I have no excuse. Whatsoever. (Unless people count me not having a computer for two weeks as an excuse, and typing on your phone is not fun.) And I've been having to focus on my art full-time for the past month, which doesn't leave much time for typing. Sorry, my dudes.

So reviews and then let's move to the story.

Megaman07: Well, it kind of is a spoiler...ish? Basically, a collection of small adventures. It would bot be as big as this story, not would it have an overarching story plot. Just some one shots, some two shots, and some short arcs.

StarlightSparks: It would be fun adventures with some angst, but nothing DARK bad.

Guest #1: Yeah, that is pretty much what the sequel would be. Family getting used to… family? I mean, it makes sense as they were all apart for years.

MelGamingPlays: Shadow is back! Hooray! And to be honest, still can't believe that I am a grad…

CrazyWil71: Glad you are looking forward to it. Relationships will be developed a little more in the sequel, which includes friendships, aquanticeships, and just ship ships. Shadow with an Overlander… no, I wouldn't. Actually, Halo and I do have a major story arc with Shadow planned, but I think it may be detached from the sequel.

Faso: Hi Bill! Oh, and Faso. (; Just kidding, glad you enjoyed the chapter. That was a strangely specific anniversary… but hey, the title has the words "Long road" so…. Yeah. Thanks for the feedback!

Hawkfeather: Well, SCRAP. I am gonna go hide while you and Havoc (and Halo) blow things up. …Are you done? Good. *reads review twelve times* I just love this and want to answer all the comments! But a lot of them get answered this chapter so I have to keep my mouth shut. *pouts*

SharpDragonKlaw: Aw… thanks! *adds tally to "yes" category*

Guest #2: So Avengers AU Sonic style as discussed between Halo and I- Iron Man is Tails, Cap is Sonic, Bucky is Shadow (okay, that one takes some explaining, but I love the idea of it), Widow is Rouge, Thor is Amy (they both have a hammer and literally there is no one else to take that spot), Knuckles is Hulk, Scarlet Witch is Sonia, Quicksilver is Manic, Uncle Chuck is Nick Fury, Pepper is Cream, Peggy is Sally, Loki is Scourge, and… that is all we planned out.

Detta: Actually, two of the three arcs that you mentioned are planned. Shadow and Maria… eh, that is more of a thing that is touched upon, but that is about it. And thanks! Also coal colored hedgehog. Best description ever.

ultimateCCC: The Return of the Shadow….. Eh, Star Wars does it better.

That Speedhunter: The sequel would be similar to a collection of one shots and small story arcs that just add details. So no, it would not be necessary to read this. And yes, this story is a sequel. Yes, Dark is not Invincible or all-powerful. He is just... very powerful. He is currently trying to build up his power, because he used most of it in the fight against Shadow, and also when he defeated Robotnik. The reason he is collecting Chaos Emeralds is because they can be used to restore his strength quicker. But that does not mean it takes 24 hours. It takes a little longer, which is the only reason that everyone is still alive. Dark is inhabiting Sonic's body, and Sonic is simply a mobian… albeit a very powerful mobian. So he has limitations from Sonic.

Dark's point of view is extremely difficult to write. I have tried. Several times. And it is basically impossible. He is very distant from the situation. He wants to kill people, kind of. He wants to take over the world, kind of. Dark has waited hundreds if not thousands of years to get here. He is a very patient person. Small victories is what what he aims for. Dark basically wants to become a god, greater than even Chaos himself. And it takes a long time to get there. To Dark, this fight is nothing. He doesn't care about any of these people, he doesn't think they can stop him. So most of what his thoughts would be on would have absolutely nothing to do with the storyline. It would have to do with a hundred years in the future. Or the past. And we really do not need more lore in this story. So sorry, but no Dark POV.

Autumn: Jealous. My family has been going on a lot of trips- without me. So… very bored.

tailsboom1992: *reads review five hundred times* I am sorry, but… I don't understand what you were trying to say. But good luck with college! And that goes for me too… And I don't follow Halo because…. I honestly don't have an excuse for this. I just don't follow her. Um… maybe because she hasn't posted anything in forever? Or that she doesn't write fics by herself? She has her comics, why would she do fics? Yeah, I don't blame Era for not following me. The only real story I've ever attempted on this site was a Gravity Falls fic, and I haven't updated that in like two years. What can I say? I have trouble staying focused! (curse you, ADHD...) The only reason I'm still with LRH is 'cuz I've got Era to keep me from getting distracted.

ITSRaginingRando: Hallow! I have no idea. Sonic in the kitchen is a mystery best left unsolved.

zanguetsu: I understood fine. Thank you kindly for your words and I will add another tally to the "yes" column. Hope you continue to enjoy the story!

Jessy Diaz: Lo siento amiga. Gracias por tu paciencia.

And we're off!

XXX

Shadow's POV:

"All right, people, sit down and shut up," said the General gruffly, standing at the head of the table, holding a thick stack of papers. "We've got a lot to cover in today's meeting and no time to waste."

