Be One World, Be The Light
Chapter 8: Personal Confrontation
"And stay safe!"
Rouge flicked off her cellphone and tucked it safely within her pocket. Shadow and Omega, who were standing a little too close for comfort during the call, finally backed away. The endless sea surrounded them on all sides, threatening to drown the small island if Mother Nature had her way. Safe from Eggman's forces for now, the trio prepared to make their leave back to the mainland.
Omega's arm still hung limp, lacking the necessary circruity to keep his metallic joints functioning. Neither Shadow nor Rouge were experienced in mechanics. As a temporary solution till they returned to HQ, all Rouge had been able to do was wrap a few rolls of bandages around his exposed circuitry, stopping any loose sparks and leaking oil for now.
Shadow examined the Chaos Emerald resting within his hand, ready to use the powerful gem to traverse across the planet. Teleporting between known locations had become second nature. "We should get going."
Rouge held up her hand in protest. "Hang on a minute. Shadow, we should report back to GUN. Make them aware of the-"
"No!" Shadow barked, his yell coming across far more stern than he intended.
Taken back by the harsh rebuttal, Rouge felt her whole body stiffen, standing up straight with both ears pointing outwards. While initially caught off guard, she quickly regained her composure and shot a warning glare towards her partner. "And why not?"
"Doesn't matter, we have a job to do," Shadow quickly responded. "Are you coming or not?"
Without warning, the bat suddenly snatched the Chaos Emerald from her partner's hand. Shadow, whose reaction speed usually far surpassed any of their own, gawked in surprise by her actions. His demeanour hardened in no time, marching forward with annoyance. "Give that back, Rouge! We don't have time for games!"
Rouge held the Chaos Emerald out of his reach, her expression hardened with determination. "Not until you tell me what's with the attitude!"
Shadow frowned, silently cursing his partner for her stubbornness. As powerful and skilled as she may be, Shadow knew he was leagues above her in strength. There was nothing physically stopping him from forcefully retrieving the Emerald. But he could never bring himself to harm her, the one person who saw through his hardened demeanour for the kind soul inside. He said nothing, eyes refusing to betray the real reason for his unexplained attitude.
Rouge continued holding her ground, hand clenched tightly around the Chaos Emerald. Very few people could stand up to Shadow and walk away unscatched. Her eyes narrowed, awaiting for a response while simultaneously preparing for a quarrel. She carefully studied his expression, desiring to know what was going on in that mind of his. Reading the Ultimate Life Form's demeanour was no easy feat. Shadow masked all emotions well with that cold appearance.
A silent gasp left her mouth, the stream of her breath vaporising into the surrounding air. The sharp wit she usually carried was drowned out by the look of realisation filling her eyes. She slowly lowered the Chaos Emerald, speaking in a softer tone than before. "You think GUN are gonna blame you for Mephiles?"
Shadow's frown tightened, confirming her theory. Without saying a word, he glanced away, both arms folding over his chest. Omega's red orbs briefly peered over, choosing wisely not to intervene with their argument. While logic dictated he helped Shadow retrieve the Chaos Emerald, his programming also demanded he stayed unbiased in any forms of arguments between his allies.
Rouge struggled to force down the sinking feeling of dread, feeling butterflies flutter within her stomach. It was her suggestion for Shadow to join GUN and help defend the planet from further threats. Not only did this put Commander Tower's concerns at ease, it also allowed her to stay close with the dark hedgehog. Their time together strengthened their friendship considerably, yet even after all this time, a part of Shadow refused to accept humanity had accepted him as one of their own.
She raised her arm but hesitated to place her hand on Shadow's shoulder, knowing he was not a fan of physical affection. At best, all she could do was offer some form of resurrance. "No one's gonna blame you for this, Shadow. Everything that happened on the ARK is all in the past now."
The past. Those two words hung onto Shadow like shackled chains. Memories of his old life continued to haunt him, even after learning to make peace with everything long ago. He forgave those who robbed him of his best friend, going as far as to work with the same organisation to help bring a better tomorrow for this beautiful planet. Despite his heroic deeds, Shadow knew one false rumour was all it took to turn everyone against him.
