"Shaddy, wake up!" Hope shook Shadow.

"Ugh…" Shadow refused to sit upright.

"Come on, Shaddy, let's get breakfast!"

"Why should I?"

"I don't wanna be late for work! Come on, get up!"

"If I get up, do you promise to protect me from those horrible nightmares I've been having?"

Hope hugged Shadow. "I promise!"

Hope and Shadow joined Rouge and Omega for breakfast, which was fried chicken and bacon biscuit sandwiches with pesto scrambled eggs. Once again, Shadow was more interested in poking at his food than actually eating it.

"Shaddy, why are you just poking at your food today?" asked Rouge.

"MY ANALOGIC CIRCUITS INDICATE…"

"Omega, let him answer this one!"

"Because I'm not hungry," said Shadow.

"Don't lie to me!" said Rouge. "You've had my chicken and bacon biscuits before and loved them!"

"What use is love in a world of hate?"

"Shaddy, if you don't take a bite out of anything right now, I'm gonna go over there and feed you like a little baby!"

Shadow sighed. "OK, I'll eat."

"And no sighing!"

Shadow took his sandwich and took as large a bite out of it as he possibly could.

"Oh, and try to chew your food!" said Rouge.

"Hmph."

"Rouge, aren't we being a little harsh on Shadow this morning?" said Hope.

"Why does that matter to you?" said Rouge.

"If you're still angry at him for hitting me, I understand. I don't like it any more than you, but aren't we supposed to have forgiven him?"

Rouge hung her head. "I'm sorry, Hope. Thing is, there was this girl I knew who was often beaten, and after hearing so many other stories of women being victims of domestic violence, it really wears thin."

Hope nodded. "I understand. Personally, I think we'll be all right. You do a really good job of being 'mommy' to your little family here!" She smiled.

"I ECHO THAT SENTIMENT," said Omega.

Rouge smiled. "Oh, you two!"

Once again, Rouge and Hope freshened up and got dressed for another day of work, which they kicked off by hugging Shadow.

"Buh-bye, Shaddy!" said Rouge. "Remember to be on time for your appointment, OK?"

Shadow nodded. "I will."

"Grand! See you later!"

Once Rouge and Hope had left, Shadow went to his room and popped one of Sonic's tapes in his combo player, a tape marked "SAD 70S ROCK VOLUME ONE". With the room filled with the sound of "I'm Still Tryin'" by Missouri, Shadow opened his window and sighed as he looked out upon Rusty Ruin Zone in the distance. Sure, Rouge and Hope had forgiven him for his mistakes, but still, the feelings of sadness didn't seem to want to loosen their grip on him. The only reason he even left his spot was to switch the tape to Side B, which concluded with "Hey You" by Pink Floyd.

Having gotten his feelings out, Shadow decided to go against his better judgment and go down to the firing range. His weapon of choice for this session was an M79 grenade launcher, which he loaded with XM601 low-power practice rounds. These were merely filled with paint. For a target, he chose a special plywood target that depicted the front profile of an IS-4 heavy tank. When the target came down, he took aim and fired, leaving a rather large splatter of blue paint on the target. He reloaded the grenade launcher and fired again, this time leaving an orange splatter on the target. After putting enough paint on the target, he smiled.

(Well, now I understand why art is so relaxing for Sonic,) thought Shadow.

Having had enough fun with the grenade launcher, Shadow put it away, took care of the empty grenade shells, retracted the target and returned to his room. He read some more of On the History of Humans in Mobius before heating up some of the leftover food from the cookout for lunch, which he washed down with the last of the Wild Cherry Pepsi. After lunch, he watched a few more scraper drag racing videos on YouTube until 1:00 PM, at which time he decided to head for his appointment.

Shadow's appointment was at Brookwood Behavioral Health, a rather unassuming brick building in the Brookwood neighborhood in the City Center, located near the West End. According to the paper that Rouge gave him, Mina's office was at Suite 212 on the second floor. The office was fairly typical of a doctor's office, with bluish-green carpeting and white walls. Only a few people were here, including a couple of elderly people and a mother with her child. He ignored them and proceeded to the front desk.

