Sheesh, writer's block really hit me hard with this chapter…and also, I was preparing for a new semester of college, and my laptop decided to start being sensitive to the weather changes, which makes it unable to connect to the internet at times, so all of that is why this is really late. Oh, also, I have a tendency to get easily distracted, so I could go for hours without typing a word in this. But that's what happens when you watch Chuggaaconroy's Let's Plays~
Thanks for the reviews, favorites, alerts, and just for reading this!
Warning: Minor character death.
Since I couldn't really think of anything else to do, I've put in another time skip in part of this chapter. It's not as extensive as the last one though, so don't worry.
Disclaimer: I only own the plot. And Shiro. And the minor characters who die.
Chapter 7
Werehog made his way to the GUN base.
He needed some information. Mainly, on Shiro.
He knew part of the reason for the boy's protectiveness towards Shadow was due to how Shadow had been treated. But, he could sense that there was another, secret, reason behind it.
And he was determined to find out what it was.
Hence, why he was now in front of the base he would leave Shadow at.
Not even bothering to stop, he bashed the door open.
Ignoring the alarms that went off at the sudden intrusion, they would be shut off quickly as soon as they realized it was him anyway, Werehog made his way to the Commander's office. Luckily for the door, it was already open. "We need to talk."
The cold hearted Human simply gazed at him. "Is the Project giving you trouble already?"
Werehog rolled his eyes. "Hardly…but that's not why I'm here…I know about my son."
The Commander smirked. "Ah, yes…the little brat who managed to escape…"
Werehog raised a brow. "You know he escaped…and you haven't sent anyone to search for him?"
"I have, but even our best trackers couldn't find him. Such a shame, really. He would have made an excellent weapon…if it weren't for those siblings of his."
Werehog suddenly felt three distinctive emotions: pride in Shiro for managing to avoid capture by GUN, anger at the thought of his offspring becoming a weapon for GUN, and also interest in hearing about Shiro's so-called 'siblings'. "He had siblings?"
"Yes, but they were weak and had to be disposed of."
'Could that be why…?'
"Tell me, Commander…just how were they 'disposed of'?" Werehog asked, his emphasis on the man's title making it clear he wanted a specific answer.
Unfortunately, he wasn't going to get it.
"That's classified."
Snarling, Werehog reached over the desk and slammed his fist into the Human's jaw.
The resulting THUD! of the body hitting the wall drew in some of the lower ranking grunts.
Without hesitating, he tore his claws through their bodies, ripping them in half at the waist, splattering the walls with blood and intestine. That certainly felt good.
Then, he made his way out of the base. He hadn't gotten all the information he wanted, but it was enough.
Clearly Shiro had seen the demise of his…siblings. Perhaps any suffering they went through, as well.
He didn't have the whole story…but he would.
With renewed determination, Werehog ran back to the small town.
Meanwhile…
Shiro tossed and turned in his sleep, whimpering softly.
"Either you can kill them quickly…or we'll poison them and you'll have to watch as they die slowly and painfully…"
He looked up at the Commander in shock and anger. "I won't do it! I won't let you kill them, either!"
"S…Shi…ro…"
He looked over towards his brother. "Sora, don't-!"
"It's…o…kay…"
His sister spoke up as well. "W…we won't…ha…te…y…you…"
"…"
He closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see what he was about to do, only to receive a kick in the side.
"Eyes open!"
Growling softly, he did open his eyes, to glare at the Commander.
He didn't want to do this…
But he didn't want them to suffer anymore…
At least…this way, he would protect them from any more pain…right?
Looking into their eyes, he could see the acceptance. The resignation to whatever their fate may be.
"Shi…ro…"
Shutting his eyes, only for a second to push back the forming tears, he whispered, "I'm sorry…" before raising a clawed hand…
And tearing through their jugular veins. He could feel the blood spray onto his fur.
There was a chuckle from the Commander. "Good boy…"
The door to the room was then shut, leaving him in complete darkness. With the bodies and the smell of blood.
Only then did the full realization of what he had done sank in.
And he let out a howl of despair and guilt.
He jerked awake from the memory dream he had been having.
