Blaze could hear footsteps in her living room. She's lived here for two years without people robbing her and she plans on keeping it this way. The only person who ever came over this late was her fiancé, Sliver the Hedgehog, but he was away on business. Blaze looked around her room and found a match. Whoever was planning to rob her was about to get burned to a crisp. Blaze slowly tip-toed down the dark hallway silently, as she began to prepare herself for attack. The target came into sight and she threw a fireball. The intruder dodged her attack causing her to burn a hole in the wall. "Blaze, it's me Shadow!" The figure shouted as she threw another fireball. "Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog?" She asked the dark figure. Blaze turned on the lights to see him carrying Rouge. Shadow appeared to be barely damaged but could tell Rouge was in critical condition. "What did you do?" She demanded while clearing a spot for the injured girl in his arms.

Shadow looked over at Blaze. She was clearly pissed as he expected, but who wouldn't be when you come to their house at around three in the morning? "It was a mission. Rouge and I decided to spilt-up to cover more ground. She was persuaded by our target and as he went for the final blow, I jumped in and kicked his sorry butt. We can't go back to Headquarters because I killed him and we were suppose to capture him alive. I was wondering if we could recover here if it's fine with you." His voice was soft and Blaze could see guilt in his eyes. Shadow laid Rouge on the couch softly as if she were made of glass. Blaze couldn't help but feel his pain. "Yes. You both may stay as long as needed." She told Shadow pointing to her bathroom. "Wash up in there for a few minutes. I'll watch over her in the meantime." Shadow didn't argue with the cat and walked to the door. Blaze watched him as he walked away. Shadow the Hedgehog had always made her heart race even if it was only for a moment. The two were only meant to be close like siblings and she was well aware of that, but that didn't stop the sensation. Of course Blaze was in love with Sliver, but there will always be a spot in her heart for the black hedgehog.

Shadow rinsed himself in the warm water. The steam relaxed his aching muscles while also filling the luxurious bathroom. He lathered himself with soap as water ran off his soft fur. It felt momentarily soothing for him as he tried to forget the incident of the night. "She was waiting for you to rescue her and what were you doing in the meantime? Killing children like your childhood friend Maria like a Monster? You couldn't save Maria and you almost had Rouge killed as well." A voice in Shadow's mind taunted at him. He shook his head at himself. How did he allow himself to grow so weak?

General Suzuki tapped his fingers against the desk. What was taking them this long? Shadow and Rouge should have been back already. Omega remained in the hallway outside the door waiting on his comrades return. Even though the Robot could not feel emotion, he felt an unknown substance of guilt. What if he could feel emotion unlike other robots? General Kyo and his assistant Sliver the hedgehog approached Omega. General Kyo was opposite of General Suzuki. He had a toned body with tanned skin and dark orange eyes that matched his hair. General Kyo was the youngest general in G.U.N and because of his youth he was still growing in height. Sliver was a time traveler from the future who is temporary working with G.U.N. "Excuse us, Omega. We have to talk to Suzuki for a few minutes." Kyo ordered with a grin. Omega moved to the side and the two walked through. General Suzuki rolled his eyes at the young general and shut the soundproof door.

Blaze woke up to find herself next to Shadow as he sat between her and Rouge. Shadow was in deep slumber unaware he fallen asleep next to the cat girl. Blaze tried not to blush and moved away from the two. She looked at the two sleeping. Shadow was leaning against the comfortable couch with his arms around Rouge's waist. Blaze could have felt a hint of jealous but decided to remember her handsome, wonderful, close friend and fiancée who she would soon be wedded to. She then went into the large kitchen preparing breakfast for the them all. What would Shadow like for breakfast? Blaze knew he wasn't the type to devour a large amount of food like Rouge so she needed to think of something small but filling. She finally decided on bacon and eggs for the hedgehog and pancakes for the bat.

Rouge awoke to the various good smells of the cooking food. She opened her eyes to see the tired arms around her waist. Panic almost filled the bat's body until Rouge realized it was no other but her partner. That's when the panic disappeared and comfort filled into every muscle in her body. The memory of what happened with Monko was hazy so she decided not to try and remember right now. Rouge could feel Shadow's heart beat and nuzzled her head on his chest. "Good morning." She whispered to him making the hedgehog groan and turn his head from her. "Good night." He replied while moving his arms away from the girl. "Whatever. You're not a morning person." She laughed while quietly adding with a smile. "Neither am I."

