Can't touch this
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. All Silver could do was count the times his lungs expanded and contracted as he laid prone in the dirt. If there was any hope of getting up, the hoglet needed to calm himself down. Anxiety alone prevented his joints from bending and muscles from moving. Obviously, being paralyzed with fear did not help his calming process in the slightest, but the thought of Shadow failing and himself being whisked away to the Syndicate alone ran icy fingers through his veins. Breath skipping a beat, Silver only twitched- tongue numb and body unresponsive. Breathe in. Breathe out.
Shadow didn't move either. His covered eyes remained locked on the Blue-hooded captain ten paces away with unbreaking concentration. Had a passerby come walking by, they might have assumed the ranger to be a statue. The only sign of life Silver could observe from the stock-still adult was the subtle movement of his lungs calmly performing their duty.
Phantom didn't move either. The snowy white weasel remained rooted to his place with twitching tail and burning eyes. Back and forth the platinum iris glanced, sliding between the ebony hedgehog and the fainted prodigy with indecisive twitches.
"Fine." He spoke, twirling his blade in a pinwheel motion. "If you won't go first, then I will."
With a bolt, the weasel shot forwards - hood flared and teeth bared in determined anger. Eyes wide, Silver could only watch as the captain's blade sliced downwards, whistling ghoulishly towards his frozen body with deadly intent. Within the split second of the slashing swipe, Shadow had shot his boot out - catching the hoglet in his heel and sliding the limp figure away from the swinging knife with a spin. As he pivoted, the ebony elder shot his left hand outward. In a sparking shwing, Shadow pushed the blade away - palm sliding against the edge and bandages fluttering free.
Phantom spun with the motion, swinging his black boot up and aiming for the hedgehog's head. With an abrupt thump, Shadow raised his forearm and blocked the blow - immediately shoving the boot away with a twisted palm.
"Silver, get up." Shadow calmly ordered, nudging the fallen hoglet with his heel.
"I can't." The hoglet wheezed.
Angered, the Captain struck once again. Screeching once again, the screaming blade swung down at the child. Reacting even faster than the first time, Shadow spun on his grounded heel and slid Silver away once more. Ducking a punch, the ranger continued his twist; lifting his boot from the hoglet's abdomen and whirling around to the front in a hook kick - missing intentionally as a warning.
"What's the matter?" Playing nice today?" Phantom laughed, pointing the tip of his knife between the elder's eyes. "Not so keen on hitting me after last time, huh?"
"Do not mistake wisdom for weakness." Shadow spoke, nudging Silver with his heel once more. "I only underestimate an opponent once."
"Oh so you respect me." The captain smiled, twirling his knife to produce the eerie whistle. "Did I teach you too hard of a lesson?"
With a lunge, Phantom stabbed at the ranger. Turning to the side, Shadow dodged the attack with a sigh. On alternating feet, Shadow slipped away from Phantom's strikes - stepping backwards in tandem with the weasel's advances as Silver attempted to raise his fingers. Backing against a wall, Shadow stopped his steps and tilted his head to the side. Without a flinch or a second to spare, the stabbing blade wedged itself between his untied quills with a screeching twang.
"Well?" Phantom shouted. "Did I?"
"You only taught me not to play with my opponent."
"Then fight me!"
Silver managed to turn his head as the blue hood struck once again. Shadow ducked below the knife, stepping out from under the Captain's arms and turning himself upright behind the weasel's back. In a well timed turn, Phantom struck at the elder once more - this time slicing the ranger's right hand with a sparking shring. Silver could only gasp as the bandages fluttered to the ground. Why wasn't Shadow fighting? Fearfully, the hoglet stared at the adult's bare paws. Despite the rather violent motion of the blade, Shadow's hand remained unscathed with his black and red fur in perfect condition.
"Fight me!" Phantom shouted, whirling his blade back and forth in his attempts to strike the evasive hedgehog. Air ripe with whistling and screeching, Silver found himself curling up - suddenly free from his panic induced paralyzation.
