A Sonadow Story:

Hero's Heart Corrupted

Chapter 5: Uncovered Tragedies

Shadow continued to stare down at the ball of blue spines curled up next to him, unsure of how to begin. He could easily manipulate any other person to tell him information, but Mobius' blue supersonic hedgehog hero is an entirely different story. The only ways he could get Sonic to talk were to hurt him even more, and it looks like he has been through enough. The black hedgehog let out a small sigh before repeating his last approach; the hand on the shoulder. He got the same results as last time with Sonic shivering and curling into a tighter ball. Shadow decided to talk to him this time.

"Faker, it's okay. It's just me, Shadow."

The shivering hedgehog below him ceased the shivering and relaxed again. "Shadow..?"

Said hedgehog got himself prepared and closed his eyes for a reenactment of what happened to Tails. When nothing happened, Shadow opened his eyes to see his rival sitting up in front of him, no longer curled into a ball. The blue hedgehog's eyes were clouded with sorrow, but he still wore a small, sad smile.

"Thanks, Shads, for helping me escape the basement workshop…" Sonic turns his head to face the black screen of the turned off TV. Although it was quiet, Shadow's sensitive ears had picked up every word.

The Ultimate Lifeform watch the blue hero with wide eyes, completely not ready for that. Sonic just genuinely thanked him. Yup, he has really changed.

"I don't understand. What exactly happened back there?" Shadow finally asked, causing the latter hedgehog's muscles to tense and small sad smile to disappear off his peach muzzle. He noticed this and realized he had asked too soon. There was no answer from the blue hero at first as his eyes grew more clouded and hugged his legs up to his chest.

"I just f-feel bad for breaking Tails' computer, that's all…" Sonic mumbles, continuing to stare at the powerless TV.

Shadow could tell that wasn't the full truth, yet part of it. At least he got something.

"Oh, so it was you who broke the computer?" Realizing he sounded stupid, but it was all for a good reason.

"Of course I did! Computer can't break themselves, ya know." Sonic sarcastically responded and turned to face him again with a small smirk, Shadow satisfied that he got the answer he expected. Maybe he hasn't completely changed.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep for all that has happened, Shadow left Sonic in the living room and went into the kitchen to make himself some more coffee. He decided not to make Sonic any, because he knew that the blue hero would need to rest up tonight. Coming back with a steaming mug of coffee that had neatly cursive words written on the mug "World's Best Hero", the black hedgehog walked back into the living room to see his rival staring at the powerless TV again like it was about to attack him, his small smirk gone. He sighed and stepped up to the blue hedgehog, the latter hedgehog not even glancing at him. Black eyelids lowering, Shadow swiftly picked Sonic up bridal style and started to carry him down the hallway to the blue hero's room. Sonic thrashed and yelled threats in his arms that held him gently, but firmly enough to keep him in The Ultimate Lifeform's grip. Smirking the whole way, Shadow carried his frustrated rival down the hallway, glad that he has recovered a little.

~Tails' Point of View~

Toss. Turn. Flip. Groan. Repeat.

I haven't been able to sleep ever since Shadow sent us back to our rooms. Just the sight of Sonic's form made me want to cringe. He has never been like this. What could possibly terrorize him so much? And what about Shadow? Why did he want us to leave? Is he hurting Sonic? Why did he help Sonic in the first place? Not that I want him to hurt Sonic... Ugh, all these thoughts are giving me a headache…

I sighed as I sat up in my bed and stared at the wall. My brain was like Grand Central Station now, my thoughts just crowding up there all at once. I honestly don't think I will ever be able to go back to sleep. I wonder if it is the same with the others. Will Sonic ever be the same? Or will he remain the frightened, shivering hedgehog he is now forever? Oh great, the thoughts again…

My head whipped around to face my bedroom door when I heard a strange, distant sound, like someone was yelling. I gripped my blanket that covered my legs below me, actually afraid that Shadow was hurting Sonic. The noise started to get closer as it sounded like it was going down the hallway. I soon was able to make out the words as it got closer:

"-so way past uncool, Shads!"

