HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYBODY!

Before you read this story, I urge you to read Sonic Cyber Revolution to understand the universe this story takes place in.

I had decided that for this year's spooky seasons, I'd do an adaption of Sonic Unleashed, or rather, the Werehog, and make it a horror story. This is technically a one shot, but depending on the reception, I might continue it. I hope you guys will like it, and please, leave a review to let me know what you think of it (or even what you think of the main story).

Enjoy!


Entry 0

Night of The Werehog

''For the impious and the innocent, came the Beast of Gévaudan! Executioner, a half-wolf, half-machine killer! For the prior and the child, came the Beast of Gévaudan! A redeemer, a believer, who bleeds and murders! Beast of Gévaudan!''

Bête du Gévaudan by Powerwolf

xXxXxXx

It was a dark night, the clouds passing through the sky, obscuring the moon. A thick fog covered the streets, making it almost impossible to see anything around you. Despite the bad conditions, a young woman kept on walking, quickening her pace. It was late in the night and she was slowly realizing that getting her take-out food probably wasn't the best idea. Admittedly, it also didn't help that she had been working so late either.

Feeling a cold shiver, she wondered why she hadn't asked her partner to come along, but she then remembered that she was in a hurry, and her partner couldn't consume human food either, so there was no reason for her to come along. She then reached for the sunglasses-shaped piece of technology on the top of her head, but decided against it. Her apartment wasn't that far away and she was confident that she could return home in time… that is, if she ever figured out which way led her to her home.

She stopped dead in her tracks, realizing that it was almost impossible to see through the thick fog, to the point she couldn't even make out the building she was standing right next to. Or, at least she hoped she was standing next to a building. She looked around, realizing that she was all alone on the street. There were no cars, no humans, not even ARNavs, no one… It was so quiet.

She could feel the anxiety within her rising and she took a step forward, hoping that she choose the right path. She tapped on her sunglasses in hopes to call her partner, but when the holographic screen appeared before her, there was nothing but snow and static. Gasping sharply, she continued to walk, cursing under her breath for being unable to call anyone. She should've already been at home, but now she couldn't find her way back.

A sudden sound of screeching caused her to drop her bag and she turned around, trying to figure out where it was coming from. However, the street was quiet once again, and she had to wonder whether her mind was playing tricks on her. Perhaps, the deafening silence made her imagine stuff.

Suddenly, there was another sound, a loud thud and she turned around again, realizing that she was standing next to a building. She grabbed the bag and quickly stepped next to it, leaning against the wall. There was no entrance to it, now windows to indicate that anyone was inside. Still, she stayed close to it as if holding on for dear life. Her heart was racing as she heard another thud coming from somewhere on the street. She turned her head to her right, her heart almost stopping when she saw claw marks on the wall.

Thud, thud, thud… More noises were coming from around her. She felt as if she was surrounded. There was something out there, something in the fog… It was circling around her. Then, it stopped. The woman was holding her breath, her eyes darting all around, trying to locate the creature. She knew that it didn't leave.

Then, she heard growling.

She gasped as she saw a faint outline in the fog, the creature coming closer and closer. It was big and she barely could make out the snout and dark fur on it. The first thing that came to her mind was a large coyote or a wolf, but that couldn't have been possible. This creature was hunched over and had a bipedal gait. Then, it stopped, and for a moment, the woman wondered if the creature would leave her alone.

Suddenly, it lunged at her, jaws wide open. Her voice died in her throat as she felt the beast's hot breath, followed by a sharp sense of pain in her shoulder. The creature's claws dug into her torso and she fell on the ground. She screamed loudly as she writhed in agony, hoping for help, but in the back of her mind, she knew that no one would hear her. She was alone.

The last thing she remembered were the red eyes of the beast, the gaze being that one of primal hunger. She could feel something wet dripping down her arm and on the ground, as red as the eyes she saw. They were the predator and she was the prey, she realized.

Then, there was nothing.

xXx

''Sonic? Hey, Sonic, wake up!''

Sonic stirred, lazily opening his eyes, feeling like he had sand in them. He felt dazed, as if someone knocked him over with a brick and his body was as heavy as lead. Still, he managed to bring himself to sit up, rubbing his eyes as he realized that he was on the couch in the living room. He wanted to sleep a bit longer, but then he was met by the scent of freshly grilled sandwiches his partner had brought over.

''You had been sleeping like a log,'' Lucas Kinomoto, a teenager and Sonic's roommate, told him. ''I thought you'd be sleeping in your room.''

''That's what I also thought,'' Sonic responded, rubbing his temple as he grabbed a sandwich. He did remember going to his room to sleep, but he had no memory of crashing on the couch in the living room. He then shrugged, adding in a causal tone, ''I don't really remember what happened, but I guess I may have gone for a midnight snack or watched TV and fell asleep.''

''Honestly, I don't think you should be up so late at night. You've having difficulties functioning during the day. Remember how you knocked over Tails' gadgets yesterday,'' Lucas told him.

''You know that I didn't mean it, and I did apologize to Tails,'' Sonic replied.

''Okay, then what about the day before, when you almost got ran over by a car because you couldn't pay attention due to being sleep deprived?'' Lucas said, with Sonic looking back at him nervously.

''Uh…'' he didn't really know what to say, quickly deciding to change the topic. ''What time is it?''

''It's 13:15 PM,'' Lucas had told him, with Sonic's eyes widening in alarm. ''I had figured I should let you sleep in, but you just wouldn't wake up on your own.''

''Thanks for waking me up,'' Sonic replied, grabbing another sandwich and quickly eating it. ''Shadow and I had agreed to a sparring match in about 15 minutes, and if I'm late, I'll never hear the end of it.''

''Let me guess, you need to keep up your reputation as The Fastest Thing Alive,'' Lucas said, smirking. Sonic didn't answer, instead scarfing down another sandwich. He felt like he hadn't eaten in days.

''Good thing I can cover the distance in about a minute or so,'' Sonic added, then looked around, confused. ''Uh, have you seen…?''

''Here you go.'' Lucas held out a pair of sunglasses, which Sonic put happily on top of his head. ''It was still in your room.''

''Thanks,'' Sonic replied, grabbing another sandwich and getting up. ''This one's for the road. I'll see you later, then!''

''Bye, So-'' Before Lucas could even finish, Sonic was already out the door. The teenager crossed his arms and sighed, lowering his head.

This had been an ongoing event for the past few days. Every morning, Lucas would find Sonic sprawled either on the couch or somewhere else on the floor, sleeping soundly. Whenever he would wake Sonic up and ask him what he did during the night, the hedgehog would tell him that he doesn't remember, but it wasn't a big deal and make some excuse for what had happened. Lucas wasn't really sure whether to believe him and despite Sonic's carefree attitude, he was worried about his partner.

''Maybe I should stay up and make sure that he stays asleep…'' Lucas muttered to himself, only to look down at the goggles hanging around his neck as the glasses flashed, alerting him to a call. He tapped on them, a holographic screen appearing right before him and showing him a familiar face. ''Huh? Hey, Mi-!''

''Lucas, we have a cryptid in Neos City!''

