Unfortunately, the interview had not ended the way he had expected, and there was only one way Shadow could deal with the disappointment; at the training room.
Shockingly no one volunteered to be his fighting buddy, so he was left punching a 50kg bag. It was the only one he hadn't broken yet.
"Shadow what are you doing?" the white bat asked condescendingly after finding him.
The back hedgehog didn't answer her question however. "I'm going to kill that brat! I swear!" One punch and the bag almost came off its hook.
Rouge rolled her eyes. She had to admit it wasn't exactly a proud moment when they realised the thief had played them both into saving the fox. However, Shadow could have responded a bit better when Sonic told them "Eggman could be found at chaos knows where" then to actually jump over the table and strangle the kid. After that incident, he got kicked out and the General took over the interview.
Turns out the kid wasn't trying to be funny. He really didn't know where Eggman was, no one did.
"Listen I know it's annoying but hope isn't lost."
After another punch, Shadow finally stopped and turned around, scowling at Rouge as if she had insulted him. "And why would that be?"
She smiled, "Well after you got kicked out apparently in order to protect his location, Eggman will arrange a pick up spot for his workers, have them blinded temporarily, and then they're only allowed to see once they're in his lair."
He stopped looking so angry. "I see… So we can use Sonic as a means to track him down" finally he was getting somewhere! He could use the kid to get right to Eggman himself!
"Ha, good luck with that! The thief is as stubborn as Vector thinking he'll get that promotion. We tried every deal in the book, he's refusing to help anymore" she said while crossing her arms. It was obvious they've been having a long fight on their hands, one they were not victorious in.
Strangely though, Shadow suddenly smiled. "Where is he now?"
"In a cell, which he'll be staying in for a while."
Again, for the tenth time that day, Shadow turned his heels and walked away, giving no explanation as to where he was going. Rouge threw her arms into the air. "I give up! I swear, I give up!"
He was back in the cell. After everything that had happened that day he ended up back in the cell regardless. But then what could he expect? He had no real answer as to where Eggman was, Tails was now safe (he hoped), so what else were they going to do with a low life like him? No doubt they'd forget about him soon, leave him to rot into insanity by these tight walls. If Sonic did know where Eggman was then he'd happily send them off and stay as far away as he could. But they wanted him to be the bait… no. He couldn't.
If something went wrong and he couldn't get out… Sonic closed his eyes, he didn't want to think about what would happen to him. He's already been through enough horrors with that man. He couldn't survive one more. The cell was a blessing compared to that punishment.
Despite his thoughts, the door to his closed in cell started to unlock. He opened his eyes. He wished he hadn't bothered.
"Oh joy, the Choker" Sonic dead panned, hiding his neck behind his arm.
Shadow huffed, shutting the door firmly behind him and waiting for the sound of the lock to go off. There was a moment of silence.
"How is your foot doing?" Shadow asked, looking down at the bandaged ankle. As if to prove a point Sonic stood up from his bed and stood at the far corner of his small cell, his back towards the agent. "None of your business, it's not like you shot me… oh wait."
This was now getting annoying. "Listen, do you want to make a deal to get out of this cell or not?"
"I don't want anything from you."
"Fine. I'll be contacting your parents then, perhaps they can bail you out."
"NO!" Sonic instantly spun around, his hands reaching out to stop an invisible force from attacking. Shadow had expected as much though. "What's wrong? Is that a problem?" he smiled unsettlingly. The panic on the blue hedgehog's face said it all.
"Please you can't do that! I can't go back home… neither can Tails. Wait… what's gonna happen to Tails, you can't send him home, his parents will kill him!"
Shadow held up his hands. "Calm down, we've already spoken to him. Much like yourself he's a runaway, however he told us the reason why."
Sonic breathed in relief.
"He's going in our foster care program. He'll be well looked after" he explained. Even though it calmed him down, the teenager was obviously still worried as he sat back down on his bed, his head dropping low to his lap.
There was a slight pause, then Shadow walked up to his side. He almost placed a hand on his back but retracted last moment.
"How did you know I ran away?" Sonic asked before Shadow spoke first.
"I checked your records. Your parents put out a missing notice two years ago."
