Chapter two
Rouge's dreams were terrorised by nightmarish and monstrous creatures that night; they swirled and snaked, seeping into every crevice and crack within, slipping their evil tendrils and slashing claws through her unconscious mind. They poisoned the one place she was supposed to be safe from everything and turned it into a paralyzing prison of terror. Most of the demon-like creatures seemed not to take form, and would constantly shapeshift into figures more and more horrible than the last. But one shape seemed to stay the same, one constant in the neverending nightmare.
It was the largest of them all, standing on all fours as it stalked towards the bat, her body was minuscule in comparison, and the creature's jet black fur and rippling muscles rose and fell as it seemed to… breath. She tried to get a better glimpse of the creature, but in her dream-like state, it was impossible. She tried and failed again and again desperately trying to focus her vision, so she could figure out why the shape looked so… familiar.
But it was useless, and she felt her body collapse as the ravaging demons surrounding her pounced, and the pure blackness encased her body, swallowing the bat whole.
"Rouge!"
The bat's eyes snapped open with a start and she rigidly sat up, she hesitantly looked about her surroundings, the bright green rainforest around her appeared to welcome her back into reality, and she realised, it had only been a dream. She was back where she was supposed to be.
The clearing looked incredibly different than it had the night before; the lake was now a brilliant blue, with tropical plants and lilypads grazing upon the delicate surface, various flowers grew in patches around the water's edge, and a rainbow flurry of petals rested on the green, mossy floor. The sunlight seemed to filter through in glorious beams, and the rich, earthy smell was a delight to her senses. A cacophony of animal noises rumbled deep within the jungle, various warblings and calls of birds and monkeys high in the trees, along with the ambient chitter of crickets and beetles deeper in the undergrowth.
"...Rouge?"
The bat whipped her head around to face her companion; a sceptical-looking hedgehog who was knelt to her left, his head ever so slightly tilted in a questioning, possibly even concerned manner, as he stared at her.
"Oh! Good morning", she quickly answered, not wanting to make her slightly abrupt waking any more awkward than it needed to be. She rubbed her tired face with her delicate, gloved hands, in an attempt to try and make herself look somewhat presentable- as a night on the forest floor wasn't going to be best for beauty sleep.
"Morning", Shadow stiffly replied, getting out of his kneeling position and standing up, brushing himself off.
"What time is it?"
The hedgehog glanced down at his communicator; his ebony fur spotless and shiny as ever, his expressionless guise permeating everything it touched.
"Seven o'clock."
"How long have you been up?"
"I dunno, I think I woke up at a little past four. I went for a walk and I just got back", he said, rather aloofly. "I was going to wait a while so you could get more sleep but you started acting pretty… strange."
"...Strange?"
"Yeah. It's difficult to explain- your face kept contorting and your wings were twitching." He glanced at the bat with a mildly concerned expression. "Are you… alright?"
Rouge was slightly taken aback by his sudden worry; it wasn't completely out of character for him to show consideration or regard for her wellbeing- but it wasn't exactly a common occurrence.
"Yes, no need to worry about me, my dear", she replied, attempting to give him a consoling smile to show that she was fine, but his expression remained sullen and unconvinced, he even went as far as to raise an eye ridge in scepticism.
"Honestly! I am!", the bat pleaded, not wanting to cause her companion any unease. "Besides, it's not like your worrying is going to help me at all."
"So you expect me to stop worrying about you simply because it, 'won't help'?"
"...That's not what I meant-"
"Can't you just tell me? It would make everything an awful lot easier."
"Ugh… Fine. You're kinda stubborn y'know?"
"Hmmm… reminds me of someone", he shot back, the ghost of a grin lacing his lips.
"Hah! Sarcasm! Very amusing."
"Extremely. Now- you were going to tell me what's bothering you?"
"Yes, yes", she waved her hand towards him, gesturing for him to stop pressing so much. "Frankly, I don't know why you care so much, you've never been this nosy before."
"Am I not allowed to be concerned for my partner?"
"...Partner?"
Rouge looked up at him- a solemn expression present on her delicate features. Was that really how he still viewed their relationship?
