Good news! We broke the pattern!

Bad news: … well, I'm sure there is some, I just can't think of it at the moment. (Bad news on a completely different subject: anyone else watch Star Wars Rebels? If so, you understand my pain right now. Jacen? Seriously? You had to go there. Also: time travel. Just… WHY?)

And HOLY CHAOS, that is a lot of reviews…

Um, just bear with me, 'kay? My responses are going to be short as possible because of how much I got to answer.

StarlightSparks: Thanks!

MelGamingPlays: I actually like history, but yeah. It was a little… borish. Sorry 'bout that.

Autumn: Thanks! I don't have dogs, but I have chickens… they are a little crazy.

NeckBreak: SPLENDID. That is my new favorite word.

SharpDragonKlaw: Well, we'll just have to see if your suspicions are correct. I love speculation!

Megaman07: …..I have no comment that doesn't involve spoilers so…. Thanks for reviewing!

Hawkfeather: Again. I LOVE the physical reviews. They make me happy. Man, if I am ever sad I'm just going to go read all of your reviews. Thanks. *calls Zonic* Hey, I need you to go grap Beta Sonic and Manic from one of our crazy reviewers. We kind of need them… No, I don't have an exact location, just look for a lot of blips from the universe… Well, you're the Zone cop! You figure it out!

ultimateCCC: Actually… *checks outline* Okay, so we will get to that. Eventually. It might be a little bit.

tailsBOOM1992: Gee, I may have to start putting a limit on the number of reviews you can leave… I count eight since last update. Calm down, we haven't died. I promise. Also… I just can't stop facepalming at that first bad Sonic joke. WHY DOES THAT EXIST? I… can't even right now. No, we will not have the Chaotics show up again, and Tails will have a love interest… kinda. More of a crush than anything.

Zosonils: Eh. I'm trying to find a fic where Steve is the Winter Soldier and Bucky is Captain America. All I can find is slash *gags*. So fanfiction is one of those things that you're positive it exists, you just can't find it. And hey! I like your reviews, positive or bad. Hey! We did good exposition! Yay! (we haven't had an exposition chapter like that since Miles from Home). Wow… this story is depressing. I never thought of it like that. Starts out super fluffy… then it ends *spoiler alert*. Keep up your own balance between life and fanfic! Hoping to hear your opinion!

Faso: If we are worse at pacing than Batman v. Superman then I am going to go bang my head against a wall. So check that off the list of 'What this story should not be'. I am glad everyone understood the backstory because Halo didn't. I had to explain it at least five times before she could see the whole picture. Yay! Good character development!

That Speedhunter: I will be honest- I thought the first review was a little abrupt. Then I saw the second one and burst out laughing. I would totally do that. You know, we don't have a wall. But we do have a twelve page outline on a Google Doc plus our brains- and to be honest as we were writing it we were looking things up on the Sonic wiki, cross checking with the video games, and double checking with the tv shows. So yeah, it was a lot of work, but a lot of fun. You know, that isn't a bad idea and Halo and I have something planned that is similar to that, but not quite right. Also, I think that would be pulling a little too close to Captain America: Civil War. And that is the last thing these guys need to deal with. How did that programming project go (I just took a semester of programming so I understand your pain). Now to the third review (gee, what happened to short responses me?): I get a cookie! And I honestly have no idea what I just read…. I got gangster rapping and Robotnik. Whatever. I get a cookie! Fourth review: That works. And yeah, that would probably not be good. And if you hadn't put L8r, I would have been saddened.

MeowthKitty: Thanks!

*gasps* CHAOS! Good thing I'm home sick today. Otherwise my brain would be dead at school.

Okay, let's get this story rolling.

Sonia's POV:

I was used to having strange dreams. I had them all the time with my unusual time visions (which for the past who knew how long had been so blurry and chaotic that I couldn't make heads or tails of anything that Chaos was trying to tell me). But this… this was different.

With everything that had happened over the past few days, I found the best place to sort out my thoughts, or just find some quiet, was Shadow's hospital room. Not the most comfortable place in the world, but it was quiet and usually empty because no one liked to be in there.

Something told me I was supposed to be avoiding it too, but since when did I listen to social warning cues?

Which is why after General Tower's very depressing meeting and Knuckles life story, I needed to clear my head.

Shadow looked… well, it was a little hard to tell under all of the bandages and tubes. It was kind of freaky at first, but I guess I got used to it. I either stared out the window, or looked at the floor, or watched the machine pulse up and down. It was steady and soft so I suppose it wasn't a big surprise when I fell asleep in the visitor's chair.

