Alright, its been awhile...again. I have been working over load lately and have zero time to myself. Heck I've rarely seen the people I live with :P

Anyways, this is a 2 part theme because it is so long! But I think I actually like this one. It's a bit more 'angsty' and suspenseful. A little action, and a lot O' drama. And quite a bit longer! Part 2 should come sooner or later :/

Shout out real quick!

Blazelvr: your idea for Embarrassed is actually really good, and I would love to do it but I'm not sure how well I would be able to go into detail for a surfing comp. It would be really difficult, but I could dapple with the idea.

Reviewers: Thanks for all the support and help you guys!

Now I have a few PM's to read and respond to, then I gotta go to work so I'll try and update soon!

Notice! Reforming is momentarily on hold, and while I am on my momentary Writers block, I uploaded a really old series from my Computer Doc that I abandoned long ago on DeviantArt called 'Of Pirates and Princesses' if you want to look at it. Up to you!

I don't own Sega characters!

Choices

Ding!

The elevator door slid open to reveal the line-up of controls, computer screens and flashing buttons, orderly pushed against the metals walls. G.U.N's control room proved to be full of life that day, soldiers and agents alike bustling with every day business. The managers sat at the mechanics, fingers dancing over the keys with headsets clasped over their ears. Voices of several conversations sounded through the room as Shadow entered the corridors, red eyes scanning for the face of his director.

In the center of the Control Room, a middle console arranged in a circular panel, like a donut with a piece bitten for entering the ring of metal, there stood the Commander. His hair was silver, having lightened from his mop of brown after many long years of stress. The spiky style stuck up in different angles, unruly and unordered in his state of authority.

Brown eyes were narrowed, his lips permanently pursed in a frown. Olive green attire was stiff and straight, squaring his shoulders in board posture.

Shadow approached slowly. Unlike most other agents, he was not intimidated with the presence of his boss. He took orders as a purpose, something to fulfill with his time. In his logical manner, Shadow found it more conventional than running around with wasted time such as a commonly known blue counterpart of his. Stopping affront of his administrator, the hedgehog crossed his arms, silently waiting for the man to notice him.

The Commander was shouting orders, left and right his voice rang in abrasive volume to his employees who scampered around like ants, cringing to his words and wincing at the potency of his strife.

When brown angry eyes finally landed on the scarlet streaked Life Form, he snapped his mouth shut and turned his full attention to his best agent.

Shadow narrowed his eyes in observation. While days at Head Quarters were often filled with stress, something was off putting about the extra security of soldiers that he noted were circling in perimeter, as well as the more-so-than-usual crudity in the Commanders antics.

"Ah, Shadow. I'm glad you're here. We have a big operation happening in 2-point-O minutes. The portal should be opening any minute if things on the other end happened to schedule." The Commander folded his hands behind his back, peering down at the hedgehog with attention.

The Ultimate Life Form frowned. Confusion overrode his senses, as he had heard no news of an Operation being held present day, nor did the words 'portal' and 'other side' make help for understanding the ongoing situation. "What Operation?" he asked, curious to the intentions of the agency.

The Commander rolled back his shoulders, turning down to face one of the screen panels that seemed to show a steady signal of energy readings splay across the holographic screen. "I came across a file from four years ago, one initiating the study of Sol Emeralds," he began, running a finger across another screen, revealing an image of a sharply cut rectangular gem.

Shadow arched both brows, refraining from showing full surprise of the surfacing subject. Indeed it had been awhile since he thought on the situation that had occurred a small number of years ago. Quickly he reverted his attention back to the Commander, as memories of Team Hooligan, Omega fawning over a small rabbit, and a single still-willed violet cat that played with impressive fire filled his mind.

"After doing a few weeks research, it came to my attention that these jewels hold the same amount of power and potential as our own Chaos Emeralds. Though your team's mission failed those years ago, my scientists found a solution to finding them again."

At this news, Shadow visibly stiffened. The direction of the conversation was heading towards deep water; one filled with complications that he knew would arise if things followed through.