It certainly had been a while since he had that dream…
Glancing over at Sonic and Shadow, he sighed softly in relief when he saw they were asleep. He would've hated to explain the contents of the dream…
Closing his eyes, he tried to push down the ball of emotions the threatened to overwhelm him. He would not cry, he would not cry…
Try as he might, the pup could not stop the tears that cascaded down his muzzle as he had been able to in the past. 'Why? Why them…? Rrgh, damn those soldiers to hell…damn them…'
Swiping angrily at the tears, Shiro continued to push the memory to the back of his mind.
Even though the memory faded back into his subconscious, Shiro could no longer choke back his sobs; his entire body shook with them.
He curled up on the bed, ignoring the pain in his wounded side from the movement. It was nothing compared to the emotional pain brought on every time that memory returned.
Due to the not so quiet sobs, Shadow woke up. Although momentarily confused, one glance at Shiro, and he knew something was wrong. He wanted to know what was going through the pup's head, but should he ask?
Letting out a soft whine, Shadow slowly dragged himself out of Sonic's grasp, wincing due to his sore shoulder.
He froze, however, sensing a familiar presence in the doorway. Of course, since he had already been halfway off the bed, gravity made him fall. He landed on his bad shoulder, making him yelp.
Shiro's ear twitched at the yelp, but he didn't uncurl just yet; he was trying to get his emotions under control.
The noise woke Sonic up too, though his mind was still clouded with sleep, so it took him a moment to register what was going on.
"Shiro…?"
"…"
Werehog rolled his eyes, walked over to the pup, lifted him up by the scruff, looked him straight in the eye and said, "I know what happened."
Shiro's eyes widened, but then narrowed, irises glowing ruby red as he snarled. "You know nothing!"
Shadow cringed slightly. If he'd ever spoken to his Master like that…
"You wanna tell us what's going on, Werehog?" Sonic asked, wanting to defuse the building tension between the two before things got out of hand.
"Oh, I'll tell you what's going on, all right…little Shiro here left out a few details from his past…"
Shiro paled. It was clear he didn't want anyone to know. There was pain, grief, guilt, and horror in his eyes. Tears reformed, but he quickly blinked them away, not looking at anyone.
The reaction only made Sonic and Shadow more curious. It had to have been horrible, that much was obvious, but still, they wanted to know what happened…
"Such as?"
Werehog was about to answer, but Shiro decided to do it for him. "I…used to…have siblings…before I escaped…"
Well that had been the last thing Sonic had expected. For Shadow, it was simply another reminder of how he had been made to enjoy being fucked that day.
"…I take it something happened…?" Sonic asked.
"You could say that…I never did figure out what was wrong with them, but they were…fragile. Their skin easily tore, and their bones would break from even the slightest impact…" Shiro's voice turned bitter and hateful. "The soldiers always enjoyed being rough with them…" He then sighed. "I did my best to try and protect them, but sometimes, it wasn't enough."
Understanding dawned on the other three occupants of the room.
Then, a thought popped into Sonic's mind. "They had names, too, right…? How did you get your name, anyway, Shi?"
"Yeah, my sister's name was Saki…and then there…was my brother, Sora…As for how we got our names…I honestly don't know…they just came to us…"
"So, what happened?"
Shiro's mood only dampened more. He was struggling not to cry again. "The…the Commander…he, he came into our cell…and he…said that they needed to be 'disposed of'…but…either if I killed them myself, giving them a quick death…or he would poison them and I would have to watch them die slowly and painfully…"
That struck a chord within Shadow. That was similar to the deal his Master had given him ten years earlier…where he either had to willingly follow Werehog, or Werehog would have killed everyone in town and made Shadow follow him anyway…
Werehog also noticed the similarity and briefly wondered just how much he and the GUN Commander had in common…
"I…I didn't…want them to…suffer anymore…so I…I…"
He couldn't finish his sentence, the guilt was too strong. Fresh tears made their way down Shiro's muzzle, and although Werehog despised crying, he didn't comment on it.
"…How long ago did this happen, anyway?"