"How else are you going to get to your room if you're just going to stare at the TV like a frightened child?"

"You could have just told me that you wanted me to go to my room!"

"Please, you wouldn't even notice a bomb go off in your backyard, Faker."

"Would too!"

"Would not."

"Uh huh!"

"Nope."

"Just let me down!"

"Pfft, we're almost there. It would be a waste of time."

"UGH!"

The sound was too distant and blocked off by the door to listen to now. I couldn't help but laugh a little after hearing that argument. That sounded more like Sonic. Relaxing and loosening my grip on the covers, I lied back down in my bed. I had to move my namestakes to make sure I didn't lie on them overnight and wake up with them numb in the morning. With a small yawn, I gently closed my light blue eyes and drifted into a comfortable, needed sleep.

~Normal Point of View~

~The Next Morning~

Shadow woke up the next morning to find himself laying down on a spread-out blanket on the carpeted floor, vision blurry and head aching. He lifted himself up to a sitting position and looked around the room to try to remember where he was. It all started coming back to the black hedgehog as he recognized this to be Sonic's room. Last night began to repeat itself in his mind all over again…

~Shadow's Point of View~

~Flashback~

I finally threw Sonic on his bed after a long, horrific walk down the hallway with his struggling and whining. He finally calmed down when he landed on his bed, but gave me a death glare that was nowhere near as powerful as mine. Pointing an accusing finger at me, he complained some more.

"Never, ever, ever do that again." My blue counterpart threatened me, which made me chuckle on the inside.

"I do what I want, hedgehog." I smirked and crossed my arms over my chest in triumph. Sonic being upset was just plain amusing. The blue hero ended our argument with a grunt and began to get himself settled in his bed. Taking a sip of warm coffee out of my mug, I observed the room as he did that. I had to admit, he did have a very nice room. When he was comfortable, I decided that it was time to take my leave and let him sleep.

"Well, I'm going to go back to the living room and watch TV or something." I spoke and turned to Sonic to see him staring at the plasma flat screen TV again in his room with a fearful look on his face.

"Hello? Mobius to Sonic. Did you even hear me?" I spoke louder and walked up next to him. No response. No movement. He just proceeded in staring at the TV. Getting irritated with this behavior, I chose to not be so nice this time. Well, more like back to my angry, irritable, infuria-... you get the point.

"Yes, I know that you're upset that I carried you here, but that doesn't me-" I stopped mid-sentence. Sonic had lashed out his arm and grabbed my arm, making me become silent. He slowly and creepily turned his head from the TV to me, his expression emotionless unlike the fearful one he had been wearing just a second before.

"Hey Shads, uh, do you mind sleeping in here tonight?" he asked me with a voice so dull, it seemed like he never had any emotions at all. I didn't respond at first due to the confusion of him asking this kind of question. We were rivals, after all. And second, I was actually paralyzed with…fear. Never have I seen Sonic look so intimidating with the simplest of actions. I nodded my head at the question.

"Yes, I actually do mind." I answered, trying not to stutter.

Sonic just stared deeply into my eyes with no emotion whatsoever. It was like he was staring into my soul. We stood there staring at each other for several minutes without a single movement. Suddenly, he grinned.

"I suggest that you should not mind. I'm only doing this to help you." The blue hero whispered, his grin growing creepier by the second.

"What do you mean by 'help me'?" I began to get uneasy.

"Come," was all he whispered.

He shows me to his closet and pulls out two extra pillows and two extra blankets. He unfolds one of the blankets and spreads it out in the middle of the room, just at the foot of the bed. I watch him alertly as he throws the two pillows at the top edge of the blanket and lies the other folded blanket on the creation. With the same creepy grin on his face, he presents to me the makeshift bed.