Lucas physical recoiled due to his friend and fellow teammate, Minami Kusakabe, loudly screaming at him through the holographic screen, tripping over the couch and landing on his back. He then groaned, rubbing his head as he sat up, cross-legged and observed the floating holographic screen before him.

''Lucas, are you okay?'' Minami asked him, only for a pink hedgehog to pop up from the side.

''I don't think you should've screamed at him,'' Amy told her partner in a matter-of-fact tone, her eye-lids lowered as she placed her hands on her hips. Minami just grinned back sheepishly.

''Don't worry, Amy, I'm fine. I just got startled,'' Lucas answered. ''Anyways, what are you talking about?''

''We're talking about the attacks that had happened the past few nights. Apparently, several people got mauled by some kind of large feral dog or a coyote, but the witnesses said that it looked like it was walking on two legs,'' Minami explained, grinning. ''Well, my money's on a cryptid.''

''I see…'' Lucas rose an eyebrow. He was a bit intrigued by the news, as he knew that there were no feral dogs or coyotes anywhere close to Neos City.

''Do you want to come along and help us investigate? We already managed to rope Silver and Makoto in,'' Amy told him, then took a closer look at the room Lucas was in. ''Speaking of which, where is Sonic?''

''He's out on a sparring match with Shadow,'' Lucas explained, with the two nodding in acknowledgement. ''Honestly, I don't know whether we'll be able to join you in your investigation.''

''Why not?'' Minami and Amy gave him a confused look.

''Sonic has been sleep deprived during the past few days and I've been wondering what to do about it,'' Lucas told the two. ''Neither of us knows what is going on, just that he ends up crashing on the couch or on the floor without any memory of how he got there and can barely function the next day.''

''Maybe he's sleep-walking,'' Amy suggested. Lucas hummed as he thought about it.

''It is possible,'' he muttered. ''I've been thinking about staying up and seeing what he's up to during the night and why he doesn't remember anything.''

''I think it would be a good idea to put up an alarm system over his bed, like tripwires with bells attached to them,'' Amy added. ''It would wake you up and also remind Sonic not to wander around during the night.''

''That's a good idea. Thanks, Amy!'' Lucas said. ''Maybe I could ask Warren and Tails for help. These guys always have some kind of invention for any sort of situation.''

''That's a good idea!'' Amy replied.

''Since you'll be busy with Sonic, I guess that means you won't be joining us in our investigation, right?'' Minami asked, with Lucas shaking his head. ''That's okay. If you do want to join us, give us a call.''

''Sure,'' Lucas replied, bidding good-bye to the two. He had to admit that the investigation did sound intriguing, and he was sure that Sonic too would want to join in, but he also knew that it would be a bad idea to let a sleep-deprived hedgehog run around searching for a dangerous creature lurking somewhere in Neos City. That was a recipe for a disaster.

xXx

Shadow rushed towards Sonic, who dodged his attack by stepping to the side, only to suddenly feel Shadow's foot connecting to his head, powered by the air shoes, and send him flying forward. Sonic tasted the grass and dirt, trying to get up and shaking his head. His body felt heavy and sluggish, and he preferred to stay down, wanting to close his eyes and take a nap. His ears flicked as he heard Shadow walking around him and looked up, seeing Shadow extending his hand to him. Sonic grabbed it, with Shadow lifting him up.

''You're much slower today than usual,'' Shadow noted, folding his arms across his chest. Sonic rubbed the back of his head, the pain helping him to shake off the sleepiness he felt.

''I didn't sleep well last night,'' he admitted. ''I still feel tired.''

''Then why didn't you stay home and get some sleep?'' Shadow asked. Sonic stretched his arms.

''I had figured that some exercise would wake me up,'' he admitted.

''Obviously, it didn't. If you want to stay sharp, you should go to sleep,'' Shadow told him. Sonic grinned, his eye-lids slightly lowered as he kept his arms crossed behind his head.

''Man, you're starting to sound like Lucas,'' he said.

''Then obviously, I'm not the only one with this sentiment,'' Shadow said, giving Sonic a questioning look when he yawned.

''I'm fine, Shads, I just-'' Sonic replied casually, only to fall on the ground after Shadow performed a sweeping move, knocking him down and then stepping right in front of him.

''Again, you're too slow, Sonic,'' Shadow told him. While his tone was matter-of-fact, there was a slight smirk on his lips. Sonic just gave him an unamused look.

''How many times are you going to do that?'' Sonic asked.

''Until the message gets through your thick skull,'' Shadow told him as he got up. Sonic gave him a slightly irked look as he dusted himself.

''I thought you were the stubborn one out of the two of us,'' he muttered.

''Hmph, there are always exceptions,'' Shadow responded as he and Sonic started walking out of the wooded area of the park they were in. Sonic grinned mischievously at him.

''So, you admit that you're stubborn?'' he asked. Shadow gave him an annoyed look, but there was still that slight smirk on his lips.

''Now, you are sounding just like Touka,'' he responded. Sonic laughed heartily.

''In any case, I guess you and Lucas are right,'' he admitted. ''I should go and get some proper sleep so I can beat you next time.''

''It is good that you're going to sleep, because the only way to beat me is in your dreams,'' Shadow replied. Sonic snorted.

''I'm glad to see that you're getting better at bantering,'' he replied, elbowing Shadow, who just gave him a side-eye, folding his arms across his chest. ''See you later, Shads!''

Sonic dashed off, with Shadow keeping an eye on the Blue Blur until he was out of his vision. He sighed, shaking his head and having to admit that, despite his earlier reaction, Sonic was right. However, he blamed it on the blue hedgehog's carefree attitude rubbing off of him.

xXx

Sonic yawned, feeling the adrenaline rush from earlier wearing off. He had realized that his idea of just running back home to his warm bed wouldn't work, as he was losing focus during his run and had to slow down, else he would've ran into oncoming traffic. He felt dazed, staring impatiently at the red light at a crossroad and tried to keep himself awake by tapping with his foot on the ground. The seconds felt like hours and his eye-lids were heavy, forcing him to shake his head to keep himself awake.

I guess Lucas and Shadow were really right. This is taking a toll on me. Sonic rubbed his eyes and looked up, his vision blurry for a moment. His head was still lowered and instead of seeing his gloved hands, he saw claws. ''Agh!''

Sonic jumped back, the jolt of surprise helping him to snap out of his state. He looked around, realizing that people were moving as the lights have just changed, not paying any attention to him. He looked back at his hands, but the claws were gone.

''Oh, man,'' he muttered, rubbing his head as he crossed the street. ''I really need to get some sleep. I'm starting to now hallucinate stuff.''

He just hoped that he wouldn't fall over before he made it back home. He yawned again, now walking, only for his attention to be drawn by someone yelling his name.

''Hey, Sonic!'' Sonic was pleasantly surprised to see Silver, followed by his partner, Makoto Ryle. They were quickly joined by Minami, Amy, Knuckles and his partner, Lily Crystle.

''Hey, guys, what are you doing here?'' Sonic asked them.

''We've been investigating the recent attacks on people,'' Amy explained, placing her hands on her hips, tilting her head. ''We actually wanted to ask you and Lucas to join us, but we heard about what's going on at your end.''

