It was raining in Westopolis, forcing Shadow to transform back into Matthew. His life without Shadow had begun. He also had a life that was much worse: a life of struggle. He had no money, and he had no food. He had no clean clothes, and he had no suitable shelter. Going to his house was an option, but it had no water or electricity, and everything in it had been cleared out by G.U.N. Matthew had also realized that it had been some time since he last went to school. Would living off a ninth grade education be difficult? Did it matter that he was smart? In this dog-eat-dog life he was about to go under, smarts would not be enough.

He hung out in an alley while he waited for the rain to stop, digging through a dumpster in hopes of finding something edible. He thought about how similar this was to the time he spent in Florida with his new body. The mistake he made back then was that he ate everything in sight, not caring if it was spoiled or rotten. He dug through egg shells, moldy bread, rotten tomatoes, and bruised fruit. He didn't find anything to eat. His heart started pound as he began to panic. The hunger in his stomach was poking at him, begging to go away. The rain had been reduced to a slight drizzle, and fog was setting in around the city.

Matthew sat against the wall of a building, with his knees curled up to his head, and his hands cupped in front of him, hoping somebody walking down the sidewalk would drop some spare change into them. All he wanted was enough to buy a meal at a fast food place. He kept his head in his lap, not wanting to make eye contact with anybody walking by.

He was now one of the many homeless people struggling to live. Westopolis had run out of money to run homeless shelters, so the unfortunate people were on their own. Even families had fallen to this life. Matthew knew some of these people had no chance of living. Westopolis had a huge gap between the rich and the poor.

After sitting there for what felt like hours, Matthew felt something being dropped into his hands. He became exuberant to finally have some money, but he decided to wait a few seconds before looking to see what he'd gotten. Once he was sure the person was gone, he lifted his head from his knees and began to count his earnings.

He'd received $2 in change.

Matthew didn't care that it wasn't enough for a whole meal. Money was money. He put the change into the pocket of his hoodie and began to walk. Eventually he came to McDonald's, where he ordered two $1 hamburgers. He left the restaurant and found a secluded area to eat, fearing that someone might try to steal his food. He ate slowly, trying to get as much nourishment as possible, considering the little nutrition the hamburgers offered. He wasn't able to get a drink or fries, but it didn't matter to him. He prayed his thanks before and after he was done eating.

Deciding to stay the night at his house, he began walking. It would be a long walk. The sky was now pitch black, and the night was reaching its late hours. Matthew wished he knew what time it was. A silver minivan pulled up by him. The driver gave a sharp honk the horn and rolled the window to the passenger seat down.

It was Amy.

Matthew stopped in his tracks as he saw her. She was even more beautiful than before. Her flowy, blond hair was pushed to the side of her head. His gaze stayed on her kind, broad eyes. Her look made him want to cry for help.

"Hey," she said.

"Uh, h-hi."

Her eyes widened. "Are those my dad's clothes?"

Matthew looked down at his hoodie & sweat pants and shrugged. "Well… sorry."

Amy smiled and let out a small giggle. She signaled him to the car. He was quick to obey.

Once he'd sat down and closed the door, he was pulled into one of Amy's lovely hugs. One of her arms was wrapped around his neck, while the other went around the middle of his back. For some reason, he didn't like being held like this. He squirmed to get out of her grip. She understandably moved back.

"Sorry," she said.

Matthew just sat there, staring at the dashboard. He was fighting every urge to cry. He had just rejected a much-needed hug from his girlfriend, for God's sake! He started rubbing his face with his hands.

"Amy, I don't know what to do," he said, trying not to whine.

Amy was silent for a moment. "You haven't seen your grandpa yet, have you?"

"No," he lied. That made him feel even worse.

She put her hand on his knee. "Hey, let's go somewhere where it's just us. Just you and me."

Someone in a car behind them honked, telling them to hurry the hell up.

"Fine," Matthew croaked. "I've got nowhere else to go."

Amy put the minivan into gear and started driving. The person behind them would be pleased. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No," he told her. "I… got some money and bought some food."

"Come on, let me buy you someth-"

"I said I'm not hungry," he said, raising his voice but keeping it in a calm tone.

Now Amy was struggling not to cry. "I'm only trying to help."

"You are, and I thank you for that. It's just that…" He took a deep breath. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"My house. I'm gonna grab some things from there, then we'll find someplace private."

"Do your parents know you're out this late?"

"Yes," Amy said. "But they think I'm actually staying the night at someone's place."

"Hm." Matthew watched the road ahead of them. Eventually they pulled up in the driveway of Amy's house.

"Wait here," she told him. She got out of the car and added before leaving, "And don't run off."

The idea actually tempted him. He waited in the passenger's seat for Amy to grab her stuff. He looked in the backseat and saw a pink suitcase sitting there. She probably needed it when she fooled her mom and dad.