Flipping into the alleyway, Shadow grabbed his bundled cloak and threw it into the street - contents scattering across the road like a tipped barrel of beans. As he bolted towards his gloves, Phantom intercepted his path. Before Silver could shout out, the weasel had slashed at the ranger's back - freeing him from the tattered gray fabric like a butterfly from a cocoon. Sparks falling to the ground with him, Shadow rolled onto the floor. Like lightning, the hedgehog flipped himself around- boots grinding against the dirty street in a hair raising scrunch. Enraged, Phantom leapt into the air- heels aimed at the hedgehog's forehead with pinpoint accuracy. Rooting his feet to the dirt, Shadow hardened his stance. Like a well worn boulder, the elder locked his muscles and met the kick full force - bracing himself with bent knees and a straight back.
Silver flinched once more as the responding CRACK shook the air; dust unearthed from the ground and travelling at least a pace in every direction. Body unmoved from its position, Shadow allowed himself to remain. With the charcoal loosened from its ebony prison, the ranger's red stripes shone in the soft lantern light- contrasting greatly against the Captain's blue hood. Enraged, Phantom flipped off of Shadow's skull, landing a few paces back with a frustrated grin.
"Yet you still treat this fight like a joke." The weasel spat.
"No, Phantom." Shadow responded, standing from his locked position. "It is you who isn't giving your all. If you want a real fight, you should make one. Quit toying with me, and I will quit toying with you."
Crawling behind a barrel, Silver removed himself from the danger zone - sensing a real struggle was about to go down.
"You- you think I'm playing with you?" Phantom stammered, pointing his blade at Shadow.
"Yes." Shadow responded, removing his extra band on his right arm and tying his quills up.
"You want a real fight?" The weasel spat, changing his grip on his slotted blade.
Shadow only stood to his full height, raising his paws behind his skull and undoing the blindfold in a smooth motion. Silver could only smile as the bandage was pulled away, revealing glowing red eyes underneath.
With a screeching twirl of his knife, Phantom bolted forwards. In a flash, Shadow kicked up one of his blades and booted it - heel colliding with the handle in an accurate strike. With a whiz, it flew through the air; pinning itself with a thump against one of the walls. Cloak caught in the blade, Phantom found himself tacked to the wall like a nail to a tapestry.
"You think that will stop me?"
"No."
In the time it took for Phantom to loose himself from the knife, Shadow had turned into a black blur. The second the captain took another step, Shadow had completely dressed himself in his traveling gear and flung himself at the white-furred weasel. In an ear shattering crack, he threw his fist straight between Phantom's eyes - hitting the wall behind in an echoing crunch.
Wait what?
"Now we're talking." The weasel smiled, face half obscured with Shadow's arm as he phased through the ranger's attack.
With a well timed kick, Phantom pushed the hedgehog away. Slipping a punch, Shadow swiped at the captain's abdomen. As his fingers grazed through, Shadow found himself dodging another strike. Phantom kicked at Shadow's head only for the ranger to duck below it - returning the favor with a sweep to the leg. As his boot phased through the captain's ankles, Shadow anchored his foot. Phantom swung his blade downwards only to miss as the hedgehog had anticipated the attack and stepped away, switching to his anchored foot and attempting a roundhouse kick to the back of the weasel's skull.
When his foot slipped through, Shadow slammed his boot to the ground and snapped his hand forwards - passing through the weasel as if he were a mere hallucination. Brows furrowed, Shadow slipped sideways as the Captain failed to land a strike to the hedgehog's face. Like dancers on a stage, the two combatants twirled around. When one would strike, the other would dodge with each subsequent miss creating more and more tension between the two. Brown and Blue blurred in the street as more and more people gathered around the fighters, drunken yells and excited chatter filling the air.