''Uh, really?'' Sonic rubbed the back of his head nervously.

''Yeah, you haven't been sleeping lately,'' Amy continued. ''Do you want to tell us what happened?''

''It's really not a big deal, Amy,'' Sonic assured her, with Amy giving him a doubtful look. ''I already got lectured by Shadow and I was on my way to get some sleep. Anyways, you said that people got attacked? Were it aggressive Irregulars?''

''According to what we heard, no,'' Knuckles replied. ''If it were an aggressive Irregular, it would've absorbed their BioEnergy

''The victims described it as some kind of feral dog or a coyote, except that it wasn't, since it was hunched over and standing on two feet,'' Silver continued.

''Hence my cryptid theory,'' Minami finished.

''Then, why are you here?'' Sonic asked.

''Minami is convinced that we might find some kind of evidence if we visit the place where the attack had happened,'' Lily answered, sounding a little skeptic, pointing at a street further away from them. ''Although I don't think we will find anything. It would make more sense if we investigated this at night.''

''I'm not sure whether that would be a good idea,'' Makoto replied in an uncertain tone. With Minami being his childhood friend, he was often roped into these kinds of investigations, and he would go along with them despite his fear of ghosts and other supernatural creatures. ''What if we get attacked?''

''We have two superpowered hedghogs and an echidna warrior on the team,'' Lily replied, gesturing at the proud Amy, Silver and Knuckles, the latter puffing up his chest. ''I'm pretty sure we would be able to handle whatever this creature is.''

''Admittedly, the description does remind me of some kind of werewolf…'' Minami suddenly said, drawing everyone's attention. ''I mean, a canine who walks on two feet and attacks at night? Sounds to me like a werewolf.''

''Well, whatever it is, I wish you guys luck with finding it,'' Sonic told the group. ''Call me if you get into another adventure.''

''Don't worry, we will,'' Silver replied. Sonic waved at them, walking down the street, only to stop and turn around for a moment. If he had to be honest with himself, he really wanted to join them in the investigation, but he knew that he needed to get some sleep.

Suddenly, his vision turned dark red and he felt a sharp sting in his limbs, spreading into his chest. He was overcome by rage, glaring at his friends and overwhelmed by the strong desire to attack them. Sonic then clutched his head, feeling an agonizing headache and, as he looked up, he realized his vision was back to normal and his friends have already turned around the corner, vanishing from his sight.

''Okay, these hallucinations are getting worse and worse,'' he remarked anxiously, feeling exhausted as he walked away.

xXx

''Tails, could you hand me over the screwdriver?'' Warren Taylor asked his partner, holding up a device.

''Only if you have a coil at hand,'' Tails replied, focused on the device in front of him. Lucas, who was leaned against a nearby desk at the Taylor Workshop, observed the two as they worked on their respective gadgets. He had already filled them in on the situation at home.

''So, you're saying that this would wake me up the moment Sonic gets out of the room?'' Lucas asked.

''Yeah,'' Warren answered, fixing the screws on the box. ''It is basically the same thing as Amy's tripwire idea, except this device uses a very sensitive motion sensor.'' He glanced at Tails, who held up his device, giving him a thumbs up. Warren then flipped the switch on the device. ''So, if you do this…''

Right as he swung his hand next to the sensor, a loud siren noise was emitted from Tails' device, which resembled a loudspeaker, causing everyone in the room to flinch; Lucas even putting his hand over his ears. Warren quickly turned the device off, him and Tails exchanging flustered glances.

''I think we need to set the volume,'' Tails noted, feeling a ringing in his ears. Warren nodded as he rubbed his own ears, trying to ignore the ringing he was hearing.

''At least we know it works,'' Lucas told the two, grinning in amusement. ''This will definitely wake me up.''

''It is going to wake up the whole neigborhood,'' Warren remarked dryly, with Tails chuckling.

''I hope you and Sonic will figure out why he's having trouble sleeping and remembering things,'' Tails then added, glancing at Lucas.

''I hope so too,'' Lucas replied. ''Have you guys heard about Minami's cryptid theory?''

''Yeah, we did,'' Warren said, handing Tails a spare wire. ''It was right after you called us, so we told her we won't come along.''

''She and Amy managed to convince Silver, Makoto, Knuckles and Lily to join them, though,'' Tails hummed as he examined the wires. ''Touka and Shadow had declined.'' He then turned to Lucas. ''Do you think this might be Eggman's doing?''

''No way,'' Lucas replied, shaking his head. ''Not only does this feel like his style, but he'd also broadcasting himself boasting about his achievements.''

''Yeah, you're right about that,'' Tails replied, being done with the loudspeaker. He grabbed both devices, handing them over to Lucas, his twin-tails flicking. ''Hopefully, this is better now.''

''I will let you know as soon as I can,'' Lucas replied, a shadow of worry falling upon his gaze. ''Though, I hope I won't be needing it tonight.''

xXx

''So, this thing will alert you in case I get up, right?'' Sonic observed Lucas as he placed the sensor next to the door to Sonic's room, which was the former guest room.

''Right, and while you won't hear anything, I will,'' Lucas said, holding up the loudspeaker. ''Since you don't remember anything that happened during the previous nights, it would be a good thing for me to be alerted and keep an eye on you.''

''I don't think anything will happen tonight,'' Sonic replied casually, stretching his arms and trying to put Lucas at ease.

''Well, I'm not taking any chances,'' Lucas replied, getting up and placing his hand on the door knob as he exited the room. ''Good night, Sonic!''

''Good night, Lucas!'' Sonic responded as Lucas closed the door, then walked up to his bed, stretching again and taking the AR Visor off his head, placing it on the cupboard next to the bed, then plopped himself on the bed, not even bothering to take off his sneakers. Not wanting to worry his partner, he didn't want to admit that he was dead tired and just wanted to sleep through the whole night. Even though he did take a nap during the day, he still awoke feeling like he had been running for hours. He sighed into the pillow, mumbling sleepily, ''Hope I get to finally rest…''

Taking one more breath, he welcomed the cold embrace of the darkness.

xXx

Lucas was stirring in his sleep, feeling like he was running away from something, seeing only something that looked like black clawed tentacles trying to grab him as he tried to not fall off a cliff into an endless abyss. His eyes shot open as he woke up when the alarm on the loudspeaker went off, realizing that Sonic left his room. Sighing, he grabbed his goggles to check the time on the scream, raising an eyebrow as he saw it was 03:00 AM.

He got up, only to freeze when he heard a deep, guttural growl coming from the hallway. Carefully, he opened the door, despite his gut feeling screaming at him not to do that. He spotted Sonic in the hallway, hunched over, his hands covering his face. He was shaking.

''Sonic, are you…?''

Lucas attempted to approach his partner, only to gasp when he heard Sonic scream in agony, dark energy and purple sparks surrounding him. He grew larger, his now dark blue fur growing longer. His gloves ripped apart as claws grew out, his wrists covered in white tufts of fur, matching those on the tips of his quills. His mouth was agape, with sharp fangs protruding out. His sneakers were now dark red shoes with gray metal strips that had three spikes on the surface, and the bottom of each sole was covered with small metal spikes. Suddenly, Sonic roared, then hunched over, gasping in pain.

