A/N: Before we begin, I'd like to give a couple of shoutouts. The first one is for Nintendoman01, who is currently posting a most awesome origin story for Sonic, titled Tales of Sonic the Hedgehog. It does a great job of seamlessly combining the various Sonic canon elements together into a cohesive whole and running away with them in a fresh original way. The second one is for Sonicfanandotherstuff, for the story New world. While it is rife with grammatical and spelling errors, it's otherwise a well-done "what if" story of humans travelling to Sonic's world that rises above a good portion of what's been posted to this site. With those out of the way, let's read on, shall we?

Not much happened at the next day's breakfast. Shadow didn't even bother reading the newspaper…not the front page, anyways. Instead, he went straight to the comics. While he didn't consider these the funniest comics in the world, he did find them to be a welcome relief from whatever bad news he would've gotten from the front page. Besides, he figured Rouge would enjoy hearing him get a chuckle from them.

"Well, you're certainly feeling giddy today!" said Rouge.

"These comics are quite funny," said Shadow. "What else should I feel?"

"I WISH I COULD PERCEIVE HUMOR IN THE SAME MANNER AS YOU TWO," said Omega.

"Don't worry about it, Omega!" said Rouge. "We still like you even if you don't have a humor module!"

"THANK YOU. YOUR COMPLIMENT IS APPRECIATED."

After breakfast, and after they'd freshened up, Shadow and Rouge hugged each other goodbye, while the former went up to his usual grassy patch in the spa and meditated. Again, he was having little trouble getting to his happy place. Sometimes, he wished Rouge could come visit him here. Then, his ear twitched, which was a sign that his Hedgehog Sense was tingling, so he looked over to wherever it was telling him to focus his attention towards. Sure enough, he could perceive something off in the distance. He stood up and took a few steps towards it, and upon closer inspection, it became obvious that it wasn't something, but someone. He kept on walking, and as he got closer and closer, it appeared that his wish was going to come true: he could see Rouge off in the distance. He smiled and quickened his pace, wanting to be with her so badly. Unfortunately, his wish would soon be dashed to the wind when he was getting really close, for she turned into another unwanted presence…

"Shadow, my son," said Black Doom. "They are unworthy! Destroy them all!"

Once again, Shadow snapped out of the trance before Black Doom could do anything else.

(Why are they haunting me like that? What did I do to deserve their wrath?)

After wondering about the gruesome images plaguing him, Shadow went into the hot tub again and tried to relax as much as he possibly could. However, he didn't spend as long in the hot tub as he did yesterday. Once he got out and dried off, he headed down to the gym, and again, he put 200 kg worth of plates on one of the barbells, but this time, he did 100 bench presses before stopping and putting the plates away. He also did 200 pull-ups.

However, even though Shadow could feel power coursing through his veins, it wasn't enough to dull the feelings of repulsion and anger he felt from seeing Black Doom, so he went down to the game room again and went to a kiosk with a bunch of seventh-generation game consoles hooked up to a 42-inch LG widescreen TV. Actually, there were four such TVs and four sets of consoles for system link play. After he'd tapped a touch screen on the kiosk a few times, a dispenser slot spat out the Xbox 360 version of The Executioner: War Against the Mafia. He didn't want to have to resort to violent video games to cool off, but he figured that it might be his only other choice. In any case, he put the game in and got down to business. Under ordinary circumstances, Shadow considered killing as nothing more than business, a means to an end, so to speak. However, as he took control of Mack Bolan and blew away random nasties, his usual stone face soon melted away and turned into a sadistic smile. Eventually, as he took out more and more enemies, he began to laugh maniacally. Even if he'd already beaten this game time and time again, the satisfaction he got from helping to avenge Bolan's family somehow never got old. At one point, he had to pause the game because he was laughing too hard.

Once Shadow stopped his insane laughter, he headed for the kitchen/dining room and had not one, but two boxes of Swiss rolls. To wash these down, he also drank two cans of Wild Cherry Pepsi. Then, he got back to the game and cleared another few missions before turning the Xbox 360 off, putting the game back in its case and putting the game into a special "RETURN" slot on the kiosk. He then went up to the living room, fired up the TV and Xbox One X, opened up Netflix and chose The Executioner: Continental Contract. In his opinion, this one was one of the best in the series. Even though he was only watching the action, he still laughed when Bolan blew away criminals.

"SHADOW, ARE YOU WATCHING THOSE TASTELESS EXECUTIONER MOVIES AGAIN?"

