The next day, Team Dark got up and had breakfast as usual. What was unusual, however, was a news article that Shadow read in The Emerald City Herald:

CITIZEN FATALLY SHOT DURING TRAFFIC STOP

"As patrons were enjoying the latest features at the Gemini Showcase, a show of a different sort took place outside the cinema as 23-year old human Ferdinand Rozmiarek was shot during a traffic stop. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A bystander caught video evidence of the aftermath of the shooting and sent it to Channel Seven News. Police officials have declined to release the identity of the officer involved in the shooting.

This incident comes just over a year after the acquittal of Gene Jones, who was charged with the fatal shooting of 17-year old Patrick Benvolio.

When asked about the events, Malia Roussev – a founding member of the organization Human Lives Matter – promised that 'this will not go unnoticed' and that 'the police are going to have their arms full with this one'."

Shadow put down the paper. "It appears that your pathetic little moment of shock has made national news."

'Why shouldn't it?" said Rouge. "This is important to the well-being of the country."

"MY DATABANKS INDICATE THAT ROUGE IS CORRECT," said Omega. "BASED ON PAST HISTORICAL EVENTS, THIS COUNTRY IS LIKELY TO DESCEND INTO MASS TURMOIL."

Shadow crossed his arms. "Hmph, this country can damn itself to Hell for all I care. I just want to get away from the madness that's plagued me since birth, and I don't plan on receding anytime soon."

"Looks like you're already on the slippery slope with that attitude, Shaddy."

"Don't tempt me, Rouge, or else I'll take back the Chaos Emerald that I gave to you after we defeated Mephiles."

Rouge got out of her chair, walked over to Shadow, pulled him out of his chair, put him in a headlock and attempted to tear his head off.

"You wanna threaten my jewels again!?" said Rouge. "I'll give you…"

Suddenly, Shadow tossed Rouge down on the ground, and she let out a piercing yelp in the process. Then, he lifted her up by the collar.

"Go ahead, hurt me again," said Shadow. "It'll be the last thing…AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Rouge started tickling Shadow, causing him to let go of her. Not one to stand idly by, he tickled back, and thus a full-blown tickle war erupted. Though Shadow was stronger than Rouge, he was more sensitive than her, so the tickle war continued for what seemed like eons. Omega simply stood by and did nothing. Eventually, the tickle war ended with Rouge laying down on Shadow's chest fur, huffing and puffing, her face all red and tingly.

"Shaddy, you may be a blockhead sometimes, but you're my favorite hedgie!"

Shadow smiled. "And you're my favorite bat!"

"Awww!"

Rouge huggled Shadow. She wanted it to last forever, but she knew she had to report in for her shift shortly, so she let go of him. After the two got to their feet, Rouge went to the bathroom, freshened up and dressed in her usual bodysuit ensemble. As she exited the bathroom, she gave Shadow another huggle.

"Oh, and you do realize you can use this emergency transponder if you're ever in real danger, right?"

Rouge handed Shadow a flat square device with a red button and a short antenna. He nodded.

"Right."

"Buh-bye, Shaddy! Be safe now!"

"I always am."

Once Rouge and Shadow parted ways, Shadow headed for the top floor of the mansion. In one room was a rock garden, which had a glass ceiling, the better to let in the natural warmth and light provided by the sun. There was a small clearing off to one side with some grass on it. Shadow sat down here and began to meditate. Soon, his mind had taken him to a lazy flowing river, surrounding castles in the sky. In this world, there was no hate, no death, no fear, just the majesty of nature mingling with the good in all people. Shadow had tried this many times in the past, but had only been able to sustain such a heaven for a few seconds at most. When his two most dangerous foes – Black Doom and Mephiles the Dark – had been put out of the picture, he had gotten better and better at sustaining this vision.

He wished he could stay forever, but he had responsibilities to attend to, so he brought himself down from this wonderland and headed to the kitchen/dining room. He spent some time washing and putting away dishes before grabbing a box of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls from one cupboard. He then sat down at the table and proceeded to consume all the Swiss rolls. While he recognized that such a snack wasn't the healthiest thing in the world, and while he didn't need food to stay alive, he just liked the sensation of the chocolatey, creamy, sugary goodness sliding down his throat. After finishing the box of sweets, he discarded the trash and grabbed a can of Wild Cherry Pepsi from the fridge, one of those retro lead-lined types from the 40s.