I didn't even realize I was dreaming at first. I was still sitting in a chair and I was still staring at a machine, but it was like everything melded into a new image, a new plane of reality.

The hospital room morphed into something much larger than before; I was sitting in a hard plastic chair that was off on the side, and instead of Shadow's bed, there was some sort of capsule attached to the wall. The machines were still beeping and making noises, but they didn't seem to be connected to anything or anyone. The walls and floor were plain gray, but the wall to my right was a large window, shielded by the glare of an unknown light source.

I got to my feet and wandered over to the window, finding myself looking down at the planet's surface, hundreds of miles above ocean and land. That was when I figured out that I was dreaming.

"Care for a game?"

I whipped around and found myself face to face with Shadow. He sat serenely in front of a small card table, staring intently at a chess board.

I rushed over to the table. "Shadow! Are you okay? I thought you were in a coma! Everyone's so worried, they-"

Shadow held up a finger, silencing me before I could finish. He motioned to the chair on the other side of the board; I hesitated at first, but sat down.

"You move first," he said simply, crossing his arms. Sure enough, my pieces were white. I gave him an inquisitive look, but moved a pawn two spaces forward. He selected a knight, jumping it ahead to the third row of squares.

After a bit, I began to relax; it had been a long time since I had played chess, and back then, my only opponent was Uncle Chuck. Shadow and I played in amiable silence. Shadow played chess differently than my Uncle. Uncle Chuck just barged ahead with little to no planning, but somehow won… or at least that's what I thought. Maybe he just played the game so many times that he had what he wanted to do memorized. Not Shadow. He carefully evaluated the board before moving a piece to his chosen square. It made me slow down and check each piece three times.

After what seemed to be hours, I spoke up, "What is this place?"

"The ARK."

Well, that cleared up everything. "Where is this... 'ARK'?"

"Have you not looked out the window?" he answered without hesitation.

My eyes widened. "So… we're in space?"

Shadow moved a rook across the board, capturing one of my bishops. "No."

I put my elbows on the table and rested my head in my hands, leaning forward slightly. "Well, you're just straight to the point, aren't ya?" I muttered, scowling slightly.

Shadow did not respond to the comment, choosing to motion at the board instead. I sighed and examined the pieces for several minutes before moving my knight across the board.

"So if we are not in space," I began slowly, "Where are we?"

"My memories."

I held up my hands in timeout. "Look, I'm the psychic, not the mind reader. Why didn't you mention that first? Besides, how am I supposed to be in your memories if I'm the one dreaming?"

Shadow nodded, remaining silent for a moment as he moved a pawn forward. "That… is a fair point. But we are not in your mind."

For a moment, I didn't understand- until it suddenly clicked. "I'm in your head?"

Shadow nodded, moving one of his pawns forward.

"How?"

He paused, lacing his fingers together before pressing them to his mouth in thought. "That is a reasonable question."

Oh, and the other questions weren't? I raised an eyebrow but didn't comment, instead turning my attention to the board while he explained.

"As the Ultimate Lifeform, I possess many Chaotic abilities, some I am not even aware of. So it stands to reason that I possess similar abilities to your brother and yourself."

"So... mind tricks?"

"In simple terms, yes."

I moved my queen forward, taking a knight. Shadow examined the move before capturing one of my pawns.

"Did you do this on purpose?" I asked abruptly.

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Bring you into my mind? No. I suspect that a Chaos Emerald is in the vicinity, most likely being used to advance my healing progress. And with the Chaos field currently…out of alignment, accidents are bound to happen."

I suddenly felt very intrusive. "Oh. Do you, um… do you want me to leave?" even though I didn't have the slightest idea how that would even happen.

Shadow didn't respond at first, but after a moment's silence, he spoke. "It is your move."

I flicked my eyes down and tried to remember where I planned to go next. After a minute or so, I determined it had been my rook and moved it accordingly. The next five moves were done in silence, the only sound being wood on wood.

"Check."

I looked down and frowned before moving my King to safety. "So…"

Shadow looked up, his expression blank. "Yes?"

"Do you know what happened to you?"

His eyes narrowed slightly and I could practically see the annoyance coming off him in waves. He didn't verbally speak but I got the message, 'I was there. Of course I know what happened.'

"I mean, do you know how bad it looks?" I said hurriedly.

Shadow relaxed slightly. But only slightly. "I remember falling unconscious after a particularly hard roundhouse kick to the head."