''S-Sonic…?'' Lucas took a cautious step forward, his eyes trained on the creature before him as he kept a tight grip around his AR Visor. He was shaking as million thoughts raced through his head. How was this possible?! What happened to Sonic?!

The transformed hedgehog was suddenly alerted by his call, ears pinned back and the pupils in his emerald eyes shrinking. Lucas was horrified when Sonic growled at him and then charged at him on all fours, claws digging into the floor. Lucas managed to dodge the attack by jumping to the side, only for the hedgehog to attempt to swipe at him with his clawed hand, the arm extending way further than it should've been possible. Fortunately, the only damage was the table with the vase, shattering in tiny pieces as Lucas leaned against the wall. His heart was racing as he saw Sonic's eyes glowing in the dark, with only one thought in his mind.

He needed to get out of the house.

Thankful that Sonic had lost his trademark speed, Lucas stumbled out of the hallway and into the one that led to the living room. Sonic growled, running after him, with the only reason why Lucas didn't end up with his chest slashed being the pillow he grabbed from the couch and used as a shield, the pillow now being a pile of shredded stuffing and fabric.

''Sonic, snap out of it!'' he cried out in panic, but the dark hedgehog wouldn't listen, attempting to swipe at him again, forcing Lucas to hide behind the couch.

The hedgehog growled furiously again, and Lucas ran towards the front door, grabbing the keys and managing to open it just in time as Sonic leapt at him. Lucas quickly hid behind the door, with the hedgehog landing in the front of the house, looking around in confusion. Lucas held his breath, hoping for the dark hedgehog not to notice him, only daring to breathe when Sonic let out a chilling snarl, then ran off into the city. Lucas fell on his knees, feeling as if his heart was going to break through his ribcage and quickly put the AR Visor on, calling his friends.

The holographic screen opened, showing five smaller panels inside it, each of them eventually showing him his teammates, who had just woken up, still in their beds, looking dazed and squinting at him.

''Nghh, Lucas, why are you calling us in the middle of the night?'' Warren asked, rubbing his eyes.

''Sonic has turned into a Werehog!''

''What?!''

Lucas scream seemed to have jolted everyone from their sleepy state, although the only one who actually seemed to have processed what he just said was Touka Kageura, Shadow's partner.

''What are you talking about?'' she asked.

''As I said, Sonic has just turned into the Werehog and attempted to shred me into pieces,'' Lucas replied, having gotten up and running into the house, showing the rest of Team Neos the scratch marks on the floor and the shredded pillow. ''He ran off into the night and I'm planning on follow him! Do you guys think you can join me?''

''Yeah, sure!'' Lily was the one to reply, with Knuckles beside her nodding.

''What's the plan?'' Silver quickly asked, his eyes narrowing.

''Try to search the area closest to my house. Since Sonic is a Werehog, he's not as fast as he was before, so he shouldn't have gotten to far. Try to keep an eye out for anything unusual,'' Lucas instructed them. The call was then cancelled and Lucas entered his room, quickly changing from his PJs into his usual outfit and grabbing his hoverboard. As he ran out of his house, locking the door behind him and got on the hoverboard, he sensed a sinking feeling in his gut, remembering the conversation he had with his friends earlier.

What if Sonic was responsible for those attacks? Lucas shook his head, pressing the button on his hoverboard with his foot, causing him to accelerate. No, it can't be! Not Sonic!

He didn't want to believe it, but considering how Sonic did not only recognize him, but actually attacked him, he feared that this was the truth he had to accept.

xXx

The first team Lucas came across were Touka and Shadow. While the two hadn't been living too far from his house, he had figured that they used Shadow's warping powers to get here.

''Have you seen Sonic?'' he asked the two. Much to his disappointment, they shook their heads.

''Unfortunately, we didn't,'' Shadow replied. ''Have you seen where he went to?''

''It was somwhere in that direction,'' Lucas pointed vaguely at a part of the city. ''However, he may have gone somewhere else.''

''It would be for the best if I go alone. I'll be able to cover more ground,'' Shadow said, with Touka nodding. Shadow then skated away, while Touka turned back to Lucas.

''How are you?'' she asked.

''I'll feel better once I find Sonic,'' Lucas told her, his eyes narrowed. He then noticed the curious look Touka gave him.

''I have heard about this werewolf-like creature from Minami and Amy. Do you think it was Sonic as a Werehog?'' she asked him.

''I hope not,'' Lucas replied, avoiding eye-contact with her. ''Let's go.''

Touka observed him as he left, getting on her own hoverboard and following him. She could hear Lucas muttering something under his breath, probably trying to figure out where Werehog Sonic may have gone. They passed through empty streets, the only illumination they had being the street lights and the moon above them. Everything was unnervingly quiet, as if they were the only people out here. The two eventually came across Tails and Silver, who had been flying across the city in search for Sonic.

''Hey, Lucas, Touka!'' Tails waved at them as he and Silver landed. ''Any luck?''

''So far, nothing,'' Lucas shook his head. ''Where are Warren and Makoto?''

''They're with Amy, Minami, Knuckles and Lily,'' Silver answered. ''Tails and I had figured we should scout from above, but it's kind of hard because a fog is starting to build up.''

''What do you mean by fog?'' Touka rose an eyebrow, looking around. The street was not only clear, but also completely empty. Silver also looked around, a bit puzzled.

''It was building up when we left…'' he muttered to himself, only to trail off as he remembered something. ''Didn't Minami tell us that those attacks happened when a thick fog started appearing?''

Tails furrowed a brow and decided to call Warren, but for some reason, he couldn't reach him. The holographic screen that appeared before him showed him nothing but static. He turned to the other three. ''I have a bad feeling about this.''

''Knuckles and Amy are with them, though,'' Silver noted, his gaze switching between Tails and Lucas, the latter having a conflicted look on his expression.

Lucas knew that their teammates could handle themselves, and that they should focus on searching for Werehog Sonic, but he was still worried for them. Not to mention, if there would be another attack, then perhaps they would run into Werehog Sonic.

''I think we should go to check on them,'' Lucas told them. However, before they could leave, they heard a howling that sent chills down their spines. They looked up, spotting a figure standing on the building above them.

The Werehog had seen them.

xXx

''Damn, I can't see anything in this fog,'' Lily grumbled, almost running into a lamppost, but Knuckles managed to pull her away before she hit herself.

''I know that I'm your Guardian, but you should watch out where you're going,'' he told her.

''Yeah, I know, but it is impossible to see anything,'' Lily responded, turning back to the rest of the group, noticing Minami's troubled gaze and her exchanging glances with Amy. ''I don't like that look.''

''Well, we did tell you that the witnesses said how it was quite foggy when the attacks happened, to the point they could barely see anything,'' Minami replied. Lily frowned.

''Great,'' she muttered dryly. Makoto gave everyone a look of concern.

''Do you guys think that Sonic was really behind all of those attacks?'' he asked. There was a moment of eerie silence, with Amy quickly speaking up.

''I don't believe that! Sonic wouldn't just attack people for no reason,'' she said.