Soon she was back. "Forgot my favorite pillows," she said as she tossed them in the backseat with her suitcase. Soon they were back on the road.

Matthew cold feel her eyes on him as she got on the highway. He didn't know if it was a warm, kind gaze or a cold, angry gaze. They just drove and drove. Soon Matthew was asleep. It was impossible for him to be completely asleep in a car; he still had some awareness. After awhile he felt the car come to a stop. He felt her wrap an arm around his shoulder while giving him a kiss on the cheek. He stirred awake and looked at her with half-closed eyes.

"Where are we?" he asked her.

"Someplace far away," Amy answered. "Someplace where it's just you and me."

That reply brought a smile to Matthew's face. It'd been a long time since he last smiled. Soon he forgot about being Shadow. He forgot about his pain and hardship. He forgot about his mom.

"Matt, I need to tell you something," he heard her say.

"Yeah?"

"…Well, I don't know if I should."

"Just say it," he said in a friendly, carefree voice.

"Your grandpa's Gerald Robotnik, right?"

"Yeah."

"It's about him."

Now he remembered being Shadow. He remembered his pain and hardship. He remembered his mom.

"What is it?" he asked.

"He died, Matt. Someone found his body buried outside Central City."

"Wh-what?"

"Matt, I'm so sorry…"

Matthew curled his hands into fists and clenched his teeth. Someone had dug up the grave he'd made for his grandfather! His breathing started to speed up as rage built up inside him. He yelled so loud that it made Amy jump. He pushed her off him and threw his fist downward at the dashboard. He hit it with a loud thump. Amy just sat there, staring at the steering wheel. The first thing he feared was that he hurt her.

Something tapped the window. They both looked and saw a policeman looking right at them.

"Dammit," Matthew muttered.

Amy rolled down the window for the policeman to shin his flashlight through. "What're you kids doin' out here?" he asked.

Amy spoke quietly to the officer. "His grandpa just died, sir. Don't try to push his buttons."

"Oh, reall-eh?" the officer scoffed."What was his name?"

"Gerald," Matthew replied.

The officer's eyes went wide. "You wouldn't happen to be Matthew, now would ya?"

Meanwhile, in the infirmary of G.U.N. Headquarters, numerous doctors were discussing among themselves. They were gossiping about the commander's survival. They believed it was a miracle. Nothing could survive being kicked in the stomach and colliding headfirst into a tank's wheels. Once Shadow had left, G.U.N.'s forces had apparently picked up the commander before retreating. His heart hadn't stopped beating. His body had been put into a room for treatment immediately when they returned.

A general walked into the small room, effectively ceasing the doctors' conversation. He told them to follow him with just a quick tilt of his head. The doctors followed him down a long, dimly lit hall, with doors to other patients' rooms situated at each side. At the end of the hall was the emergency room. The general and the doctors came in without a word.

A curtain was closed around the commander's bed. Other doctors working around the bed quickly moved away. The doctors with the general braced themselves as he touched the curtain. He grabbed it then pulled it open.

There was the G.U.N. Commander, sitting at the edge of his bed, sipping water out of a Styrofoam cup. He was dressed in a gown. His body showed no sign of injury. He looked better than before. Taking one last sip of water, he crushed the cup in his hand.

"How do you feel?" asked one of the doctors.

The commander seemed to ignore the doctor's question, and turned his head toward the general. "Do we have any spare Silver The Hedgehog serum?" he asked.

The general crossed his arms. "Why?"

"Because of Matthew. Because of Shadow," he replied through clenched teeth. "Now tell me, do we have any left over, or not?"

"How did you even survive this, commander?"

"The serum from all those years ago, it hasn't worn off. Not completely, anyway. Some of its effects are still there. That's why. I need more, General. I can't transform. I need more."

"Why?"

"…So I can teach that filthy black creature a lesson," he growled.

The general smiled. "I think we still have some left over."

The commander stood up. "I'm ready for it now."

"Thought you would be."

The general led the commander out the emergency room. He told someone through his two-way radio to get the serum ready. The two of them walked down many halls and corridors before getting to their destination. The general put his hand on the scanner beside the door, and after a brief analysis, the door unlocked.

They came into a bright, pure white room. The light for the room came from the floor, so they could not see their shadows. Along the wall were shelves lined with long, skinny containers that held a yellow liquid. The commander and the general waited until a woman wearing blue scrubs entered. She took one of the containers and dropped a small dot of red liquid into it. Its yellow color immediately changed to white. She handed the container to the commander and told him to drink it.

The commander stared at the serum for a long time. By drinking this, immense power would return to him. He would be able to become Silver The Hedgehog, the widely acclaimed hero, once again. Then he would be able to defeat Shadow and bring him to G.U.N. He closed his eyes and gulped it down.