Swiping with his screaming blade, Phantom sliced at Shadow's eyes. A slashing clang echoed off the adobe walls as the hedgehog drew his own - blocking the attack with a cold glare and a swift motion. Staring at the silver eyes through the crossed metal, Shadow let himself growl.
"Are those Prower-made?" Phantom smiled, Scanning the steel with envious eyes. "It would be a real shame if you lost them, Shadow, Acre Blades are a rare find."
The ranger pushed the slotted knife away - snarl hidden by the eerie whistle as the Captain gave it a twirl. Eyes glowing brighter, Shadow struck at the weasel. A flashing crackle sounded through the air as Chaos energy flamed around the hedgehog's blade, guided by a calculated swipe and trailing behind the fluid motions like a ribbon. Spinning on his heel, Shadow kicked at Phantom once again - swishing through the weasel like a bird through a cloud. With a laugh, the Captain stabbed at the hedgehog. In response, Shadow snapped his free hand over his head, smacking his bolster against Phantom's dagger and grazing the weasel's wrist with a twist of his hand. As Phantom stumbled back, Shadow stepped away from his opponent - holding a stance with his hand above his hood and blade at his opposite side.
"I didn't know you could fight with knives." Phantom laughed, removing his glove and licking the red off his alabaster fur. "How come you haven't entertained me like this before?"
"You weren't ready." Shadow stated, reaching down and drawing his twin blade. "It wouldn't have been a fair fight."
"Are you still pandering to me?" Phantom grinned. "Are you done playing?"
"When you are." Shadow spoke, tilting his head and crossing his blades in front of his face. "Stop toying with me Phantom. You're better than this"
"I am giving you my all!" The weasel shouted, facade breaking as he leapt at the ranger.
Infuriated, the Captain unleashed a flurry of strikes - phasing through Shadow's arms as the hedgehog blocked and dodged the flying fists. Blades bursting with energy, Shadow spun himself around - whirling and stepping with abrupt stops and fluid stances. Phantom struck at the ranger, only to miss by a hand's breadth at each attempt. Snapping to the left, the hedgehog spun his blades between his fingers - knives turning to glowing disks as he stared down the weasel. Before the Captain could react, Shadow had lunged - blades ribboning with hot sparks as he slashed and stabbed at the intangible weasel. Unable to re-materialize in the density of swinging metal, Phantom could only stand stock still as the ranger kept advancing - snapping between strikes like a lightning bolt in the sky.
As the blades kept spinning, and the energy kept crackling, Shadow unleashed a blast of energy from his wrists - pivoting on his heel and burning the crowd with a wide swipe as they took a step forwards. Retreating from the wave of searing Chaos, the hoods ducked to the ground, opting to shoot their crossbows at the ranger as he turned from the captain. Swiping his blades through the air, Shadow sliced through the barrage of arrows - splitting the shafts in half with burning precision and flashing movements.
From behind the barrel, Silver could only stand in awe as Shadow obliterated the projectiles. Not a single one passed by as the hoods fired in waves. With lighting precision, the ranger swept his knives through the air - not only protecting the stunned captain but the hoglet behind from the swarm of wood and metal. Eyes aglow with the orange lights, Silver found himself with jaw dropped and heart light as the elder stepped and snapped through the cloud of dust and smoke - eyes burning like hot coals and teeth bared like a hungry tiger.
After a gut wrenching minute, the arrows ran dry. A wave of panic visibly spread across the crowd of criminals as Shadow finished the last arrow with knives crossed and body low. From his place behind the barrel, Silver couldn't see the hooded face, but the energy in the air told the hoglet that Shadow was bursting with deadly energy. Slowly, the hooded head tilted upwards to look at the slowly backing crowd. Without warning, Shadow moved. Blades flashing bright, the ranger leapt high in the air. Before they could run, the hedgehog tore into the crowd of hoods.
