Chapter Twenty

It was now almost eight o'clock in the morning and both hedgehogs were still cuddled up together and asleep. Rouge had arrived, picked the lock to the front door and entered Shadow's home. She made her way to Shadow's bedroom to have a look in on him. She opened the door quietly and peeped her head through the gap she made. It was somewhat dark as the curtains were closed but she could clearly make out two hedgehog's all snuggled up together and fast asleep. She grinned then left them alone, leaving the door open a little, and walked to the kitchen to get the coffee going.

"Well going by the evidence I would say they are very comfortable sharing a bed. Never thought I'd live to see Shadow so willing to share a bed with anyone let alone Sonic. I wonder how Amy will react when this gets out?" Rouge thought as she entered the kitchen and got cracking with coffee making, having a feeling Shadow will be up soon and wanting his morning brew.

"Better yet how will everyone react when they find out Sonic and Shadow are now in a relationship with each other?" Rouges next thought was as she waited for the water to boil.

Ten minutes later a grumbled complaint hit Rouges ear making her smile as that was clearly Shadow complaining about something Sonic was making him do. Sonic entered the kitchen and was dragging Shadow by the hand. Sonic looked all refreshed and rearing to start the day, Shadow on the other hand looked tired still and clearly did not want to be out of bed.

"Morning Rouge." Sonic brightly greeted the bat with a happy smile.

"Morning." Shadow mumbled in a grumpy voice while rubbing an eye briefly.

"Morning boys,. Had fun last night?" Rouge asked with a teasing grin while watching Sonic pull out a chair and guided Shadow in it then pushed Shadow in.

"If you call a graphic and horrifying nightmare fun then yes." Shadow mumbled as he sat back with arms crossed and eyes shut.

"They're back then I take it? I'm sorry to hear that Shadow." Rouge sincerely said with a sad look at Shadow.

"Here you are babe, just how you like it." Sonic happily said as he placed a mug of black coffee in front of Shadow then took a seat with his own coffee.

"Thank you Sonic." Shadow softly said as he opened his eyes, uncrossed his arms and picked the mug up to take a sip.

"So it's Friday now, you boys have plans?" Rouge asked with a grin at the two hedgehog's sitting next to each other opposite her.

"Yep Shads is having a sleepover at mine and Tails' place but before that I'm taking Mr Grumpy out for a lunch date." Sonic said with a grin at Rouge.

"Oh yeah it's that gaming night and I still cannot believe you got Shads here to attend. Man he must love you in order to put up with, now what do you call them, time wasting brain cell killing video games was it?" Rouge teased with a playful glance at Shadow.

"Yes those are the right words." Shadow casually replied as he was starting to wake up, grinning back at Rouge while holding his mug near his lips.

"You only say that because you have never experienced playing games." Sonic matter-of-fact said with a smug grin at Shadow.

"True but that statement is still true, playing too much of those video games do dumb someone down to unintelligent levels allowing themselves to be influenced by the game and re-enacting out the game play in reality." Shadow casually said with an indifferent shrug.

"Depends on the game babe." Sonic chuckled then took a sip of his coffee.

"And it depends on the person playing too." Rouge said with a roll of her eyes.

"Changing the subject here but how good are your skills in digging up information Rouge?" Shadow asked as he looked at his bat friend with a calm expression in his eyes.

"Pretty damn good but might I ask you why you want to know?" Rouge replied with a curios raised brow.

"I want closure, I want to know exactly why the ARK was shut down and I want to know why everyone had to be killed. I cannot move on until I know why." Shadow semi seriously said with a deep frown at Rouge.

"I already know why it was shut down and if I would have known you didn't know of the reason I would have told you sooner hun." Rouge softly said with a sincere look in her eyes as she watched Shadow widen his in surprise.

"We all know you are a government funded project and they had plans for when Gerald was finished with his purpose with you. You weren't just created to be the key in finding a cure for Maria Shadow but a living weapon for GUN to use. They wanted you under their complete control Shadow and they also wanted Gerald to take away your freewill as soon as that cure was made. Gerald agreed to do that only so his research wasn't stopped for they were threatening to shut it down." Rouge began with a sincere tone as she and Shadow locked eyes.