"The…the day before I escaped…from that room…"
"And you've been haunted by it since then…" Werehog, surprisingly, said, putting Shiro down.
He was definitely going to pay another visit to the Commander…not only had they kept his son a secret from him, but also the fact that he had had more than one pup (even if two of them had been frail), and they had also been the main cause of the other two pups' deaths…
No wonder Shiro was so resentful of him; Werehog's treatment of Shadow only reminded the boy of how GUN had treated his brother and sister.
He wouldn't let that stop him from holding up his end up his deal with Sonic, however… 'Shadow is mine, I'll do whatever the hell I want to him,' Werehog thought, a small, lecherous smirk forming on his muzzle.
Shadow, sensing what was going through his Master's mind, shivered.
Sonic, also knowing what Werehog was thinking, sighed softly. He didn't like that he had to allow Werehog to continue hurting Shadow, but if he tried anything to stop him, he would probably risk Shadow's life, and he wasn't stupid enough to break a potentially dangerous deal.
He would simply have to live with it…just as Shiro would have to live with the consequences of GUN's deal. Deciding that he needed to get that through Shiro's head quickly, he said, "C'mon, Shi, I wanna talk to you. Privately," before hopping off the bed, stretching as he did so, and beckoning the young pup to follow him out the room.
Shiro, Shadow, and even Werehog stared at Sonic as though he had potatoes growing out of his ears.
Shiro was understandably reluctant. His resentment was rising. If Sonic thought he would willingly leave the other two alone for who knows how long…
Shadow, though trembling lightly in fear, also had a resigned aura about him. Whatever would happen, he had no choice but to accept it.
Werehog, though looking triumphant, could sense the emotions from them both, and felt a small twinge of…guilt? Perhaps it had to do with what he had just learned…
After a tense few seconds, Shiro finally nodded and carefully jumped off the bed before following Sonic out of the room.
As soon as the door had closed, Werehog instantly pounced on Shadow, jarring his bruised and swollen shoulder, but aside from a soft yelp, Shadow didn't give any other outward sign of pain, although reflexively he his other hand moved to clutch it, just barely stopping himself.
Werehog gazed down at his slave, assessing his overall condition, just as he did after retrieving him from GUN. He could not help growling upon seeing that Shadow had not yet been cleaned, and his inner thighs were still coated with Psycho Super's dried seed.
"You shouldn't have let him claim you…"
Shadow cringed. "T-Tried…to s-s-stop him, Master…knew th-that you w-w-wouldn't like i-it if he…"
Well, Werehog hadn't expected that bit of news… "You should've tried harder! You are my fuck toy, and I am the only one who has the right to fuck you!"
Shadow didn't dare say, "Not anymore," although he did think it to himself.
He simply waited, knowing he would be punished.
He knew he deserved it…and yet…
Deep inside his mind, his heart…his soul, he simply wished…that just for once…he had his Master's approval.
Werehog, oblivious to the silent plea, decided that despite everything, Shadow needed to be put back in his place, to be reminded of just who his Alpha was.
He would also have to make sure that Psycho Super got the message as well…but he'd worry about that later.
For now, it was time to reclaim what was his.
Pinning Shadow to the floor, he started grinding against him.
Shadow suddenly felt confliction. Part of him wanted to fight back, to avoid the pain of what was to come, and yet he also knew that to fight would bring even more pain, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to risk it.
As soon as the tip of Werehog's large member entered him, Shadow tensed, a whimper of pain and terror tearing from his throat.
Werehog didn't stop, however, and while the tightness had momentarily surprised him, he then figured he shouldn't have put it past Psycho Super to go as far as healing Shadow fully just to have the pleasure of ripping through the renewed virgin hole.
As he continued to thrust into Shadow, he couldn't help remembering that first night he had claimed him.
The one thing he could not get out of his mind from that night, was when Shadow had been curled up on his chest…had shown that there had been some trust in him…and he wondered, just how much did Shadow trust him?
Shaking his head to get rid of the unnecessary thoughts, he sped up his thrusts, clamping his jaws down on his slave's neck. He pierced the skin, but that was nothing new.