"Can I help you?" asked the receptionist, a purple elephant.

"My name is Shadow the Hedgehog; I have an appointment with Mina at 2:00."

"Shadow…" The receptionist typed on her keyboard, searching for Shadow's appointment. "Ah yes. Do you have your insurance card?"

"I do."

Shadow pulled his Green Cross Green Shield card from his wallet and handed it to the receptionist, who put it through a Veritron reader.

"OK, you're all set." The receptionist handed Shadow's insurance card back to him along with a clipboard and a pen. "Just fill that packet out and hand it back to me when you're done."

Shadow nodded. "Right."

Shadow returned to his seat and began filling out the packet. Aside from his name, date of birth, current residence and other basic information, this packet asked him questions about his habits and mental health, such as whether he smoked, drank or took unauthorized narcotics, whether he'd ever attempted or thought about suicide, and whether he'd ever been hospitalized for psychiatric issues, among other such questions. After filling out the packet as truthfully as he could, he handed it along with the pen and clipboard back to the receptionist.

"Here you go," said Shadow.

"Thank you," said the receptionist. "Mina will be in soon."

Shadow returned to his seat yet again and picked up a magazine that was in Japanese. On the cover was Ellen Baker, a blonde, blue-eyed woman who was the mascot for English-language learning. He thought it was rather peculiar that the artist who'd drawn her had emphasized her bust, but other than that, he gave no other cares and pretended to read the magazine. While not particularly fluent in Japanese, he was able to pick up a few more bits and pieces in spite of the child in the waiting room being rather unruly. Nevertheless, the child and his mother got called into their appointment soon enough, leaving Shadow to concentrate on the magazine. Though still in love with Hope, he didn't mind admiring how beautiful Ms. Baker was.

"Shadow?"

Shadow looked up from the magazine and noticed a young, curvy brunette waiting for him. He put the magazine back on the table where he'd found it, hopped down from his seat and approached her.

"You must be Mina."

"Yes. Please, follow me!"

Shadow followed Mina to her office, which was decorated with random knick-knacks and motivational posters, in addition to the usual university degrees. There was also a small shelf with board games in one corner.

"Please, have a seat!" said Mina.

Shadow sat down on a leather loveseat and kept his stance open, while Mina sat down on a swivel chair at her desk and grabbed a clipboard and pen before turning to face him.

"So, how are you today?" asked Mina.

"Terrible."

Mina started taking notes, trying to keep focus on Shadow as well. "Oh? Why do you feel that way?"

"If I knew where to begin, I could tell you."

"We could start with the reason you're visiting me today, if that's OK."

"Well, if you must know, it's all because of this stupid unrest over the Ferdinand Rozmiarek shooting."

Mina nodded. "Yes, I've had people come in expressing their concerns about it, too. Is there anything in particular about it that's bothering you?"

"You mean aside from the fact that people can't seem to work this out like civilized folks?"

"And that's one of the things that concerns you?"

"There is one other thing…"

"Which is…?"

"One day, I was watching the news with my friend at her mansion when they showed a story about a man who was acquitted for rape. I got angry and threw my friend's TV remote because I thought the man was acquitted merely because he was a human."

"Was he?"

"No, the news report stated that there was a bacterial contaminant in a DNA sample taken from the victim. Before we go on, I just want to remind you that I'm not racist against humans. Hell, my girlfriend is one."

Mina nodded. "It sounds like you're a very accepting person, Shadow."

"Well, a friend of mine – who, I might add, was also human – made me promise to give everyone on this planet a chance to be happy."

"Can you tell me more about this friend of yours?"

"She was the first friend I'd ever made, and she was the granddaughter of my creator."

"Your creator?"

"I should also like to add that I was created as a result of a government experiment."

"Interesting."

"For you, perhaps. For me, it's been the source of much of my torture."