"...Yeah? What do you mean?"
"Really? After all this time, that's all we are- partners?"
"...What else would we be?", he questioned, his deep voice taking on a tone of unease as his mind raced through the many possible implications of her question.
"Oh, forget I said anything." She resigned her reprimanding stance in the conversation, deciding the topic was better discussed at a different time- if that time ever arrived.
The bat gently stood up and stretched herself out, her soiled boots were an ugly contrast with her usual clean and sparkling demeanour, and she decided to try and wash them in the lake to remove the dirt and debris. Looking down on her person, her shiny, black catsuit was still in decent condition, excluding the odd smudge of dirt and grime remaining from her adventures in the forest the day before. All could be remedied with some water thankfully.
As she walked a little away from Shadow and towards the lake, she could feel the piercing gaze of the hedgehog slicing through her back, he was obviously not thrilled that she had simply brushed over an important discussion point.
"I hate when you do this", he deadpanned.
Out of the corner of Rouge's eye, she watched the dark hedgehog cross his arms and turn away from her, so he was facing the edge of the clearing instead. His gaze was now busily permeating a patch of bushes- thankfully not her back anymore. Always such a gentleman.
"Do what, exactly?", she asked innocently, grinning to herself as she slipped off her boot to wash it in the lake's crystal waters.
"Say something like that then completely disregard it moments later."
"You were the one to disregard it, Shadow."
"...How?" He was beginning to get frustrated with her bewildering behaviour, and just wanted to be finished with this whole petty situation that had been created between them.
"By saying: 'What else would we be?', you completely dismissed what I said."
"I asked you a question, I didn't ignore it."
"No- you just repackaged what I had said and asked me a variation of what I had asked you."
"..."
The bat had a point. Damn.
"I simply avoided the question- just as you had", she continued. Rouge was now taking off her other boot, as the first had now been cleansed and was now resting on the mossy bank next to her.
"Okay. So, what do you want me to say?", he asked, now back to glaring towards the alluring woman kneeling by the lake. Her white fur was as pearly and soft as ever, the glistening sunbeams catching her exquisite features and defining them perfectly.
"You could answer my question, perhaps."
Shadow thought for a moment before answering her. The tense atmosphere the pair had created wasn't exactly comfortable for him, but she seemed to be relishing every second of his complete and utter discomfort.
What were they? What a question it was. He had used the word 'partner', but she had clearly not enjoyed the use of that noun to describe their… relationship. The word 'partner', could suggest a lot of things, business partners, co-workers, friends… lovers? Perhaps Rouge had wanted a more specific term to describe their status, but Shadow found a sort of, comfort, in using an umbrella term to describe it- leaving it up for personal interpretation.
Were they just… partners? Friends perhaps. He had known the girl for about two years, and worked with her for a little over one. They had been through a myriad of things together- world domination schemes, some of which they had been a part of- which was where they had met actually. She had also been the one to release him from the pod he had been trapped in- and without her… he might not have ever left it.
She was brave- undoubtedly so- and courageous, even when facing threats she couldn't possibly stand a chance against. An admirable ally, and… a wonderful friend, he realised.
But when he gazed towards her, he couldn't help but feel something more towards the- simply mesmerising- bat.
More? He did not fully understand. But he wished he would… one day.
He glanced towards her once again, she was now finished cleaning her boots and had settled them on the edge of the lake to dry. She was staring intently into the reflection of the lake, her face was eerily expressionless.
"...I apologise, Rouge", Shadow began. "You aren't just my partner, you're also my friend."
He wished he could tell what she was thinking about.
"I appreciate it, Shadow."
"Now, will you tell me what's up?", the hedgehog asked, a hint of jest threading through his words.
"Yeah, I guess you've earned it", she said, the smile returning to her lips.
Shadow closed the distance between him and her, the hedgehog had only been about a meter away from her, but decided it was probably best to be closer when she was opening up. It wasn't every day his companion would divulge to him. He sat down next to her; the moss was soft.
"I just had a weird dream. My dreams aren't usually too pleasant, but this one was really fucking scary."