As blood splattered against the walls, Silver ducked back behind the barrel. With a whimper he covered his ears, not wanting to see or hear the people die as Shadow put them out of their misery. At least they didn't feel pain. Silver recalled Branch arriving home raging drunk one night and beating Fliss until she bled. However, another girl had the sense to hit Branch over the head with a cooking pot - knocking the teen out and ending the intoxicated incident. When he awoke the next morning, Branch did not remember anything about the night before- especially the cooking pot. It was that memory alone that kept Silver from feeling too terrible. Alcohol definitely dulled the senses.
"Don't think you're getting away from this." Phantom hissed, startling Silver as he seized the hoglet by the throat.
"Let me go!" Silver shrieked, overcome with panic once more as the Captain pulled him from his hiding place..
"Oh no, You're gonna help me with this."
With the last of the hoods fallen, Shadow turned and bolted towards the two - hearing the hoglet scream out in fear. Rapidly, Phantom held his blade to Silver's chest. As the hoglet whimpered, Shadow slid to a halt - daggers held out in an open stance.
"Phantom, this isn't a fair fi-"
"Of course it isn't." Phantom hissed, pushing the knife harder against Silver's fur. "I was a fool to think I could ever beat you."
"Phanto-"
"You let me win last time, didn't you." The weasel hissed.
Shadow only adjusted his grip.
"SAY IT!"
Silver let out a squeal as the tip of the blade pressed against his skin a little too hard. Wordlessly, he locked eyes with his mentor - begging the adult to do something as the weasel grew way too upset.
"Phantom." Shadow spoke, lowering his blades. "I didn't let you win last time."
"YOU LIAR!"
"I simply treated you as an amateur." Shadow continued. "I didn't think you held power until you drove me out of the city."
"Shadow!" Silver cried, tears streaming down his face as the tip pressed harder.
"I was obsessed with you!" Phantom yelled. "I trained every day to be better than you - you don't even remember the first time we met!"
"I am over two hundred years old." Shadow responded. "It is unfair to think-"
"I survived your attack on Central Base." The weasel continued, teeth bared. "But you don't pay attention to those lowly little green hoods, do you."
Silver felt lightheaded. The world around him began to spin as he felt another faint start to creep up his legs. This was just a dream, it had to be. He would wake up any minute now. Cyan crept around his vision as the faintness built up - consuming his body and the blade pointed at his chest.
"What the-"
Everything lurched to the side as Silver wobbled his head left, the echoing sounds of clatters and clangs hitting walls ringing in his ears. Before he could register the abnormal noises, Silver felt his arm slam into adobe. As if startled, the grip on his neck released as Phantom also hit the wall, bouncing off of it like a rubber ball and into the air. Uncontrollably, Silver also bounced - floating into the middle of the street with shock heavy on his system.
"How convenient." Shadow muttered, rolling his eyes.
Silver shook his head - getting a bearing for his situation as objects floated aimlessly around. Looking down revealed about a ten pace drop as the hoglet slowly realized his airborne nature. Was he having another…?
"Shadow!" He screeched, coming to terms with the dire situation.
"Put me down!" Phantom roared, suspended upside down a few feet away.
Panicking heavily, Silver waved his arms around, sending both himself and everything within his power's grasp flying about like a clod of gnats. Arrowtips and blades slammed against stone and wood as the hoglet flailed about - knocking into suspended barrels and slamming into building sides. He had to get down. He had to stop. Silver felt sick as his stomach threatened to empty, both dehydration and rapid movements upsetting his angry belly.
"Silver, do not-"
Shadow sighed as the hoglet vomited. As his food spiraled away from him, a feeling of horror set into Silver's head as the cyan glow crept across a wall - his mind feeling its every surface with stunning detail. Before he could even shout in alarm, the entire building lifted off the ground - cracking and creaking as the hoglet screamed out in terror.
"Silver!" Shadow shouted. "Remember your breathing!"
"I can't there's so much-"
"Listen to me!" Shadow ordered. "Don't focus on anything else and only listen to my voice."