After shotgunning the Pepsi and crushing the can in a wall-mounted can crusher before recycling it, Shadow headed into the basement of the mansion. One of the rooms down here was a sports arena, which could be set up for basketball, volleyball or other such sports. Adorning the center of the arena in addition to the usual basketball court markings was a logo of a pink heart with bat wings. Hanging above the center of the arena was a large stadium-grade scoreboard. Shadow didn't bother activating it, however. Instead, after flipping on the massive arrays of lights, he went straight to the ball closet and grabbed a Spalding basketball, proceeding to dribble it down the court and do a slam dunk. For the next half an hour, he did all sorts of trick shots on the court: three-point shots, half-court shots, reverse dunks and the like. Shadow favored basketball over all other ball-based sports because he felt it was not only a fun way to blow off steam and not discharge aggression against anybody, but also more strategic than soccer and more easily practiced by himself than other sports.

Eventually, Shadow got bored with basketball and put the ball away before shutting off the lights and going next door to a gymnasium. This gym had all sorts of workout equipment: weight machines, treadmills, plus traditional barbells and dumbbells, among others. Though he didn't need to stretch or warm up, Shadow kicked off his exercises by doing 150 pushups. Then, he went over to a bench press bench and loaded the barbell there with eight 25-kilogram Olympic-grade plates. After lying down, he lifted the barbell out of its stand and gently lowered it to his chest, not that he could suffer serious injury. He then proceeded to do 50 bench presses before returning the barbell to its stand and taking the plates off. Though not usually one to brag, Shadow flexed his muscles, mainly as a feel-good gesture.

(Feel my power!)

Having finished his bench presses, Shadow went to the dumbbell rack and grabbed two 50-pound fixed dumbbells. This time, he was doing lateral exercises, where he held the dumbbells in front of him in a perpendicular position and raised his arms to the sides as he rotated his hands, thereby strengthening his shoulder muscles. Again, this was unnecessary for the Ultimate Life Form, but Shadow enjoyed weight training because it made him feel like he could do anything. After 50 reps, he went to another nearby bench and did 50 bent over rows for each hand to strengthen his back before putting the dumbbells away. Next, he jumped up to a nearby pull-up bar and did 50 pull-ups.

Satisfied with the amount of exercise he got in, Shadow headed up to his bedroom. With a nice view of Rusty Ruin Zone to the west, it was decorated with antique furniture, a decent selection of electronics – including a custom-built desktop computer – and posters of metal bands and 70s + 80s B action movies. He pulled out a small plastic bin underneath a mahogany bureau. This plastic bin was filled with cassette tapes. After rifling through, he pulled out a tape marked "70S ROCK GIANTS VOLUME 1", which – judging by its legible yet somewhat kiddy handwriting – was a gift to Shadow from Sonic the Hedgehog. He usually didn't want much to do with the one he dubbed "Faker", but owing to his general mood improvements, Shadow had learned to accept him as part of the natural order of things and was grateful to receive such a gift from him.

Shadow popped the tape into a Crosley record/cassette/CD/radio machine and hit "PLAY". Within seconds, the machine began playing "Couldn't Get It Right" by the Climax Blues Band. Though not ordinarily into this subgenre of rock, he figured it was a relaxing alternative to the NWOBHM, thrash metal, death metal and black metal he usually listened to, and he didn't mind dancing to it. Granted, his moves weren't what one would ordinarily associate with this music, but he didn't care. After Side A concluded with "Rock and Roll Parts 1 + 2" by Gary Glitter, he flipped the tape over and continued with "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" by Ian Hunter. By the time the tape concluded with "Bat Out of Hell" by Meat Loaf, he had gotten his fill of rock music for now, so he ejected the tape and put it back in the bin.