The hedgehog dipped his head so he could gaze towards her once more, he knew what she was talking about. He experienced the exact same thing every time he went to sleep.
"There was a bunch of black, horrifying creatures surrounding me and I couldn't go anywhere- but what really scared me was this one monster, it felt… real, and familiar."
The bat's cyan eyes met his, and her expression remained sullen.
"I know you probably think it's stupid-"
"-Why would I think that? Of course it's not."
"Well, thanks", Rouge murmured, her expression lifted slightly from sullen to relieved.
"I'm glad it wasn't anything too serious. I'm sure it was just a nightmare, Rouge", he said, trying to comfort his friend. It felt strange to have a friend, especially after so long- but he supposed they had been friends for a while, and he had only come to terms with it now.
"Yeah, I hope."
"Tell me if it happens again though. I wouldn't want it to turn into anything major."
"It's nice when you worry about me."
"Oh?"
"It's sweet."
"That's the second time you've called me sweet in twenty-four hours."
"I guess it must be true then."
The dark hedgehog gazed towards the bewitching woman, who was awfully close to him, but he decided- for once- he didn't mind being so near her. It was somewhat of a privilege to even be in her presence, as she didn't allow just anyone to get close to her, and Shadow gained a sort of pride from it.
Sitting in silence wasn't uncommon for the pair, and it was a staple of their relationship at that point. It's a special sort of connection when you don't need words to fill a silence, just pure and whole understanding of one another that doesn't inhibit the other's enjoyment; solitude within company. Beautiful really.
The comfortable silence wasn't truly all quiet, the ambient sounds of the rainforest seemed to subtly and perfectly intertwine with the moments of tranquillity. Chitters, glugs, roars and birdsong echoed peacefully about the clearing, combining, and creating a melting pot of enchanting sounds which filled the empty air with mystique. The morning air was light and sparkling, it was a wonder to breathe in.
Shadow was so lost in the rainforest's beauty that he didn't notice Rouge's fair, gloved hand reach out towards his. He looked down, then towards his companion, who was gazing across the lake, an expression of contentment spread across her beguiling features. The hedgehog allowed the bat to knit her fingers with his, granting her access to his reclusion. Her hand was warm, and it spread that warmth through his as the hold lengthened. It was strange to touch someone for so long, but it was not unwelcome.
Crack
Rouge's large ears swiftly flicked back towards the sound- her guard automatically going back up, her hand left Shadows immediately and the dark hedgehog was left somewhat bewildered at his companion's actions.
"...Rouge?", he asked, he wondered many things: why had she taken his hand- and most importantly- why had she dropped it?
"Shhh", she harshly whispered, pushing her index finger towards him in a motion to be silent.
Rouge peered behind her, twisting her body so she could properly see behind her to the other side of the clearing. She spotted a dash of azure blue behind a bush- that could only mean one thing: a certain nosy blue hedgehog had found them.
"Sonic!", she yelled, somewhat annoyed at his uninvited intrusion. A ruffling sound could be heard as the bush began to shake a little, and a dishevelled bright blue hedgehog burst out of it, his fur was covered with leaves and other forest detritus- and he was laughing madly.
"How long were you there?", Rouge cried as she stood up, placing her fists on her hips.
"Long enough!", he shouted back, still giggling to himself.
"Oh shut up! Why are you even here?"
"Well I was exploring, but then I came across… whatever this is", he chuckled, as he began walking towards the pair.
"Fuck off hedgehog", Shadow sneered, who seemed annoyed by the intrusion as well.
"Woah, woah, no need to swear Shadow, I'll leave you two alone in just a sec", Sonic said, still snickering as he joined them by the lake. "I just wanted to ask Rouge what happened yesterday on the radio, and apologise if it was my fault-"
"I almost got mauled by some mutant beast, asshole!", she exclaimed. "I got caught off guard because I was talking to you."
"Shit, that doesn't sound good", Sonic replied, his tone switching to a more genuine one. "Look I'm sorry, Rouge, I swear I didn't mean for anything like that to happen."
The bat sighed in response, she knew it wasn't really his fault, she had also been careless in a somewhat dangerous situation. She should have stayed vigilant… and not forgotten her communicator. Then this whole recon mission wouldn't have been needed, and she could be in her soft, feather bed right now, getting her much-needed beauty sleep.