Shadow whimpered again, knowing he was going to be incredibly sore after this, and that it would probably be a while before he would be able to walk without a limp, if there was a long enough break between now and the next time he was fucked.
Finally, no longer able to hold back, Werehog spilled his seed into Shadow, before pulling out.
He realized, though, that while his dominance over his fuck toy was recovered, he needed to get rid of the traces that Psycho Super had left on him…which, at this point would also get rid of his traces…One must take the bad with the good, however, so he grabbed Shadow by the scruff, and dragged him into the bathroom.
Turning the bathtub faucets on, not caring about the temperature, he waited until the water level was at a decent level before shutting them off and simply dropped Shadow into the water.
Shadow, who was used to washing in the colder river waters, yelped at the scalding water. Instinctively, naturally, he tried to get out, causing the water to splash all over the floor, and Werehog.
Growling not only from the heat of the water, which, had it been any hotter would have caused first-degree burns, and also because his limited patience had run out, Werehog backhanded him. "Stay in there and get washed!"
"Master-"
"Unless you want to sit in there after a whipping, I suggest you do as I say…" Werehog threatened, his voice low and dangerous. Keeping an eye on Shadow, he leaned against the bathroom doorway and folded his arms.
Shadow froze, letting out a whimper. Again, he had messed up…it was nothing new, but still, why…why did anything he did end with a punishment or threat?
Although getting lost in his thoughts, he still started washing himself, going through the motions mechanically, although he had to use his good arm. It was something he had learned the hard way after being punished many times for delaying.
Werehog started to sense the emotions coursing through Shadow. Fear, sadness, and…there was something hidden beneath those two…it took a minute for him to realize what it was.
The desire for approval.
That surprised, and confused him, though he didn't show it. He didn't understand why Shadow would have that desire, he did nothing but cause him pain…
He suddenly felt a small sliver of guilt, especially after seeing the darkening bruise on Shadow's muzzle from when he'd backhanded him.
How could Shadow possibly want his approval after all that…?
The sound of the door opening snapped Werehog out of his reprieve. Turning just enough to peek at who was coming in, he saw that Sonic and Shiro had returned.
Shadow, sensing Sonic's and Shiro's Energy signatures, perked up, and nearly jumped out of the tub in the sudden rush of excitement that filled him. Instead, mainly because he was still sore, he decided to use Chaos Control, much to the surprise, and annoyance, of Werehog.
The moment that Shadow materialized in front of Sonic, Werehog grabbed him and pulled him back into the bathroom. "You stupid little-!"
"Werehog. Not now." Sonic gestured towards Shiro, who had been set down on the bed again, and was sleeping again, only now he seemed a lot more peaceful than he had been before. There were also fresh tear tracks on his muzzle. "He needs his rest, he told me that he rarely gets any sleep because he didn't want to risk having nightmares. Besides that, he also finally had the chance to let out the emotions he'd been pushing down ever since he'd been forced to kill 'em. He finally got to grieve."
"…Hmph…" While Werehog did…agree with the logic that Shiro would be exhausted after releasing the pent up emotions, he wasn't going to admit it.
Meanwhile, Shadow had started shivering. The room was cold, and although he had literally just been in hot water, the warmth vanished quickly.
Sonic, noticing the water dripping from Shadow's smaller frame, gave Werehog a disapproving glare, and went to grab him. He didn't need to, though, because Werehog tossed Shadow at him. It nearly caught Sonic by surprise, but his quick reflexes helped him catch his older pup.
"Take him. I've had my fun. For now."
Shadow's ears lowered a little. While he associated Werehog with being afraid and in pain, it didn't mean he liked being left behind by him…Still, at least now he would be safe.
Werehog didn't even pause when he felt his slave's sorrow rise. He simply continued to walk away.
How long it would be until he returned again, neither Sonic nor Shadow knew.
But the blue hedgehog was determined to make the best of it.
6 weeks later…
Things had improved slightly for the small pack.
Shiro, no longer held down by the weight of guilt over Sora's and Saki's deaths, had started acting more like the child that he was. He was still extremely protective of Shadow, and wouldn't let anyone near him if he felt they would take advantage of his Brother, but other than that, he was somewhat trusting of everyone in town.