His eyes glanced down towards the glowing gemstone offered to him. He wrapped his fingers tightly around the Chaos Emerald once more. Shadow briefly locked eyes with her supportive gaze, but could not bring himself to speak up. The mission came first, a priority above all.
Shadow shot his arm towards the air, calling on the great power within the Chaos Emerald to his aid once more. "Chaos Control!"
The winter storm claimed Central City, filling the streets and buildings with mountains of snow. The building's neon lights fell victim to the storm, no longer illuminating the air with bright, colourful lights. The nightlife party goers choose wisely to stay indoors, unwilling to risk braving the blizzard.
Within the heart of the distract, Club Rouge towered above the smaller buildings. The harsh storm forced the club to temporarily close, a tough decision by the alluring owner. No one would be foolish to brave the streets in favour of luxury, less there were desperate. Outside the club's large doors, Team Dark materialised into existence, the blinding light that surrounded them disappearing as fast as it came.
Rouge perked up, scanning her eyes through the huge windows that lined up the club's exterior. Pure darkness covered the inside, just as she had left it. She quickly dug into her coat's pocket, grabbing the key and approaching the locked doors. While she fiddled with the keys, Rouge glanced over her shoulder with a confused brow. "You could have teleported us inside, Shadow."
"And what if someone is inside and they try to run?" Shadow countered. "Do you really want me to break down the doors to catch them?"
"Fair point," Rouge sighed, too tired to engage in their usual witty banter.
She pushed open the large double doors, entering the darkened interior. As she quickly raced inside for shelter, Shadow carefully glanced around the room, studying for possible intruders. Everything seemed to be as they left it. No doors or windows forced open, nor any hint of a struggle. Omega marched closely behind, his robotic eyes scanning around the club for traces of any intruders.
Rouge slammed the door behind them, turning around swifty to flick the light switch down and bringing the room to life. The club that once echoed with conversations of friends and loved ones was now devoid of all life. Unsettled by the quietness, she hastily returned to the robot's side. "Anything, Omega?"
Omega's head slowly peered around, the inner machinations of his programming revealing nothing. "Negative. Scans reveal only two organic beings are inside the club. You and Shadow."
"Let's not waste time," Shadow abruptly suggested. "Sooner we get the Emerald, sooner we get going."
In no mood to argue, Rouge nodded in agreement and took the lead. Team Dark hastily retreated up the stairs leading to the bat's personal quarters, her home away from home. For good measure, Rouge flicked on every passing light along the way, hoping to ward off any would-be intruders. The trio reached her private room in no time, entering with a gentle push.
As Rouge flicked on a lightswitch once more, a pair of green eyes ensnared her from across the room, startling the bat. A lone figure highly resembling her partner stood a small distance away, cradling a familiar purple gem within his hand. Startled by the unexpected intruder, who somehow entered the security of her club without leaving a trace, she almost lost her footing, finding herself tongue-tied by the revelation.
Fortunately, she was not alone to face the threat. Omega took action and threw up his only operating arm, opening up several small gun barrels just above the wrist. Shadow took the lead, marching forward with the stride and confidence no one could copy. His doppleganger stood his ground, showing no hint of concern against facing the Ultimate Life Form in battle.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll hand over that Chaos Emerald," Shadow suggested, venom slowly filling his tone.
Mephiles peered down at the Chaos Emerald, but Shadow knew the doppelganger would never surrender the powerful gemstone willingly. After all, if they truly were one in the same, he knew exactly how he thought. "So, we meet again, Shadow the Hedgehog. Fate has an interesting way of bringing us together."
Shadow's brow furrowed. "Mephiles."
"You know my name," Mephiles noted, tiling his head with a hint of curiosity. "But we have never encountered one another in this timeline of yours."
Scepticism filled Rouge's eyes, failing to mask her confusion as she muttered softly under her breath. "Timeline?"
Meanwhile, Omega continued brandishing his weapon threateningly, holding position until given the order. His red orbs scanned the evil being, running diagnostics to determine the identity of the evil being. No heartbeat, no traces of body heat and no accelerated breathing. Programming dictated the results were impossible and he shouldn't exist, yet the dark being stood before him clear as day.