I winced. "Ouch."

"Understatement."

I sighed. "Do you… um… do you want to know what happened? I mean, after you blacked out?" He shrugged indifferently; I took that as a yes. "You suffered multiple major concussions, almost every bone in your body is broken, you lost almost forty percent of your blood, and it looks like your body has been wrapped in a literal cocoon of bandages. There's also an unknown infection in your bloodstream."

Shadow paused, moved another piece, then looked up at me, "I assure you, I am very much alive. My body is slowly repairing itself with help from Chaos energy."

"Makes sense." I moved my rook and took another pawn.

We played in silence again before Shadow spoke up. "How is the situation with Dark?"

I looked up, unable to hide my surprise, "You know about Dark? How?"

"I do not know who he is, but whatever was inside Sonic was not the hedgehog. That much was clear. He introduced himself as Dark."

I gave the quick explanation from Tikal, then filled him in on the worries of the team for Sonic's life. "Knuckles thinks he's beyond saving and General Towers is pretty much useless, but everyone else is determined to try."

Shadow growled, "Idiots."

I glared. "And I'm guessing you think Sonic is gone too?"

"I accept facts," he said, his tone hard and indifferent. "And based upon what you have told me, then I agree with the Guardian. Sonic is beyond our help."

I looked away, staring at a dent in the floor. "...What do you think we should do?"

Shadow didn't answer, placing me in check again. I maneuvered a piece to protect the King. He began to contemplate his next move. The question was sudden and seemingly out of nowhere. "How is your brother?"

I frowned. "You know how Sonic is-"

"Your other brother."

"Manic?"

Shadow gave me another annoyed look. 'No, the brother who doesn't exist. Yes, Manic!'

I blushed before hurriedly answering the question. "He's… well, he's Manic."

"Has he been acting... strange?"

"Again: he's Manic. When is he not strange?"

Shadow looked up at the ceiling, annoyed. He opened his mouth to speak when suddenly, the room jolted sideways. I fell out of the chair and to the ground, startled.

"What in Chaos was that?" I looked up and to my surprise found Shadow was still in his chair. He looked down at me, his expression unreadable.

"I believe you are waking up." He looked back at the board, avoiding eye contact. "Give my regards to the General."

The room lurched again and I almost screamed.

My eyes flew open and I bit back another scream. A nurse had her hand on my shoulder and had been gently shaking me. She apologized, explaining that visiting hours were over. Did GUN even have visiting hours? I grabbed my purse and slung it over my shoulder, looking back at the comatose hedgehog. The machines were still beeping as if nothing had changed, and that was technically true.

I left without bothering to look back.

At this point, I knew I should start watching where I was going, but I had always just avoided everyone.

Everyone but Knuckles.

When I came out of the hospital doors I immediately rammed into the echidna. On the bright side, neither of us fell on the ground and I didn't drop my purse.

"Hey," he rubbed the back of his neck. "And sorry. Again."

I looked up, letting a smile slip. "It's my fault. I need to pay more attention." I felt my smile slide off my face, changing to an expression of worry. "What are you still doing here?" I had thought everyone had headed out to play their part in Manic's plan to catch Robotnik. I had to hand it to my brother; he did have his moments.

Knuckles shrugged. "I decided to do my workout in the training center instead of the backyard. Best to leave Tails his peace and quiet when he's tinkering. Otherwise he gets a little… snippy."

I laughed. "Sounds like a good idea."

"Um…" Knuckles shuffled awkwardly, "Do you wanna walk home together?"

I froze. "I… uh… well, I brought my bike here so…"

Knuckles face fell slightly, "Right. Sorry."

"...I could give you a lift?"

Knuckles raised an eyebrow, "No daredevil tricks?"

I rolled my eyes, letting slip a small laugh. "No, of course not. I remember that experience all too well." We started walking over to where my bike was, wrapped in our own thoughts.

"So…" Knuckles started, clearing his throat, "How's Shadow?"

"No changes. At least the doctors are keeping him alive." I thought about bringing up the dream, but decided against it. No need to add another mystery to Knuckles, who was already dealing with the pressure of leading the team in the charge against Dark and Robotnik. "Think he'll wake up?" At this point I had no doubts that Shadow would eventually recover. I was just curious and in the mood for small talk.

Knuckles nodded slowly, "Eventually. He's fallen from space twice. He'll recover from this."