Everyone was present- even Manic. At Sonia's insistence, we had brought in a large television screen that broadcasted from his cell, enabling him to participate in the conference. It was difficult to tell whether or not he was appreciative of this- in the time I had known Manic before I was taken out of commission, I had never known him to keep his mouth shut or his hands still for longer than a minute, and it was rare that he'd be seen without a smile on his face. Everything had changed since then; Manic had turned a ghostly shade of gray, although that might have been due to his recent refusal to accept food. Any movements he made were jerky and agitated, as if he were expecting someone jump out from behind him; his pupils skitted around like ping-pong balls, never daring to make eye contact or focusing on one thing for longer than a second.

Sonia's condition was not much better; I had hardly noticed before how the massive amounts of stress she had been under was affecting her, but at this point, it was impossible not to. Her skin had paled to a sickly greenish-gray. Her eyes were sunken and surrounded with dark circles; bloodshot, like she had been crying. Even while she was sitting down, Sonia swayed back and forth, looking like she was going to collapse at any second. Knuckles placed a gentle hand on her back; she barely noticed.

General Towers motioned for Miles to step forward. "Before we start the discussion- Miles, please tell everyone what you told me before the meeting."

Miles looked uncomfortable and hesitantly stood up, "I, um… I tested Manic's blood again this morning. Dark has infected approximately 61.3 percent of his blood. And… i-it's starting to look like the infection spreads faster the larger it gets."

All eyes turned to Manic, who suddenly seemed interested in his shoes. His fingers tapped wildly and he muttered something under his breath, gritting his teeth. Sonia bit her lower lip and quickly placed her hand over her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Have you found any way to reverse it?" Amy asked softly, her tone uncertain.

Tails shook his head. "Nothing. Dark isn't like most viruses. He's got a mind of his own. Based on what we've discovered so far, it's gonna take something incredibly powerful to even begin to cleanse the infection- or even contain it."

"So what are we waiting for? Let's get something powerful!" Sonia burst out desperately, her expression hopeful. "What do we have that would work?"

"That's just it- we don't," said Tails, shaking his head. "Dark seems to absorb Chaos energy, so using an emerald is out of the question. And that's the only thing I can think of that could possibly be powerful enough to combat Dark. There are other, similar sources of magical energy, like Anarchy Beryl and the Phantom Ruby, but we don't even know where they are, much less if they'll work."

"Couldn't we try?" Sonia pleaded. "W-we can go search for them! I'm sure GUN has some clue of where they can be found-"

The General shook his head sadly. "Any knowledge of where the Phantom Ruby is located died along with Robotnik. And the only place we've uncovered Anarchy Beryl is in an alternate dimension," he said. "By the time we got to it- assuming we got to it at all- Manic would be far beyond our help. I'm sorry."

Sonia began to tremble violently, and it was a moment before I realized she was crying again. Knuckle wrapped his arm around her, though it was clear that it was doing little to comfort her. Everyone else was completely silent.

In the end, it was Manic who broke the tension. "Well then," he said, laughing nervously. "You guys have any other brilliant ideas? Cuz, y'know… th-there's really only one option left."

"No." said Sonia defiantly, narrowing her eyes. "We've already established that that is not an option, Manic. Don't… don't even joke like that."

Manic laughed again, staring down at his restless hands. "Wasn't joking," he said all too cheerfully, his smile wavering.

Sonia stood up so suddenly she knocked back her chair. "That- is not- an OPTION!" she shouted, clenching her fists. "There has to be another way! Knuckles, back me up here!"

"Sonia…" said Knuckles tensely, averting his gaze. "At this point… what other choice do we have?"

Sonia's eyes smoldered and Knuckles wisely backed away, holding up his hands up in surrender; this did nothing to pacify her. Sonia opened her mouth to shout something, but Manic cut her off before the fight could start.

"Look sis, the way I see it we have two options. One, lock me up and do next to nothing as Dark takes total control of me right, then sit back and watch as he uses me to kill everyone I know and love- or we can end this. Right here, right now." Manic looked up at the flickering lights above, refusing to look Sonia in the eye. "I'm not asking you or anyone else to pull the trigger. I can do that myself."

Sonia looked somewhere between a total mental breakdown and a psychotic rampage- I could not decide which was worse. General Towers finally spoke up, "We haven't come to a final decision at this moment. We are just laying out the options."

"If that is the case, when are we coming to a decision?" I asked quietly.

General Towers hesitated for a moment before his usual steely expression reappeared, "By Friday, at the latest."

Three days then. I frowned. Was that enough time to… 'stop' Dark? Assuming that was even possible.

Five minutes later, we broke the meeting. I escorted Sonia to her guest room to get some much needed rest. She was too tired to protest. An hour later, I took over for Rouge on guard duty. The last thing I needed was more sleep.

XXX

The alarm went off two minutes after midnight and, unfortunately, it was not a malfunction in the system. Stringing curses together, I motioned for two guards to follow me before rushing out the door.

According to their reports, Manic had broken out of his cell. Why GUN had not upgraded their security in the past four hours based on Miles' information presented at the meeting, I did not know. But I did know that whoever had decided that Manic did not need extra guards was going to find themselves on the wrong side of my gun.

"I need eyes on Manic. Now."

The guard to my right flinched. Someone on the communications array hesitantly replied, "Yes, sir."

