A/N: Apologies for the fact that the chapters might be shrinking. :/ They shouldn't get any shorter than this, though. Again, sorry about that!
Shadow's breath was heavy. His fist was frozen in the air, left with a tingling feeling inside the glove. Rouge still stood, rubbing her cheek with her hand.
"You hit me," she uttered. Obviously the very thought was still processing in her mind. It was unclear whether she was disgusted or in shock. Or both.
Shadow didn't reply right away, but he immediately withdrew his hand and turned his gaze to the ground.
"I didn't mean it," he said softly, partially sincere, "I'm sorry."
Rouge pressed her cheek with careful fingers. The skin began to turn red as the blood rushed to it.
"Sure you are," she snorted, "I'll bet it felt good. Good to finally try to bruise me up after all this time."
"That isn't true," Shadow muttered at barely a whisper.
"Stop. Do not make me hit you both." Omega couldn't get another word in edgewise. At this point, his efforts were far from helpful.
"It must have felt so great to have caused me pain, huh?"
"Enough, Rouge. Let's drop it and get out of here." Shadow headed for the small chamber's entrance, unable to bring himself to look Rouge in the eyes. The bat just chuckled bitterly.
"You must feel pretty pleased with yourself, huh, bigshot?"
"I said enough."
"You really think I'm going to drop the subject?"
Shadow hadn't considered this. Rouge definitely wasn't going to drop it until he bought her the equivalent of all the world's jewels. She wouldn't have let go even then unless Shadow outright threatened her, and it would take a lot to make Rouge the bat feel the slightest bit intimidated. Shadow slowly rotated his neck to face her. He stared at the spot on her cheek and the bandaged gash on her head. In the midst of his trance, Rouge raised her voice.
"What are you looking at?"
Shadow broke from his daze.
"Nothing," he mumbled. "Let's go."
As he turned, the hedgehog promptly felt a blow land on his head, and it wasn't a soft one, either, as it knocked him forward a little. He froze in his rage, eyes wide and teeth exposed through tense lips. Rouge stood behind him, her green eyes wild.
Omega urgently shoved them apart, getting between the two for the umpteenth time.
"Physical violence is from hereon forbidden," he warned, "I'll give you both one more chance before I take control of the situation myself."
The other two barely heard him. Shadow spun around and swiftly yanked open Omega's control panel, switching him to hibernation mode. The red eyes dimmed down until they were no longer shining.
"Sorry, big guy," Shadow muttered, "I've got business to settle." He then turned to Rouge, fire returning to his gaze. "You asked for it, you little shrew with wings," Shadow challenged, tossing aside Omega's metal body with little effort.
"Never said I didn't," Rouge countered, cracking her knuckles, "let's settle this like real men, huh?"
Shadow snarled and began circling like a hawk; his opponent doing the same. The two locked eyes for a few moments, harnessing their anger, their rage for the other. Hatred flared in both pairs of eyes. After a few long moments, Rouge launched herself at Shadow with a closed fist rocketing towards his face. The hedgehog dodged and swung his own fist at her side, missing by one, maybe two inches.
Rouge struck Shadow's face with a worn-down high-heeled boot. She laughed triumphantly when he fell to the ground.
"Not so tough without your Chaos Control, are ya?" she sneered as Shadow rose back to his feet. Wordlessly, he brought another fist to her face, hitting her square in the cheek right before she had attempted to dodge. Kicks and punches continued to cloud the air, brutally snipping the thread of patience that was left between the two teammates. Cries of effort rang through the empty tunnel as both of the opponents only saw red. Both had the intention of inflicting severe bodily harm on their teammate, and when Team Dark's mind was made up, it seldom changed.
Shadow flung out his wrist in an uppercut motion to Rouge's nose. Her head flew backward on impact and blood began dripping from her nose. Shaking it off, the bat countered with a corkscrew attack, knocking back the dark hedgehog. Sweat dripped from both of their faces as they paused for a split second. When they locked eyes again, there was only hatred seething in their expressions. Rouge's eyes were teary from the pain of her bloody nose, and Shadow's eyes were wide with general fury. They angrily lunged for each other again.