Shadow, on the other hand, was not as trusting. The years of abuse made him wary and shy, and he would have flashbacks whenever he was overwhelmed with something. And, despite not having any more "encounters" with either Werehog or Psycho Super, he was constantly afraid of one or the other, or even both, suddenly appearing to punish (or fuck) him, or in Super's case, to play another "game."
Sonic was still working with Shadow on healing the emotional abuse, but there were times where the lack of progress would frustrate him, and he'd have to run around for an hour or two to calm down. Whenever this happened, Shadow was extremely apologetic, as he felt it was his fault that Sonic was so frustrated.
In a way, it was true, but Sonic wouldn't let him take the full blame. Most of the frustration came from the fact that he, too, was uneasy about a sudden appearance by Werehog, and it fueled Psycho Super's desire to take control of Sonic, hence why Sonic would run.
But, what none of them knew, was that Werehog was always there. Watching from a distance. After making yet another visit to the GUN base, in which he'd killed the Commander and all of the soldiers before completely destroying the base, he roamed the back alleys, keeping an eye on things.
He wasn't entirely pleased with what he'd seen.
He was sorely tempted to intervene whenever Sonic came close to snapping, but that would have ruined his little experiment.
Werehog actually wanted Shadow to heal…enough to regain self confidence…once that had happened, Werehog would appear and crush that confidence to bits.
It was taking a lot longer than he had hoped. Had he really damaged his slave that much…? He shook his head. No, the runt was simply being stubborn…
Focusing on the present, he simply watched. And waited.
A blue streak went passed him. The sound of a sonic boom.
Shadow hadn't made any progress today…which meant that he and Shiro would be free to do whatever they pleased until Sonic came back. Provided the latter of the two pups didn't get into any fights.
Within fifteen minutes, the sound of a scuffle reached Werehog's ears. "Leave him alone, you stupid prick!"
Curious, as he usually was whenever Shiro got into a fight, Werehog waited until the two came into sight.
Shiro had had it with some of the older kids poking fun at Shadow's timidity; this time it was a reddish colored coyote. With the town as small as it was, no secrets were ever hidden for long, so within a few days of settling in, everyone knew about Shadow's and Shiro's pasts. They didn't know the details, but they knew enough.
And some of the children seemed to get a kick out of taunting Shadow, even though some of them had, to a much lesser degree, gone through the same thing he did. Either way, Shiro was not going to let anyone get away with tormenting his Brother.
They were both landing punches, though Shiro was also using his claws to his advantage.
Werehog smirked at the sight, feeling a surge of pride.
It was then, that he heard a soft whine over the fighting. "Sh-Shiro…"
Momentarily distracted, Shiro turned to look at him, which gave his opponent the opportunity to grab a handful of dirt and toss it into Shiro's eyes, making him yelp and stumble back as he tried to get the substance out of his eyes. "Lousy cheating son of a-!"
His tirade was interrupted by a low growl. Actually, two growls. Both of which he recognized.
Werehog and Shadow were angry with the other boy; it was hard to tell who was angrier, although there was a sudden surge of Chaos Energy…
Indeed, Shadow felt a burst of raw fury at what just happened. His black fur turned crimson, his irises and pupils disappearing. He charged at the cheating scumbag, who had gotten up and started running.
Some of the other kids, who had been watching with amused looks and even betting on who would win this time, were taken by surprise at the change in Shadow.
But, before he could get close enough to attack, a large, dark blue mass shot out of the alley, simultaneously pinning down Shadow and the coyote, growling loudly.
This caused several reactions. Shadow, in his high angered state, didn't even recognize the one that had been his Alpha for the longest time, and was doing all that he could to get free and maul his target. Shiro, having succeeded in removing some of the dirt in his eyes, opened an eye partially to look at Werehog, an expression of surprise and resentment on his face. "What are you doing here?"
"I just happened to be in the neighborhood…and what did I find? A little brat who dared to harm my son." his 'father' growled.