"Huh!?" Shadow paused the movie and saw Omega standing near him. "So what if I am? I'm old enough to recognize that it's only a movie!"

"MY DATABANKS INDICATE THAT IT HAS BEEN AN APPRECIABLE AMOUNT OF TIME SINCE YOU'VE WATCHED ONE OF THOSE MOVIES. YOU ARE NOT SLIDING INTO YOUR OLD HABITS, ARE YOU?"

"I'll be fine, OK? I just figured it would be a nice treat for me."

"IF YOU SAY SO."

After the movie, Shadow went to his room and pulled out a CD copy of Acid's 1983 album Maniac. He then put it into the combo player and began rocking out. If he had to choose a favorite song from the album, it was difficult for him, but he'd have to say "Black Car" would be it. By the time the last song was finished, he heard the doorbell ringing, so he put the CD back in its jewel case, put the case away and rushed down to the front door, where Rouge was waiting with a couple of grocery bags.

"SHADDY!"

Rouge gave Shadow a big hug, which he gladly returned.

"So, what's for supper tonight?" asked Shadow.

Rouge let go of Shadow. "Well, since you asked nicely, we're having a special dish of chicken and rice!"

"That sounds delicious."

"I know! Now if you'll excuse me, I better get cooking!"

While Rouge went up to cook the meal, Shadow fired up Netflix again and watched an episode of Emerald City Blue. He was aware of the irony of watching a show about the ECPD in this time of crisis, but he needed a way to kill time while waiting for his food to be cooked. Today's episode focused on the Criminal Investigative Division – or CID for short – as they investigated the murder of a famous rock star. At some point during the episode, Shadow heard a two-second tone coming from the mansion's PA system.

"Shaddy, soup's on!" said Rouge.

Shadow stopped the show, shut the Xbox One X and TV off, and then headed for the dining room, where his food awaited him. After saying his usual prayer, he dug in along with Rouge. He nodded to indicate his approval, but said nothing else.

"You're awfully quiet," said Rouge. "Is everything OK?"

"Since you're one of my favorite people, I'm not going to lie," said Shadow. "You know how I like to meditate in the spa?"

Rouge nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"Ever since yesterday, I've been troubled by various ghosts of my past whenever I go to my happy place, and I don't know why."

"Ghosts of your past?"

"You know, Mephiles…Black Doom. I don't know if this means they're back, but whatever the case, it's disturbing me."

"Have you ever considered therapy?"

"You've offered that a few times in the past, and I've always turned you down, but that was a different me. If you want to set up an appointment, I'll gladly bend to your wish."

Rouge gasped and smiled. "Wow…you really have come a long way since Soleanna! I mean, the therapist I was thinking of is closed by now, but if you'll agree to give me your phone number and E-mail, I'll gladly set up an appointment tomorrow!"

"Please do. I've got a bad feeling about where I'm headed."

Rouge frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"To be honest…I'm not sure. I've just been working really hard to better myself, and I want to make sure I stay that way, understood?"

"That's perfectly understandable! If you need another hug, just let me know, OK?"

"Yes, I'd like one, please."

Once again, Rouge walked over to Shadow, and he accepted the hug she gave him.

"Feeling better, honey?" asked Rouge.

"Yes."

"Good! Now let's eat up; we don't want our food to get cold, do we?"

"I guess not."

After supper, Shadow and Rouge headed for the living room again.

"Omega, progress report?" said Rouge.

"SHADOW'S GOOD BEHAVIOR HAS PERSISTED. HOWEVER, HE DID WATCH ONE OF THOSE TASTELESS EXECUTIONER MOVIES EARLIER TODAY."

"Omega…!" said Shadow.

"Shaddy, you haven't watched one of those movies in a while," said Rouge. "Why now?"

"I'm not going to lie; I needed some stress relief."

"I'm not mad at you, although I should remind you that it's only a movie."

Shadow crossed his arms. "I'm old enough to know the difference, thank you very much."

Rouge frowned and put her fists on her hips. "All right, there's no need to get snarky with me! I'm only trying to make sure you don't go down a slippery slope!"

"And a movie will do that how…?"

"All right, Snark Boy, time to watch TV!"

"Hmph."

Once again, Shadow and Rouge crashed on the leather couch, while the latter turned on the evening news again.

