His mind was playing tricks on him again. The worst part was, he wasn't sure if it was his imagination or if Eclipse was nearby. Shadow searched his mind for him but found nothing. That didn't convince him the alien wasn't there. After all, Eclipse was a master manipulator created to destroy him. Could Shadow really trust his loose connection with the hive mind?

They secured the four Dark Arms in a holding cell not far from the main building. Of course, they tightly locked the building and the cell where the capsules sat on a shelf. The creatures were no longer trying to fight the containers.

After his teammates helped secured the area, Rouge couldn't help but notice the change in her friend's demeanor. Shadow scowled often, holding his head like he suffered a migraine. Not to mention, he seemed a lot more alert than usual, looking back at every movement and sound around him. Checking on him only made it worse. Shadow denied any struggle and left to be by himself.

There was no sign of Eclipse outside headquarters, but Shadow stayed on watch until nightfall. Sitting in the dark only increased his paranoia, making him suspect Eclipse was near with every rustle of plants and flight of birds. Eventually, he just wanted it to stop, but he couldn't escape it. Finally, he decided to return to his room and sleep it away.

Somehow, the voices he tried to avoid weren't strong enough to keep him from sleeping. It wasn't deep, but his headache began to subside the longer he rested, and yet the voices didn't fade. As fleeting dreams played out, they only seemed to add to it.

Someone was trying to tell him something, or at least, that's what it seemed as he drifted from place to place. His blurred thoughts stayed the same all while he slept, until, finally, they began to clear and make more sense. Once his head no longer hurt, he began, subconsciously, trying to listen to them.

Someone needed his help. It conjured a memory in his mind. The request played again and again, but he wasn't sure what he needed to do. It only gave him a feeling of panic. Shadow woke and jumped up. "Maria!" He cried out, but his image of her faded and no one answered his call, but someone spoke under the surface.

Please, listen to us at least.

You're the only one we have!

Shadow groaned. They were too consistent to be another hallucination. Someone else had access to the hive mind, but it wasn't Eclipse. He hoped it wasn't what he thought it was. I'm listening. Who are you?

We're Eclipse's Dark Arms. Your friends trapped us in these small containers.

Please, don't let them hurt us!

Of course it was them. They were part Black Arm just like he was. Leave me alone, he hissed back. They didn't listen.

We want to go back to our master...

Shadow hated communicating like this, but it was the only way. Eclipse will come, and we will destroy him. The little voices cried harder.

You can't hurt him! He's everything we have!

You destroy him, we destroy you.

Shadow issued another growl and stood up. They weren't going to leave him alone now. He might as well speak with them, face to face.

As Shadow made his way down the halls, he refused to answer any more questions, leaving the Dark Arms to argue with no one. Some of them began to cry. He raised a hand to rub his eyes and yawned, taking in a breath of fresh air as a cool breeze blew by before he unlocked the door and was inside again.

The Dark Arms were in sight now. Their capsules sat on wide shelves behind locked bars. The blue one, Blurk, cried while the others stared at the bottom of the capsule. None of them even noticed the door to the building close. The sound bounced off the walls, though Blurk's little cries stayed in the small container. Finally, it calmed down to sniffles as he heard coming footsteps.

Shadow kicked up dust with every step until he came up to the cell. He peered in and folded his arms, choosing not to grace them with even a greeting.

Well, look who decided to turn up, Cyzer raised his head and matched the hedgehog's glare.

Cyzer, don't be so rude, Rhygenta looked over at him before turning to Shadow. Eclipse said he was family, and we should be grateful he came all the way down here.

"I came down here so I could directly tell you again to leave me alone," Shadow returned, speaking out loud rather than using the connection. "I now know it was you who was bothering me all day, and I won't have it for much longer."

We had no one else to go to... Blurk whined.

"Cry for your master then. I'm not going to help you."