"How so?"

"The military organization known as G.U.N. invaded the space station where we lived and killed the researchers there. Unfortunately, my friend was killed in the crossfire."

"I'm sorry. That must have been very hard on you."

"More than any known words can describe."

"I see. Have you ever tried or considered any bereavement support groups?"

"Rouge – the friend of mine who sent me here – has tried to offer those to me, but I turned her down because I consider meditation to be better therapy."

"Have you practiced meditation for a while?"

"For a few months, yes."

"Does it relax you?"

"With few exceptions, it is very relaxing for me."

"It's nice that you have something to help keep your mind off of your past tragedies. Do you use any other hobbies to help you relax?"

"Several."

"Such as…?"

"I really enjoy listening to music."

"Any specific kind?"

"Usually, I'm into heavy metal – NWOBHM, thrash metal, death metal and black metal, to be precise. However, another friend of mine has gotten me into other genres, including disco."

"How did you get into disco?"

"That friend of mine I mentioned visited Rouge's mansion – where I stay most of the time – and held a party for my girlfriend and I in the ballroom. Somehow, the combination of the music, the lights and being with my girlfriend made disco all the more appealing."

"It certainly sounds like it. May I ask if you have any other hobbies?"

"Rouge's mansion also has a firing range, and I like practicing with my gun collection."

"Do you own a lot of guns?"

"Yes. Did you want to know about any in particular?"

"You don't have to, but you may share that with me."

"Well, since you permitted me to do so, my collection includes everything from throwing knives to anti-tank rocket launchers."

"It sounds like you have quite the collection. Now, I'd also like to know: have you ever thought about killing other people?"

This last question triggered something inside Shadow: his heart rate increased, as did his breathing, and he sweated.

"Shadow, is something wrong?" asked Mina.

"No more games!" Shadow hopped out of his seat. "I've come to confess!"

"Confess what?"

"You know how the police were looking for a vigilante in this city?"

Mina nodded. "Uh-huh."

"I…I'm the vigilante!" Shadow dropped to his knees and clasped his hands together. "I machine-gunned those humans on June Ave, too! I was only trying to clean up the city because I thought the police weren't doing a good enough job in all this unrest, but now I feel like a terrible person! Please, don't call the police on me! PLEASE!"

Shadow bowed his head and tried to hold back his tears.

"Shadow…"

"What?"

Mina knelt down and put a hand on Shadow's shoulder.

"As your therapist, you and I are bound by a strict confidentiality agreement," said Mina. "That means unless you prove to me that you're actually in danger of doing something like that again, I am forbidden from talking to the police."

Shadow opened an eye. "S-so…you're not going to have me arrested?"

"Based on what you've told me in addition to your general demeanor, it seems like you feel very bad about what you've done, and you don't seem to have much of a desire to keep doing it, so no, I won't turn you in."

"Oh, thank you! THANK YOU!"

Shadow hugged Mina's leg, but shortly thereafter, loosened his grip.

"Um…I'm sorry if I did something wrong here…" said Shadow.

"No, you didn't," said Mina. "Certain therapists have rules about that in their list of boundaries, but with me, it's OK."

"Well, thank you, then."

Shadow let go of Mina's leg, and they returned to their respective seats.

"Moving on," said Mina, "it sounds like law and order is very important to you."

Shadow wiped some tears from his eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I don't like the police any more than the average citizen, nor am I particularly a fan of police brutality. However, I understand that the police play a valuable role in society, and as long as they're there to keep law and order, I'll gladly pay taxes to fund them and let them take care of things when I'm not around. I just don't approve of people screwing things up because some officer or another shot an unarmed person for reaching for their glove compartment too fast."

"And it's OK to believe whatever you want about the police. However, they have a large caseload to deal with, and while wanting to do the job yourself is understandable, it'll only make things worse for them and society at large."

Shadow crossed his arms. "Look, I don't want to overburden the system any more than it already is, but if people are going to act like a bunch of uncivilized assholes over one incident, then something has to be done, right?"