"It's fine, just- seriously- don't interrupt my missions anymore."
"Yup- I've learned my lesson Rougey. I promise I won't unless it's a real emergency."
"Thank you, Sonic."
The blue hedgehog clicked his fingers together and pointed towards the bat as he remembered something.
"I also wanted to ask why you weren't at the fire last night, Rouge. Amy was waiting for you."
"Since when do you care what the pink one does?", Shadow snickered, un-caring that Sonic's question wasn't directed towards him.
Before Sonic could protest, Rouge interrupted him, "-I wasn't there 'cause Shadow wanted to show me this lake… and I didn't feel like staying up late after yesterday- which I definitely would have done if I had gone over to you guys."
"Bet Shadow wanted to show you a lot more than the lake-", Sonic muttered under his breath. Luckily Rouge didn't catch what he said… but Shadow did.
"God damn it, shut up!", the dark hedgehog cried, taking a dangerous step towards the blue one.
"Sheesh! Fine, I'll go! I can tell when I'm not wanted. Cya later you two!", he cried, waving at the pair as he sped off where he had come from, the bushes left shaking in his wake.
Shadow retired his stare back to his companion; his steely gaze peeled over her.
"'Rougey'?"
"Huh?"
"He called you 'Rougey'. What's up with that?"
To Shadow's surprise, his companion began heartily chuckling at his comment. He didn't think it was particularly humourous, but the bat was practically left in stitches from it.
"What?", he pressed, utterly confused.
"It's just a nickname, Shadow, my dear", she giggled, her beautiful laugh rung out around the clearing.
"Obviously- but why does he have one for you?"
"I dunno, does it matter?"
"Hmph, I guess not", he muttered, turning away from her as they stood together.
Rouge took this as an opportunity to dip her head to the side so she was still in his view; she was tall for a girl, but was still a great deal shorter than Shadow without her heeled boots- with them on they stood at a similar height, with him only being a few inches taller.
"You aren't jealous, are you?", the bat teased, her blue eyelids lowering into a sultry smirk.
"Of that blue fool? Of course not." He returned the bat's smirk with one of his own, her eyes glistened in the sunlight.
"Besides, I'd like to think that I know you better than he ever could", he continued, holding eye contact intently as the pair gazed at each other.
"You've certainly got a point… Shad", she said, grinning at him.
"...Shad?"
"Your very own nickname, so you don't have to be jealous", she giggled, giving him a sarcastic, yet playful, wink.
"But I do not have one for you."
"That's fine, I like it when you say my name anyway."
"...Really?"
"Yes."
"Okay… Rouge."
"Okay, Shad."
A moment of silence graced the two as they longingly stared at each other.
"Oh, wait! Give me your hand", she exclaimed, reaching towards his dark appendage.
"You're not gonna hold it again are you?", Shadow joked as he allowed the bat to take it. An amused grin settled on her face as she rolled her eyes at him.
"No- I wanted to see the time."
"Oh right, your meeting."
Rouge nodded as she rolled Shadow's hand to the side so she could get a better look at his communicator, she gently tapped the screen and the date and time dissolved onto the surface. Seven thirty-two, almost half an hour before her designated meeting time with the commander.
"Still got some time to kill, eh Shad?"
She dropped his hand, much to his perturbation.
"Yep, what are you gonna do?"
"Dunno", she replied, tapping her chin as she pondered the many options she had activity-wise.
"Wanna go exploring with me?", Rouge asked. "This jungle is extremely beautiful, y'know."
"Sure, but we shouldn't go too far."
"There you go worrying again, learn to live a little, Shad!"
"Yeah, yeah, maybe your right", he muttered, his hand brushed through his quills, watching his friend as she walked towards the water's edge, grabbing her boots from the side. She slid them back on flawlessly, the white contrasting elegantly with her black catsuit. She stood back up and joined Shadow's side once again.
"Which way?"
"That way leads back to the clearing", he replied, hiking a thumb behind him.
"Left then?"
"Sure."
