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40. Defeated

His cell was shrouded in complete darkness, save for a stream of moonlight trickling through the far too tiny for him to climb through and beyond his reach window. The air tasted stale and musty, and Shadow grimaced in disgust with every breath he was forced to breathe.

Shackled down in chains far too sturdy for him to break in his weakened state, Shadow grunted in frustration, anger making his previously dull, and lifeless crimson eyes burn bright like the flames of a blazing fire. His blood roared with life, his pulse racing as he struggled fiercely against his restraints, ignoring the blinding pain that seared through his body and set his nerves on fire.

Shadow was many things, but a quitter wasn't one of them. He refused to be anyone's prisoner, let alone the very agency he used to work for. He was one of their best agents, and this was how they repaid him?! They threw him behind bars, locked him up, and threw away the key. He knew he had been framed, but why? And more importantly, who had framed him?

I'm honestly not sure. I've made plenty of enemies, and being the Ultimate Lifeform and having the power I do is bound to attract the wrong crowd, unfortunately. However, when I do find out, whoever did it will pay with their life, he thought darkly, a sinister grin of his face, his eyes glinting dangerously.

Exhausted, panting heavily, sweat dripping down his back, he slumped against the rough, uncomfortably cold brick wall. Gritting his teeth in pain, his head hung, he furiously wracked his brain for any possible ideas to aid his escape. He was reluctant to admit, even to himself, that he was incredibly weak. Had he any strength, he would've already busted the fuck out of here.

A chaos emerald certainly would be of immense help in getting him out of his current predicament; he could channel its energy and use Chaos Control to teleport away, but alas, he didn't have one on him. In fact, he also lacked his gloves, shoes, and inhibitor rings. His rings kept his reserve energy in check, and he must be more drained than he originally thought he was.

"Damn it!" he bellowed, voice echoing through the otherwise silent cell. "How the fuck am I supposed to leave this fucking hellhole?!" A sharp, rattling noise had him momentarily stopping his heated ranting, and he turned around quickly, eyes locking on the guard who opened his cell door.

Squinting his eyes, he could make out the curves beneath the police uniform, confirming that it was a female guard. She wore dark shades that hide her eyes from his, and her hat sat low on her head, shielding her hair and most of her face from view.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting 'cause I can always come back later." Her voice sounded vaguely familiar, although he couldn't connect the dots. He flashed her a sneer with barely concealed hatred, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I'd much rather you drop fucking dead and save me the trouble of killing you myself and the anguish I feel from merely looking at your wretched face," Shadow spat, words harsh and sharper than knives. He expected her to burst into to tears, piss herself, shit herself, or a combination of the three as the guards before her had done. However, she did neither; she only laughed, clearly unbothered by his jagged edges, making him frown in confusion. His frown only deepened when she moved closer to him.

"Now, Shadow, that's certainly not how you should talk to your girlfriend and rescuer." She pulled off her shades and hat, tossing them off to the side somewhere, revealing stunning sapphire eyes and gorgeous auburn hair. Shadow felt his jaw drop as he openly gawked at her. His hands, bare of his gloves, weakly cupped her face, drinking in her lovely face, warm smile, and wonderful scent.

"S-Sally?" he rasped, his voice hoarse from his screams and threats, throat parched with thirst. Sally pulled away for a moment, reaching into a duffle bag that hung from her shoulder and pulling out several bottles of water and sandwiches. She handed them to him, and Shadow flashed her a grateful smile before tearing into it, eating and drinking with fervor.

He finished quickly, as he was understandably thirsty and hungry as hell, and he wiped his mouth with the pack of his hand, letting out a loud belch. Relief began washing over him almost immediately, feeling somewhat better now that he was hydrated and fed. Once he was finished, he pulled Sally back into his arms, unaware that he was crying until he felt her gently wipe away his tears, her own eyes glistening with tears.

"You didn't think we'd actually leave you behind to rot away, did you? The gang split into groups: Rouge, Espio, and I snuck in here to get you out, Omega, Knuckles, and Vector are distracting the guards, Silver and Sonic are retrieving the chaos emerald and your rings, gloves, and shoes, Cream and Charmy are keeping a lookout, and Blaze and Amy are guarding Tails and Eggman, who hacked into the prison's database. It has a lot of information that'll surely be of use in us clearing your name and finding the motherfucker who did this shit to you."

He took in this information silently, amazed and thankful for the people he considered friends and family. He would've never been able to get out, or at least this soon, without their help, and he was truly grateful for their help. He watched as the energy bracelets on her wrists began glowing an intense blue color, and two energy blades appeared. Grasping them, she easily sliced through his chains, cautious not to unintentionally harm him.

They fell to the ground in pieces, and she put her blades away. She had barely blinked before she was yanked forward, her lips crashing against Shadow's in a passionate kiss that left her breathless. She matched his ferocity, putting her all into that kiss because she missed him and loved him and thank God he's alive.

"Come on, babe," she said once they parted, easing him on his feet, supporting the brunt of his weight. "Let's go home."