CHAPTER 16

WHAT'S LEFT

The next day at the G.U.N. facility, Shadow was wandering down the huge yet narrow hallways. He walked the hall as if he was lost in a daze. He was still upset over what had happened yesterday between him and Rouge. 'I really fucked up', he thought. 'Why would I turn around and cheat on one of the best things to ever happen to me?' He had to admit to himself that he didn't know what to do. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a distant male voice calling his name.

"Lieutenant Shadow!"

He spun around and saw a male yellow lion wearing a blue soldier G.U.N. uniform running up to him. "Oh…good morning, Trevor", he spoke in a saddened tone.

He gave the hedgehog a puzzled look from his saddened expression. "Good morning, sir. Is something wrong?"

"…It's just…" His sentence trailed off before could even begin to explain to him what was really on his mind. He wondered if he really wanted to tell him or not.

The two later wandered into the weaponry room. They had their backs against the cold metal walls and watched other G.U.N. soldiers working from a distance.

Trevor turned to the hedgehog with a warm smile. "I just wanted to thank you for your help the other day."

He turned to him in confusion. He figured he must was talking about the mission everyone had went on the other day. "What? I didn't do much. Most of it was you you know?"

He shook his head slowly and smiled, "But you believed in me and…and no one's ever believed I could do anything before…"

He arched an eyebrow and turned to him, "Not even Gin or Lien-Da?"

"It's not like I don't like Lien-Da or anything. She's a sweet woman but she just never paid much attention to me to admire the work I do around here…" His eyes flashed over to a white male fox walking around the room along with a female brown cat woman following behind him. "…Her or Gin…"

Shadow could tell by his facial expression that he wasn't very fond of Gin.

"He barely credits any of the soldiers. It was just weird how he suddenly acknowledged me."

"Maybe he finally understands what an amazing soldier you are."

"Heh, maybe", he spoke in a sarcastic tone.

Shadow's eyes wandered around the room in curiosity. "…You know when I first got here, I thought an ass ton of soldiers hated me."

Trevor's mouth hung open as he heard Shadow's words. "What? Why would you think that?"

He turned to him as he began to explain. "Because some of these soldiers have worked here for years trying to get where they are. And some work and strive hard enough to try to rank themselves as lieutenants or commanders, but they never make the cut. Wouldn't you get pissed off if you worked here almost all of your life to become a lieutenant and all of a sudden, they hire some stranger off the street and hand him the position of being a lieutenant?"

His ears flopped down as he turned away from him. "I won't lie to you and say that some soldiers have felt that way but…a lot of people here respect you. Most of them know you're story from working at the Chaotix. You're a hard worker too. You inspire people. Like I said, you're one of the first who has ever believed I could do anything. That meant a lot to me, sir."

He made a warm smile, "Anyone is capable if they put their mind to it."

He made a nod as he agreed with him. "You're right." He watched as Gin and Sierra parted ways. Sierra had continued to walk throughout the room when Gin had walked through a strange metal door. There was a sign on it that read 'No Trespassing.' "…Have you ever been in there?"

The ebony hedgehog shook his head. "Lien-Da showed me that door before but she told me the only ones allowed in there was Gin and herself."

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What? You too? He and her must be hiding a dirty little secret in there", he snickered as dirty thoughts filled his mind.

Shadow did have to admit that it was suspicious that only Gin and Lien-Da were allowed in the room. 'I wonder what they're hiding…' He then noticed Trevor practically drooling over the sight of Sierra. He couldn't help but to make a teasing look. "See something you like?"

Suddenly his face turned red in embarrassment. "Wha? I don't know what you're talking about!"

It was way too obvious for him not to notice that Trevor had an interest in Sierra. "…You like Sierra don't you?"

Sweat poured from his head as he got more and more anxious. "No way! Are you kidding me? We're just friends!"

An amusing chuckle came from the hedgehog. "It's all right, Trevor."

He calmed down when he saw Shadow's sincere expression.

"You're secret is safe with me."

Trevor didn't trust many people who worked within the facility, but something had made him want to trust the hedgehog. "Thank you, sir." He suddenly saw Shadow's expression turn into a sad one. He looked like something was on his mind. "Are you feeling okay? You don't seem quite yourself."

He sighed heavily and began to hesitate. He wondered if he really wanted to tell Trevor what was going on with him. Even though Trevor had trusted him, Shadow wasn't sure if he felt the same way. He also figured that mentioning anything about what he and Lien-Da had done could cost him and her both of their jobs. He decided it was best to keep everything a secret. Yet he still wanted to say a little something about his situation to make him feel somewhat better. "…Nothing it's just…I feel like I've been making a lot of bad choices lately..."

He saw as he began to tightly clench his fists. He could tell he was beginning to get upset all over again. "…Everyone messes up sometimes. You live, breathe, and feel just as everyone else. Mistakes are natural."

"But I've seen it coming and I ignored the consequences…" He looked down to the floor in sadness. "I just don't know what to do or what to think anymore."

"Sir?"

He looked back over to him sadly.

"If you want my opinion, then just do what you feel is the right thing."

He bit his lip lightly as he thought long and hard from his words. He figured Rouge had hated him and never wanted to even talk to him again, so he kept asking himself what exactly did he have left?

In The Next Chapter...

Shadow: So this necklace means a lot to you doesn't it?

Lien-Da: I have a lot of fond memories with it...

Shadow: ...I'm such an asshole...