''He did attack Lucas,'' Knuckles noted. Amy opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Even though she wanted to defend her friend, she knew that the evidence against him was staggering. Knuckles furrowed a brow. ''I don't want to believe that he was responsible for the attacks either, but if he was, I will not hesitate to knock some sense into him.''

''Speaking of an attack, according to Minami, we are currently put in the same situation as the other victims, right?'' Warren rose his voice, frowning at the holographic screen before him, which showed nothing but static. Everyone turned to him, with Minami nodding in acknowledgement. ''So, why aren't we being attacked right now?'' For a moment, everyone was silent, trying to figure out an answer. ''Also, I've been trying to reach Tails the whole time we've been here, but it shows me nothing but static.''

''Do you think something happened to him and Silver?'' Makoto asked worriedly. Warren shrugged, unable to provide an answer.

''Okay, everyone stop walking,'' Minami suddenly said, drawing everyone's attention. ''Do we even know where we're going? Because I have no clue where we are.''

Suddenly, everyone froze as they heard a low growl and quickly looked around, unable to see anything due to the fog. Amy and Knuckles quickly stepped up, with Amy summoning her Piko Piko Hammer as they stared into the fog, barely able to see anything a few steps away from them.

''Everyone, stay close!'' Knuckles issued the order. Whatever was out there, be it Werehog Sonic or someone else, he and Amy needed to defend everyone. They heard another growl, this time coming from the side, with a dark figure suddenly lunging from the fog right at Makoto. ''Down!''

Makoto managed to duck just in time, dodging the dark canine figure that lunged at him, with Knuckles running up to it and punching it so hard it flew back into the fog. He turned to Makoto, who was sitting on the ground, his eyes wide in shock. ''What was that?!''

''Not the Werehog, that's for sure,'' Warren said, helping him up. The group heard more growling, now coming from two sides. There was also a scraping noise, coming from right behind them.

''We are surrounded,'' Amy said, brandinshing her hammer. She could see the faint outline of her attacker trying to get closer, snarling and snapping at her, but when she lifted her hammer, it skulked back into the fog.

xXx

Shadow was skating through Neos City, keeping an eye out for Werehog Sonic, but he could barely see anything as he came across a thick fog. He slowed down, deciding not to risk running into anything, until he came to a complete halt and took a close look at his surroundings. He couldn't see anything at all and when he attempted to contact Touka to see what her and Lucas' situation was, the holographic screen showed only static.

As Shadow wondered whether he should go search for them, he suddenly heard snarling behind him. Turning around, he could see the outline of a figure stalking him and emitting a low growl. He clenched his fists, now on high alert as he tried to keep an eye on the creature.

''Show yourself,'' he demanded. The unknown creature snarled again, but didn't approach him. Shadow's eyes narrowed as he saw instead a faint line of smoke rising from around him and, as he inhaled it, he started coughing. What is this?!

The effect was immediate, as Shadow felt his limbs growing heavier, a stinging feeling spreading through his body as he realized that he couldn't move anymore. He realized that it was the smoke that caused this and he tried to move away, but his legs gave under him and he feel on his knees. His ears flicked as he heard snarling again and looked up, seeing a dark beast lunging at him. He used the last of his strength to summon a Chaos Spear and slam it right into the creature's chest. It cried and whined, withdrawing into the fog. Shadow attempted to get up, to fight of the paralysis, but his vision grew dark and he fell into the darkness.

xXx

''Sonic?'' Lucas, Touka, Tails and Silver took a step back as Werehog Sonic leapt down from the building, using his stretchable arms to hold onto the wall as he climbed down, landing before them. He snarled at them, with the group realizing that, whether they wanted it or not, they would have to fight him. Still, Lucas had hoped that it wouldn't come to this, taking a step forward. ''Sonic, please, snap out of it!''

The Werehog suddenly lunged at him, only to find himself hovering mid-air, surrounded by cyan energy, appearing to be quite startled by this turn of events. Lucas turned to Silver, who was holding up his hands, which were glowing with cyan energy.

''I'm so sorry about this, Sonic!'' Silver told him, throwing the Werehog into the building across them. He had a hard landing, looking dazed and shaking his head as he got up, growling at them.

''Lucas, Touka, leave him to us!'' Tails told the two, his twin-tails spinning as he rushed forward.

He dodged the Werehog's swipe, narrowly avoiding being clawed at. He then flew above the Werehog and when Sonic tried to grab him, he was met by a barrier from Silver. Tails then curled up into a ball, spin-dashing right into the Werehog. Unfortunately for him, Werehog Sonic anticipated that, managing to grab Tails, swing him around and then slam him into the ground.

''Tails!'' Silver cried out, rushing towards the two, but was grabbed by the Werehog who held him by his chest fur, only managing to avoid the same fate as Tails by pushing Sonic away with a burst of psychokinesis energy. The Werehog snarled again, and when Silver fired another burst of energy at him, he leapt onto the nearby lamppost, swinging from it and landing right in front of the startled Lucas. He slammed his fist into the teenager, knocking him over and then approached him, growling.

''Com'n, snap out of it, Sonic!'' Lucas gritted his teeth, feeling winded from the punch. He was glad that his partner didn't break his ribcage. ''Please, wake up! This is not you!''

The Werehog suddenly lunged at him, pinning him down and snarling, with Lucas being overwhelmed by a sudden sensation of having his energy drained. His eyes widened as he realized what was going on. Be it Sonic or the Werehog, he was still an Irregular, meaning that he could tap into Lucas' BioEnergy.

''Sonic, stop!'' Lucas cried out and for a moment, he saw a look of hesitation in the Werehog's eyes. However, before any of them could do respond, the Werehog was thrown away by Silver. Touka ran up to Lucas, helping him up.

''Are you okay?'' she asked.

''Yeah, and I think there is a way to get through to Sonic, but I will have to get close to him,'' Lucas responded, holding onto her. Touka nodded, tapping on the pair of black and red goggles on top of her head, opening a holographic screen. It was time for reinforcements.

''Shadow? Shadow!'' Touka cried out for her partner, but there was no answer. The screen was completely black. She gritted her teeth, feeling desperate. ''Where are you?''

xXx

Shadow groaned, feeling like someone hit him across the head with a sledgehammer. His vision was blurry for a moment and he tried to get up, only to realize that he couldn't. He tries to move his arms and legs, but he then realized that he was restrained. Blinking, he discovered that he was inside a room, lying on what appeared to be an operation table, with cuffs placed on his wrists and ankles. He figured that he could use Chaos Control to escape his restraints, but he felt quite weakened.

''Oh, you're already awake? I didn't expect your body to process the paralytic agent so fast.''

Shadow's eyes narrowed as a man entered the room. He was short and on the older side, his brown and grey hair being neatly combed, and he was wearing a lab coat over brown pants and a green button-up shirt. ''Considering how much you had inhaled, I'm genuinely surprised that you haven't ended up in a comatose state. It is a miracle that your body is still functioning.''

''Wh-Who are you?'' Shadow asked, barely managing to find his voice. The man didn't answer, walking up to a nearby desk instead, with Shadow lifting his head, trying to see what he was doing. His ears were pinned back as he heard soft growling in the hallway leading up to this room.