Cregal pecked at the capsule wall. The container wobbled a little, but not enough to move it from its spot. You out of all of us should know there's a limit to our connection. We only share part of his blood just like you do.

"Fine. What do you need then?"

Blurk answered, his one eye half-closed and looking away. We want to know if everything will be alright.

"Hmph." Shadow turned so his shoulder faced them as if threatening to leave. "The world will be safe after your master hands us the Chaos Emeralds. I can't say the same would be for him."

Blurk burst into sobs again and Rhygenta joined him this time. Cregal continued to peck at the wall. He was right about you. You don't care about us. Family means nothing to you.

Shadow turned towards the cell again. "It means nothing when he's trying to destroy my chosen home. As long as that remains his goal, I will hunt him down."

Cyzer wrapped himself around in circles and finally met Shadow while displaying his sharp teeth. But he's our home. Why is yours better than ours?

"Didn't you hear me? He's trying to destroy this world and everybody in it. Why even compare the two when you serve someone like that?"

Rhygenta glanced to and fro while she twiddled her feet. We never cared about that. We only wanted to make him happy...

Blurk stood up and shook away his tears. Just like how he makes us happy. Remember that time he played with us even though he was tired?

Cyzer nodded. Or when he yelled at us because Cregal and I kept fighting, but he still let us cuddle up next to him that night?

Cregal stared into Shadow's eyes, hovering in place. Wouldn't you do anything for your "chosen family?" No matter what it took to keep them safe and happy?

Shadow said nothing, but his arms began to drop at his side. These creatures weren't just Eclipse's minions. They were his close offspring, but how could Eclipse, a full-blooded Black Arm, be so sensitive? It seemed impossible, and yet he doubted the Dark Arms would lie to him about something like that. Not to mention... Cregal's question spun in his head and with it came a familiar image from a little while ago of his dear Maria. He would do anything it took to keep her safe and happy, even if it meant he had to make some tough decisions. He would have done anything.

Shadow opened his eyes. They were all looking at him in silence. The blowing breeze outside couldn't push or ruffle inside this tight prison, leaving it in the quiet. Their gazes fell heavier. Shadow turned and took a step before talking back. "Like I said, leave me alone. There's nothing I can do for you."

He never looked back, but he could feel their stares as he made his way to the door. He expected they would enter his mind again as soon as he locked the door, but it was silent. It didn't give him very much relief. He came all the way down here to confront the Dark Arms and get them to stop talking to him, but now he left with remnants of their discussion in his mind instead.

If Eclipse really did have a heart and his connection with the Dark Arms was as precious as they made it sound, then Shadow couldn't help but feel a little sorry about what he had to do. The choice was obvious which he would protect, but... As if hurting his own kin wasn't hard enough...

...

Eclipse dropped the case and collapsed to his knees. The hinge hit the ground, pushing the case open and letting the three Chaos Emeralds bounce out. He choked out a sob and crawled across the grass to pick each one up. He couldn't reach the Dark Arms from here. How would he know if they were still all right? The hollow space in his chest ached more than his burning legs, and he could barely see past all the tears blurring his vision. With a free hand, he slammed a fist into the ground before burying his face in his arms. The emeralds remain cradled underneath him.

Again, he could only blame himself. He knew they were going on a dangerous mission, but they'd done it plenty of times before! He didn't think they would be caught, or at least if they did, they would be caught together. Now they were at G.U.N's mercy, or the lack of it.

Each breath came as a forced heave until, finally, he pushed himself off his hands. If Shadow did anything to hurt one of them, Eclipse will stop at nothing to bring him the same amount of pain. The alien sucked in another breath and examined the emeralds in his grip. He made a trade, and he didn't want it, not at this cost. For them, he would give up all of his plans. They really were the last thing he had. Without them, he's all alone to face a world that wants him dead. What would be the point of continuing after that, even with the power to destroy everything? One thing's for sure, he wasn't leaving or enacting his plan until he had them back.