"Good evening, Mobius," said Reg. "In tonight's top news story, the latest development in the Blaire Froment rape case: Lech Montgomery – the prime suspect in the case – was acquitted of the charges of rape, sexual assault, and battery against Ms. Froment when it was discovered that there was a bacterial contaminant in a DNA sample taken from her. Montgomery, a citizen of…"

Shadow tuned out of what Reg was saying when the feed cut to a clip of Montgomery – a brown-haired human in his late 30s – in court. In that moment, he felt that this was the last straw. After having to take news about unrest in Emerald City lying down, he figured that Montgomery had gotten off for other reasons. He clenched his fists and trembled with rage.

"NO!" Shadow pounded on the couch. "I HATE YOU!" He grabbed the remote from Rouge. "I HATE YOU!"

Shadow threw the remote at the mahogany entertainment center that housed the TV. The remote didn't break, but the battery cover was jolted off by the impact, and the battery was ejected as well. Then, he got up from the couch and stomped up and down while yelling "I HATE YOU!"

"Shaddy, stop it!" Rouge got up from the couch. "What's gotten into you!?"

"IF MY ANALOGIC CIRCUITS ARE CORRECT," said Omega, "SHADOW IS EXPERIENCING AN ACUTE ATTACK OF RAGE BASED ON THE PERCEPTION THAT THE SUSPECT WAS ACQUITTED FOR BEING A HUMAN."

Neither Shadow nor Rouge acknowledged Omega. The former kept raging, while the latter stood there, not entirely sure what to do.

"Shaddy…it's OK!" said Rouge. "Everything's going to be OK!"

Shadow kept up his act of rage. Eventually, he ran out of steam and slowed down before collapsing onto one knee, huffing and puffing. Figuring that it just might be safe to do so, Rouge slowly approached him while repeating "it's OK". Upon getting close enough, she swiftly hugged him and kept up with saying "it's OK". He didn't even push her away. At this point, he was too angry and tired to care about anything, even the fact that her chest was pressing against his head. He actually considered this relaxing.

"How are you feeling?" asked Rouge.

Shadow stared blankly into the distance. "I don't know anything anymore. What am I?"

"You're a good person. I know you didn't mean to throw my remote like that, and I'll be here for you as long as you need me."

"Yes, I like boobs. Boobs are good."

Rouge didn't laugh at Shadow's comment even though she acknowledged it was funny. Omega merely eyed the whole thing with his usual robot stoicism.

"MY ANALOGIC CIRCUITS INDICATE THAT SHADOW HAS CALMED DOWN TO A GREAT DEGREE," said Omega. "YOU MAY RELEASE HIM WHENEVER YOU WISH."

"No, don't let go just yet," said Shadow. "I need you. Also, boobs."

"Why don't we go up to my room and talk about this?"

"Yes, that's quite nice, thank you."

In Rouge's bedroom, Shadow and Rouge sat down on the edge of her bed.

"Why?" asked Rouge.

"I've had it," replied Shadow. "I tried to be a good person, but it seems that nobody else can quite understand how to be good."

"But that doesn't mean you can try to break other people's stuff!"

"I know that, but…" Shadow sighed. "Christ, it's so hard to abide by all the evil and injustice in the world nowadays…"

"You know, you have a choice in this: either you can continue being the good person that you are, and then others will follow, or you can let the world's problems drag you down and ruin everybody else's lives."

Shadow crossed his arms. "If it were that easy, we wouldn't be in this hole right now."

Rouge wrapped an arm around Shadow and put her other hand on his shoulder. "Please, don't make me cry! I don't wanna lose you!"

Shadow returned Rouge's gesture. "Don't worry, you won't lose me. I couldn't possibly cast aside the one person who's been like a mother to me ever since we met."

"Is that a promise?"

Shadow nodded. "It is."

"Shaddy!"

Rouge smiled and pulled Shadow into another hug. Externally, he seemed to be his same old self, but on the inside, he couldn't have been more conflicted: the rage that he felt from earlier still coursed through his veins, but he loved holding her, and they continued doing so for quite some time.

"So, would you like to snuggle with me tonight?" asked Rouge.

"That depends. Do I have a choice in the matter?"

Rouge frowned. "Not unless you wanna make me cry!"

"All right…I won't let you down."

"Thanks, darling!"

Later, once Shadow and Rouge had showered and freshened up, they went to her room, although he stopped at his room to grab his journal and pen.

"Still keeping that journal?" said Rouge.

"It helps, so why not?"

"Hey, as long as it helps, I won't stop you! Good night!"

"Good night."