"Shadow, have you ever considered more peaceful methods?"

"Such as…?"

"Well, one thing that people do when they want to achieve meaningful change is start a petition."

"And how can I do that?"

"There's a website called Change dot org that allows you to create your own petition. You can share the link with others after you create it."

Shadow uncrossed his arms. "It should be easy enough to remember, but please write it down in case I forget."

"Sure!"

Mina grabbed a pad of sticky notes, wrote the website on one and handed it to Shadow.

"Thank you." Shadow stored the note in one of the spines on the back of his head. "Any other pearls of wisdom?"

"If you wanted to, you could also donate money to organizations such as Human Lives Matter."

Shadow thrust his index finger at Mina. "If you think that I'm even going to think about donating to them, you're out of your goddamn gourd!"

Mina pointed her palm at Shadow. "Shadow, it's OK! It was only a suggestion."

Shadow lowered his finger. "Sorry. Don't get me wrong, I do believe that human lives matter. However, I believe that the organization itself is no more than a kinder, gentler version of the Human Liberation Front. I'm not saying that to be offensive; I'm just calling it as I see it."

"I can understand if you're not a fan of Human Lives Matter, although I would like to remind you that people could take your remarks about them as offensive."

"Then that's a risk I'm willing to take, because quite frankly, I'm not on this planet for the popularity; I'm just here to make sure that you and everyone else can live your lives the way you want to while also respecting the values of Liberty, Integrity, Fairness and Excellence."

Mina nodded. "I see. At this point, we're out of time, so if you'd like, we can schedule another session in another two weeks."

Shadow smiled. "Yes, please do."

"OK, just inform the receptionist on your way out. Also, if you so desire, I can set up an appointment with one of our psychiatrists if you feel that medication would help."

"That won't be necessary, but thanks. Before we go, I have just one more request."

"Yes?"

"Please, scratch me in front of my ear."

"OK…"

Mina did so for a little bit, causing Shadow to purr.

"Thanks!" said Shadow. "And thank you again for agreeing not to turn me in to the police, and thank you for not treating me like an ignorant racist for my unconventional viewpoints."

Mina smiled. "You're welcome! Have a nice day, Shadow!"

"You too!"

Shadow exited the office and went to see the receptionist.

"You saw Mina today, yes?" said the receptionist.

Shadow nodded. "Yes."

"Did you wish to schedule another appointment with her?"

"She did say we could schedule another session in two weeks."

"Two weeks…" The receptionist searched the database for what was available. "We have an opening for June 10 at 1:30 PM. Is that OK?"

Shadow nodded. "That will be fine."

"OK…" The receptionist punched in an appointment for Shadow. "You're all set. Would you like an appointment card?"

"Yes, please."

The receptionist took out a business card-sized card and wrote down Shadow's name, Mina's name, the date and time. She then handed the card to Shadow.

"Thank you," said Shadow. "Have a nice day."

"You too."

Shadow exited Brookwood Behavioral Health while humming "Caught In a Mosh".

"I've been looking for you, Shadow!"

Shadow turned around to see Silver standing behind him, frowning.

"And…?" said Shadow.

Silver pointed at Shadow. "And I'm here to warn you that your actions have condemned us all!"

Shadow crossed his arms. "And what actions would those be, you whiny little punk?"

"Don't play ignorant with me! I've checked whatever newspapers and police records I could get my hands on, and I know what you did!"

"Then enlighten me: what did I do?"

"Shadow, I know you're the vigilante the police are looking for!"

"So what? A bunch of those people got what they deserved anyways."

Silver gasped. "Listen to yourself! That's exactly the kind of attitude that got the future destroyed!"

"Look, quit dancing around and give me an honest answer: why was the future destroyed?"

"Surely, you've heard rumors about right-wing death squads in this city, right?"

Shadow nodded. "What about them?"