The blue hedgehog laughed, "Yeah sure, as if they would actually look for me."
Shadow looked away. Now was not the time for the truth. So instead he changed the subject. "Whatever the case is, I need to find Eggman. Now I will make you a deal. If you help us, and I mean real help us this time, I can get you out of this cell."
"Forget it" he replied blankly. The agent raised his brow. "So you would rather rot in a cell then help bring down a murderous criminal?"
"No, I'd rather rot in cell then go back to that nut job and get mutilated again! Forget it, I'm not interested" Sonic said, standing up again and walking away. "Besides, even if I did help, you're all planning on throwing me back in here anyway." There was no point in agreeing for a reduced sentence. He was going insane by the second in this box. There was nowhere to move, there was no one to talk to; he couldn't even look outside for the lack of windows, even on the door. It was a cage and pretty soon he'll build up so much energy that he'll go stir crazy.
"When I said get you out of this cell, I meant for good."
That caught his attention.
Sonic looked back around, nothing but caution and distrust showed through his face. Shadow stood up from the uncomfortable bed, but made no attempt to walk closer. Truthfully he didn't need to, the cell was small enough.
"I have been chasing Eggman for a long time, to the point I lost everything. At my lowest, someone helped me and changed everything around… and I want to repay that to them" Shadow waited, staring deep at the criminal in front of him. All he needed was something… something in the boys expression to change, so that he would know who he was.
"And you need to catch Eggman to do that?"
Clearly he failed.
Shadow sighed, but carried on regardless, "Yes. Now will you help me?"
He wasn't answered straight away. Sonic took as much time as he needed to think it over. With a huge breath, and more resistance then his brain was allowing him, Sonic finally found courage to even consider such a suicidal request.
"Okay… But! I have some conditions."
Shadow groaned, "Fine what are they?"
"One. You get me out of this cell, today! I won't do this for reduced sentence because I'm not going to make it through today, let alone years. I don't care what you have to do, I want out now!"
With the smallest of smiles forming on his lips, Shadow nodded his head. Funny as that is what he already planned. "Very well, it's a deal…"
"I'm not done" Sonic interrupted. Shadow narrowed his eyes at him.
"Two. I want to be able to see Tails as often as I want. I wanna know whose looking after him and if he is safe! He's a special kid, he needs me, and if anyone has hurt him consider yourself a dead man!" Sonic was holding back as he said this, Shadow could tell by the trembling struggle in his chest that he was trying to look strong.
"You care for him a lot, don't you?" Shadow asked, remembering how cold hearted all the past Eggman slaves were that he captured in the past. None of them had any regard for the safety of anyone else.
Yet, here was Sonic, shaking his head as if the very question was ridiculous, "Of course… he's my brother."
"Hmm alright. Anything else?"
There was only a brief silence. "Yes. You, or anyone else, do not contact either of our families. Not mine, not Tails. Got it?"
"Why…"
"Got it?!" Sonic held out his hand, nothing but determination in his eyes. Shadow couldn't help but feel impressed. He took his hand and shook. "Got it. Now with that sorted, wait here while I do some paper work."
Shadow turned around and walked towards the door.
"Wait, you'll get me out today right?" Sonic called out after, following the agent. However the door only opened so Shadow could get out, slamming shut and locking before the blue hedgehog could even think of escape. He banged his fists on the solid metal frame, "Shadow! You get me out today or the deal is off! You hear me?!"
He waited, but no reply.
"Hello… anyone?"
No one was there.
With his hands trembling, but balling up against the door frame, Sonic felt a familiar tornado build up in the pit of his stomach. With a sharp cry and not much thought, he kicked his foot into the 10inch metal frame. It was bad enough to leave a small noticeable dent. What was worse however was he forgot about the damage already done to his ankle, and dropped to the ground where he could hold his foot as the pain ran straight through him. Sonic had to bite his lip to stop himself from cursing, but he couldn't stop himself yelling through the throbbing sensation of a broken foot. Why did he do something so stupid?
Better yet, why did Shadow have to shoot him?
"I swear I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch."
Dun Dun Duuuuuun!
How's this gonna turn out? Huh? Huh?
Leave a review, let me know what you think of the story so far and I'll see you next time :P