(Shadow POV) Shadow ran through the forest next to the city in his black shorts and black vest, he held a one foot long combat knife in his hand slashing every mimic in the neck that got in his way.
"Shit… if they grow anymore in number I might die…" Shadow dashed through the crowds of mimics "oh well more hacking and slashing for me" Shadow slashed mimics skillfully and gracefully in the necks making them drop dead. Then a certain bat swooped down next to him with dual swords at hand and smirked, both the hedgehog and the bat were twenty seven, the bat continued to slash through the mimics making their blood splatter all over the trees around them.
"Shadow how nice to see you again…" Rouge said, Shadow replied "Rouge try to not get yourself killed" as Shadow said that he slashed a bunch of mimics in the neck in one slice "slice n' dice Rouge…" Rouge smirked and continued to kill many mimics.
"So Shads how have you been?" Rouge said jokingly, Shadow replied "hmph! Lets talk about this when we're not ambushed" "whatever…" Shadow grabbed Rouge and jumped; as he did that he threw a grenade killing the remaining mimics, "now we can talk…" Shadow said in his same emotionless tone.
"Shadow we need to find the others and get the hell outta' here" Rouge said bluntly then Shadow replied "no shit the place might get nuked; I mean who wouldn't notice the jets they can escape by themselves, plus survival of the fittest" Rouge retorted "Nero and Eclipse didn't!" "That's because they bought us time to escape the damned skyscraper, plus they would've died anyway." Shadow ended the conversation with Rouge. She may not be the nicest person but this was straight up crossing the line; her eyes widened as another Shadow came and slashed the Shadow in front of her in the neck.
"Rouge you were talking to an android" Shadow said as he pulled his knife out of the fake Shadow were squirted white blood. "What the hell is going on?!" Rouge yelled in shocked Shadow responded "Eggman's androids are still around even if he died at the beginning of the invasion." With that Shadow and Rouge flew and ran away from the forest into a convenience store; in look of food and water.
Shadow and Rouge managed to gather a decent amount of food after a couple of hours then Rouge asked breaking the silence, "why isn't G.U.N here anymore?" Shadow sighed and said "they're cowards just like the military they left except the military actually had a good reason instead of the cowards we worked for." Shadow and Rouge set the food on the floor in one of aisles and sat down to eat and drink but, as they did that Shadow was eyeing her down because of how much more beautiful she was than before even though since they grew up her breast were larger but not as large as Cream's which was hit by puberty hard but, that didn't matter to Shadow.
"Mobius to Shadow are you there?" Rouge asked waving her hand in front of Shadow's face causing him to snap out of his trance, "Shadow you something you like?" Rouge said seductively which it has been a long time ever since she has done that, Shadow replied "Rouge what the hell?" Rouge giggled and sat next to Shadow and looked up into his eyes causing Shadow to wince.
"What's wrong Shadow?" Rouge asked curiously as she tilted her head. Shadow thought 'why is she so much more… happy than she was before?' Rouge thought 'why is Shadow less hostile than before the war?' Those questions floated in their minds filling them with curiosity as they gazed into each other's eyes. Shadow was the first one to break the silence "Rouge so what's our plan of extraction to get out of this hell hole because I overheard you talk with my clone/android" Rouge snapped out of the gaze blushing slightly as Shadow put his arm around her, "we need to find Cream first for support in the buildings by sniping, then Amy and Sonic, Amy for stealth and support in the buildings, Sonic is commando so he's self explanatory and we'll find the rest somehow but most likely Knuckles and Shade since… well they blow things up and we're he close quarter combat duo" Shadow grinned in approval and Rouge smiled for the first time in a long time.
Rouge noticed that it was dark outside so she said "lets get some shut eye alright because tomorrow is the day we put our plan in action." Rouge was about to add something else but Shadow clamped her mouth shut and pointed towards the counter were a mimic was eating a corpse. Shadow slowly took out his pistol that had a suppressor and he fired two bullets to the head of the mimic and one in its chest to kill it permanently. "You're welcome Rouge" Rouge smiled and grabbed Shadow's head and made sure he was looking at her and kissed him passionately and said "this is my thank you." None the less he blushed a dark red but somewhat enjoyed it, who was he kidding he loved it but her didn't want to admit it to himself and get too attached to her because if something were to happen to her he would never forgive himself.
Rouge quickly fell asleep in Shadow's arm and Shadow looked at her and grinned as he started to fall asleep. Many memories flashed through Shadow's head and all of them had Rouge in them and through those memories she has probably been the closest friend to him besides Maria but… she was dead so Rouge was the only existent one. Shadow's eyes shot open in the middle of the night as he heard a big boom and he heard someone yelling and it sounded like… Amy? Then Shadow looked outside and noticed it was afternoon and soon night then he cursed at himself for falling asleep for so long but he and Rouge got up and stalked Amy and… Sonic? That meant the others must've found each other making Shadow's and Rouge's plan much easier than it needed to be.
(Silver POV) Silver and Blaze stuck together watching over Shadow and Rouge silently, Silver wore a gray cloak and gray pants. He watched over Shadow and Rouge carefully then he said to twenty five year old Blaze who happened to be the same age as him, "lets put our plan in motion." Blaze nodded in agreement and jumped after Shadow and Rouge and said "so Team Dark is back huh?" Rouge retorted "Shut up Silver" Shadow turned around and said "long time no see" Silver walked up to him and shook Shadow's hand. Blaze hugged Rouge lightly and then they all agreed to set camp near Sonic and Amy to watch over them.
Silver stuck with Blaze and Blaze stuck with him since they worked well together. Even though that went against all what the rest of the group agreed to, they disobeyed and stuck together and fought together, scavenged for food together, and slept together to keep warmth during the cold harsh night.