"Because of your vigilante campaign, these death squads were emboldened in their efforts to destroy all humans in Mobius! This concerns Hope, too!"

Shadow put his fists up. "You've got ten seconds to tell me why you're dragging my girlfriend into this before I drop you, bitch."

"Shadow, Hope would've been chosen as an official peace ambassador for the Kingdom when she got older! Because the death squads will eventually succeed in killing every human, her future won't happen!"

Shadow lowered his fists. "OK, but is that all?"

"Not only that, but when they see this country in turmoil, the Roseinian Empire will end up invading, and when they do, the Federal Republic of Columbia will invade them, which will trigger a nuclear war! The whole future will be GONE!"

Shadow sighed. "Look, I stopped my vigilante ways because of what happened at June Ave and all the nightmares resulting from it. I believe everything you've said to me, and I promise I'll make things right, but on one condition…"

"Which is…?"

"We're going to do this MY WAY. Do you understand?"

Silver nodded. "All right, I have faith in you. Just don't fail us, OK?"

"I won't. And before you go, I'd like to say something to you…"

"What?"

"I know we're not the best of friends, and I realize relations between us haven't always been perfect, but I've changed since Soleanna. If you ever get lonely, depressed or anything like that, you can come talk to me. I promise I'll listen."

Silver raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

Shadow nodded. "Yes. You and your happiness mean a lot to me."

Silver's lower lip trembled. Unable to take the kindness anymore, he cried.

"It's OK to cry, Silver," said Shadow. "I'm right here."

Shadow hugged Silver, and he returned the gesture. Neither one particularly cared about what random onlookers thought. All that mattered was that they were there to comfort each other. In their moment of tenderness, both parties failed to notice a Pewter Silver Chevy Biscayne parked across the street from them.

"Well, what do we have here?" said Stauerbach.

"That's Shadow the Hedgehog," said Moroder. "I don't recognize the other hedgehog, though."

Stauerbach stroked his chin. "Shadow the Hedgehog, huh?"

"Yeah, the lab told us that the quill we found belonged to him."

"What else do ya got on him?"

"I talked with a friend who works at G.U.N. Turns out Shadow was artificially created on the Space Colony ARK by a scientist named Gerald Robotnik, grandfather of the infamous Ivo Robotnik. About a week after his creation, a G.U.N. strike team acting under the orders of Columbian President George Fairlight stormed the ARK, evacuated civilians and killed most of the scientists. Gerald's granddaughter Maria was killed in the crossfire as well. As for Shadow and Gerald, both of them made it back to this planet and were taken to Prison Island. Gerald was later executed, while Shadow was placed in suspended animation for 50 years before being released by Ivo. Shadow was also responsible for a string of crimes that resulted in the accidental incarceration of Sonic the Hedgehog. G.U.N.'s records also indicate that Shadow took part in the Black Comet incident and even joined the organization for an operation in Soleanna, but he left for unknown reasons and hasn't been heard from since."

Stauerbach nodded. "Well, with a past like that, I wouldn't doubt that he'd gun down random people in Emerald City."

"What do we do next, Sarge?"

"Let's go have a…hey…what the hell!?"

"What's wrong?"

Stauerbach pointed his hand where Shadow had been. "Did ya not see him disappear into thin air?"

"I think what you just saw is what my friend and his colleagues would call 'Chaos Control'. It allows Shadow to manipulate time and space to create the illusion of teleportation."

"Well, whatever it is, find out where he lives! I wanna talk to this guy!"

"We tried searching that, but his records didn't have any information on that."

"But doesn't he have any associates? Maybe he stays with one of 'em!"

Moroder nodded. "His records did mention this one associate of his…"

"Who?"

"There's a G.U.N. agent by the name of Rouge the Bat. My friend had her pegged at the old Cruikshank Mansion in the western part of the country, near Rusty Ruin Zone."

"Well, let's get back to the house, then. If we can score a warrant, I might just wanna have a little word with Miss Rouge."

Stauerbach started the car and drove off.

Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.