After a few minutes, Rouge had Shadow pinned to the wall by his upper arms.
"You'll be happy to know that I'm not the bloodthirsty killer that you are," she growled as she fought against Shadow's struggling, "I'm more merciful."
Shadow saw more red. He broke free of the bat's hands and slapped at her cheek with the back of his hand. Rouge sprung into action by flying into the air and charging at him in another corkscrew attack. Shadow dodged and swung himself in a motion that knocked Rouge to the ground. He took her arms and held her down by her shoulders.
"Happy to hear that," he said in reply to her previous comment, "I suppose I'll kill you first, then."
"You wouldn't dare," Rouge said through bared teeth.
"Wouldn't I?" Shadow smiled. It was a deadly thing to see a twisted grin on a dangerously angry hedgehog. Rouge understood the danger and jammed both of her knees into Shadow's stomach, knocking the air out of him for only a brief moment.
"I thought you changed," the bat commented, hoping to contradict her statement, "you're not like that!"
Shadow gritted his teeth. Rouge was looking at him with a wide-eyed expression, and she was backing away slightly. Shadow caught the hint of fear and let a grin of satisfaction spread across his face. Could it be . . . she was afraid for her life?
"Who said?" he whispered, "Who said I can't be the bloodthirsty killer I was made to be?"
With those words, Shadow slammed Rouge's neck against the far wall of the chamber. He only saw a face that he despised. He hated no one more than Rouge in that moment of chaos; of insanity.
Rouge pursed her lips and choked. Shadow's grip tightened on her neck, but she was audacious enough to take it one step further.
"Maria . . ." she gagged, " . . . must be happy . . . to be dead."
Shadow's eyes grew and he loosened his grip.
"What . . . the hell . . . did you just . . . say?" he closed his fingers more around the bat's neck with every word.
"She . . . doesn't have to see you . . . like the weapon you are!" Rouge choked out, "You've disappointed her!"
Shadow saw Rouge's bloodstained face get redder, but only through blurry vision. His fingers closed tighter, tighter still, with every word processing in his mind. Such a line should not have been crossed, and only Rouge was bold enough to take that step over the line. Shadow's hands shook with psychotic anger, his intention moving from severe bodily harm to something even worse.
Rouge's face began to go from deep red to purple. She gasped, or attempted to gasp, for the slightest bit of air. Shadow's fingers were strong, and they weren't moving at all.
"You're dead to me," he whispered furiously, his voice raising to a scream, "I hope your body burns in hell with your damned soul!"
The hedgehog threw her to the ground and grabbed her by the neck again, hoping to choke every last bit of life from her. Rouge shut her eyes and stopped resisting his violence. She gritted her teeth and felt Shadow's wrath surging through her body. Just as Shadow's fingers were closing more and more around her throat and he smiled sadistically again, something struck him from behind. His eyes rolled back into his head from the blow. Rouge saw her opportunity to escape his death grip, so she scrambled to the back wall and watched as Shadow collapsed to the stony ground. Behind him was the metal figure of Omega, his claw suspended in midair above Shadow's unconscious body.
Rouge said nothing as Omega lowered his claw and stared at Shadow's trembling body. He then looked at Rouge, who could barely move from the shock. She breathed erratically, and blood still dripped from various cuts on her face and chest. Rouge's eyes watered; she clutched her neck, her mind fathoming what could have happened had Omega remained asleep. She was, for once in her life, shaken.
Sensing the imminent faintness, Omega hurried to the bat's side and caught her as she slowly dwindled to the ground. With a shaky breath and faint voice, she whispered one thing.
"Th-thanks, buddy . . ."
And with that, Rouge felt blackness clouding her mind and passed out in Omega's heavy arms.