I raised an eyebrow but made no comment. Things had been so weird lately that there wasn't much I bothered to question anymore. Once we had made it over to my bike, I reached in the back to pull out two helmets, handing him one and strapping the other over my head (despite how pointless it was to me. I never crashed).

I swung my leg over the bike, turning around to face Knuckles. "Hop on!"

He did, but very hesitantly, I noticed. I laughed aloud, but didn't comment on how tight his grip was around my waist. It got even tighter when I turned the engine on and pulled away from the curb, but after a few minutes he relaxed. No tricks or stunts- I didn't feel like it anyway.

A few minutes later we pulled up in front of Amy's house. I could see the lights on in the back workshop next door which was probably Manic and Tails messing around with metal.

"So, you're staying with Vanilla now?"

I shrugged, "Manic and I were getting sick of the van and I did not want to live with the two boys. Amy asked Vanilla and they were more than willing to let me stay in their guest room."

I pulled off my helmet and put it away, feeling slow and heavy. I hesitated. The question came out slowly and I almost had to force it out. "...How did it come to this?"

"What do you mean?" Knuckles crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

I sighed, "Knuckles, my entire life I thought Maurice was dead. If I had just turned on the news or… or even read a stupid gossip magazine, this whole thing could have been avoided!"

Knuckles didn't answer for a moment, "Maybe…" he started. "But maybe not. Based on what Tikal told us, it sounded like Dark was going to break out at some point. Your family wasn't exactly guarding the emerald or keeping the energy contained. It would have broke eventually, and then we'd be in the same exact situation."

I looked at him, my eyes slightly narrowed, "Are you trying to tell me that all of our choices- our entire lives- were leading to this moment? Like… destiny or some junk like that?"

Knuckles scratched the back of his neck, "Well, it sounds kind of lame when you say it like that, but... yeah." He motioned towards the workshop lights, "Think about it: even if Manic hadn't run away, you still would have left your hometown. Maybe it would have been later, but you would have left eventually. Right?"

I nodded.

"So you and Manic would have probably ended up here, because honestly, Manic would go with you to the ends of the earth. Sooner or later, Robotnik would have attacked the city, and you would have been caught in it. You two still would have fought with your powers and we still would have met. Sonic might have been there, or Dark might have broken free already. Yeah, things would have changed, but we would have ended up here. Probably. I think."

I smiled, "Since when did you get so insightful?"

Knuckles laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head and shifting his gaze downwards. "I… I dunno," he muttered. "I get a lot of time to think, up there on the island. I just… don't say it out loud very often."

I could feel the grin spreading over my features. Before I could process what I was doing, my fingers were clasped over his knuckle claws; he looked up at me, confused, but with the smallest hint of a smile teasing at his lips.

"I've missed you," he said, so softly I almost couldn't hear.

"...Me too."

It took a moment before I realized what was happening. Suddenly, his lips were on mine, mine were on his. I could hear his heartbeat and thought mine would thump right out of my chest.

I couldn't remember the last time I felt this kind of happiness.

Rouge's POV:

I couldn't remember the last time I had felt this kind of rage.

I come over to Amy's for five minutes to pick up the jacket I'd left there, and instead I get to look at my (admittedly fake) boyfriend and his former gal pal making out on the front porch. Him lying to my face and sneaking off to take her to lunch was one thing. This… this was taking it to a whole other level.

And at this point, I was ready for it to be Game Over.

"Hey Rouge!" called Amy, popping her head out of the kitchen. "I found your jacket, it was over by the- what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Everything's fine."

She raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you look like you're ready to murder someone?"

I glared at her, and she stepped back a few paces- just enough to see out the window at Knuckles and Sonia, who were still kissing… crap.

She began to squeal. "Oh my gosh!" she beamed, grinning from ear to ear. "That is so cute! I knew those two would get together, they're so perfect, they-" She stopped suddenly, looking mortified. "Oh Rouge, I'm so sorry, I-"

I held up my hand to shut her up. Not what I needed right now. I took a deep breath before plastering an entirely fake smile on my face.

"Amy, be a dear and go grab me a cup of tea?" I asked sweetly- Amy didn't even hesitate to take the ticket out of the room. I pulled the curtains shut and sat down on the couch, drumming my fingernails on my knee as my mind ran through the options.

One: Pretend I saw nothing and act like nothing had changed. Sonia would hate it, and I loved seeing her squirm. But… the problem was, Knuckles also hated it, and the charade was straining our already delicate relationship. And at the moment, the last thing we needed was the two of us trying to rip the other's throat out.