"How do you know my name?" Shadow demanded.
"Ah, so I see you too have no memories of our encounter," Mephiles replied, stumbling forward with hung limps. "We met in the past and present. Now we meet in the future. Ironic, is it not?"
Reading the movement as an act of hostility, Omega fired at point-blank range, each shot directly hitting its mark. The small room strengthened the gunfire's loud bangs, forcing Rouge to cup both hands against her sensitive ears, less she became disoriented. Mephiles staggered back with each shot, making no attempt to get out of the line of fire. Shadow stood idly by, noting no damage appearing on the evil being's hardened body. The grip against the Chaos Emerald did not ease in the slightest.
As Omega's weapon exhausted all reserved ammo, Mephiles slumped upwards, a sinister chuckle escaping into the air. "Just as I anticipated. You truly are the one who would stop Shadow the Hedgehog one day."
Shadow's eyebrows raised at the declaration, pushing it aside as little more than mind games. He scoffed, finding humour in the idle threat. "Really? That's your move? Turn us against each other?"
"Does not compute," Omega responded. "I have no reason to apprehend Shadow. He is my teammate. My ally. My friend."
Mephiles chuckled once more. "How foolish of me. Without the Flames of Disaster, you have no reason to defeat Shadow one day. No matter."
Shadow masked his confusion well, frowning with both arms crossed, eyes intently focused towards the evil being. A thousand thoughts raced around his mind at once, more questions than answers flooding his inner thoughts like a tsunami. Why this clone threatened to destroy the world he could not understand, but Shadow knew the first priority was to retrieve Rouge's Chaos Emerald.
Without hesitation, Shadow quickly produced his own Chaos Emerald, calling on its incredible power to his aid once more. "Chaos Control!"
The world around him froze, his teammates becoming nothing more than statues. His jet skates roared to life, pushing him forward towards the evil being. Shadow reached out his hand, preparing to snatch the gemstone. Mephiles' free arm suddenly jolted forward, restraining Shadow's wrist. The Ultimate Life Form glanced up, a hint of bewilderment filling his face. Mephiles leered forward, almost as if to taunt Shadow for his futile attempt.
Mephiles held up the other Chaos Emerald, countering the effects of Chaos Control. The world around them returned to life once more. Shadow yanked his arm free, swinging his fist towards Mephiles. Before he made contact, the evil being suddenly disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The momentum of his intended strike forced Shadow to accidentally punch the wall, the force shaking the foundation of the room.
Rouge forced herself to stay silent, deciding the damage to her favourite decor could wait until later. For now, she frantically scanned the room, searching for the intruder. "Where did he go?!"
"Outside!" Shadow exclaimed, turning around and shooting straight past his teammates and leaving a trail of orange in his wake.
Rouge called out after him before he moved out of hearing range. "How do you know?"
"I can sense the Emerald's energy!" Shadow called back, his voice draining out as the distance between them increased.
The bat hastily searched around the room, finding a handful of Heart Bombs resting on the nearest table. She scooped them up and tucked them safely inside her coat. "Omega, let's go!"
"Confirmed!" Omega agreed, moving to keep pace with the airborne agent.
Shadow reached the outside of Club Rouge in seconds, taking care to avoid breaking anything along the way. The cold streets outside greeted him, but his mind paid no attention to the freezing temperatures. The Chaos Emerald felt close, its energy softly radiating within the air. He followed the source, forced to squint his eyes to make out the distant figure hiding in the shadows.
Only a small distance away was Mephiles, standing on the top of a nearby building. While his darkened fur easily blended within the night sky, the raw energy surrounding his person forced the evil being to stick out like a sore thumb. Shadow briefly tilted his head to one side, intrigued to know why the evil being halted in his retreat. The way he stood triumphantly at the top of the building, almost as if to declare his own superiority.