He sat there on the ground, quietly sobbing to himself while looking down at the emeralds until something took his attention away. There was someone else here. He was being watched. Uneven, short steps came forward until they were a few yards away, then stopped. Eclipse jumped to his feet and spun around, bearing his teeth and growling like a beast. The poor ram behind froze, horrified, for just a second before he turned and half-stumbled, half-ran in the opposite direction. The message he held in his hand fluttered down onto the grass. Eclipse strolled by it and picked it up. It was a letter to none other than himself. That ram. That was a messenger for him? The reason became clear as he read.

We have your Dark Arms in custody. They are unharmed. If you wish to release them, bring the Chaos Emeralds to G.U.N Headquarters. Once a marked agent has collected them, you will be escorted to your encaged minions.

The more he read, the faster he crumpled the paper until it was nothing but a ball in his hand. He dropped it and turned to the trees, where he hid the rest of the emeralds. He browsed among them before he stopped at one with scratch marks etched in the trunk. He bent down, dropped the three emeralds, and began to dig with his hands. It was the return trade he wanted, but was the note truly honest? As he pondered before, there is no way they would let them all free if he did give them the emeralds. More than likely, they will take him and destroy them all. They wouldn't let dangerous aliens, who threatened to destroy the world, be free. He knew of the agency's corrupt history.

He had no intention of letting his Dark Arms perish by their hands, but what more can he do? A few tears began to fall again, spattering on the soft dirt in front of him. Light of many colors shone past the soil and he picked each Chaos Emerald out and dusted them off until all seven sat together. Eclipse had one more option, one that would not only free his Dark Arms but destroy G.U.N. as well, all thanks to the collected power of the gems. He gripped tightly on the green emerald in his grasp and he stared toward the direction of the city. "Shadow, you touch any one of my little ones, and I will take joy in finishing you off!"

...

"There you are, sunshine!" Rouge greeted as Shadow marched into the foyer. "What's the long face for this time?"

He didn't bother slowing down and let her question fade into the voices of the crowd. Everyone here was at work, preparing for the alien's arrival. Agents discussed sniper placements on maps, who would remain to watch the Dark Arms, and the commander selected who should retrieve the emeralds.

"But we don't know exactly when he will show up. Where should we be stationed?" A female agent asked.

The question was meant for the commander, but it was Captain Andrews who answered. "If he cares anything for his weird little alien friends, he will show up soon. If he doesn't, we'll just have to make an example of a few of them. Then again, I can't imagine an alien would care for another. He will either be here soon or not show up at all."

"That will not be necessary," Shadow replied. "He cares about them. I imagine he's already on the way."

Everyone looked down at the hedgehog as he spoke. Andrew scoffed. "What makes you so sure? Did they tell you that?"

Shadow didn't budge. "As a matter of fact, they did."

No one spoke for a long, awkward moment. Commander Tower scratched his chin. "That explains it. The cameras found you in their cell last night. I wanted to know what you were doing down there. What else did they tell you?"

Shadow opened his mouth to speak, but Andrews cut him off. "Ah, of course our alien can speak with them."

Abraham Tower put up a hand to silence him. Shadow continued. "They have a family-like bond. They were more worried for his safety than their own."

"Commander," Andrews paused and leaned in. "Last time he had a pleasant visit with his kin, they brought him over to their side. How do we know-"

But Shadow could still hear them. "If they took control of me, you would know. I wouldn't be standing here talking to the enemy!"

"That's enough," Tower ordered, glowering at both of them. "I don't know what you two have against each other, but we don't need any of it. Shadow says the alien cares for them, so we will continue to prepare for his arrival."

Captain Andrews rolled his eyes and Shadow folded his arms. Tower turned to the first female agent. "You and your team will be stationed in the workrooms by the exit going onto the roof. When you hear the order, you will take your guns and point them at the alien. Don't fire until you hear the signal."

