in a little. "But enough about me; don't you look dapper tonight. Were you out on a date with a certain pink hedgehog..?"

"Presumptuous," he comments dryly, glancing up at her before taking another drag of his coffee. "No, but she picked these out for me whilst shopping for her own clothing. I believe it would have been discourteous to not allow her access to my funds when she had nothing but the dress on her back." The downs the last of his coffee and carefully places it on a nearby table. "It was a liberty I suppose I am grateful for, as I have not had to readjust them since leaving my apartment, unlike the other pants I possess."

"I'm surprised you didn't buy some sooner," the bat admits as he finally gets to his feet, resigned to the fact he has to attend this meeting he does not wish to be late for. She waits for him to take a few steps before beginning to walk alongside him. "Because I'm pretty sure they gave you those baggy pants as a joke. You could've demanded a fitted uniform as soon as Mobian sizes became standard issue." She looks to him and tilts her head slightly. "Though showing your age with the polo tucked in, aren't you? Only Grandpas tend towards that crime of fashion."

He sets his jaw, but does untuck the material as they walk, a silence falling over them for a minute or so before Rouge breaks it once more. "So how's Amy settling in, anyway? Have you gotten past your… differences..?" His attention snaps to her, and she wriggles her eyebrows suggestively, making his face flush beneath ebony fur. Normally it would be enough to disguise the discoloration of his skin, but the woman is both observant and well acquainted with him; she spots the blush as it reaches the tips of his ears.

He utters a low, warning growl, becoming agitated with her teasing, but she's either out of touch with his cues or doesn't care, because she smirks. "Oh. That good, huh? You'll have to share the details with me over a drink once we're done here. Maybe we- "

Agitation turns into anger and he grabs her bicep, pulling her backwards and shoving her into the nearest room, which happens to be small broom closet. She stumbles over a mop bucket but manages to spin to face him as her back hits the wall, though it's too dark to see much once the door slams closed. She lands on her right wing and gasps at the pain, but he doesn't give her time to comprehend it; his right hand grabs her throat and applies enough pressure to render her immobile, the left raising and cracking with red energy that jumps between his fingers, illuminating her face with a flickering crimson light as he snarls inches from her face.

Seconds of silence pass. He feels her shuddering in his grip, the pulse in her neck beating like mad. Understanding he's overreacted, Shadow stops growling, setting his jaw into a hard line as his grip lessens. He's unaccustomed to the look of fear on his partner's face, and it unsettles him, even if he's still annoyed at her. He extinguishes the Chaos energy flowing through his fingers with a fist and speaks quietly, his tone clipped. "Do not mistake politeness for forgiveness, bat."

As he begins to loosen his grip she wrenches his hand from her neck and discards it abruptly. He allows it to drop to his side as leans closer, leaving just an inch between them as she stares him dead in the eyes, the fear on her features already a distant memory. His ears fold back and his quills bristle at her tone. "Forgiveness for something you enjoyed? For something you consented to numerous times, and initiated when the mood took you?" She shoves him in the chest with both hands and he stumbles over the same mop bucket she had. "Do you have any idea-"

She cuts herself off and silence descends, the darkness punctuated by the occasional soft sniffle. As his eyes adjust to the dark, Shadow can see her hugging herself around the torso, eyes down and closed. He blinks and his features soften as he reaches out to reassure her, feeling awful for his reaction to her simple teasing. "Rouge, I-"

Her tone is soft as she speaks, eyes remaining closed as she clutches at her elbows. "Towers knows." His hand stops midway between the two as his eyes widen, ear tips perking again. She looks directly at him, whether she can see or not in the cupboard. "I got called into his office after our last mission. He had visual and audio evidence from Omega's hard drive, found and extracted during routine maintenance. I could hardly deny it."

Towers knew - had known for at least six months - that they had been intimately involved with one another. While it wasn't a direct breach of contract, it was frowned upon for those working in close proximity to begin a relationship, and was supposed to be approved by the commanding officer which, for both of them, was Towers himself. After all, such skewed loyalties against GUN (and in some cases, bad blood from break-ups) could lead to mission failures, or even get others killed.

"But if he knew…"

"I took full responsibility," she states, pressing her hand to his where it hovered between them and entwining her fingers with his own. She takes a deep breath and gives his hand a squeeze. "He asked me for the truth, and I… Well, you think it's all me anyway, so I guess it was a truth." The laugh that escapes her throat is bitter, and Shadow cringes slightly. "But I knew the most he'd do to me was reassignment, maybe just straight-up demotion since you were already off-campus. What they could have done to you…"

He swallows hard, the possibilities straightening out in his head. While he was technically a Mobian - and officially recognised as one by the State, now he had a passport and identification papers - he was still technically property; GUN's own time, manpower and resources had gone into making him, something the Commander had liked to remind him of whenever he requested anything he deemed surplus to requirements. If their disciplinary panel had deemed him potentially dangerous or out of control, they could have done any number of things to him and still be seen as righteous by most who'd have the clearance to view his file.

Images of a return to stasis, being redesignated as a lab rat, or being medically interfered with to either impede his fertility, remove it altogether or alleviate the drive to participate in such acts flash through his mind, and he shudders before squeezing Rouge's hand right back. "I… my appreciation cannot be adequately expressed through words…"

She emits a sad bark of a laugh. The sound is humourless and harsh, but her tone afterwards is sincere. "I know, you big idiot. Now accept my apology and give me a hug." Arms wrap around his torso and cling to his shoulders and he doesn't hesitate to embrace his old friend in kind. They remain as such for some time, holding each other tightly as they ground themselves, silent tears soaking into the shoulder of his shirt that Rouge would deny with fervour if he ever brought them up.

Shadow himself does not cry. Instead, he holds her, allowing her this emotional release until a realization hits him. He swears and withdraws from their embrace to stride out into the hallway with purpose, a scowl already fixed on his features.

Because now, not only is he minutes from being tardy, he also has to explain why he spent ten minutes in a cupboard with Rouge.