Two: Let it go. Let our fake romance just sputter out on its own, don't do anything and watch as whatever happens happens. That would definitely be the easiest solution and would save everyone a lot of stress. But it would also mean I threw in the towel on this whole thing. Not exactly my style.

Three: Play the angry girlfriend card. Call Knuckles a cheater and a snake and several other things- I'd need to make sure that Cream was out of the house before that conversation even started. Sonia and I would probably end up in a yelling match, and Knuckles would most likely join in and 'break-up' with me. And no one 'breaks-up' with me.

I don't think a lot of people realized this, but I did like Knuckles. Call me a flirt, but Knuckles had a special spot in my heart. Or at least he had.

Ever since this whole 'fake dating' thing had started, I'd begun to realize a few things. First, the boy was obviously still in love with his ex and I was just his rebound. Second, Knuckles only saw me as a jewel-hungry thief who couldn't be trusted- he's not entirely wrong on that count, but there's a little more to me than just jewels. Finally, he's not my type.

The last one took a while to accept.

It was time to end this little 'game'. I was done.

The door opened and Sonia walked in with this ridiculous grin on her face. What a nitwit. I quickly wiped it off by giving her a little wave and sweet smile. Knuckles walked in right behind her and was much better at keeping a straight face, even though it was obvious that he wished I was anywhere but there.

"Rouge. What are you doing here?" he asked tentatively.

I examined my nails, smiling serenely. "I left a jacket here and came to pick it up. But there is something else I've been meaning to do." I smiled at Sonia, "Hon, why don't you go help Amy in the kitchen, mmkay?"

Sonia looked between the two of us before slowly walking away. I smirked, turning to Knuckles.

"Sit down," I pointed at a seat across from me. Knuckles raised an eyebrow, but sat down anyway.

We sat in a cold silence for a few moments before Knuckles opened his mouth to speak, "Look, Rouge, I-"

"Don't." I held up a hand, stopping him mid-sentence. "I need to tell you something first. I've been thinking about this for a long time now and… I think we need to break up."

In the kitchen something shattered, confirming my suspicions that Sonia was listening in on the conversation. Good.

"You know I'm not one to sugarcoat things, so I won't. The truth is, it's not me, it's you." I sighed, maintaining a light, casual tone. I could've been talking about the weather. "Our time together has been... less than ideal. You're sweet, but not my type." I squeezed his hand, "I hope we can still be… friends." That word felt so wrong in my mouth; I almost gagged.

Sonia poked her head in, "Um… tea's ready." she said, biting her lip before quickly ducking behind the door. I wasn't an idiot- I could see her peeking through the crack of the door. Amy was probably right behind her, trying to listen to the rest of the conversation.

I smelled an opportunity.

"Don't forget about me, Knuckles," I said, my voice low. Slowly, I leaned in closer and our lips touched; I let it last, savoring it one last time. He might not be my type, but he was still an excellent kisser… who wasn't kissing back. Figures. After a few long seconds, I pulled away, my cheeks burning. Chaos, what was I doing? "No hard feelings, then?"

"Uh…" he stuttered, looking thoroughly confused.

"Great!" I stood up and snatched up my jacket, hurriedly walking to the door, "I have to go check on Shadow at GUN, so I'll see you people later, 'kay?" I rushed outside and slammed the door behind me, leaning back and looking to the night sky.

Sweet Chaos… what was the matter with me? I only kissed him to get under Sonia's skin. It wasn't like me to get all flustered like that.

Ugh… tonight had been an absolute mess. I needed to fly. Maybe I could take the long route to the hospital-

"Ooof!"

Suddenly, I was on the ground and slightly dazed from my fall. I cursed several times under my breath; Whoever had had the misfortune of crashing into me was gonna get piece of my mind-

"Uh… need a hand?"

My ears perked at the familiar voice; Sure enough, the pair of bright blue eyes and sheepish grin I knew all too well stared down at me, extending a hand. I narrowed my eyes, but tentatively took the hand.

"Heh, sorry 'bout that," he stammered, drumming his fingers on the side of his leg. "Wasn't lookin' where I was going. I'm heading over to Amy's house to hang out with Sonia and I think Cream made cookies, and…" Manic's nervous smile melted into a look of concern, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," I said quietly, looking away. Maybe if we didn't make eye contact, he wouldn't be able to read my mind…

"You don't look okay," he said inquisitively, tilting his head. He shrugged, "But hey, whatever you say. Where're you headed?"