"There seems to be a stitched rip in the dimensional continuum that separates our world from another; a world that withholds these allusive Sol Emeralds. With help from the best, I acquired access to re-enter this dimension, locate the energy readings, and bring them back to head-quarters for personal use. Having such power would benefit this nation in ways beyond comprehension Shadow."

The Commander's voice turned almost wistful; a longing for power glinting in his ascetic brown eyes.

The hedgehog watched this with alarm, as his mind screamed a siren for caution. "Sir, I do not see the profit in this Operation. Entering another dimension is dangerous, and can affect more than just a simple fraction in the time rift. And if an energy source is what you are looking for, why not harness the Chaos Emeralds that are already within this world?" Shadow stabled his voice through each sentence, finding it within his right to speak his mind, but was sure to say so with respect.

The power-lusting man turned to his top agent with a cocked brow. "Chaos Emeralds are off limits for me to tamper. With an annoying red pest guarding the Master Emerald, and the President siding with the heroes of Mobius, they are not to be harnessed for our own personal use. However, these emeralds from another world will be under no such restraint. My men should be here any second with our prize."

Shadow clenched his fists, setting a stance of defense. The Commander was speaking nonsense. Such careless actions could destroy an entire world, and though the ebony hedgehog was not one to trouble over frivolous matters that made no difference to himself and/or his purpose, he found himself against the plan his Commander was facing him with. It simply wasn't right.

However, a horrid realization hit him in the face. No matter what he said to change the Commanders mind, he was too late. Already, soldiers had passed into the other world he himself had so briefly visited. That would mean a certain feline was in danger, her and her world were facing a deadly crisis. This would not end clean.

"How many soldiers did you send Sir?"

The Commander narrowed his eyes and grunted, "two dozen at least."

Shadow could feel his nerves edging, but he remained dull in his stature. "Why so many?"

The grey haired employer frowned, finding Shadow's questions to be rather obvious. "So we can retrieve what we need of course. If my soldiers report successful, we will then regroup for an hour and prep to cross dimensions."

'This is not good… so not good.'

The ebony hedgehog mentally shook his head. The more answers he received, the more off-putting the situation became. He didn't know what the Commander was up to, as some of the information didn't add up. Why would they need to enter the dimension a second time? If the second trip was to retrieve the Sol Emeralds, what 'prize' were G.U.N's soldiers bringing back now?

Before his thoughts could finish, a sudden ripple effect splurged in the air, as time and space itself pulled apart to a gaping hole, showing itself to be a portal to another world.

Through this portal, armed men with helmets and G.U.N. acquired suits flooded into the control room, stepping through the time rift like a curtain.

The head soldier approached the Commander with timed steps, halting five feet away with a salute of respect and clap of his heels.

"Leverage initiated as planned. My men will regroup for second visit in one hour accordingly, sir!"

The Commander gave a curt nod of his stubble- chin, "at ease Soldier. Regroup as you are. And bring the feline to me."

Recognition of his overseer's plot slowly dawned on Shadow's face, widening ruby eyes.

'No. Please no. If only this once I could be wrong…'

As if to further perturb his growing fear, he watched with shock as a soldier stepped through the portal, tugging on a linked chain harshly.

"Come on you!" he spat angrily, tugging a familiar Mobian through the rift into view of all in the control room.

Shadow blinked several times to gauge onto the scene that played before him. The violet cat that stood before him, anger rolling off her in steamy waves, was not the same as he had last seen.

Her four feathered locks, once pulled atop her head in a tall pony tail, now multiplied several times. Her hair was thick and heavy, falling about her face in layers down to her waist. The feline's hips had spread slightly, as her midsection remained petite in size, and bust grew in small variation. Once a long and lithe tail, fur had now grown in length, showing her swishing limb to have become puffy and soft, and more so resemblance to a squirrel.

Not only did her shape differ, but also the garments she adorned had turned much more battle-ready than royal-requirement. She had long since ditched the purple cloak, in its stead; she wore black pants that stuck to her body for more accessible movement, with a silver belt, and dark amethyst top that had long sleeves, meeting the white cuffs of her gloves. Though she remained in heels, they had changed into black ankle boots, with a silver buckle to match the belt.