She nodded and left. Tower turned to Andrews. "Assuming it all goes to plan, Eclipse will hand over the emeralds and we will take him in to be executed safely along with the other ones."

Rouge looked up. "We're going to betray him?"

Tower eyed her as if the answer was an obvious one. "Of course we will. He is dangerous. If we let him go, he will start his plans for destruction all over again."

"Commander, if I could have your attention for a moment," Shadow interrupted. "The small ones assisted him in his plan but only did so because of his connection to him. They may not be interested in his ideas. Besides, they are quite weak on their own."

Andrews locked eyes with Tower's. The commander turned to the hedgehog. "They are a part of him. We can't risk any more destruction."

Shadow tightened his fists and lowered his arms at their side. "If you are so concerned about a few wisps trying to destroy the world because they are part alien, then why don't you execute me while you're at it?"

"Shadow?!" Rouge cried at him.

The suggestion took the commander off guard, but he squared his shoulders. "Don't be ridiculous! You have already proven you are different from the rest of them."

But Shadow wasn't done. "Then why execute the wisps without giving them a chance? Or what about Dr. Snively? You trusted him even after knowing he worked for Robotnik and look at where that took us."

"See? I told you this would happen!" Andrews yelled at the commander while gesturing at the hedgehog. "He's possessed!"

"Captain, please..."

Shadow was shaking with rage by now. The Dark Arms up to this point have mostly been quiet, but the occasional confession of them being scared wasn't helping him in this moment. "I won't take this much longer. I'm either being treated as an outcast while I'm here or I'm being used for my abilities, but that's it. I don't need any one of you to help me protect the world. I can do it on my own. Good luck finding a replacement." He was walking away before he even finished. The captain and Towers only watched in stunned silence.

Only Rouge pursued him. "Shadow? Wait!"

He didn't look back. "You can't convince me otherwise. Goodbye, Rouge."

She stopped. Her breath came heavy and a lump rose in her throat. She looked back at the others. Commander Tower stood in silence, but only for a second, then he returned to the plans, though he seemed distracted. Captain Andrews looked a little white but tried to hide his disbelief with a cough.

She turned her head forward again, but her teammate was gone...

...

Shadow didn't pause until he stood on the edge of the city. Finally, he looked back. Rouge's broken expression eased into his mind and he tried to shake it free. Team Dark made him who he was. Rouge and Omega were more than coworkers. They were his family. His real family and he left them behind. They knew him more than anyone else did. Could he go through with this alone? If only he could return and... No, it was too late. He had a mission to attend to, one that G.U.N didn't control him with.

A car drove by, pushing wind through the hedgehog's quills. He watched it drive back the way he came. Walking on the sidewalk down there would be easier than continuing outside of the city, but he didn't expect this would be easy.

He turned around and walked several steps before turning on his jets. The enclosed streets and walking passersby were no obstacle for his experience and he swerved around them all. People gasped and cars honked, but he didn't stop. The city became a blur. Once he was off the highway, the smell of hot gasoline changed to something more natural and his surroundings became quieter. It reminded him that he was on this quest alone, and he wished he controlled his anger enough to have his companions by his side again.

Now with the city on the horizon, he slowed down and stuck to the trees. He remembered Eclipse was somewhere in this direction. It wasn't long after that when he could sense he was nearby. Shadow followed it, taking care not to make a sound as he walked. Eclipse wasn't trying to hide anything, and his footsteps drew the hedgehog in closer.

Finally, he spotted Eclipse walking by him. Shadow hid, his quills pressed up and against the tree bark. The alien didn't slow down, nor did he stop to look around. He didn't know. Shadow didn't need to see inside the crude bag he carried to know it contained the emeralds.

But something was wrong. Eclipse didn't seem frightened. No, he seemed confident. Not the kind of behavior someone would carry when trading for the safety of loved ones. The smirk on his face was like he already won something. Shadow didn't know what he was planning, but decided as long as he remained hidden, he will follow the alien to find out what he planned on doing...