"...Hospital," I mumbled, dusting myself off.

"Shadow?"

"Who else?"

"Fair enough," he replied. "Wait a sec… ain't visiting hours over by now?"

I smirked. "Your point?"

His face split into a grin. "Now you're speakin' my language." He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and began walking down the sidewalk to Amy's house. "Break a leg," he said with a friendly nod.

I hesitantly returned the gesture and was about to spread my wings when a thought came to me. "Wait!"

Manic stopped and turned around, looking surprised. "Yeah?"

"Why…" I faltered, carefully choosing my words. "Why are you acting so… normal? Every other time we've talked, you've done nothing but act like a creepy flirt. What's your deal?"

He looked slightly taken aback. "Uh… do you want me to start flirting with you again?"

"Just answer the question."

"Well, um…" he said, looking determinedly down at his feet. "Look, when I said that I'd back off, I meant it. I get it, okay? You ain't interested in me. Not hard to believe. But I ain't gonna try and push it anymore." His expression suddenly shifted to a look of annoyance and anxiety. "Cuz in spite of popular belief, I ain't some jerkface prick who only cares about himself."

I had the feeling that last bit wasn't directed at me.

I dropped my purse next to the visitor's chair and plopped down in it, groaning and closing my eyes. Shadow was still in his coma, but most of the cuts and bruises had faded… or at least that's what I was told. It was still hard to see him under the casts and bandages.

The doctors had told me that his body had been slowly healing itself at a rate much faster than it would for most- but it was still too slow in my mind. I could remember times where Shadow had taken a bullet and was walking around a few hours later (against the doctor's orders, but what else would you expect?). This was taking a lot longer and I wasn't sure I wanted to know the reason.

It hurt, seeing Shadow like this. He was supposed to indestructible- the ultimate lifeform. Him being comatose and stuck in the ICU should never have even been a possibility.

I sighed, looking around at the bare hospital walls. Not exactly a place that inspired much hope. I remembered vividly my first visit here as a patient and felt the barest hint of a smile creep onto my face.

It had been what, a year ago? Maybe two... I had been hit in the head by the butt of an enemy soldier's gun while acting as a bodyguard for GUN's Soleanna diplomat. Everything was a bit of a haze after that…

I woke up a few hours later in a stark white hospital room, with Shadow sitting beside me, staring intently at the wall. My head burned with pain and I let out an involuntary groan; Shadow's eyes flicked over to me, and for a moment I could've sworn I saw a twinge of relief in them.

"You… are awake," he commented, as if surprised.

I smirked. "Thanks, genius, I hadn't noticed."

Shadow didn't even crack a smile, but stared at me with an expression I couldn't read. Finally, he let out a breath, closing his eyes in exasperation.

"This incident was your fault, Rouge- not mine." he said, his tone hard. "Your technique was amatuer at best. I highly suggest that you invest some extra hours of practice before our next mission- you may not be so lucky next time." He turned away, refusing to look me in the eye.

I felt my temper flare and wanted to shoot back with some biting remark about his technique, but my head hurt too much for me to think of anything, much less voice it.

Shadow stood up, pausing for a moment, then shook his head as if abandoning his thought. Without a word, he walked out of the room, not bothering to look behind.

I wanted to say something, but my pounding forehead and all-too heavy eyelids wouldn't let me. Maybe if I just closed them for a minute…

I opened my eyes and glanced up at the clock, doing a double-take; it was nearly two in the morning. Chaos, how long had been out? I had to get going before some nosy candy striper caught me here after hours.

I looked down at the red and black hedgehog one last time, my voice low and hushed, almost inaudible. I smirked grimly, a twinge of sadness stinging in my chest.

"This was your fault. Not mine."

Can I just say that I really like the Sonia Shadow friendship thing. Like, honestly- why is there not more interaction between these two? I really like it.

So this chapter kinda revolved around Shadow- we started with him then ended with him. Kind of weird since he is in a coma, but whatever. This story is already classified as 'weird'.

So this time I have a question for y'all to answer in the reviews- albeit I will not be responding to any of them.

So many of you have speculated in the reviews that not everyone is not coming out alive. Let's just assume that 'yes' someone is going to die- (I AIN'T SAYIN' THAT IS GONNA HAPPEN SO DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING)- so here is my question:

Who do you think is going to bite the dust?

Love to see your ideas or speculations. (and maybe I'll make a graph to figure out which character everyone thinks is going to die or something)

Until next time!