By now, the crowd had scattered, and the boy whom Shiro had been fighting slipped out of Werehog's grasp and ran as though the hounds of Hell were on his heels. Even he wasn't stupid enough to stick around.
Shiro growled, softly. "After all the shit you've done to him-" he gestured at the still struggling Shadow, "you think a little dirt to the eyes is actually harmful?"
"That's different."
"It's not different, you heartless bastard! It doesn't matter what your reasons were; no one deserves to be fucking treated like that!"
Werehog couldn't help thinking back to the ARK, of all the experiments the scientists would do…
Taking samples of skin, blood, muscle, even bone…
Dissecting his arms, trying to figure out exactly how they were able to stretch so far…
Injecting him with massive amounts of various drugs and chemicals…
Not to mention it was all done without anesthesia or painkillers…
All the events that had fueled his anger, his desire to be in control of his life. Of Shadow. The supposed "superior" just because he was the Ultimate Lifeform…had been created first…
Glancing over the runt, who had reverted to normal and was gazing at him warily and fearfully, he realized that Shiro was right. But, like many other things, Werehog was not about to admit it.
"What I do with him is none of your business. If you don't like it, that's too damn bad."
"It is my business! He's my Brother; I'm supposed to look out for him," the young pup snarled, even as a part of his mind whispered, 'Why try to reason with him? It's useless. He won't ever change, no matter what you say.'
Werehog's eyes flashed, and he nearly retorted with a comment about how Shadow had acted during his – really, Sonic's – incarceration on the ARK after he had attacked Maria, until he realized that neither his slave nor his son would understand.
Instead, he swung his free hand at his offspring, intending on backhanding him.
"You gonna hit me like you do him? Again? Hmph. Not a good way to earn my trust, or my respect."
Shadow, watching the exchange, was growing more and more nervous, and, unsure of what else to do, sent feelings of distress and urgency to Sonic using their link.
Within three seconds, a furry cobalt ball rammed itself into Werehog, sending him flying a few feet away. However, he still had a hold of Shadow, so he, too, went sailing through the air.
As Werehog landed, he realized that Shadow was underneath him, and, at the impact, would be crushed under his bulky weight. Reflexively, he held his arm, the one that held Shadow, up close to his chest, and did a sort of somersault in midair, landing on his back.
Shadow, who was curled up on his chest, quickly unfurled and ran back towards Sonic and Shiro, only to skid to a stop in confusion and shock when he realized one thing:
He had just run away…and his Master had let him.
Startled, he glanced back at Werehog, then over at Sonic, who didn't look too happy about seeing Werehog there. His heartbeat sped up as he started to panic, indecisive over whether to keep running towards the safety of his small family, or to go back to his Master…
Werehog, standing up, glared over at Sonic, growling. Deciding that this was all his ex-host's fault, he charged at him.
He didn't notice the changes.
But Shiro and Shadow did.
The lightening of Sonic's blue fur.
The upturned quills.
The crazy laugh.
"Oh no…"
Sonic was willingly letting Psycho Super take control.
In a flash, the golden hedgehog slammed a fist into Werehog's jaw, knocking out a fang. For good measure, he shot lasers made out of pure Chaos Energy from his eyes, nailing Werehog in the chest and leaving a nasty burn.
Perhaps it was because Shiro had reacted the same way so many times, but Shadow was suddenly full of anger at what he was seeing. No one should do that to his Master!
No one!
Snarling, his fur turning crimson yet again, Shadow ran towards Psycho Super.
Shiro moved in to stop him, knowing what the deranged alter was capable of. He had been told by his and Shadow's surrogate father, though he had yet to call Sonic any form of the title "Father". The only reason he had been told was in case Psycho Super had taken control of Sonic.
How very convenient.
Before he could get in Shadow's line of sight, he was grabbed roughly by the scruff, and before he had time to struggle, he felt five sharp claws being held against his throat, digging lightly into the skin.
It was at this point that Shadow lunged for Psycho Super, only to receive a hard kick to the stomach, and was thrown back, colliding with Werehog, who narrowly missed catching him as he fell back to the ground. Shadow struggled, wanting to at least get one hit on Psycho Super.