Next, Shadow returned to the rock garden where he'd been meditating earlier. This time, he lied down on the grassy patch and thought about how lucky he was to know Rouge. Even if he considered her nothing more than a really good friend, and even if they did have their differences of opinion, she meant a lot to him. He wondered if part of her thought of him in a romantic way. While not normally one to get involved in romance, part of him was also curious about what it was like to be dating somebody. However, his mind drifted to some sultry thoughts. He tried his best to direct his thought patterns elsewhere, but it was no use. Frustrated, he went to one of the bathrooms, took his gloves off and finished himself off. Though he had some qualms about doing so, he vaguely recalled Rouge saying something about it being a normal and healthy thing to do.

After washing his hands and putting his gloves back on, Shadow went to the living room, turned on the big-screen TV and the Xbox One X, fired up Disney+ and put on Toy Story. He was quite a ways into the movie when he heard the doorbell ring, so he paused it and answered the door.

"Hey, Shaddy!" Rouge was carrying a large pizza box and a bag of an unknown foodstuff.

"Hello, Rouge."

Rouge stepped inside, while Shadow closed the door behind her.

"Care to explain why you've brought pizza?" asked Shadow. "And what's the other thing?"

"First of all, I was feeling really good today, and second of all, you'll see!"

"Hm."

Shadow merely nodded and followed Rouge up to the kitchen/dining room, where she set the pizza and other food on the table and grabbed some plates and napkins for both of them. Once these were set, they each grabbed a slice of pizza – pepperoni with extra cheese – and sat down. Shadow clasped his hands together and lowered his head.

"God, if you exist, thank you for bringing us together for this meal and thank you for providing us with the food to make it possible. May this continue for as long as we live. Amen."

Having finished his prayer, Shadow picked up his slice of pizza and ate.

"This is really good," said Shadow. "Where did you get it?"

"I got it from a pizzeria in the South Terrace borough called Joey's Pizza. It wasn't easy, I tell you!"

"I'll have to remember that one."

Rouge turned to Omega. "So Omega, has Shaddy been a good boy today?"

"MY ANALOGIC CIRCUITS AND DATABANKS INDICATE THAT HE HAS ENGAGED IN PEACEFUL PASTIMES," replied Omega.

"Really? Do tell me more, Shaddy!"

"Well, after you left, I decided to meditate," said Shadow. "I've been getting better at it."

"That's nice! I'm glad you've taken that up!" Rouge took a bite from her slice of pizza.

"I also played basketball, lifted some weights, and I listened to one of those tapes that Fak…er, Sonic gave to me."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that! Speaking of Sonic, when you're done with your pizza, check in that bag; there's a little surprise I got with some money he owed me."

While Shadow hadn't heard anything about Sonic owing Rouge money, he was intrigued by what was in the brown paper bag, although he had a funny feeling about what it was. Regardless, he continued to eat his pizza.

"Did you also happen to think about me while I was gone?" asked Rouge.

"I won't lie, you did cross my mind at one point. While we're on the subject, I had something else to say…"

Rouge smiled. "Go on."

"Rouge, I know I consider you nothing more than a good friend, but I must thank you for staying by my side all this time and giving me a roof over my head. You mean a lot to me."

Rouge let out a pleasant gasp. "Shaddy, that's one of the nicest things you've ever said to me! Come here!"

Rouge got out of her seat and walked over to Shadow. When he got out of his seat, she hugged him, and he returned it. Every second he continued to exist, he felt like a better person. With Rouge by his side, Shadow really felt as though he could take on the world and win. Similarly, she felt really good about him. Even if he'd been an inconsolably hard-shelled hedgehog, the fact that he was willing to confide in her and change his attitude was beautiful to her. Eventually, they let go.

"THOUGH I DO NOT POSSESS ANY FEELING CIRCUITS, MY DATABANKS INDICATE THAT THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL," said Omega.

Rouge chuckled. "Oh, Omega!"

Shadow couldn't help but crack a slight smile.

"SHADOW, THAT IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN YOU SMILE," said Omega.

"What!?" Shadow covered his mouth. "I wasn't smiling!"

Rouge smiled. "Were you really smiling!?"

"No, I wasn't!"