I sprinted down the hall, leaving the guards in my dust. One of the lieutenants began to call me back via radio, insisting that the area had been quarantined at the General's orders. I ignored her and went directly to the cell. Towers was already there, standing off to the side, gun drawn.

As far as I could tell, Manic had somehow picked the lock on his restraints before waiting for the guards' shift to end. He then knocked out the two guards in his cell before sprinting out the door and took down the two guards waiting outside. After that, he... vanished. The General suspected it to be the work of Dark. I suspected differently.

I knelt down and found a pulse on each guard. That alone told me Dark had not taken control- these men would have been dead otherwise. But the breakout had still been violent. One man had his arm broken; another, his ankle. The other two guards were bruised and beaten, half conscious and moaning in pain. This had clearly been a desperate attempt at escape, but it was sloppy. I got to my feet, inspecting the area. The security console was damaged. Manic had cracked the security codes and all cameras on the lower levels were down. He had then smashed the main screen and keyboard. This was planned.

"Um... sir?" The two men that had come with me had finally arrived.

I ignored them, turning my focus to the shattered remains of the console. If I could digitally connect to the security mainframe, I could find the hedgehog faster than I could on foot. I grabbed the broken screen and tore it cleanly away, revealing the inner workings of the main computer. Suddenly, I recoiled, hissing at a sharp pain in my right hand; the thick glass had cut through my glove and left a deep gash. I swallowed the pain, determining that it would have to be resolved later.

General Towers barked orders while I worked. "Begin searching floors B4 and B5. Sweep every room, every closet, every air duct. I want each level cleared in the next fifteen minutes. We already have units covering access points to the surface. Manic does not leave this building, am I understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" the two guards bellowed before hurrying out of the room.

General Towers hurried to my side, watching as I spliced and rewired the console. "You've done this before, I presume?"

I yanked out a particularly stubborn wire and wound it to the small handheld computer Miles had given to me for a winter holiday. "A few times."

"Any of it legal?"

The computer powered up and I began to run the program. "Some."

Towers rolled his eyes, but didn't seem surprised. "Need any help?"

"No."

"In that case-" General Towers patted his gun, "I'll be upstairs trying to shoot a demon." He was at the door before I spoke.

"It is not Dark at work here, General."

Towers glanced back, his expression dubious. "If you say so." He turned away, running to join his men as the lockdown alarm began to blare.

I received a call from Rouge a short time later which I promptly ignored. Something told me there was not a lot of time and accessing the live camera feed was proving more difficult than I anticipated. Manic had damaged the network more thoroughly than I thought.

I felt a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, the same one I had gotten that horrible night on the ARK. The feeling you get before something terrible happens, like an early warning system.

Finally, the data loaded and the camera feed activated. Most showed GUN soldiers marching or running with guns at the ready, locking and clearing rooms. I'd give him this: Manic was much smarter than anyone gave him credit for. He had steered away from the heavier traffic, most likely taking a back staircase or crawling through the air ducts. I eliminated the hallway cameras and main rooms from the feed. That left the smaller labs, the holding cells, and the parking garage two floors up. The garage seemed unlikely- Manic was not trying to leave. At least, not like that. The prison cells followed; as he just escaped a cell, there would be no reason to head to another.

The bio-lab was empty, as was engineering. Physics and astrophysics had two men each, but they were each taking cover behind their desks due to the alarms and storming soldiers. The chemistry lab's camera was dark, and no matter what I tried, I couldn't patch through; something- or someone- was blocking me from the feed. Rookie mistake.

I snapped the computer shut and disconnected the wires. Found him.

XXX

When I burst into the lab, Manic was sitting on top of the counter, holding a vial of amber liquid with both hands. He flinched at the sight of me, jumping off the counter and backing away, holding the vial protectively against his chest. I halted halfway across the room, averting my gaze and leaning up against the wall.

Manic stared at me, narrowing his eyes and grasping the vial tighter. "I'm not going back, Shads. You can't make me."

"That was not my intention."

He blinked in surprise, raising an eyebrow. I suddenly felt an uncomfortable sensation wash over me, as if some invisible force was invading my mind; it irked me. I closed my eyes, doing my best to push it back or at least block it out.

Manic grimaced, frustrated. "Look, I'm not an idiot, Edgelord. You didn't hunt me down for a friendly visit. What's your angle?"

I blinked once. "Nothing."

Manic raised an eyebrow. "Nothing? Really? That's what you're sticking with?...you do know what I'm gonna do, right?"

I nodded. "I have my suspicions."

"And... you ain't gonna stop me?"

I nodded again. Manic's jaw tightened and the same unpleasant feeling of intrusion pierced into me. After a moment, his expression cleared, the look in his eyes sympathetic and almost… understanding. "Oh…"

I raised an eyebrow, wondering what exactly he was seeing. Manic shook his head and turned back to his vial of chemicals, looking unsure of his selection. He must have decided it would not do the job and turned back to the rack, shuffling around the bottles and muttering to himself.

After several minutes a handful of vials were unceremoniously eliminated. I finally spoke. "May I ask you something?"

Manic grinned, but the pain in his eyes overpowered any sense of mischief. "You just did, genius." I did not even blink; Manic smirked. "Aw, lighten up, Stripes. Sure you can ask me something, just make it quick."