Werehog growled. "Let him go, Super."
An insane chuckle. "It's my turn to play the villain now, but can you handle playing the hero?"
With a jolt, Werehog did realize that, indeed, the roles were reversed. Now he was the helpless parent, forced to watch as his son's life was in jeopardy…
This time, however, Shiro was not as placid as Shadow, and the hedgehog's grip on his throat had loosened slightly, so he turned his head and sank his fangs into the clawed hand that held him.
While it did make Psycho Super let go of him, more out of surprise than anything, he quickly raked his claws across the boy's chest, leaving a few deep gashes.
Werehog snapped.
In an instant, he had the insane alter pinned to the floor, and was punching him every place he could.
Shiro slowly stood up, his wounds felt as though they had acid dripped into them, due to the fact that the hedgehog had made his claws sharper using his Chaos Energy. He wasn't as sensitive to it as Werehog was, but it was still very painful for him to come into contact with Chaos Energy.
'Fuck, this hurts…' he thought.
Shadow, recognizing the look of pain on the pup's face, calmed down yet again, and winced in empathy. Ears folding down a bit, he made his way over to Shiro. "You alright?" he asked softly.
Shiro gave him a small reassuring smile. "Stings like hell, but it ain't gonna kill me."
Shadow nodded, slightly, and glanced back at the fight. Just in time to see Psycho Super let out a small burst of Chaos Energy, simultaneously throwing back Werehog and healing himself from the various bruises and cuts he'd gotten.
His swirled red eyes locked onto Shadow, and he grinned, using Chaos Control to warp right next to him. He then lifted him up before he could get away. "I think it's time we play another ga-" he was cut off by a sudden drop in Energy, which made him drop Shadow as he clutched his head.
Werehog, recognizing the action from all the times he had experienced more or less the same thing, smirked. he watched as the gold fur shifted back into cobalt blue.
Shaking his head a little to reorient himself, Sonic gave a bit of a sigh. "Almost couldn't push him back…" he muttered, then looking over at Werehog. "Was it really necessary to pummel him like that? Not that he didn't deserve it, but he was making me feel it too."
Werehog simple shrugged, not at all sorry for it. "I did what I had to do."
Sonic didn't bother responding to that. All he cared about was that seeing Werehog's quick reaction proved to him that the "heartless bastard," as the pup sometimes called him, really could care about someone other than himself.
Speaking of which… "Why were you here in the first place, Werehog?" Sonic asked, looking at the rogue alter.
"You didn't think I wouldn't be keeping an eye on things, did you?"
"Stalking is more like it," Shiro said.
It was probably better that he hadn't said anything, for both Sonic's and Werehog's gazes were drawn to his wounds. Seeing the concern in their eyes - even Werehog's - he took a step back and tried to play innocent. "…What?"
Sonic couldn't help feeling a strange sense of déjà vu from the sight of the gashes. But he couldn't remember ever seeing something like this…so, why did it feel like he had seen this?
Werehog, on the other hand, started thinking about what Psycho Super said. 'Hero, eh? Fat chance. I only protect what is mine. Everyone else can rot in hell, for all I care.'
'Even Sonic?' a little voice in his head whispered. 'Think of how his death would affect them. You owe him as well. If not for him, you wouldn't exist in the first place…'
Deciding to ignore his conscience, Werehog turned to leave for the forest, when he stopped, having noticed something. "…Where's Shiro?" he asked, for the boy had snuck off while they were preoccupied.
Shadow, having seen him run, had just been about to follow when Werehog spoke up, and he tensed.
Sonic, snapping to reality, also noticed Shiro's absence, and narrowed his eyes slightly in annoyance. He spotted a small blood trail leading towards the center of town. "I'll go get him."
Shadow's eyes widened in panic. "Chichue…" he whispered, reaching out for Sonic, only for the blue hedgehog to dash off.
No…no, no, no, no, this couldn't be happening…Sonic was just going to leave him…? In favor of Shiro…?
Within a few seconds, Shadow's Chaos Energy lashed out in response to his emotions, only this time, large tendrils of it swirled around him like mad. Werehog had to move back to avoid being struck by one. 'That blue idiot…' he thought, recalling a similar experience from when Shadow was younger.