"Good morning sleepy head. How'd you sleep?" Blaze asked her finishing the last pancake. Rouge got off the couch and walked into the kitchen. "Good morning. I slept well but my memory is hazy. How did I get here?" She responded setting the plates on the table. "Shadow brought you here last night around three a.m. He nearly made me burn down my apartment I may add. Anyways, he asked if you guys could stay the night because he killed the target you were suppose to catch and couldn't return to base." Blaze said putting each person's food on their plate. Rouge wasn't surprised Shadow killed Monko, but what happened to Hilary and the children? That's when Shadow entered the kitchen. He pulled out the ladies chairs like a gentleman and sat down in his own. "Have a good sleep lazy bones?" Blaze teased as he began to eat. Shadow stared at her for a minute and continued eating. Blaze and Rouge both took their seats and began to eat in silence until Blaze spoke. "Rouge what happened? How did you get injured so seriously?" Rouge's blank mind then started to remember her fight with Monko and how easily he almost finished her. "I let my guard now when I heard an explosion. I thought Shadow was in trouble and went to search for him unaware of Monko following me. He forced me into a fight and made me lose my balance." She replied trying to put her thoughts together. "Monko? Monko the Monkey? Wasn't he an ex-general for G.U.N?" Blaze asked as Shadow finished off his bacon and eggs. "Yes. Until an unfortunate accident occurred and made him leave permanently. No one is sure exactly why but now we'll never know for sure." Shadow answered adding. "Where is Sliver anyway?"

Blaze looked surprised. "Don't you know? G.U.N is adding new recruits to their lines. Sliver is General Kyo's personal assistant and advisor. Today he'll be coming back from a mission to Babylon to stop Jet, Wave, and Storm." Her voice held pride in talking about her fiancée. Shadow wondered if every soon to be wife would take pride in their soon to be husbands? His thoughts were stopped when Rouge asked him a question. "Shadow, what happened to the soldiers? What happened to Hilary?" Why did she have to ask him that question? Did she really want him to feel worse? "I destroyed them with Chaos causing a fire to burn up the camp." He mumbled loud enough for the two to hear and continued. "Hilary disappeared when she smelt the smoke leaving the soldiers alone and vulnerable. It had to be done."

Rouge hid her emotions with a plain expression, but Shadow knew what she was feeling because he felt the same. He was a monster. Who would stoop so low to kill innocent children who didn't know better? Apparently now he had, and the guilt grew worse and worse every minute as he remembered Maria. Blaze could feel the tension and stared at the two for a minute. Then she turned to Shadow and looked him in the eyes and said. "Do not blame yourself. What's done is done. You were following orders. There is nothing you can do to change history so move on. What's important is that your comrade is safe and you're both alive." Shadow felt his face go hot and he snapped. "The soldiers were children. General Suzuki made me kill innocent children! What kind of person kills a child!" "A bastard that made you to the dirty work for them!" Blaze hissed back at him. Shadow said no more and went into another room. Blaze followed after him leaving Rouge alone to think. She thought of the time her, Shadow, and Omega found Eggman's secret treasure. It wasn't treasure at all. Just robots in hibernation lined up in rows. These weren't just any robots though. They were robot clones of Shadow.

Flashback:

"Shadow..." Rouge said putting her hand on his shoulder. They had finally reached Eggman's secret treasure and it wasn't even treasure but robots. "What if...what if i'm not even the real Shadow? Just a clone like the rest of these?" Shadow spoke softly continuing. "Another robot designed to destroy and kill emotionless? Is this really my destiny?" Rouge looked at him surprised at his remark. "Shut up. You're the real Shadow. If you were a robot then you wouldn't feel bad, you would feel nothing." Shadow started to walk away from her and when he was far away enough laughed. "Not even if what you say is true changes the purpose I was created for. I'm a designed creature who was made for revenge and to create destruction. I'm a monster..."

Rouge didn't worry about him feeling that way anymore, and thought it was another phase that would disappear. Now she realized the truth, and the truth was no matter what he did or said. He would always fight against himself, against the monster he believed he was on the inside. And she was too late to help him.