After Rouge fell asleep and snuggled up with him, Shadow wrote another entry in his journal:

"Dear Journal: I've had it. Today, when Rouge, Omega and I were watching the evening news, a story came on about a man acquitted for rape. The newsman said there was a bacterial contaminant in a DNA sample taken from the victim, but I know the truth: the man was acquitted simply because he was a human and the justice system is too spineless to send a human to prison nowadays for fear of causing more riots in Emerald City. Have the police and the courts really become this ineffectual? If that's the case, I'm going to have to teach some punks some manners.

NO REMORSE, NO REPENT,
WE DON'T CARE WHAT IT MEANT.
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER DEATH,
ANOTHER SORROW, ANOTHER BREATH."

After putting his journal and pen down on the nightstand, Shadow attempted to pull himself away from Rouge. However, this was complicated by the fact that she would coo and moan when he moved, so he had to move slowly enough that she wouldn't be exceedingly disturbed. Fortunately, he managed to get out of bed without waking her up, so he put on his socks, shoes and gloves and attempted to tiptoe away from her. Again, he got out of her room with no trouble.

Still moving slowly enough not to disturb Rouge, Shadow went to his room, reached under his pillow and pulled out a Smith & Wesson Model 29. He then opened up the drawer on his nightstand and pulled out five boxes of Federal Premium 225-grain hollow point bullets plus two speedloaders. His next order of business was to go down to the science and electronics laboratory on the first floor, no mean feat because he didn't want to be spotted by Omega. Fortunately, after a quick scan of the foyer, he found no sign of the robot, so he continued tiptoeing until he reached the science and electronics lab.

The science and electronics lab had various pieces of glassware, Bunsen burners and other chemistry apparatus, plus drawers filled with electronic components and work tables with soldering guns. After turning on the lights, Shadow put his revolver and its accoutrements down on one of the work tables and began rifling through the chemical cabinets until he found what he was looking for: a bottle filled with a silvery salt marked "PLUTONIUM CYANIDE". The bottle also had the warning "DANGER: RADIOACTIVE" along with the familiar radiation trefoil. This did nothing to deter him, and he brought the stuff over to the work table with his gun + accessories. Using a tiny lab spoon, he poured as much plutonium cyanide as he feasibly could into the nose of each bullet and then soldered a thin piece of cadmium over each nose to retain the stuff. Having modified all the bullets in such a fashion – including the ones in his gun, which he'd temporarily unloaded for this purpose – he reloaded the gun and filled up the speedloaders he'd brought. His other problem was what to do with the rest of the bullets. For now, he put them in the same cabinet he'd taken the plutonium cyanide from, took his Model 29 + speedloaders and shut the lights off before attempting to tiptoe out one of the back doors of the mansion.

"HALT," said Omega. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING, SHADOW?"

"Don't mind me; I'm just going for a walk outside."

"WHY?"

"I can't sleep. I need some fresh air, OK?"

"DO WHAT YOU MUST. HOWEVER, ROUGE WILL EXPECT YOU FOR BREAKFAST."

"Hmph."

Shadow ran all the way across the Badlands to Emerald City. He could've gone to the West End borough, seeing how it was traditionally a hotspot for crime in an otherwise peaceful city, but he elected to go to the South Terrace borough instead. More precisely, he went to the Kensington Heights neighborhood, one of those that bordered the City Center borough. At this time of the night, there weren't as many disturbances going on, but sirens could still be heard throughout the city. Speaking of sirens, one was approaching rapidly, so he ducked into the closest alley he could find. He needn't have worried, for the siren was really a Federal Signal Model 76 used by Emerald City fire apparatus, this one belonging to a Mack CF engine.

Once the fire engine had passed, Shadow was about to leave the alley when he heard the sound of a lighter being lit. Standing directly across from him was a humanoid animal lighting a cigarette, but he couldn't exactly determine its species in the dark, though he figured the person might be a raccoon because he was fairly sure he could see the typical "raccoon mask" illuminated by the lighter's flame. Regardless, after exchanging a brief glance with the other, he exited the alley and kept walking.

"'Scuse me, man!" said a mysterious male voice.

Shadow stopped walking. "What?"

"You got any money on ya?"

"No." Shadow kept walking.

"That's far enough! Hand it over!"

Shadow paused. "OK…"

Shadow made a motion as if he was reaching for his wallet. However, he spun around to come face-to-face with the raccoon he'd encountered in the alley and fired at him. The raccoon had no time to fire his Colt Detective Special before a .44 Magnum round pierced his heart.

Satisfied that he'd attained his first kill in a while, Shadow returned to Rouge's mansion, put his Model 29 back under the pillow in his room, went to Rouge's room and snuggled with her. True to his word, he felt nothing – not even recoil – for what he'd done.

Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.