Chapter Five
Shadow and Rouge chucked their GUN items on the desk, telling the woman there the commander has suspended them for a fortnight, then soon left the building together.
"I cannot believe it takes us getting suspended just to have some proper time off." Shadow muttered with a small frown as they both walked further away from the building.
"I know, bunch of jerks if you ask me. Why do we work for them and put up with this, clearly, salve labour for?" Rouge replied with some annoyance in her voice.
"Because it is better than being locked up and shoved back into status." Shadow grumbled as he kept walking and looking forwards.
"Oh yeah, forgot about the alternative option then again Towers sometimes makes prison sound better. At least you are not forced to go on missions on days off when in one." Rouge sighed with a shake of her head.
"It's alright for you, I'll be shoved back into suspended animation and left there to rot. I don't get the luxury of imprisonment while being conscious like you. He says all is forgiven and we can start over yet he clearly still holds some kind of grudge over what wasn't even my fault in the first damn place. I never asked to be created, I never asked to have Black Doom donate his blood to me yet it's somehow all my fault." Shadow ranted and was growing angry about this.
"I know hun but that's some humans for you, they can't see nothing but the bad and assume the worst in those who are different. I say we find a way to quit and do something else." Rouge replied with her frown deepening as she spoke back.
"Yeah like that is even possible for us and even if we do succeed, what would we do instead?" Shadow asked as he turned his head slightly to look at Rouge.
"I am glad you asked, we can go into business together and drag Omega along for the ride too. He won't want to keep working for GUN if we are not there." Rouge grinned as she looked back at Shadow.
"I cannot help but to think you have been thinking about this for some time now. So what business would we get involved in exactly?" Shadow smirked playfully as anything was worth not being some kind of slave to GUN.
"How does opening up our own detective practice sound to you?" Rouge grinned a little deviously as she and Shadow stopped walking and faced each other.
"So you want us to basically become rivals with the Chaotix?" Shadow asked as he smirked with amusement to this plan.
"Or we can join them and actually help them get cases. They are pretty much holding on by a thread these days and with our help they will become the best detective agency in the whole of Mobius." Rouge stated in a factual tone, still grinning madly at this mind you.
"Uh-huh yeah ok but first we need to find a loophole in quitting without getting imprisoned. Then we need to convince Vector that hiring us would be an asset then we need to prove our worth by getting cases to solve. Pretty much a day at the office for us and very doable." Shadow said as he quite liked the sound of doing this and it had nothing to do with the little series he and Rouge were watching yesterday.
Ok it might have a little to do with that as it did seem so much more fun than risking an arm or leg on missions for GUN.
"Just leave the whole quitting GUN to me and you come up with something to convince Vector to hire us. I'll see you tomorrow evening, I should have found a way to quit by then." Rouge said with a wink then extended her wings and flew up and away.
"And another sleepover no doubt too." Shadow chuckled to himself then chaos controlled home.
Shadow appeared in his kitchen and was still feeling amused by what happened. He flipped the kettle on and lend against the countertop as he waited for it to finish it's job.
"It's strange how quickly things can change. I always thought I'd be stuck working for GUN for a very, very long time but I know Rouge will find a way for us to quit. I wonder if Maria would approve of me quitting knowing I do, do a lot of good there?" Shadow thought as he closed his eyes and kept his ear pealed for the clicking sound the kettle would make when done.
Hours passed by in no time at all and now it was almost six in the evening. Shadow was in his bedroom all ready for bed and had his pill in one hand. He looked at it with a small frown as he debated with taking it now or sit up in bed with a book.
"I am curious upon what I will dream of this time but isn't it a bit early to go to sleep now?" Shadow muttered as he kept his eyes on the white pill in his hand.
Sighing in defeat as his curiosity won this battle Shadow popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it dry. He moved to get comfortable after turning off the lamp. He closed his eyes once he got into the perfect position, curled up snugly on his right side facing away from the door, and waited for sleep to come...
"Isn't this the most beautiful and wonderful house ever." Maria's voice filled Shadow's ears making him open his eyes and take in his surroundings.
He was sitting in the back seat of a car that was parked on a driveway. He looked to his right and smiled as he saw Maria looking out of the window at the house. He then looked at the house and his smile grew more.
"Ok we are here so let's go see what our new home is like." Gerald said as he sat in the drivers seat and undid his seatbelt.
They all exited the car and made the walk to the front door. Shadow looked around and soon noticed some of the people walking down the street were staring at them, well mostly at him, with curious looks.
"People are staring at me, is that normal behaviour for other humans?" Shadow questioned as he looked back at his creator unlocking the front door to their new home.
"Give it time Shadow and they will soon except you. It's not every day you see a walking, talking hedgehog four times the normal size of a domestic one and stands upright like a human around here." Gerald softly said as he opened the front door wide.
"I suppose you are right but what if they start to fear me because I am different?" Shadow sighed with worry upon this.
"Don't worry Shadow everyone will love you just as much as we do." Maria sweetly said with a smile at Shadow while taking his hand and leading the way inside.
"I hope so, wait what do you mean by around here professor?" Shadow question as they all stood in the hallway, he turning his head slightly to look back at his creator.