Rouge took the lead as Shadow followed after her; beginning their mini adventure into the jungle. The bat glanced up, the twining vines curled and twisted around the tree trunks so beautifully, making swirling patterns- each one unique and organic. Chittering sounds echoed down from the tall canopy, and a family of miniature monkeys could be seen swinging along the tree branches.
"Shadow!", she exclaimed, tapping her friend on the shoulder to get his attention as she pointed to the family of monkeys. "Look!"
"Those are Capuchin monkeys", he replied as he looked up, shielding his eyes from the glaring sun.
"First fish and now monkeys", the bat sighed, smiling contently, "you are just full of interesting facts, Shadow the Hedgehog."
"For you to find some simple animal facts that fascinating, you must be hanging around with some exceptionally boring people."
"A joke! And he's funny too!"
"You flatter me, Rouge."
"Have I charmed you yet?"
"You're gonna have to do better than that, bat", he said, offering Rouge a small smile as they continued their walk.
Rouge decided to humour him, placing a hand on her forehead dramatically and pretending to fall backwards, only to let her wings catch her mid-fall as she 'fainted'.
"You are going to be the death of me", she groaned, flapping her wings as she hovered next to him, twirling around with ease.
"I hope not."
"Nah, I know you would never hurt me, my dear."
"It's only the gentlemanly thing to do."
"Besides- when I die I hope it's in some epic battle against an alien overlord, or some power-hungry supervillain. I'll be able to rest easy knowing I died defending the planet- and that way, you can avenge me", she chuckled, closing her eyes as she imagined it.
"I would never let that happen. Anyone who dares to lay a hand on you will be dealt with, trust me", Shadow replied, scoffing at the ridiculousness of her proposed situation. She, however, was beaming at his response.
"Good to know."
"Revenge is sweet, especially when it is deserved."
"Oh, I hear that! Honestly, people who say revenge doesn't help with closure are idiots- that's what I think anyway."
"Exactly, y'know, that's one of the things I admire about you, Rouge."
"...Care to elaborate?"
"You care about getting justice; true justice. Not just letting villains rot in a cell, actually giving them the punishment they deserve, no matter how deadly."
"I'm glad you think that", she mused, placing her hands behind her head as she tilted back- still hovering alongside her companion. "People these days are too forgiving. Take Robotnik for example; he's murdered countless people, and instead of killing him and putting a stop to the horrors he commits, they either let him go or put him in jail- just for him to break out within days and go back to his usual plots."
"Indeed. He's an odd case though, I would consider myself somewhat related to him."
"Oh right, Gerald Robotnik was his grandfather. Oh!", Rouge cried, coming to a realisation. "That means… she, was his cousin as well."
A moment of silence passed between them.
"...Yes."
Shadow's unusually peaceful demeanour had vanished at the mention of, her. His content expression was once again masked with a deep frown, one which almost permanently resided on his face.
"Look, Shad-"
"No… don't apologise, it's okay. I'll have to get over it someday."
The dark hedgehog stared wistfully into the distance as they continued their steady pace. Rouge felt awful for mentioning something so important to him so casually, especially when they had been having such a nice conversation. But instead of continuing in uncomfortable silence, he surprisingly piped up again.
"Y'know, she's not really gone", Shadow began, his frown twisting into a somewhat tranquil expression. "I'll always have the memories of our time together. That way, she, and her memory, live on."
"...Hey, Shadow?"
"Yes?"
"That shows incredible maturity."
"Hm?"
"A year ago, even the mention of Maria would have sent you into a downward spiral of misery. It shows amazing growth and maturity to accept things like that", she said, placing a hand on his shoulder as she floated alongside him. "That, my dear Shadow, is one of the many things I admire about you."
He turned his face so he was looking at her, just for a moment, and he saw her expression. It was so genuine, so comforting.
"I appreciate it, Rouge."
"You don't even have to say it. I know you do", Rouge began, gently squeezing his shoulder before removing her hand. "I also appreciate everything you do for me, I know it isn't easy for you. I realise I can be difficult sometimes."
"You aren't so bad", he scoffed. "I'd rather deal with you than anyone else- no matter how high-maintenance you can be."