"Then why are you covering your mouth?"

"I…I have to sneeze! Achoo!"

"Uh huh. Suuuuuure!"

Rouge reached for Shadow's hand and attempted to pry it away from his face. He tried his best to resist, but she had the upper hand this time. Sure enough, he was still smiling.

"Well, I think this proves everything…Smiley!" said Rouge.

"No!" Shadow covered his face. "It doesn't!"

"Go ahead, keep covering your face, Smiley! You're tempting me right now!"

"I'm not afraid of you!"

"Oh, we'll see just how afraid you are!"

"OK! AHAHAHAHAHA! I GIVE UP!"

Rouge stopped tickling Shadow. "Come on, finish your pizza, Smiley!"

Both parties returned to their seats and continued eating their pizza. After they'd had a couple of slices, Shadow opened the paper bag and pulled out part of the contents. Upon unwrapping what he'd pulled out, he discovered it was a chili dog.

"So, Sonic encouraged you to buy these?"

"You could say that!" said Rouge. "He even said that that particular pizzeria had the best chili dogs in Emerald City!"

Without further question, Shadow took a bite. After chewing on it for a bit, he nodded.

"Well, I can't say that will become my favorite food ever, but I can certainly understand why he likes it," said Shadow.

"So you like it?"

"I do."

"That's good!"

Another chili dog later, Shadow grabbed a Grape Fanta from the fridge, while Rouge grabbed an A&W root beer. They toasted before drinking up. After finishing their drinks, they played an equal hand in cleaning up and putting away the leftovers.

"Why don't we watch some TV now?" said Rouge.

"I was in the middle of a movie," said Shadow, "but I've already seen that one before, so if there was a show you wanted to watch, I'll watch it with you."

"Grand!"

Shadow, Rouge and Omega went to the living room, where Shadow shut off the Xbox One X and switched the TV to the regular cable signal. Rouge then took the remote and switched to Channel 7, just in time for the six o'clock news…

"Live from MADE-TV Studios, it's the Evening News on Channel 7!" said an announcer. "And now, here's Reg Grindle!"

"Good evening, Mobius," said Reginald "Reg" Grindle, a black cat. "In tonight's top news story, unrest in Emerald City escalated after the shooting of Ferdinand Rozmiarek, a long-time resident of the city. Citizens gathered to protest the latest act of what they perceive to be anti-human violence at the hands of the Emerald City Police Department when unknown persons engaged in acts such as rioting and looting, thereby throwing the city in turmoil. Malia Roussev – a founding member of activist group Human Lives Matter – was detained by the ECPD for being thought to have incited at least some of the violence, but was released later on."

The screen switched to show Ms. Roussev, a human of indeterminate ethnicity.

"I have never been so poorly treated in my life!" said Roussev. "I've spent my time trying to sow the seeds of peace among every citizen of our proud city, and I'm not about to have my good name or that of anyone else smeared by police corruption! Let it be known that I won't give up until-"

Shadow changed the channel to one that was showing the movie Wolfen. However, Rouge changed it back to the news.

"Shadow, what the hell!? Some of us are actually interested in this stuff!"

Shadow changed to the movie. "And some of us can't be assed into it!"

Rouge changed it back. "What is your problem!? We all have a right to be informed here!"

Shadow changed to the movie again. "And I have a right not to be driven down a path of insanity…AHAHAHAHAHAHA! OK! YOU WIN! YOU WIN!"

"I REMAIN NEUTRAL IN THIS STATE OF AFFAIRS," said Omega. "NEVERTHELESS, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH MY PREDICTION WAS CORRECT."

And so, Team Dark continued to watch the news, much to Shadow's chagrin. Nothing else notable happened for the rest of the day, but Shadow did have a dream that night about his late friend Maria where they were just sitting at the edge of a cliff in Seaside Hill, watching the ocean, holding each other in their arms. Unlike most nights, he didn't even wake up crying. He felt a sense of bliss from feeling as though he got to see his friend again.

A/N: Yes, I am very well aware that Gary Glitter has done horrible things and deserves to rot for them. However, it still doesn't change how awesome that song is.

Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.