Shadow scoffed, staring back challengingly at the evil doer. He skated through the empty streets, his jet skates casting a soft glow on the thick layer of snow below. The raw Chaos energy surrounding him burned through the deep snow, creating a pathway towards his target. Shadow bounced from rooftops, reaching his target with ease. As he landed firmly on the snow-covered rooftop, Mephiles shifted focus towards him, peering forward with curiosity. Despite Shadow's reputation, the dark being stood his ground without a care in the world.
"Hand it over," Shadow demanded a second time.
Mephiles peered down at the purple Chaos Emerald, its colour matching his own energy. He brought his lifeless eyes forward once more, meeting the hedgehog's furious gaze. "What do you hope to achieve with your actions, Shadow? Is this for yourself? Or for those who contempt you?"
Shadow's brow tightened at the question. "Do not try to play mind games on me. It won't work."
"I only speak the truth," Mephiles responded. "You still struggle with your duty in protecting this planet. You fear humanity will turn against you one day. What good will it do you to keep up this charade? They will never see you as a hero."
Scoffing at the ludicrous threat, Shadow crossed both arms. "I don't do what I do to be seen as a hero. My path is my own. But as it stands, I have questions for you."
A hint of interest peaked within Mephiles, slouching his head to one side. "So, you didn't pursue me for the Chaos Emerald after all."
"The Emerald's a bonus," Shadow replied.
In response, Mephiles let out a low, soft chuckle, one carrying enough intimidation to frighten the ill prepared. This did nothing to shake Shadow's confidence in the slightest. "Very well. I shall indulge in your queries. Ask your questions."
Straight to the point, Shadow blurted out the most obvious subject. "Why me? Why take my appearance?"
"Ah, that," Mephiles slowly peered down towards his gloved hands, marvelling over the form he carried for so long. "It was all thanks to you. I was resurrected in your shade after your partner foolishly freed me from my imprisonment. But neither of you remember that, do you?"
"That's twice you've mentioned memories," Shadow declared, deflecting the question away in favour of answers. "You also mentioned a timeline. Are you telling me you're from another dimension?"
Mephiles held his snicker, finding greatest amusement in the hedgehog's mistaken theories. Nevertheless, Mephiles played along, intrigued to see where this would go. "If I were to say I was, what would you have to say?"
"I wouldn't be surprised," Shadow nonchalantly responded with a small shrug. "You're not the first person I've met who's from another world."
"Perhaps not," Mephiles agreed, voice dropping an octave lower. "But I will certainly be the last."
Shadow frowned at the comment, understanding an inevitable fight between them was soon to follow. He restrained himself until necessary, seeking further answers. "As for Blaze. What does she have to do with all this?"
"I see the princess has told you of our encounter," Mephiles noted, vague pleasure filling his otherwise void eyes. "Her screams of anguish were like music to my ears. It is the thrill of the hunt that drives me. The only reason she still lives is because she holds something dear to me."
A soft growl slipped through Shadow's teeth. He never cared for the emotions of others, but the evil being's delight in harming the princess sickened the hedgehog, leaving a feeling of nausea within his stomach. "You're insane."
"Don't act so modest, Shadow," Mephiles responded. "It wasn't long ago that you sought to destroy this world. And for what? To uphold the memories of M-"
"Speak her name and I'll cut out your tongue," Shadow spoke quickly with a loud snarl, arms trembling with frustration.
Underrated by the hedgehog's promise, Mephiles threw his head towards the sky and laughed with malice, taking great pleasure in taunting his opponent. His maniacal cackling echoed throughout the air, threatening to wake those who took their slumber for the night. From the streets below, Rouge and Omega watched on with anticipation, the former preparing to rejoin her ally. Before she could do so, Omega carefully placed his working hand against her back.
"I sense a growing power radiating from Mephiles," Omega stated. "It would be unwise for you to intervene. Neither of us can match him in strength."
While Rouge didn't doubt the robot's calculations, concern filled her eyes. "But what about Shadow? We can't just do nothing."
"We must trust Shadow," Omega simply replied. "His true power far outweighs our own."
As Mephiles' laughter died within the air, he threw down his head, mentally pulling up the vast depths of his power hidden within his body. He gripped his hands tightly as purple energy consumed him whole, forcing him to grit his feet as his muscles tightened with a drastic increase of power. Refusing to wait, Shadow finally let go of his restraint and hurled a single Chaos Spear towards the evil being.