''Interesting, very interesting…'' the man kept talking, albeit more to himself than trying to keep up a conversation with Shadow. ''Your body is quite resistant, even more than that other Erinaceus. Fortunately, I had been working on improving my serum. I don't know yet what caused that subject to break out of my control, but perhaps I can learn more if I use it on another specimen of the same genus.''

Shadow realized that the man was probably talking about Sonic. Was it possible that he was the one responsible for Sonic's Werehog transformation?

''Indeed, that Erinaceus had been quite troubling, even if it reacted positively to my enhancement serum. It even started attacking my other subjects during their hunt.'' The man shook his head as he took out a syringe. ''I would've gladly studied its animalistic nature and why its body had such a different reaction, but I guess I will have to satisfy myself with studying you.''

''Forget it!'' Shadow growled, trying to break out of his restraints. Rest assured, he was not going to be part of some mad scientists' experiment again. He noted that he did regain some feeling in his limbs, being grateful for the fast healing factor he had been created with, but he still didn't feel strong enough to just break the cuffs with strength alone. Instead, he focused on building up energy, just as the man loomed over him, holding a syringe filled with some kind of red and purple fluid.

''This will only hurt for a moment,'' the man said, his expression blank, and his grey eyes cold and empty as he held up the syringe right above Shadow's chest, the long needle glimmering in the light, about to stab him straight in the heart. Shadow knew that he had to act.

''Chaos Blast!''

To the man's shock, Shadow was enveloped in a red aura, releasing a burst of energy that not only knocked him back, but also destroyed the immediate area. Shadow fell on his knees, breathing heavily. He still didn't recover enough to fight back and when he looked up, he realized that the man was slumped over against the wall, blood trickling from the side of his head. Shadow stumbled as he got up, cautiously approaching the man and realizing that he was still alive, only knocked out by his attack. His ears flicked when he heard growling from the hallway, figuring that he should leave this place as soon as possible.

He turned to the desk the man was working on, finding a bottle of that same liquid the man attempted to inject him with, along with a few papers with some messy scribbling. He grabbed the bottle and papers, taking a deep breath as he peered into the hallway. He had no clue where he was, but the building appeared to be some kind of small warehouse or bunker. He remained on alert, trying to figure out where the growling was coming from, only to hear a snarl in the darkness. His eyes narrowed, and he realized that the creature was inside a cage placed in the hallway.

Another of this madman's experiments… Shadow thought as he observed the beast. It was wolf-like, with long fangs and a dark coat, but something felt wrong with it, with Shadow being unable to put his finger on it. The beasts eyes, ears and tail looked more like that of a cat, and it was about Shadow's size, pacing in circles inside the small cage. Shadow felt disgust rising inside him. He had been experimenting on ARNavs, hadn't he?

The cat-werewolf hybrid suddenly whined, staring at Shadow pleadingly. Shadow stepped back, trying to push away the sense of guilt and focus on his mission. He needed to find Touka and the rest of Team Neos and show them this place. He knew that Tails and Warren would find a way to perhaps reverse this transformation, and he knew that Lucas would be better at figuring out what to do with his revelation.

Shadow then left, clutching the bottle and papers in his hands, taking another deep breath and trying to build up enough energy to warp to Touka's location, or at least somewhere close to it. He knew that, the moment he did that, he'd be completely drained. He reached for the pair of the grey and orange goggles on the top of his head, tapping them. A holographic screen appeared before him, and he was relieved that it showed Touka's location. Fortunately, she was in range. He finally exited the warehouse, finding himself at an empty street and focused on Touka's location.

''Chaos Control!''

xXx

''I think this calls for a power-up,'' Minami said as Amy slammed her hammer into the werewolf-like creature, knocking it back into the fog. ''Amy, ready?''

''Yeah!'' Amy replied, extending her hand to Minami.

''Chaos Surge!'' both exclaimed, with a bright pink light appearing between them, and the two absorbing it. Amy's bright green eyes turned an electric pink and sparks flew around her, the Piko Piko Hammer now glowing in a pink aura. Minami's brown eyes also turned the same colour as Amy's and she held out her hand, summoning a pink hammer that was half her size.

Knuckles and Lily then turned to each other, extending their hands towards each other. ''Chaos Surge!''

Knuckles' purple eyes took on a red colour and he was covered in a red electrifying aura, sparks flying around him. Lily's light green eyes also became red as the red aura enveloped her and she took a fighting stance, her fists infused with red energy.

''We'll deal with those things,'' Minami told Warren and Makoto, the only ones unable to perform Chaos Surge due to Tails and Silver's absence.

''Okay,'' Warren responded, turning to Makoto. ''We need to find a way out of this fog or at least figure out how to contact Tails and Silver.''

''Right, but how?'' Makoto asked, turning to the teammates that were fighting.

One of the creatures lunged at Minami, but she managed to quickly swat it away with her hammer, allowing Knuckles to straight punch it into the ground, leaving a noticeable crack in it. Meanwhile, Lily was dealing with with another creature, ducking as she dodged its attack.

''Amy, heads up!'' Lily shouted as she kicked another beast right in the chest, her move leaving a red trail, with Amy rushing towards her and then slamming the hammer into the beast, this time creating a shockwave that sent it flying. However, they heard again snarling from around them, realizing that another of the werewolves was trying to break their formation. Minami, Amy, Lily and Knuckles stepped back, making sure that Warren and Makoto were protected in their little circle.

Warren frowned, having noticed something during the battle. ''I don't think this fog is anything natural… Minami, Amy, trying creating another of those shockwaves you did earlier.''

''Okay,'' Amy responded, pink energy crackling around her hammer as she and Minami lifted their weapons and then slammed them down, creating a shockwave that not only had knocked their attackers off their feet and left cracks in the street pavement, but also seemed to have affected the fog, causing it to shimmer. Warren's eyes widened in realization.

''Why hadn't I figured it out earlier…'' he muttered, before shouting, ''We're inside an AR Field!''

''Seriously?'' Makoto gave him a look of disbelief, with Warren nodding. ''Then, are those ARNavs?''

''They don't look like any normal animals to me,'' Lily responded instead, her tone being more dry, leaping away and creating an opening for Knuckles to punch another werewolf that leaped at her.

''I had really been hoping for Neos City actually getting its own cryptid, but even this is a horror story in itself,'' Minami said, swinging the hammer again to keep another snarling werewolf at bay.

''You're right, we don't even know how they ended up like this,'' Amy added, charging at the werewolf and knocking it away.

''If Warren is correct, then we need to get out of this AR Field,'' Knuckles replied. ''These beasts don't appear to be Irregulars, so they won't be able to survive outside an AR Field for too long.''

''Too bad Neos City is filled with them,'' Lily remarked.

''At least we should get out of this one,'' Makoto said, with the rest agreeing with him.

''Okay, then hold on!'' Amy lifted her hammer, and Minami mimicked her, then both brought their hammers down, causing the AR Field to shimmer again as another pink shockwave was released, forcing the beasts to get back, some recoiling due to the might of their combined attack.