The bat giggled righteously at his joke- his dry sense of humour always made her laugh whenever he decided to jest. She punched his arm lightly as she flipped onto her back, chuckling while flapping her wings- keeping herself hovering while keeping in pace with her companion. Every so often a rogue vine or branch would find itself in their path, and Shadow would kindly step forward and push it out of the way for her, so she didn't get tangled or whacked by them. What a gentleman.
"You're one to talk, Emo!", she shot back, a devious grin clinging to her lips.
"I am not emo!", he grumbled. His voice was deep and serious, but his face told a different story- a dark, yet playful smirk was plastered onto his features.
"Fine", she said, pretending to think while she planned her response. "Edgy then."
The dark hedgehog rolled his eyes, he couldn't exactly argue with that one.
"So, what do you think of the forest so far, Shad?"
"It's beautiful, just like you said."
"It really is, isn't it."
"Truly."
"I could spend my entire life exploring this place, there's just so much to see. I heard there are more than fifty species of monkeys that are native here, you'll be happy to hear."
"You're never gonna let me hear the end of that are you?"
"I don't think so, no", Rouge replied, grinning at her companion widely.
"Well, I guess I'll have to keep telling you all the niche, weird, facts I know about animals, since apparently, everyone else isn't interesting enough", he sniped, a proud smile present on his face.
She laughed, and Shadow's eyes flicked towards her once more, she was still flying beside him on her back, her short, pearly locks of hair were untucked and loosely curled around her face, the spotted, green-hued, rainforest light gently highlighting her pretty features, her smile was wide.
"Y'know, I never knew you were quite so funny."
"I doubt it, maybe you're just easy to make laugh."
"Oh, Shadow, maybe you're right", she sighed, smiling contently. The bat reached towards him suddenly, flipping back so she was lying on her stomach as she hovered, and brushed her hand over his quills gently. His ears urgently flicked backwards at the odd sensation, and he quickly twisted his head towards his companion, a questioning look present on his face.
"What?", she innocently asked, batting her eyelashes in a falsely clueless manner as she dropped her hand away, placing it behind her back as the pair came to a stop, she stopped flapping her wings and resumed her position on the ground.
"What do you mean what, I'm the one supposed to be asking that."
"I'm afraid I don't understand", she smirked, false innocence threading through her tone.
"You just-", he started, staring at the ivory bat, who was biting her bottom lip as she tried to stifle a giggle. It would probably be easier if he ignored it. "…Oh never mind."
"Just, what?", Rouge teased.
"Oh shush, you", he sighed, rolling his eyes again as he looked down at his watch, checking the time.
"Rouge."
"Mhm?"
"It's twelve to eight, we should probably head back to the clearing if you wanna be on time", he suggested, turning around as he began walking the way they had come, leading the bat away.
After ten minutes of walking as fast as they possibly could, Shadow and Rouge eventually found their way back to the clearing. It had changed considerably overnight: many more tents had been put up, and there were lots of busy agents scurrying around with various machines and devices, taking readings and samples from the jungle, as well as from the temple.
The huge, majestic temple stood tall, enveloping the middle of the clearing in shadows, the gaping entrance in its chest seemed foreboding and sinister as the pair stared towards it. Rouge knew she was going to have to go inside it- and she was definitely not excited, to say the least. Shadow noticed her grimace as they walked past it.
She and Shadow made their way up to the tent that the commander had told her to meet the previous day- it stood a little taller than the other similarly coloured tents and had a darker shade of green than the rest. The G.U.N emblem was also patriotically stamped on the side in black, and the tall, dark figure of the commander could be seen shifting about on the inside, through the ever-so-slightly translucent canvas of the tent.
"This is it", Shadow murmured.
"Yup."
"Well, good luck Rouge. I'll wait here", Shadow said, resting on a nearby stack of containers as he gave the bat a small, unenthusiastic wave.
"Alright, cya Shad", she replied, giving him an equally pathetic, partially sarcastic wave.
She opened the tent's door flap, ducking her head so she didn't get whacked by it- that just wouldn't do. She glanced inside as she stepped in, the commander stood as tall and intimidating as he always did, and she graced him with a mocking salute on her arrival. She was right on time.