"Try it out." He dully commands, and I hesitantly comply, not even daring to disobey because of how strange Sonic is acting. Now lying down in the makeshift bed, Sonic crouches down next to me, which I instantly scoot a few inches away from him.

"Sweet dreams…" he softly says and taps my forehead with the tip of his gloved index finger. I suddenly began to feel very sleepy and drowsy, having a hard time keeping my eyelids up. Before I fell asleep, I could have sworn I saw his emerald green eyes turn a light shade of crimson…

~Normal Point of View~

~End of Flashback~

Shadow rubs his aching head and stands up from of his makeshift bed. Glancing at Sonic's bed, he notices that the blue hero is gone. He exits the room and walks down the hallway to the living room. Everyone is still asleep. The confused black hedgehog wanders over to the window and smiles a bit surprisingly. It had stopped raining overnight. He could finally leave this place and go back to his peaceful home.

A knock sounds from the front door next to Shadow and he growls slightly before opening the door. There he was; Sonic stood at the door. He was clean from the smoke that had covered his spines before and was back to his cobalt blue color and his gloves were back to their pure white color than smokey gray.

"Finally! I've been waiting at the door for the past two hours!" The blue hedgehog exclaims, stepping inside. The Ultimate Lifeform watched his blue counterpart pass him and disappear into the kitchen.

"Where the hell have you been, Faker?" he followed behind him as Sonic poured himself some of the cold coffee from last night and turned to face him.

"I.. I honestly don't remember…" The Blue Blur scratches his head in confusion.

That answer did not lower any of Shadow's anger.

"So you're telling me that you strangely wandered into the night to do who-knows-what without your own house key and come back without remembering anything whatsoever?" The black hedgehog growls as he steps toward Sonic slowly, who instantly takes a step back at each step Shadow took. They continued this until Sonic was pressed against the wall with Shadow holding him down.

"You better tell me what you did, hedgehog, before I Chaos Blast you to where you don't even know anything but the definition of pain." The pissed off bionic hedgehog snarled and the blue hedgehog below him couldn't help but shrink under his blazing glare.

"I honestly don't remember anything about last night! You've got to believe me, Shadow!" Sonic said desperately to said hedgehog, gazing up at the fuming black hedgehog with innocent emerald green eyes. Shadow continued to glare at him with blazing crimson eyes before releasing him and stepping back a bit.

"Stupid hedgehog." He grumbles, only had pressured his rival to at least try to find out about his suspicious behavior from last night. The blue hedgehog let out a sigh of relief, straightening himself up again. Taking a sip of his cold coffee, Sonic gets an idea.

"I'll make some breakfast for the both of us. You go see if there is anything interesting on TV." The Blue Blur suggested and his black rival approved with a short nod. Both parted ways when Black exited to the living room while Blue remained. Some time passed and Sonic was making some pancakes on a small portable electric fryer. Shadow continued to flip through the channels until one caught his attention.

"Faker, come look at this." He called out and the blue hedgehog entered the living room a moment later, leaving the baking pancakes on their own for a little. The TV was currently set on the News with a News Reporter in the middle of the screen. She was a beautiful pure snow white fox with ice blue eyes and wore a sparkling elegant midnight purple dress with matching heels. Both hedgehogs were silent as she spoke:

"Good morning, everyone. This is Roxanne Washington here and I'm here live at the scene. Last night in a small neighborhood, a murder was committed. A mother and two children were brutally slaughtered that night. We estimate it happened around 3 AM. Neighbors say they heard cries and screams at the dead of night around this time. There will be more to this story later on. We suggest for everyone to be cautious and keep your doors locked until further notice. This is Roxanne signing out and stay safe, Mobius."

The TV was shut off by a serious-looking blue hedgehog. Without a word, both supersonic hedgehogs exchanged glances and immediately dashed out the front door at supersonic speed.

~End of Chapter 5~