I breathed in deeply, crossing my arms. "Do you... want to die?"

Manic froze, his hand over a bottle of translucent blue liquid. The smile was still on his face, but it was wavering, looking like it was about to shatter at any moment.

"...no," he said, his voice tiny, hardly above a whisper. He paused before continuing, sounding harsher and more determined. "But... I want Dark to die. An' that's all that matters."

I nodded slowly, leaving him to his search. "There are some chemical samples in the cabinet behind you that should provide a quick and relatively painless… er, end."

Manic froze up for a second before facing me again. "And you know this how…?"

I did my best to keep my expression as neutral as possible, but my efforts were in vain. The hedgehog blinked a few times as realization dawned on his face, "Oh- OH." He shuffled his feet awkwardly and coughed a few times. "Uh… Any reason you haven't- I mean, uh, you feel- if you ever need to talk or anything, uh, I- chaos, this is embarrassing." He pinched the bridge his nose and squeezed his eyes shut.

"If you know anything about me- and I take it that you do-" I started slowly, "Then you need not ask that."

Manic laughed nervously, "Well, no. I don't. All I got is some old dude in a lab coat and a blonde chick named Maria."

Despite myself, I physically flinched at the name. It may have been over fifty years ago according to time, but the combination of cryostasis and amnesia made it seem much shorter in my mind. Manic noted the reaction and mumbled an apology under his breath, which I ignored. While I struggled to regain control over my emotions, he picked the lock on the cabinet door and found the vials.

Manic hopped up on the counter, tossing the vials from hand to hand and swinging his legs. "Can I ask you a question now?"

I paused for a moment, then nodded hesitantly.

"Why are you so… calm about all this?" he asked, incredulous. "Like, I thought you was gonna try and drag me back to the cell or something, but you… aren't. I mean, you know what I gotta do, and you ain't even gonna try an' stop me. Why?"

"You read minds. You already know."

Manic glared at me, "Hearing it in someone's head and hearing it out loud are two very different things. Besides, I don't trust my readings from you, because you, sir, are a vault. For all I know, you're somehow projecting false thoughts to trick me into letting down my guard. So spill."

I raised an eyebrow, taking a step back. "I do not believe you have ever been this frank with me."

"Yeah, well…" Manic smirked, tossing a vial in the air and catching in his palm. "Let's just say I ain't been myself lately. Besides, I'm already dead, ain't like I got anything to lose. Now answer the question or just chaos spear me through the face and get it over with."

I thought for a moment before answering, "Someone once sacrificed their life for mine. In a way, you are doing the same for your sister."

Manic looked down at the vial in his hands, a soft smile forming at the edges of his mouth. "Good answer." His hands shook as he unstopped the bottle. "So… I guess this is it."

"Manic, I want to warn you-"

"Oh boy, here it comes," Manic chuckled, "Shoulda seen this coming- you're playing good cop."

"Pardon?"

Manic rolled his eyes with a sneer. "You're going for the nice guy routine. Oh, sure, you ain't gonna physically stop me, but you'll go right into playing therapist and try to talk me into thinking I'm being unreasonable. Seen it a million times, pal, you ain't fooling nobody."

I ignored him, "This will not save Sonia, Manic."

I seemed to have struck a nerve at that; Manic's fists clenched and his nostrils flared- I couldn't tell if he wanted to hit me or was trying to set me on fire with his mind. "What are you smoking, Shads? Of course it will! If I'm dead, I can't hurt her- or anyone else, for that matter! Geez, this is kindergarten logic!"

I tightened my fists and felt the urge to summon a chaos spear, but managed to restrain myself. "All true. You will not physically hurt her. But you will still kill her, at least in a different sense."

"You're gonna have to be a bit more clear, Ultimate Philosopher, 'cuz you lost me."

"Mentally. Emotionally. Trust me, I know."

Manic opened his mouth, looking like he wanted to make another snarky comment, but paused as the gears began turning in his head. An expression of worry crossed over his face; his fingers began tapping nervously, threatening to let the vial in his hands fall.

"If you go through with this, your sister is never going to be the same," I spat, the bubble of anger I had been suppressing rising up in my chest. "Dark may not be able to get to her, but you… you are the most important person in the world to her. And have you forgotten how she reacted to losing Sonic? Do you really think she will ever be able to properly function after this?"

Manic bit down on his lower lip, refusing to look me in the eye. "You… you ain't got any idea what you're talking 'bout, Shads. This is Sonia, she'll… she'll get over it!" Manic insisted, his voice shaking.

I folded my arms in front of me, shaking my head. "I disagree."

There was a long silence as I allowed for him to let that sink in.

"So... what you're saying is..." Manic choked out, his entire body was shaking from either shock, fear, and anger. Perhaps all three. "Is that... n-no matter what I do, I'm… I'm hurting her."

I nodded. Manic stared at the vial like it was the most interesting thing on Mobius. "I… I can't hurt her. I would never be able to live with myself if Dark…" His voice died and he closed his hands around the vial. "I have to. You… you've gotta understand, Shadow. Please."