The group then started to run, hearing the beasts snarling behind them. Fortunately, the AR Field started to flicker, the fog dissipating. Lily and Knuckles, who were at the back, realized that the werewolves weren't following them.

''They're hiding inside the fog,'' Knuckles concluded, furrowing a brow. ''They won't come out into the open.''

''That's good news for us,'' Lily noted, with the two then following their friends.

xXx

Silver was slammed right into the wall of a nearby building, feeling the wind being knocked out of him, and falling on the ground. Werehog Sonic then turned towards Tails, snarling as he grabbed the twin-tailed fox, holding him up.

''Sonic, please!'' Tails struggled, trying to free himself from the Werehog's tight grip. He could feel the claws digging deep into his fur and skin. ''Snap out of it!''

The Werehog growled at Tails, but then, his eyes suddenly softened. The vision he had, one that was filled with nothing but blood and darkness, took upon more blue tones, that of the clear night sky illuminated by nothing but moonlight. The rage and bloodlust he felt were tamed, if only for a moment, as he recognized that the one he was fighting was not his enemy.

''T-Tails…'' the Werehog spoke tentatively, clearly shocked by his own actions. He stared at the fox in his hands, realizing that he hurt the person he considered his little brother, and quickly let go of him. He looked down at his clawed hands, stepping back in horror. ''Wh-What have I done?''

''Sonic, don't worry, we'll help you…'' Tails attempted to assure the Werehog, but the latter shook his head, clutching it as his vision was once again bathed in blood and he snarled at the fox, having lost himself in the rage. Tails managed to dodge another attack from the Werehog in the last second, landing right next to Silver as the latter got up. ''It looks like he's fighting back, but…''

''There is no telling when he will turn feral again,'' Silver said, supporting one arm with the other, feeling pain surging through his body. The two were approached by Lucas and Touka, with Werehog Sonic observing all of them, preparing for another attack.

''Silver, can you hold Sonic in place?'' Lucas asked, with Silver giving him a look of concern.

''What are you planning to do?'' Silver asked.

''Sonic had reacted to my BioEnergy earlier, and it seems that it was messing with his condition. Maybe if we perform Chaos Surge he'll get back to his senses,'' Lucas said.

''But, what if he doesn't?'' Tails asked. ''You'll die if he absorbs all of your BioEnergy.''

''Trust me, Tails, I'm willing to take the risk,'' Lucas replied. ''If things go south, trying to get him away from me.''

''Okay,'' Silver responded, with Werehog Sonic lunging at them again, only to be stopped once again in his tracks.

Silver gritted his teeth, trying to contain the latter within the cyan field of energy. Lucas quickly ran up to him, extending his hand towards the Werehog, crying in pain when the latter suddenly grabbed it, drawing blood. He could feel his BioEnergy being drained, empowering the Werehog and fell on his knees. He could hear Silver, Tails and Touka shouting his name, but he didn't respond, forcing himself to look into the Werehog's eyes. The Werehog snarled back, locking eyes with Lucas, only for them to widen. Suddenly, a soft blue light appeared between them, with both absorbing it and the cyan energy that contained the Werehog vanishing. Both fell down, sitting on the ground and staring at each other. Werehog Sonic was in disbelief as he saw Lucas, whose hand was now bleeding from the puncture wounds the former had created.

''I hope that this had finally brought you back,'' Lucas told him, forcing a carefree smile.

''Lucas I… I'm so sorry… I have no idea what got into me…'' Werehog Sonic apologized, his voice deep and gruff, but it was clear that his true self was brought back. He was filled with regret and shame, horrified to see that he had hurt his friends. He flinched when Lucas suddenly hugged him back, stunned at his partner's reaction.

''I'm just relieved that you're back,'' Lucas told him, burying his head into the Werehog's coat, taking a deep breath. He didn't even notice that he was shaking until now. ''It's over.''

Sonic just lowered his head, simply trying to make sense of what happened to him, but he felt like none of his memories made any sense. They were all foggy, and he barely remembered anything beside roaming through Neos City.

''I don't think it's over yet,'' Werehog Sonic lamented as he saw Tails, Silver and Touka approach him. ''Just look at me. Does this look normal to you?''

''If we find out how you had transformed, we will be able to turn you back,'' Tails told him. Werehog Sonic just nodded forlorny.

''I'm so sorry for hurting you guys,'' he told Tails and Silver. ''I never wanted this to happen.''

''It's fine,'' Silver replied, smiling back as he still clutched his injured arm. ''We know you wouldn't attack us on purpose.''

''Right,'' Tails agreed, smiling back at the Werehog. ''Do you know how you ended up like this?''

''Honestly, I don't,'' Sonic replied, rubbing his head. ''I'm sorry, but I can't remember anything. All I know is that I had been roaming through Neos City and…'' He paused in terror, looking at the four.

''Was I responsible for those attacks?''

Lucas, Touka, Tails and Silver were quiet, exchanging glances between each other. Before any of them could provide a proper answer, a sudden flash of blue and cyan light appeared close to them, revealing Shadow, who fell on his knees, breathing heavily.

''Shadow!'' Touka ran over to her partner as he struggled to stay conscious, helping him up. ''What happened to you?''

Shadow didn't answer at first, staring instead at Werehog Sonic, who just waved back nervously, forcing a smile. Shadow stared at him for a moment, apparently puzzled, before realizing that the Werehog was indeed Sonic. He then turned to Touka, still clutching the bottle of the serum and papers in his hand.

''I had found out who was really behind those attacks,'' he explained, shoving the bottle and the papers into Tails' arms, surprising the you fox. ''I can bring you to him, but…'' He felt a sudden weakness in his legs, almost falling over hadn't Touka caught him.

''Easy there,'' Touka told him, feeling quite worried about her little brother. Shadow felt a sudden wave of dizziness overwhelming him, and he took a moment to breathe.

''I used the last of my energy just to warp back…'' he muttered, leaning against Touka and sensing her BioEnergy. He wanted to absorb it to recover, but he stopped himself, deciding first to wait for Touka's response. She had a grim look on her expression.

''Do you think a Chaos Surge will be enough for all of us to warp towards wherever you were?'' she asked. Shadow just nodded. However, before any of them could proceed, Tails suddenly received a call, with a holographic screen appearing before him.

''Tails? Thank goodness you're okay!'' Warren exhaled in relief as he saw his partner.

''Warren, where are you? I've been trying to reach you,'' Tails asked him.

''We were stuck in an AR Field that had somehow blocked any connection to the outside,'' Warren explained, only for Minami to step next to him.

''Guys, you know those cryptids we were talking about? Those were ARNavs! They had been the ones attacking everyone, not Sonic!'' she explained.

''I didn't?'' Werehog Sonic was stunned and relieved at the same time, only to feel a sudden sense of dread. ''But, wouldn't that mean…''

''There are more of those with your condition,'' Shadow said, drawing everyone's attention. ''I found one of them in the presence of the man who had caused this whole mess. He attempted to make me part of his experiment as well, and he told me that he had done the same to Sonic.''

''Okay, to recap then; someone was intentionally turning ARNavs into werewolf-like creatures for… reasons? To attack innocent civilians?'' Minami asked.