Mephiles' aura alone disintegrated the minor energy blast. Growing impatient, Shadow threw another Chaos Spear, the blast also dispersed from the sheer aura of energy. It was becoming evident minor power or cheap tricks would be unable to penetrate his aura. Chuckling softly, he spread his arms and unleashed the dense, flaming purple aura once more, now double in size.
"Ultimate Life Form, allow me to introduce you to my tremendous power," Mephiles declared proudly, narrowing his eyes and widening his arms.
Shadow responded with a low growl, raising his Chaos energy while flickering discharges of electricity danced around from his increased power. His entire body was wrapped in an orange and red transparent flow of energy, giving him the appearance of a heavenly warrior. No being, demons or Gods alike, was going to surpass his power.
Donning a smile of challenge towards his opponent, Shadow raised a hand in a taunting gesture. "Come then, Mephiles. I'm ready for you!"
Mephiles's confidence wasn't at all shaken with the bursting energy emitting from the hedgehog, even as he lowered himself towards the ground. Within touching the surface of the ground below, an immense shockwave rippled the area, sending a huge pillar of snow spreading towards the streets below.
The two opponents, both cloaked in vibrant auras of their respective colours, charged towards each other in a shimmer of movement. Their exodus of reappearance would thunder a powerful clash of two right fists, sending a loud thunderous blast of excess pressure to rain down. Blow for blow, thundering and shaking the complex area as they zoomed across the air with great speed, dexterity and power.
Shadow felt his arm tremor from recoil each time his fist struck the evil being, fighting in even terms of strength and speed. Each time their fists flew, each was parried, dodged, or countered with equal force. The shockwaves repetitively lit up the air with blasts of lightning and powerful gusts of wind that penetrated the ground's surface below and rocked the area.
His only advantage was his speed, allowing him to zoom around and duck around Mephiles's strikes and grapples with much greater ease. As Shadow struck another equally powerful punch towards him, met by Mephiles' own hand, his eyes lit up with a sudden glow as he discharged a pair of piercing beams. Shadow calmly sidestepped to avoid each beam, following up with dashing in front of the darkened villain and landing a direct blow from the tip of his foot, launching him backwards. Mephiles launched forward, landing a direct blow into Shadow's face and following with a right knee thrust to his stomach, forcing the Ultimate Life Form to cough out a wad of spit as exhaled a lung full of air.
Before he could be launched far, however, Mephiles grasped his wrist and descended down towards the ground, intending on finishing the fight within an instant. Stopping short of colliding with the ground, he threw him with immense strength. Shadow stopped himself short of falling, pressing his hands against the ground and releasing a wave of Chaos energy to force himself back into the air.
Mephiles swung his arm towards Shadow, who vanished from sight and reappeared behind his foe in preparation for a sneak attack. Before he could strike, Mephiles unexpectedly turned around and slammed his fist against the hedgehog, sending him flying backwards. Shadow regained his balance, back flipping to cease movement and digging his hands and feet into the ground, grinding the concentrate like dirt.
He charged forward just as the dark being threw his arms into the air and held position. His hands charged and formed into a vortex of energy, shaking the air within a powerful force of electricity. The vortex of energy unleashed into lightning distortion, striking his opponent's previous position. If Mephiles could smile, it certainly would have dropped as the dark lightning bolt dispersed, revealing the impact without an opponent lying against the ground as expected.
Without warning, Mephiles' throat tightened and he was spun around, caught in the powerful grip of Shadow's arm. He tossed the evil being away, forcing him to collide and scrape across the ground, jagged pieces of the ground pressing into his torso. Mephiles recovered, using telekinesis to return to the fight and repeatedly swipe his fists at Shadow. The hedgehog moved to dodge each strike but even his incredible speed didn't give him the reflexes to dodge all. As a single swipe knocked his head sideways, Mephiles followed up with a volley of energy blasts, each one staggering Shadow around.