The peculiar part of this whole experience was that I did understand- in a twisted sort of way. I did not agree with Manic's actions, necessarily, but I at least understood. Manic must have read me; he relaxed slightly. He bit his lip and slowly came around the counter toward me, "Look, Shadow, I… I know we ain't never got along too well, but... Listen, I've got a favor to ask you."

I looked up, my interest piqued. I had sensed no hint of humor in his voice; for once, he sounded completely serious. Not to mention that Manic did not seem like the type who'd casually ask a favor from the Ultimate Lifeform. I nodded hesitantly, gesturing for him to continue.

Manic inhaled deeply, shoving his hands in his pockets and shuffling his feet. "Can you… help Sonia? Like, keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't do anything stupid or something like that. She's got like, Knuckles and Tails and stuff, but…" He scratched the back of his neck, "I'd just feel better if…" His voice trailed off and died, and he swallowed back the lump forming in his throat. "Just take care of her, okay?"

I stepped forward and nodded, "You have my word."

Manic allowed a small smile, "And everyone knows what that means."

We stood about a foot apart in silence for a few moments before Manic spoke, pointing at the ground. "Well… see you down there."

"Do you not mean," I pointed up, "Up there?"

"Heh, wow, you do not know me that well, do you?"

"This is technically our first real conversation."

"...touché." Manic held out his hand, which I promptly took in mine. "Guess this is it, Shads- YEEOW!"

I yanked back my arm, a sharp pain shooting up my palm to my elbow before fading completely. Manic, on the other hand, was clutching his right hand close to his chest, down on his knees and howling in pain.

"HOLY-FRIKKIN- GEEZ, WHAT WAS THAT FOR? OWW!" he shouted, his teeth clenched and his eyes screwed shut. His vial had dropped to the ground and shattered at his feet, the liquid slowly spreading out across the tile flooring.

I took a few steps back and tried to process what had happened. My right hand was now covered in a fresh layer of dark green blood from my cut. Had glass been embedded in my skin and cut Manic? No, I would have noticed if there had been- besides, even if that had been the problem, Manic surely would not have reacted like this. Was my blood toxic to other living beings? Previous experience said no.

Manic was now recovering, standing up with shaking limbs. "Dude, what did you do to me?"

"I… am not sure."

"Okay then…" Manic wandered back over to the cabinet for a replacement chemical. "Weird." He picked out a vial and uncorked it, avoiding the use of his right hand. It must have still been stinging from… whatever had happened. "At least Dark shut up for a minute."

That caught my attention. "He went silent?"

"Well… yeah. I mean, he'll probably start up- ah, there he is." Manic frowned, his eyes widening. "Woah. He hates you, man. Like, a lot. Like, he's describing all of the possible murder weapons in this room and how to use them. Oh… oh my gosh. That's just sick. Geez, how many are there in here?"

"One hundred and two- three, if we are counting the floor." My answer was distracted. There was something right in front of me that I could not see. Something important.

Manic blinked, "Uh… how do you kill someone with- you know what? I don't wanna know." He uncorked the vial and smiled grimly. "Bottoms up." Manic lifted the vial to his mouth-

-and that was when I saw it. Faster than Sonic, I zipped across the room and grabbed Manic's arm, pulling the vial out of his hand and flinging it across the room. Manic tried to free himself from my grip, shrieking in pain, but I refused to let go.

After several seconds, Manic threw a left-hook across my face. It startled me enough that I let go and the green hedgehog collapsed to the ground, breathing heavy. "What… what's your damage, bruh? First you say you're not… gonna stop me… and now… now this! Make up your mind already!"

"Manic, shut up and look at your arm."

"What's so great about-?" His voiced died for a second before letting out a small, "Oh."

What was once pitch black, his arm now bore several splotches of grayish-tan. The black was steadily filling itself in, but still- it was there. I spoke up again, "Your hand has a similar spot- if a bit smaller."

Manic blinked, "Oh." He took a few deep breaths, as if trying to calm himself.

I pushed ahead, "Can you hear Dark?"

"... Oh." Manic finally looked at me, his eyes wide. "Explain, please."

I hesitated. "We need to see Miles."

"But-"

"Manic, if this does not work, I will personally make sure you… finish what you started in this room. I swear."

Manic looked back at the cabinet, then to me. "...Okay. But only 'cuz you got me curious."

I smirked despite myself, pulling out my communicator and praying to whatever god was listening that my hunch was right.

XXX

Sonia's POV:

When I found Shadow, I was going to kill him.

One: when Manic broke out, I should have been the first one he contacted. But no, I wake up at three in the morning to Rouge demanding to know where my brother and Shadow had vanished to. I am not a morning person, and even if I was, Rouge is most definitely not the first thing I want to see when I wake up.

Two: She and I had to team up. Enough said.

And three: when we were rushing down the halls trying to find either hedgehog, we heard screaming. Very familiar screaming that I knew personally, mainly from the months spent on the streets running from people with guns. Just the sound of it made my blood run cold, and only further stirred my growing desperation to bring a violent end to whoever was triggering it.