"Well this area of the planet is populated by humans and those similar to you live over the boarders, separating our species apart. There are currently discussions and plans to merge the two together and put differences aside. It probably won't happen for another few years yet as Mobians don't trust us humans all that much and most humans are weary of Mobians due to how many animal species there are." Gerald explained with a soft smile at Shadow.
"Oh right so in a way me being here could change some people's view of Mobians and stop them from being so cautious of them." Shadow replied with a smile back.
"Yeah if people see that you are not a threat and can get along with humans well then their views will change. Maybe it will push the decision to merge us all together faster." Maria happily said with hope in her voice.
"Well in that case I will do my absolute best to not seem so dangerous and to not be worth something to fear. I think it would benefit both species if we all lived as one community." Shadow brightly said as he turned his head to look back at Maria, a happy smile was gracing his muzzle.
"Yes I can agree with that, so let's go have a look around and you both can pick out a bedroom." Gerald announced with a grin, looking as if he had a secret he was in the process of completing.
After looking around and bedrooms picked, Shadow having picked the smallest bedroom that faced the back garden, they all sat down on a sofa to relax before going out to do a bit of food shopping. Shadow had wondered how the house was fully furnished but soon excepted it was and took no further thought over it.
"Before we go shopping is there anything you both want for dinner tonight?" Gerald asked with a smile while looking over at the two sitting together.
"Erm...pizza sounds good." Maria sweetly said with a smile back.
"Actually yeah it kind of does, wait am I even allowed to eat pizza?" Shadow asked with a tilt of his head as all's he ever had for nutrients was a bowl of specially made substance filled with everything he needed on a daily basis, that being one bowl a day.
"You now can eat whatever you like Shadow." Gerald chuckled as he and Shadow locked eyes.
"Really? Cool I want to try pizza please, it always looked nice and smells equally so." Shadow said back with some excitement in his tone and couldn't wait for dinner now...
Shadow groaned as he was waking up then he slowly opened his eyes. He turned to his other side and snuggled into his covers a little more. Shadow yarned as he glanced over at his digital clock.
"Eight o'clock again? I thought I'd wake up earlier than that since I took that pill early. I don't really feel like getting up yet, I want to go back to my dream." Shadow mumbled with his eyes closing half way.
They would have shut all the way if it wasn't for the loud bashing on his front door. This of course made him groan out in frustration and he forced himself out of bed. He didn't think to put his gown on as he left his room. He reached the front door and began to unlock it. Shadow yarned again while opening his front door and was rubbing his right eye.
"Yeah?" Shadow asked as he looked at Sonic standing there with a nervous smile back.
Sonic swallowed hard as he looked at Shadow not wearing anything but his fur and couldn't help but to check him out. By now Shadow was more awake and had long since stopped rubbing his eye. Shadow raised a brow at Sonic's silence and crossed his arms with a frown.
"Are you just going to stand there staring at me or have you got a reason for your visit?" Shadow asked with a semi annoyed tone as Sonic's staring was making him a little uncomfortable.
"Er..." Sonic whispered as he found he couldn't talk all that well, his mind racing at a hundred miles an hour and not all his thinking was innocent.
"O-k. Wait is he blushing?" Shadow thought as he noticed a faint tint of pink on Sonic's muzzle.
"Sonic is my appearance making you uncomfortable?" Shadow asked as he slowly began to smirk teasingly.
"Huh what? Oh no, not at all Shads. Sorry I was miles away there anyway you up for breakfast to make up for having to skip out on lunch?" Sonic asked with a very nervous vibe that Shadow did pick up on.
"I'd rather go back to sleep and dream some more." Shadow thought as he was starting to long for his dream life.
"Yeah alright, I did say I'll make it up to you. I just need to get ready so come in and make yourself comfortable. I'll try not to be too long." Shadow said with a forced pleasant tone, moving to one side so Sonic could enter.
Sonic walked in the turned around, watching Shadow close the front door. He once again couldn't help but to give Shadows body a once over then when Shadow turned around he very quickly made out he didn't do anything and simply smiled back.
"Are you alright this morning Sonic? You seem unsettled." Shadow asked as he noticed Sonic's blush was a little darker than earlier.
"Is he seriously having an issue with me not having anything on? I didn't think it would matter since all's I do wear are gloves, socks and my skates." Shadow thought as he locked eyes with Sonic.
"I-I'm fine Shads. I'll just go in the living room and wait ok." Sonic very nervously said as he just couldn't get Shadows image out of his head and it really wasn't in any way innocent.
"Fine but I'm having a quick shower before we go anywhere." Shadow shrugged then walked passed Sonic to get to his bathroom.
"Oh my chaos Shadow naked in the shower dripping wet...I think I'm going to have a heart attack from how much that will look sexy." Sonic thought as he slowly made his way into the living room.
"There is definitely something wrong with Sonic today...whatever he's probably had a strange run in with Rose again. And for some reason that is starting to bother me, why should I care in slightest if Sonic was with Rose this morning before coming here" Shadow thought as he entered his bathroom with a deep puzzling frown and walked over to his shower.