Growing more frustrated with each hit, Shadow screeched with anger, calling on the deeper areas of his body to gain more power. He zoomed forward with unexpected speed, slamming his fist directly into the villain's stomach, forcing him to tumble over. Unleashing the true fury of his rage, Shadow relentlessly attacked, rapidly striking in an uncoordinated fashion.
He struck with his fists and kicked with his legs, all the while he continuously spun to avoid creating a fighting pattern. Mephiles endured each strike, trying to push himself away from the relentless barrage of attacks. While every blow brought the hedgehog great pleasure, his stamina would give out at this rate and Mephiles would be none for worse. Shadow turned sidewards while spinning, landing one final kick that sent the evil being towards the ground. While Mephiles fell, Shadow threw a wave of energy forward, striking the ground with incredible force that scattered the land in smoke.
Unfortunately, his relentless attacks felt ineffective as Mephiles came racing back forward, a hint of anger filling his eyes with rage. Equally frustrated, Shadow threw out his hand and formed another Chaos Spear within his palm, using the raw energy as a makeshift blade. He roared with anger, forcing his aura of energy to enflame. Timing the counterattack perfectly, Shadow raced forward, repeatedly slicing at Mephiles while racing around his opponent. Mephiles moved to avoid any fatal blows, but with Shadow continuously moving around, there was no big space to move towards without risk of death.
Multiple swipes grazed against his body, cutting his fur and flesh with every strike, no doubt the first of many to come. Refusing to submit so easily, Mephiles threw his arm forward, striking the hedgehog from the back of his head. With his guard down, Mephiles pressed his hand against Shadow's chest, unleashing an energy wave and sending his opponent into one of many buildings. He crashed into an empty grocery store, the impact broke the fragile wall, burying the hedgehog in tons of hard concentrate rubble.
Mephiles knew this would not hold the determined hedgehog for long and made haste to finish his progress. He turned towards the opposite direction, witnessing the other two members of Team Dark. Fortunately, it was far too late for the team to stop him from leaving. As he prepared to leave, he yanked his head backwards, eyes widening at the sight of Shadow charging towards him, screeching with determination and fury. His fist collided directly with Mephiles's face, stunning the evil being with such a devastating blow. Shadow followed with a barrage of punches, knocking his opponent away with one knee strike and then kicking him upwards with both legs. Shadow vanished ahead and knocked Mephiles down with a double punch. To end this combo, Shadow unleashed a huge barrage of energy blasts.
Pinned against the ground while raining fire of energy hit him, Mephiles moved his hands upwards to shield himself until he could find a way to escape. His incredible durability allowed him to withstand the relentless barrage, but this endurance would not last forever. He threw a single energy blast of his own to one side and controlled its trajectory towards his opponent. Shadow's foot kicked away the blast, unwilling to fall for such a cheap tactic.
Undeterred, Mephiles summoned his might and true extent of his dark energy. With both hands pressed forward, he focused his energy forward, creating a powerful barrier that began to disintegrate all the blasts sent his way. Shadow noted this and pressed hard, desperately trying to keep the winning edge before he was forced on the defence. Mephiles held the barrier with one hand, albeit with some difficulty. With the other hand free, he focused his energy to summon ethereal projectables to his aid, launching the energetic arrows towards his opponent. The arrows shot forward, one of them piercing the hedgehog through his shoulder. Shadow roared with anguish but refused to move position. The second he stopped firing, the fight would be over.
With the remaining projectiles to his aid, Mephiles focused fire and detonated the arrows directly against the Ultimate Life Form. The combined effort finally created enough force to misbalance Shadow, ceasing the never-ending blasts. Mephiles chuckled, pushing himself up from the ground, allowing the pieces of debris to scatter from his person. He turned around with the Chaos Emerald held forward, using the power of Chaos Control to disappear from sight.
No matter where he went, Mephiles knew those insignificant heroes would follow. No matter, for they were only a minor inconvenience. As the evil being retreated, the cloud of smoke from his previous attack began to disperse. Shadow emerged, clutching at his injured shoulder while his jet skates allowed him to reach the ground safely. His anger and adrenaline pushed through any burning pain that lingered.