I'm gonna be totally honest here, how we found him was something I would have never dreamed. For one, Tails was playing mad scientist on Manic. Lab coat, goggles, even an Overlander assistant (was her name Hope? I honestly didn't remember). And he was laughing while shouting at the girl to bring him more blood, to which she cheerfully obliged. Manic was strapped down to a table and screaming, writhing in pain, straining to get free.

But you know what? That wasn't the weirdest part!

Shadow was sitting in a corner off to the side. He had an IV in one arm, but other than that, nothing expressed that he was anything but bored. He couldn't even be bothered to pay proper attention- no, he was busy with the morning crosswords.

I think that was when I snapped.

The next thing I knew, I had Tails in a chokehold and was pointing my gun at Hope. "SHADOW, YOU'VE GOT ABOUT FIVE SECONDS TO LET MY BROTHER GO, OR THESE TWO DIE." I snarled, tightening my grip on the gun.

Shadow glanced up from the crossword, then looked back down, completely uninterested. Rouge fluttered over to her partner, looking alarmed. "I knew she was gonna snap. I just didn't think I'd get to witness it first hand."

Before I could threaten again, a kitchen timer on the side counter dinged. I flinched and Tails gasped for air. "Son...ia… le' me go-" he choked, clawing at my arm, eyes bulging.

Manic's screams had turned to heavy, labored breaths as he finally opened his eyes, looking exhausted. "Man, that stuff is a beast, guys- and holy crap, Sonia why are you choking Tails?" he demanded, turning to me. "Put him down! And what's with the gun? Put that down too!"

"I'm trying to save you!" I whirled around, pointing the gun at him.

Manic flinched so hard he banged his head against the table, "Woah, watch it! You could kill someone with that!"

"That's the idea!" I pointed it back at Hope, who immediately put her hands in the air in surrender. "Listen close, overlander- I'll give you ten whole seconds to let my brother go or I'm gonna pump you so full of lead they'll have to bury you standing up. One… two…"

"Sonia, cool it!" shouted Manic, startling me so badly I accidently shot into the floor. Hope shrieked and fell backwards, scooting away until her back hit the wall. Rouge swooped over to untie one of Manic's restraints, but he gently swatted her away.

"I-AM-FINE." he insisted, looking me dead in the eye. "Tails and Hope are trying to help me, sis! Can you just like, chill or something?"

I drew a sharp breath, feeling my resolve faltering. "You- you're sure?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"Positive," he said firmly, but more calmly than I thought possible, "You mind putting Tails down? He's turning blue."

I glanced down at the fox and hurriedly dropped him, mortified. "Oh my gosh! Chaos, I… I am so sorry!"

"Oxygen…" Tails gasped, "Beautiful, beautiful element number eight…" I went to help him up, but he physically jerked back about five feet. "Yeah, um, I'm gonna steer clear of you for the next… forever. " he muttered, straightening his lab coat.

Shadow finally deemed the situation worthy of his attention, "Sonia, they are working on a cure for Dark. Let them live."

I froze up for a second, trying to process the words. "Then why didn't you tell me that in the first place?"

Manic cut in, "Well, I was in incredible pain… and Shadow was busy with the crosswords, I assume. Didja get number four across yet?"

"No…" said Shadow, furrowing his brow in concentration. "I am afraid I do not know what a 'pokemon' is. Or what the third in the original rap was."

Manic immediately brightened. "Aw, dude! I know that whole thing by heart, frontwards and backwards! 'Kay, how does it start… oh yeah! Electrode, Diglett, Nidoran, Mankey…"

Shadow scribbled down 'Nidoran' before turning back to Tails. "Explain it to her, Miles."

Tails stepped forward, dusting himself off. His face was almost back to its normal color, but I noticed that he was careful to stay outside my reach. "Shadow and Manic came in here this morning around one with new information on a cure." He pulled up a hard-light hologram of a DNA strand and some blood cells. "And it was quite… illuminating. Yeah. That's a good word for it."

I decided to get comfortable and propped myself up on a counter. Tails continued, "Shadow's DNA consists of a combination of Mobian and Black Arm strands, which is why Shadow is… well, Shadow." he said with a shrug.

"Black what?" I interrupted.

Tails gestured towards Shadow, "It's complicated. All you need to know is Shadow is half-alien. That's the Black Arms part."

My eyes flicked to the hedgehog, who must have figured out another word because he was scribbling away at his paper. Somehow, him being half-alien didn't surprise me much.

"Anyway, the Black Arms are a hive mind," said Tails. "Their… king? Queen? Let's just say leader, they have the ability to… well, mind control their kind."

"Nice family," muttered Rouge. She smirked down at Shadow's crossword, "That's Montana Badger, hon. And it's the third movie, not the second." Shadow stared at her blankly.

Tails tapped a few icons on his tablet, narrowing in on the DNA strand and pointing at a few pieces. "Luckily, there's a plus side to all this. Inside their genetic code there is… well, an immune system of sorts, designed to fight off any would-be possessors."

"-Eevee, Exeggutor, Kabutops, Zapdos-"

I raised an eyebrow, "Wait, they have a defense mechanism against… mind control?"

"If it's not the Black Arms trying to control them, then yes." Tails shrugged, "I don't understand it completely either- but…" He exited out of the DNA strand and pulled up the blood cells. "This is something we can use. Hope and I have been working on it, and we think we almost have the serum perfected."