''I'm not completely sure, but I don't believe that was the intention,'' Shadow replied. ''He said that he was studying them, so maybe that aggression was just a side-effect of the experiment. He had said that Sonic was the one who broke out and attacked the other ARNavs.''

''I see,'' Minami muttered. ''I guess that explains the reports of there being only one of those werewolf ARNavs, instead of multiple of them. It was the one that escaped Sonic's attack.''

''What about this?'' Tails held up the bottle with the red and purple liquid, looking at Shadow.

''It was the serum that man attempted to inject me with. It is what had caused Sonic's transformation,'' Shadow explained. ''I believe that you could study it to reverse its effects.''

Tails nodded firmly. Lucas then turned to Shadow and Touka.

''Would it be possible for you to first bring us together and then warp us to wherever this guy is?'' he asked. Touka glanced at Shadow, who nodded.

''We would have to perform Chaos Surge for that. Even at full power, I wouldn't be able to warp so many people,'' he explained.

''I guess that's settled then,'' Touka said, then looked at Lucas. ''We only need to know where we're going.''

''Right,'' Lucas said. He then glanced at Werehog Sonic, who was unusually quiet, a look of guilt on his expression. Despite the reveal that he wasn't behind the attacks, it was clear that he was still upset about attacking his friends, even if he wasn't in control of himself. Lucas cast him a sympathetic gaze, hoping that they would be able to resolve this situation, but the spreading empty pit in his stomach didn't raise his spirits. This whole situation was just a huge mess.

xXx

''Are you sure we're at the right place?'' Lily asked as the group walked through the warehouse.

''Yes, I'm certain,'' Shadow replied sharply, frustrated when he realized that the man who had captured him had somehow managed to empty the place in a very short time. The hybrid ARNav he had found was gone, and when they entered the room he was imprisoned in, most of the tools and papers were gone too, but there was still a dried blood on the floor and the wall where the man hit his head. He pointed at it. ''I left him here.''

''I guess he may have had help from those werewolf ARNavs that attacked us,'' Minami said. ''While we were too busy figuring out what was going on, he had already left.''

''I should have stayed and called you instead,'' Shadow muttered, realizing just how foolish his decision to warp away and try to find the rest of the team was. The only reason they even arrived here so soon was thanks to a Chaos Surge-boosted Chaos Control. He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and looked back, realizing it was Knuckles.

''You did what you believed needed to be done,'' Knuckles told him in a firm, yet reassuring tone. ''You couldn't have predicted your captor's next move, and it was smart of you to bring back reinforcements.''

''There really isn't much that we can use here,'' Warren said as he pushed a broken glass of some sort away with his foot.

''Nevertheless, we'll still be able to create an antidote for Sonic with the stuff we have,'' Tails said optimistically, looking at the Werehog who tried to smile back in response, showing a row of sharp teeth. ''It will take some time though.''

''That's okay,'' Werehog Sonic replied tiredly. ''I still can't believe that I was captured and I don't remember any of it.''

''Considering what happened to Shadow and those other ARNavs, maybe that's for the better,'' Makoto said. Silver turned to his partner with a thoughtful look.

''Although, if he did remember, maybe we could've figured things out faster… sorry, Sonic,'' he quickly apologized when he saw the look of guilt on Sonic's expression. The Werehog just waved him off.

''I think we should leave now. There's nothing left here for us,'' Lucas said, with the rest of the team either nodding or voicing their agreement.

xXx

''How do you feel?'' Tails asked Sonic. The blue hedgehog has finally returned back to normal after ingesting the antidote Tails created from the serum Shadow gave him. He was currently sitting on the work desk with a tired look on his expression, being hooked to several wires connected to Tails' Miles Electric.

''I feel like my brain is trying to spin-dash out of my skull,'' Sonic replied, rubbing his temple.

''I think that'll pass,'' Tails replied, looking at the screen of his device. ''The antidote has purged that serum out of your body, so all you need to do is to rest.''

''So, I won't be transforming into the Werehog at night again?'' Sonic asked, with Tails shaking his head. The blue hedgehog sighed. ''What a relief.''

''Unfortunately, we're not done yet.''

Sonic looked up, observing the whole group that had gathered at the Taylor Workshop. Dim light was coming through the window as it was dawning. He could see that his friends were all exhausted, having spent a good chunk of the night awake and fighting off the hybrids. He felt a sting of guilt piercing his chest, gazing at Knuckles, who was the one who made that statement.

''What are we supposed to do? That man is gone, and so are all those ARNavs. Unless they appear again the following night, there isn't anything we can do,'' Amy said, looking at Knuckles. The echidna was quiet, clearly having no answer to her question.

Sonic then turned to Shadow, who was standing in the corner, still recovering from his own experience. He hadn't said anything the entire time, but Sonic was certain that he was still bothered about having not done more to contain that mad scientist.

''I hate to say it, but Amy's right. There is really nothing we can do,'' Lucas said, who had his arm bandaged due to the injuries Werehog Sonic had left. Sonic looked at everyone, a look of guilt on his expression.

''I'm sorry for putting you all through this, and for not taking my condition seriously,'' he said.

''You had no idea what was going on either,'' Minami told him. ''I don't think you should apologize for being the victim of circumstances.''

''Minami's right. Besides, this could've happened to all of us,'' Silver pointed out. ''I mean, it almost happened to Shadow too.''

Shadow looked up, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Silver, who gave him a nervous glance, but then nodded in agreement, a grim gaze on his expression. Touka, who was next to him, just sighed.

''So, all we know is that somewhere out there is a guy who thought it would be a good idea to experiment on ARNavs with… whatever this serum is,'' she said, looking at the rest of the group.

''It was a bit hard to read due to the messy writing, but the notes Shadow had grabbed revealed that he was working on some kind of enhancement, something about creating hybrids. Obviously, the side-effect of that was that they became really aggressive and started attacking people,'' Warren noted. ''I assume that because Sonic is an Irregular, the serum didn't work on him the same way it did on the other ARNavs.''

''Honestly, I think it would be better if we all just try to get some rest,'' Lily rose her voice. ''As Lucas had said, there is nothing that we can do about this and I feel like I'm going to fall off my feet.''

''You're right, we should go home and get some rest,'' Makoto said, with the rest of the group agreeing. Lucas and Sonic were the last ones to leave, as Tails and Warren helped the latter remove the wires they used to monitor his condition.

''I can't believe I'm saying this, but for the first time, I feel like I don't want to go fast anywhere,'' Sonic said, rubbing his temple.

''That's just the lack of sleep speaking,'' Lucas told him. ''Once you get some rest, you'll be fine.''

Sonic nodded, lowering his hand and looking down at it. To his horror, he didn't see a glove but claws once again sprouting from his fingertips. He froze, not even noticing that Lucas had passed him and turned around.

''Sonic, are you okay?''

The blue hedgehog snapped out of the vision, realizing that his hand was back to normal. He looked up at Lucas, forcing a smile and jogged up to him, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. The Werehog was gone for good, wasn't it? Tails antidote had worked on him after all, so this was just another hallucination due to his lack of sleep. Sonic shook his head as they walked back home, trying to keep himself awake.

''All is well, I guess…''