Shadow felt enraged, filled with pure hatred as he lost the chance to end the threat. "DARN IT!"
"Shadow!"
The rest of his team approached, Rouge flying over with Omega marching through the thick snow. She hastily inspected his shoulder, noting a small hint of blood slipping through. "You're hurt!"
"I'm fine!" Shadow stubbornly replied.
"I don't want to hear it!" Rouge responded, grabbing his free hand with both of her own. "Back to the club. Now!"
Shadow tried to tug his wrist free from her powerful death grip, but failed to retrieve his hand without using excessive force. Sighing with acceptance, he allowed Rouge to escort the three of them back to the club. The commotion had not gone unnoticed by the city's residents. Lights inside several buildings sprung to life, humans and mobians alike peeking outside to investigate the disturbance at such a late hour.
Ignoring their stares, the trio finally retreated inside the club once more. Rouge forced Shadow to sit down in one of the several booths while she grabbed a nearby first aid kit hanging on the wall. Omega's programming demanded he patrol for intruders. If his scans could not detect Mephiles' vitals, his eyes were his only reliable source.
Rouge returned to Shadow's side, moving his hand away to inspect the wound. The wound didn't appear to be too deep. Shadow's Chaos energy and high pain tolerance allowed him to continue fighting if necessary. His injury would heal in no time. She gently pressed a large rag against the open wound, applying pressure till the bleeding stopped.
"Are you okay?" Rouge asked with concern.
Shadow inhaled, feeling the adrenaline of battle slowly leaving him. His mind cleared, but he refused to make eye contact, staring off into the distance. "I'm fine."
"So you say," Rouge said drily, moving her free hand back to grab a roll of bandages. Away from prying eyes, she allowed her dry wit to vanish, replacing it with concern. "Shadow, I'm worried."
His gaze finally returned, locking eyes with her own. "Don't be. He's nothing but a common thug."
She shook her head in disagreement. "Shadow, how many people can stand up to you like that?"
"Not many," he admitted in a soft whisper.
"This isn't just one of Eggman's creations we're dealing with," Rouge replied, maintaining eye contact as her hands found themselves wrapping bandages over his shoulder. "Everything he said to us back now. Meeting you again, something about another timeline. What about what he said about Omega stopping you?"
Said robot called out from nearby, ceasing in his patrol. "Our opponent relies on manipulation. However, I detected no verbal parroting during our encounter. Mephiles speaks as if it is the truth."
"But you wouldn't attack Shadow would you, Omega?" Rouge cautiously asked, concerned she would not like the answer.
"I have no reason to attack Shadow," Omega confirmed. "But I also have no reason to doubt Mephiles' claim. I was constructed specifically to guard Shadow during my time under Doctor Eggman's reign and battle him if necessary. My calculations show I have the combat facilities to match Shadow's ferocity."
"Omega, have you ever heard the phrase "too much information"?" Rouge amusingly asked, briefly regaining her usual dry humour.
"Adding the phrase to database," Omega responded.
Rouge briefly rolled her eyes, often forgetting her robot ally was insusceptible to sarcasm. She returned her gaze to Shadow's injury, tightening the bandage with delicacy. "That should hold for now."
Shadow's eyes peered over the wound, a part of him feeling embarrassed by the affection. Ego aside, he could not bring himself to rebuff her kindness. He glanced up, offering a small nod. "Thanks."
Taken back once more by her partner's response, Rouge briefly leaned back. Throughout their whole friendship, she did not recall a single time Shadow ever expressed gratitude. A small smirk threatened to sneak its way on her mouth, a look Shadow recognised all too well from her several encounters with Knuckles.
Fly in the freedom, time never stop and wait for me
Rouge's ears perked up as her phone sprung to life, the ringtone quite sensitive to her enhanced hearing. She fumbled into her pocket, grasping the handheld device tightly. Momentary relief filled her eyes as Sonic's goofy grin cast over her screen. She gently tapped on the green icon. Once again their separate screens lit to life, only to be finally joined by a fourth video source. While Omega continued patrolling the area, Shadow stayed close by her side, wanting to be kept within the loop.