As his eyes roamed her figure, he locked onto a sight that made his heart cringe. A titanium shackle was clasped around her wrist, connected sturdily to a long chain that one of the higher status soldiers held with gruesome behavior.

Slowly, his eyes climbed to meet her own, and he felt his nerves twist when she saw disbelief spread across her features, betrayal, hurt; and finally…anger.

Golden eyes narrowed pointedly in his direction, and the temperature of the room began to warm in heat waves.

"Agent Shadow, this is our prize. She was an obstacle to get through to acquire our goal, but a feisty feline will not bring me down." The Commander strode forward, gripping the chin of his prisoner and turning her raging amber eyes to his face. "She's a strong one, pretty too. It's too bad she'll be put in a cage till we can use her," he snarled down at her.

Blaze was shaking, limbs shivering. No cold, nor fear, made her quiver in such a way; it was her fury. It grew with precarious intensity.

Worthy to her stubborn nature, her judgment and logic flushed away with a flaming temper.

With a growl that sounded feral, the she-cat swung her locked wrists with a hard pull, catching the agent that held the end of her chain off guard as she sent him crashing into the Commander.

Shadow watched as Chaos unfolded around him. Immediately, weapons began firing towards the feline, as she grabbed the end of her chain and whipped it at several other soldiers, twisting out of the line of bullets.

The hedgehog made a step forward to protect her. She wouldn't last long alone, being in an underground agency with soldiers and agents circled and armed.

Blaze knew this too, but her pride and anger would not deter from her path. She had already knocked down several others and was ready to ignite her fire on them when a sharp pain shot up her side, and she let out a cry as she clutched her side and fell to her knees.

Shadow stopped, eyes widening in horror in having seen the bullet just graze passed her ribcage, and her fingers pulled away with crimson liquid.

"Hold your fire!"

The Commander's voice halted the weapons from doing farther harm, as the proud man slowly stood with rage clear in his eyes. No one, no one, would knock him off his feet and survive without consequence. He approached the crouched guardian with firm steps before he stopped a few feet away.

Meanwhile, an internal war blazed through the Commander's top agent. Shadow didn't know what to do. Blaze was a…friend? He didn't know her placement to him, and hadn't seen her in years, but he couldn't stand by and let this happen. But what of his loyalty to GUN? Could he betray his own Director, lose his job, his missions, his only bunking; could he put so much on the line for one lilac cat and her world?

The gray haired man peered at Blaze with hate, jaw set as his knuckles itched to punch something. "Miss Kitty, you will regret doing that," his voice was low and threatening, as he withdrew from his advance and turned to his awaiting soldiers.

"Grab her chain and take her to the medical branch. After the doctors finish stitching her up, place her in our holding cell as planned.

Curt nods replied and a different soldier moved forward, stepping over his unconscious co-workers and grabbing the end of the chain.

With a hard pull, Blaze's hands were tugged from her wound, letting even more blood soak her shirt and run from her insides. A yelp of pain escaped her as she was roughly pulled to her feet and pushed forward, sending her tripping and barely able to catch her balance in her dizzy and flushed state.

"Come on cat!" the man snapped, and began heading towards the door, two solders flanked on her sides.

Shadow stepped forward, obligation to help, someway, somehow, without losing his place in the agency. GUN was all he had, but if the agency was craving such power, did he really want to partake in such a place?

His eyes caught hers as she stumbled by.

'I'm sorry. I didn't know.' His red eyes tried to portray his feelings and thoughts to her, desperate for some sort of acceptance to where he stood. Facial features morphed into desperation, distraught, guilt, regret.

Blaze had never seen such so much emotion play across Shadow's face before, and though she could tell it was genuine, her heart contracted violently, relentless.

She couldn't forgive him. This had gone too far.

Shadow watched as her response was a glare, a face so full of anger and betrayal; he knew what her silent message was without words.

'Screw you.'

As her limp tail disappeared around the window, Shadow closed his eyes and crossed his arms, letting his chin fall to his chest. He had a choice to make before this was all over, and he had to make it swiftly, before it was too late.