Within a few seconds, Shadow reined in his Chaos Energy, and then curled up into a ball of fluff, his body shaking from trying to suppress his tears.
Werehog could sense the runt's despair, the sense of abandonment.
…He didn't like it. And he knew he should do something, but how do you go about doing something kind for the one you've always hurt?
Slowly, silently, he made his way over to Shadow, then cautiously reached for him. Before he could make contact though, he was taken aback when Shadow turned and launched himself at him, wrapping his red streaked arms around his stomach. He didn't even care when the runt buried his face into his fur and started sobbing.
'You see how insecure he is? It's your fault he's like this.'
Unable to suppress the wave of guilt that followed this statement from his conscience, Werehog reluctantly had to admit that, if it hadn't been for him, Shadow would've probably had a normal childhood this time around…
He felt a sort of sympathy for Shadow, too, for his feeling of abandonment was reminding Werehog of how Sonic had felt back on the ARK, after being locked up and scorned by everyone for his "attack" on Maria.
'Dammit, runt, you're making me go soft…' he thought.
And yet…
A part of him didn't mind it. The small, more compassionate side of him that had been buried under all of his anger, was starting to come forward.
Not enough to fully make him change his ways, but enough to make him slowly wrap an arm around the smaller male in an awkward attempt to comfort him.
Meanwhile…
Shiro had almost avoided being found, but he hadn't realized he'd left the trail of blood. Thankfully, by the time he'd been caught, the blood loss had stopped. So he wasn't in any real danger of losing his life.
Wincing as Sonic dabbed another wound with alcohol, he let out an impatient huff. He just really wanted to get back to Shadow before anything bad happened to him. "I think that's enough…"
"We're almost done here, bud. Just need to bandage you up, and then we can go get Shadow," Sonic replied, putting away the cotton balls and rubbing alcohol and getting out the gauze.
After finding the pup hiding in an alleyway, Sonic had taken him to their small home, which, with the help of some of the townsfolk, had been built within a few days of their stay.
It was small enough to make anyone feel cozy and welcome, but large enough so that no one felt claustrophobic. The furnishings were very basic, and there weren't any personal decorations, since neither Sonic, Shadow, nor Shiro really had no need for them.
Currently, Shiro was sitting on the kitchen counter, waiting for Sonic to be hurry up and finish tending to the slash wounds.
Sonic was deliberately taking his time, wanting to make sure there would be no lasting damage. Most of the slashes weren't that deep, and would heal over nicely. Two of them, however, would most likely leave scars. At that thought, Sonic was again struck by déjà vu. But he still didn't understand why.
Shiro, noticing that Sonic was getting lost in thought, bristled slightly, and poked his guardian in the arm.
Coming back to his senses, the cobalt hedgehog shook his head and started wrapping the bandages around Shiro's chest and stomach. "Geez, you're about as impatient as Werehog. Or me, really," he remarked, briefly wondering where the pup got his impatience from.
Gold eyes rolled upwards towards the ceiling. "I'm not like him…" A look of doubt appeared on his face. "…Am I?"
Knowing that the boy's secret fear was becoming just like his biological father, Sonic quickly finished his task and changed the subject. "You're all set, Shi, now let's go get Shadow," he said, putting the gauze in the cabinet.
Still worried, though eager to get back to his Brother, Shiro nodded and hopped off the counter, then ran out the door, followed closely behind by Sonic.
Neither of them was prepared for the sight they were about to see.
T.B.C.
FINALLY got this uploaded…Hope I didn't butcher this chapter. If I did in some way, I apologize.
How'd you all like that little glimpse into Shiro's past? Pretty dang horrible, ain't it?
Free cookies to anyone who can guess the character I was hinting at. Originally, I was going to add this character in, but then I decided against it.
The scene with Werehog and Shadow near the end was inspired by Hoobastank's "The Reason". I started listening to that song again, and thought it would be fitting.
Anyways, how was it? Good, bad, so-so? Let me know!
Until next time~!
ShidesuHejjihoggu