"Why can't you just inject him with Shadow's blood? Seems like it'd be less work." I asked.

Tails shot me a quizzical look and I immediately shrunk back. "Well, if my endgame was to kill him, then yeah, let's do it. 'Course, you would know all about the whole murder thing, now wouldn't you, Captain Chokehold?"

"I said I was sorry."

Tails smiled unconvincingly; he clearly had not forgiven me just yet. "In order for the serum to not kill him upon injection, we have to first separate the Black Arms DNA from the Mobian and dilute it down with several chemical compounds so it doesn't kill Manic on contact and so Manic's own immune system doesn't reject it."

"-gotta catch 'em all, Pokemon!" Manic finished before bowing his head, "Thank you, thank you all. Do I hear an encore? Backwards, you say? Well, I've never been one to disappoint my fans-"

Tails interrupted before the torture could begin again. "Manic, um, how 'bout you don't? Unless you want Dark inside you longer than needed."

"Actually, I think the rap is driving him away. He hasn't talked the entire time. Hey, maybe that's the cure!"

"Or-" Tails motioned at the test tubes and notes on his work table, "It was the most recent shot we gave you."

"...oh yeah. That could work too."

I cleared my throat to get both of their attention. "Exactly how long will this take?"

Tails looked at his notes. "Uh… about six or seven hours, give or take. if we don't stop for breakfast."

Manic groaned. "Aw, man… I wanted waffles."

I let out a laugh, "You always want waffles."

"Not true," Manic grinned, "Last week I wanted smiley face pancakes. With ice cream."

"You covered those pancakes in ketchup," I replied, stifling a grin.

"I wanted to pretend it was the blood of my enemies- er, um, correction: Dark wanted to pretend it was the blood of my enemies. I was cool with just being a saber-toothed tiger feasting upon its prey, but hey, Dark's Dark." he shrugged. "Honestly, though, I think I prefer ketchup over syrup on pancakes. It's got this nice tangy flavor. Seriously, you should try it someti- why are you crying?"

Despite myself, tears had begun to stream down my face while I was busy laughing. Manic… he was back. He was himself again."You're… you're going to be okay," I stammered, my voice beginning to crack. "Like, okay okay."

Manic smiled softly, eyes twinkling. "Come on, you never really doubted me, didja?"

I shook my head quickly. "Never."

"Good to hear," Manic said with a wink, turning to Tails and grinning. "I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille," he said, batting his eyelashes.

Tails frowned, clearly confused. "Is that a reference to something?"

Manic groaned. "Forget it! These things are lost on you! Uncultured swine."

"What in Mobius is… 'Casablanca'?" spoke up Shadow from the corner. "That sounds fake."

Manic shook his head in contempt, "I hate you all."

XXX

It took precisely seven hours, twenty-three minutes, and forty-two seconds for Tails and Hope to perfect the cure. At that point, Manic was so sick of shots and needles that he claimed to have developed 'trypanophobia', whatever that meant.

"-on the bright side, though, Dark's finally shut up for longer than a minute," he said cheerfully as Tails began to untie his restraints. "Stinks that I've still got these gray splotches on my arms, but hey, what can ya do? Silver lining: they kinda look like really weird, artsy tattoos. I'll just say they're a metaphor or something."

The final buckle on his left wrist was unhooked and Manic sat straight up, looking relieved. "Sweet, sweet freedom, how I've missed your embrace!" he laughed, rubbing his wrists, smiling to broadly I thought he was going to burst.

I stood up, feeling cramped and slow; I'd been sitting off in the corner for most of the seven and a half hours, only leaving once to use the bathroom. It was draining, but I couldn't bring myself to leave when Manic was in such pain. Rouge and Shadow must have felt the same way, apparently, because all the while I was there, they were there alongside me. It was slightly off-putting, but a part of me appreciated the company.

I turned to Manic with a smile, expecting him to hop off the table and do a cartwheel or something. But… he didn't. Manic was breathing heavily, clutching his stomach like he was about to be sick. His hands shook and the expression on his face was one of sheer terror.

"Oh no…" he muttered, shaking his hand. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no…"

"What, what's the matter?" asked Tails. Manic whipped around to face him, eyes wild.

"Put the restraints back on! HURRY!" he shouted, beginning to twitch; the sick feeling of realization settled in the pit of my stomach as I leapt forward to help tie him down.

Out of nowhere Manic began to convulse, hissing and retching as his eyes flashed from their usual blue to pitch black. He struggled against the table's restraints so hard that the one on his left hand snapped off nearly the moment it had been re-fastened; Shadow and Rouge jumped up from their seats, Shadow holding Manic's arm down and Rouge grabbing the strap and tying it in a knot around his wrist. Tails grabbed his syringe and plunged it into Manic's thigh, ignoring his unearthly screams.

Manic growled through his teeth. "Back… OFF!"

I was about come to Tails' defense when Manic spoke again, his tone harsher than before. "NO! I have worked too hard at perfecting this vessel for you to unravel everything now! GIVE IT BACK!"