"So my fate was to become a mindless weapon under GUNs control?" Shadow sadly asked and was looking distraught at what he was finding out.

"No Shadow, it wasn't. Gerald said he would strip your freewill away but he was secretly planning a way for you to escape GUN so you could be freed from any obligations to anyone. Gerald care deeply about you and cared what happened to you so he got planning in secret. I do not know the inns and outs of what he was planning but I do know it would have granted you your freedom from GUN Shadow. Anyway, someone found out Gerald was lying and planning things in secret. They informed the right people and those people ordered for the research of Project Shadow to be shut down. The rest you were a witness to and I am really sorry you never got to have your freedom hun." Rouge finished explaining what she knew with a sad look for she knew Shadow was not a free hedgehog, he only had some luxuries other prisoners don't have.

"I see, I need a moment alone, please excuse me." Shadow said with little emotion then stood up and walked out of his kitchen.

"Rouge I know there is something you are not sharing." Sonic seriously said as he looked at Rouge with a small frown.

"They still wish to have him as their weapon Sonic and there isn't a single thing anyone can legally do to stop it." Rouge sighed as she glanced at Sonic.

"How?" Sonic asked with anger in his tone.

"He can't leave GUN Sonic, not ever. He cannot just one day decide to quit and do something else with his life because they have him under a tight contract. If he ever did just not turn up when called or outright quit on the spot then they have all rights to restrain him. They will lock him back into status where they will either leave him to rot somewhere unknown or mess with his head. They do not trust him enough to allow him to have the freedom all living beings have. He is lucky he isn't made to live within GUNs base under lock and key because that was the original plan after the Black Arms invasion you know." Rouge replied with anger in her eyes at how Shadow was still being treated after all he has done for this world.

"And why wasn't he kept under lock and key, who stopped that from happening?" Sonic asked as he was feeling so angry with this but was glad someone out there decided to allow Shadow to have some freedom.

"Commander Abraham Towers, he is what stands between Shadow and being locked away and we royally pissed him off just to get some proper time off." Rouge sighed as she sat back and crossed her arms, preying to all known gods that Towers will go easy on Shadow when this suspension is finished with.

"Oh chaos, Shadow is in major trouble when he is due to return to GUN." Sonic said with a worry as he ran fingers through his quills.

"Not necessary Sonic, the guy may still have a few issues with Shadow but he doesn't outright hate Shadow. We just need to lay low, keep our heads down and do whatever mission he sends us on together with no complaints." Rouge calmly said as she closed her eyes.

"We, so I take it you are in a similar position as Shadow then?" Sonic asked with a raised brow, believing Rouge could come and go as she pleases.

"Pretty much. If I do not come when called or I up and quit then I get locked up behind bars. I am a jewel thief remember and have a lot of crimes against my name. The only reason why I even got involved with GUN was to keep from being locked up. Towers saw potential in me and gave me that offer, making me sign a contract similar to the one Shadow was forced to sign. We are both forced to work for them against our will with only one difference, I do not live forever and death will be my release." Rouge casually said with a hint of sadness for she didn't want to work there until the day she died, like Shadow she wanted freedom.

"You know what, I am going to help you both. I wont rest until you both have the freedom to choose who you work for." Sonic vowed with determination as he looked at Rouge.

"I already looked into it and have yet to tell Shadow it is impossible to legally break our contracts. The only way out is either death, vanishing off the face of Mobius or we get so badly injured we are no longer fit to carry on serving GUN." Rouge said as she opened her eyes and looked at Sonic with seriousness.

"I am willing to have my legs cut off, how about you Rouge?" Shadow announced as he walked into the kitchen and looking a little more cheerful even after hearing what Rouge had just said.

"You heard me then and nope, I need these far too much hun." Rouge grinned as she watched Shadow retake his seat.

"Yes I did and I was lying, there is no way I'm cutting my legs off just to have a way to quit GUN." Shadow said with a small frown knowing if he lost his legs he will never be happy again.

"They would probably find a way to grow you a new pair anyway so it would just be a waste of time." Sonic casually said with a grin at Shadow.

"Exactly, they will like totally do that and I will have gone through all that pain for nothing." Shadow replied as he glanced at Sonic with his frown turning into a playful grin.