"Agent Rouge, report."
"Of course, sir."
Rouge reached down to the leather pouch on her hip, grabbed the photos and DNA sample she had acquired the day before, and arranged them carefully on the makeshift camping table in the tent. The tent's thin, green, canvas walls let in tiny shafts of light which speckled about the room, the ground was bare, with no canvas flooring on top, and the dirt crunched softy as the bat padded around. The commander was standing on the opposite side of the tent expectantly, his expression was serious and aloof as he peered down at the items the bat had produced.
"This creature", Rouge began, pointing to one of the three photographs, "attacked me in the middle of Sonic and I's radio conversation. I dropped the radio in surprise and the beast crushed it. I didn't have any other method of communication with me, as I had forgotten my communicator- so that's why we lost contact during the mission."
"A mistake like this is unacceptable, Rouge", the commander said, he shook his head in disappointment. "Forgetting your communicator of all things- I expect better from you. That is never to happen again. Understood?"
"Yes sir. I promise it won't", she replied, bowing her head slightly in an attempt to show remorse for her oversight.
"The only reason I came out here with all these people was due to the fact that you are, quite possibly, my best agent… and also because I wanted a larger, more thorough, investigation done on this place."
The commander motioned to a large whiteboard leaning on the tent wall behind him; various recordings and graphs were stuck to it with magnets, and many odd scribbles had been hastily written down with markers.
"The alpha readings from this area have been especially odd lately, and scans from the helicopters have shown masses of radiation deep under the ground, surrounding this area in a kilometre radius."
"So that's why you wanted me with a bigger group…"
"Correct. I know that working with others isn't exactly your… strong suit, but due to the circumstances, I want you to work with a partner. You can choose who it is, I honestly don't mind, but I definitely need you with someone else. For safety as well as a more rigorous investigation."
Rouge had to suppress the overwhelming urge to give the commander an eye-roll and kick up a fuss about the prospect of working with a partner; she had co-workers at the office, sure, but she rarely went on missions with them. The only anomaly in this arrangement was Shadow, which was someone she didn't particularly mind going on missions with, but she usually still preferred working alone. But- due to her slip up it didn't look like she had much of a choice in the matter.
"You know how I feel about working with others… but due to the situation you described, I'll work with a partner, just this once. Is that agreeable, sir?"
"Certainly", he said, nodding towards the bat, "I do not doubt your prowess Rouge, but this mission is shaping up to be a larger ordeal than predicted."
"Yes, I can see that", she smirked, gesturing to the whiteboard, a small expression of amusement floated onto the commander's face as she looked towards him.
The commander turned his gaze back to the photographs. "Now, please explain to me what you learned about this… creature, you came across."
"Of course", she said, smiling as genuinely as possible before clearing her throat. "It was large. Strangely so. It was twice as large as any similar animal I know of- like a jaguar or panther- and I would estimate its length at around three metres, and its height was around half that."
Her fingers pointed down at the photograph of the creature's teeth, the dazzling green came through surprisingly well despite the awkward positioning and lighting.
"When I had successfully neutralised it, I noticed its odd teeth."
The commander dipped his head downwards to get a closer look at the small photo, his bushy eyebrows raised at the strange sight.
"This combined with its… abnormal size, lead me to believe that it was mutated in some way, and as you can see here-", her fingers fluidly moved to the third picture, which showed the glowing green liquid dripping from the beast's neck. "Its blood was a similar shade of green. I got a sample of it, you'll be happy to know."
Rouge grabbed the small paper strip and pushed it towards him for inspection, half of its length was dipped and coated in the, now dry, green substance, while the other half was clean and white.
"I'll have this analysed by the lab, it'll be sent off this afternoon to headquarters along with the first wave of evacuations."
The commander pocketed the strip of paper and gestured for the bat to follow him as he stepped out of the tent.
"Evacuations? We're leaving already?", she asked, concerned about the commander's plans.
"I am, you are not", the commander replied. "Have you chosen a partner for this mission? I've estimated it to take around three days and four nights to conduct a full investigation of the temple. You will be able to return to station square for a break when it is finished."