Everyone froze in place and we all watched, equally horrified, as Manic kicked the bindings on his legs, snapping off the one shackling his right ankle. I grabbed it and held it down, trying to keep from getting kicked in the face. Shadow yelled at Rouge to go for backup as Manic began to scream, his head snapping back. I wasn't sure if she listened, but frankly, I didn't care.

"Tails, give him another shot! Stat!" I ordered through gritted teeth.

Tails was already shaking his head, "His last one was barely a minute ago, we have to give it time to disperse! If we overwhelm his system, it could kill him!"

"So what then? We wait this out?" I demanded, shouting over Manic's screams.

Tails nodded grimly, "I already did the calculations. Three and a half shots in a ten minute period. I'll give him the third in about two minutes."

The minutes felt more like an eternity; all I could do was hold down my brother and pray that everything would turn out alright. After the third shot, things got a lot better. Manic's convulsions died down to faint twitches and moans until he completely collapsed from exhaustion. By the time Tails gave him the last of the cure, Manic was out cold.

Once everything seemed safe, I took a step back; my knuckles had turned white and I was out of breath from the exertion.

"What…" I said slowly. "In Chaos… was that?"

Tails had turned an ashy shade of white, frantically running through the formulas on his tablet. "I… we've grossly underestimated Dark," he stammered. "Somehow… somehow, despite being weakened by the cure, he's managed to reawaken himself. Presumably to try and retake control of Manic."

"How is this even possible? He should be gone!"

Tails shook his head sadly. "Dark is a virus, Sonia. Not only that, but he's a virus with a mind of his own. The cure's definitely succeeded in suppressing him, but if he's managed to infiltrate Manic's immune system without detection, then we might never be able to truly get rid of him."

I felt my blood run cold and had to grab onto the table for support. "S-so… Manic is going to be Dark… forever?"

"I didn't say that," Tails responded quickly. "No, the Black Arms serum should be more than enough to keep the virus from immerging again. But Dark… he's always gonna be a part of Manic. A small part, granted, but still."

The laboratory door burst open and Knuckles and Rouge rushed in, wide eyed and out of breath. Rouge swooped over to Tails, grabbing him by his coat collar with an almost murderous look in her eye.

"What happened? Is he okay? Did Dark take over again? I want ANSWERS, kid!" she shouted, shaking him so hard his teeth rattled.

"H-h-he's f-i-i-ine," Tails stammered. Behind them, Manic groaned, his eyes fluttering open. Rouge immediately dropped Tails and whirled around, a relieved grin on her face.

"Maniac!" she shouted, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Manic's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates; out of nowhere, Rouge planted a kiss on his cheek, then promptly punched him in the arm.

"If you ever do that again," she seethed, clenching her fists, "Then so help me, I will end you, Hedgehog. Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

"Crystal…" said Manic, staring off into the distance. "What… what just happened?"

"I smacked you."

"No, no- before that."

"Nothing. Got it?"

"...Yes, ma'am," he said, a grin slowly inching its way up his face.

I turned to Knuckles, feeling like I had just swallowed a lemon. "I can't do anything about that, can I?" I asked, pointing at Manic and Rouge. Manic was still dazed and grinning like an idiot, while Rouge was standing off in the corner, trying to hide the redness in her cheeks.

Knuckles tilted his head slightly. "No. I don't think you can."

"Peachy." I straightened up, trying not to imagine the two of them together. Just the thought was… ugh. No. "But that doesn't mean I can't try."

"Good luck with that." said Knuckles with a sigh.

Manic winked at Rouge and grinned as she placed a hand to cover her smile. I narrowed my eyes at the bat; I didn't trust her in the slightest. If she thought she could just waltz in out of the blue and toy with my brother's feelings… ooh boy, that floozy had another thing coming.

It was a moment before I realized that I had been clenching my jaw so tightly, I had given myself a headache. I felt like getting up to give Rouge a piece of my mind, but before I could try, Tails hurriedly showed everyone out of the room, "Alright, people, Manic needs rest and I need quiet! Cures don't replicate themselves! Out, all of you! Especially you, Rouge, that was… gross."

Manic laid back and closed his eyes, "Ah, Tails. The day will come when all will be made clear to you."

"And that day is not today. Out."

XXX

Well, sorry about the wait, but at least it ended on a positive note.

Halo and I have been talking about the arcs of the sequel and are getting super hyped! But first we have to finish this story, so… yep. PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE, PLEASE DON'T KILL US.

Review question: Let's do a pretty basic one. Favorite Sonic the Hedgehog character! (and if you feel like it, tell us why). You can do the comics, TV shows, video games, different universes, whatever. We'd love to hear which ones you guys like!

I would have to say mine is Shadow because of his character depth and character arc (that Sega has seemed to have abandoned…). Although a close second is Zonic. Why? Wish I knew. I just think he is cool. For me, it's pretty much any character from the pre-SGW Archie universe, especially Scourge, Fiona, and the Suppression Squad. (although, to be honest, I kinda like them more for their potential as characters rather than for their canon characterization.) Close seconds are Bunnie and Sally, and I've gotta agree with Era, Zonic is pretty dang cool.

Anyway, please let us know what you thought and if the cure makes sense. Hope you have a wonderful day and remember to find the positives!