Sonic gave a gentle wave from his perspective, but his expression betrayed the gesture. Shadow and Rouge feared Sonic's mission had been in vain as well. At the very least, Sonic didn't have any ammunition to tease them about it. Tails was the first to greet his best friend, but before Sonic could speak up, an unfamiliar face joined them, pushing herself into Tail's camera.
An upbeat and young racoon greeted the hedgehog with a little too much enthusiasm. "Sonic, how's it going, mate?"
Shadow briefly glanced away, lowering his voice enough for Rouge's sensitive ears to hear him. "Who's that?"
"Friend of Sonic's, if I had to guess," Rouge whispered with a light shrug.
She returned her attention to the group call, watching curiously as the rest of their friends peered forward with interest. They were now joined by the Chaotix in that dirty, worn out office of theirs. Amy, Blaze, Silver and Big accompanied the detectives, having safely made it to their destination.
The princess pushed through the large group, eyes locking with the racoon. "Marine?!"
Marine, as Rouge learned her name to be, returned the greeting enthusiastically. "Crikey, we were worried sick about you!"
"So, she knows Blaze," Rouge thought, unable to help the smirk that lifted the edges of her mouth. "Friend of yours, Blaze?"
Blaze ignored Rouge's question, moving forward to speak with Marine. The two exchanged friendly greetings, all the while the others watched on with curiosity. Rouge paid only mild attention to their reunion, patiently waiting for the moment to intervene and get back to the matter at hand. But when Marine suddenly emptied the contents of a small satchel, Rouge's eyes widened with amazement. Six unfamiliar gems captured her interest, their sparking colours illuminating the screen with more colours than a rainbow.
"My, those are unique," Rouge commented, the gem's beauty momentarily distracted her from the topic at hand.
Shadow peered over with similar interest, though did a better job at masking his admiration. "They must be from her dimension."
His theory proved correct seconds later as Shade asked a similar question. Marine went on to explain to Blaze how someone within her dimension gave his blessing to bring the powerful gems across the dimensions. The Sol Emeralds, as Shadow learned their name to be, shared the same colours as their world's equivalence. While six of them were safeguarded by Marine, Blaze personally produced the last one on her person for all to see.
Rouge couldn't stop herself from softly giggling as Marine forcefully dragged Knuckles into the frame, addressing him as her personal bodyguard. The young racoon sparked with determination and enthusiasm, clearly not at all discouraged by the growing threat. On the one hand, Rouge admired her courage. On the other hand, she hoped Marine didn't bite off more than she could chew.
Thanks To Tails' intervention, the reunion between friends was finally cut short. The fox's eyes directed towards Sonic. "We'll meet up with you guys after you secure the Chaos Emeralds. Did you guys manage to get it?"
Sonic sadly shook his head, confirming their concerns at last. "Sorry. We tried our best, but guess who we just ran into?"
"Mephiles," Blaze sighed.
Puzzled by the hedgehog's comment, Rouge shot her partner a confused glance. He mirrored her expression, hastily gesturing for her to pass him the phone. She did so without hesitation.
Shadow held the phone to his face, sceptical of Sonic's claim. "That's impossible. We just fought Mephiles. He can't be in two places at once."
In place of the blue hedgehogs' common witty remarks was great worry, enough to almost catch Shadow off guard. He intently watched Sonic's gaze avert towards the air while he spoke in a lower voice for all to hear. "Or maybe he can."
The Ultimate Life Form prepared to argue the claim, but refused to engage in a battle of ego. Mephiles continued to surprise them with his presence. His power and vast knowledge of their lives confused Team Dark to not end. Shadow briefly glanced away, resuming that stoic expression he carried around. Rouge, on the other hand, looked on with a sense of uneasiness.
Shadow refused to allow the recent revelations to discourage him from their mission. For what they lost in Chaos Emeralds, they made up for it with knowledge of their opponent's feats. Their failure served as a learning experience for all. Mephiles may threaten to undo everything they fought for, but as long as the Ultimate Life Form drew breath, Shadow would always fight to preserve his past and protect the planet his closest friend adored.