She bit her lip slightly, the only person she would even consider working with out of choice was Shadow- and his vitality and useful skill set would definitely be helpful during any confrontation or issue that could potentially be down in the temple. Not to mention she could get to know the guy better, he was always so mysterious.
"I suppose, I'll take Shadow, We've worked together in the past and he's a friend of mine", she answered, aloofly inspecting her hands while the commander busied himself with his communicator, typing in something on the touch screen.
"Sure. I'll just input him into the mission file as well", he murmured, not looking up from the screen.
"Thank you, sir."
"Alright, please bring him here so I can continue the mission briefing. I've got assignments that I'm giving out soon so be quick about it."
"I'm pretty sure he's right outside, let me go check."
Rouge poked her head out of the tent, her eyes immediately locking on the black and red hedgehog aloofly leaning against a colourful stack of containers.
"Shadow! You're in on the mission too!", she hissed, beckoning the hedgehog towards her. He, on the other hand, looked completely lost.
"Huh?"
"He said I needed a partner, and I picked you. Mission briefing now."
Rouge's eyes were sharp and serious; Shadow could tell that she meant business, and he reluctantly followed her into the tent, submerging himself into the green canvas as she held it open for him.
"Sir?", Shadow asked, staring at the commander.
"Ah, Agent Shadow. Agent Rouge here has chosen you to be her partner, I trust this is agreeable for you?"
"Of course", Shadow nodded. He wasn't exactly thrilled about it- but it beat having nothing to do all day while he waited for evacuations, as well as being back at his office having to deal with boring ass paperwork all day. He hadn't been on a proper mission in almost a month, having been stuck in the office due to a stockpile of filing, signing, and printing he had been ordered to complete. Besides, hanging out with Rouge was always… interesting, to say the least.
"Great!", the commander cried, clasping his hands together as he gave the two mobians a stiff grin.
"I'll send the mission brief to your communicators-", he paused, his eyes travelling down to Rouge, who winced slightly at the mention of a communicator. "Right… Well, I'll loan you one, just for this mission."
The commander turned around and began fiddling with a stack of containers in the corner, which were standing in the corner of the tent. He opened the one on the top, and reached in, shuffling through its contents. After a few empty moments, he found the item he was looking for, and hurriedly replaced the lid of the container, swivelling back around to his agents.
"Here you go, Rouge", he said, handing the bat a new communication device. The surface was smooth, and the white and black metal plating matched her mostly-monochrome outfit; of course- all communicators looked the same, but she was happy they had a simple and stylish design. She obediently strapped the device to her wrist, gently wriggling it down her glove so it fit more comfortably.
A beeping sound from Rouge and Shadows communicators alerted the mobians to glance down at their devices. The message read: 'Mystic Jungle: Sphynx Temple- Mission brief'.
"Alright, I've sent you two the brief, be sure to read through it, thoroughly. As top agents, I expect you two to know how to proceed from here. Any questions?"
"No sir", they both replied, giving the commander another sarcastic salute as their meeting came to an end.
"Alright, dismissed", he finished, turning his attention back to the photos Rouge had left on the table. She knew she was probably never going to get those pictures back.
As the pair left the tent, the light glared down- their eyes had gotten used to the, slightly, gloomy tent, and Rouge's sensitive eyes couldn't handle the drastic change in lighting. She picked up her hand and used it as a shade so it wouldn't hurt her eyes quite as much.
"Well, thanks for getting me roped in on your mission", Shadow sarcastically said, frowning bitterly as they walked back through the clearing.
"Oh come on! It'll be fun. Besides, you haven't been on a mission in ages have you?"
"Yeah, yeah. It better not be a bust. If it's just some dusty temple I'm gonna be pissed off."
"Whatever, stop being so grumpy", she groaned. "Even if there isn't anything there, it's still gonna be better than paperwork, my dear."
"Good point."
"See? I did you a favour!", she grinned, flashing her pearly white fangs at him.
"I wouldn't go that far, bat."
"Shush. Now come on, let's go read this mission brief."
"...Fine."