Hey!
I'm back before University, which surprises me too, trust me. I've been writing something else. Again. I know, bad. I have to stop doing that. Buuuut, I hope that this chapter is worth the wait!
~Fortune
Chapter Four
"Y-y-you're right. I… I can't r-reach him either."
Hyper sighed, running a hand through his upturned quills. The golden hedgehog before him sat slumped in the boughs of an oak. Super's crimson eyes looked tired. Hyper didn't blame him. Super must have known something was wrong first, even if he didn't know what. He always knew first.
Hyper shook his head. "I thought so. Thanks for trying anyway, Super."
"Sorry, Hyper," Super said, ears lowered. "I… I knew something felt off b-but.. I didn't… I thought…"
Hyper frowned, stepping closer to the oak.
"It's alright, Super," Hyper soothed. "But if you can't reach him, we've got a real problem here."
Hyper continued to watch the normally perky super form. He didn't seem to shine like he used to. Hyper noticed his own fur had grown duller than usual a few days ago too. It was perturbing. He wondered if this happened to Dark and Fleetway, then corrected himself. Fleetway probably wouldn't have noticed, and his fur was always matted anyway. And Dark did not shine. Dark was something else entirely. If anything, Dark thrived in isolation.
But Fleetway liked attention.
Hyper wondered if Super still visited him. He could never quite stomach talking to Fleetway himself. Super had a soft spot for his twin, and it seemed as though Fleetway missed Super too on his good days. He was almost tolerable even. If you ignored some of his remarks, of course. On his bad days, no amount of positivity from Super would stop Fleetway from attacking him.
"He's distressed."
Hyper perked his ears up in surprise; the other had startled him after being quiet for so long. Super still had a connection, it seemed. At least, partly. Super was always the best at reading Sonic. Being the closest to him, at least these days, it made sense. Apparently, even with the severed connection, he could still feel Sonic's mood. 'Distressed' did not sound promising. He did not know how to respond.
The shimmering white hedgehog let his eyes scan across the landscape. This was Super's domain. Mostly fields, a few trees dotted here and there. What really stood out were the flowers. Flowers from all seasons, from completely different biomes, bloomed in Super's domain all the time. Daffodils, lilies, roses, peonies, bluebells, orchids of all types, violets, forget-me-nots, dahlias, tulips, hydrangeas, carnations, anemones, poppies, and of course, Sonic's favourite: sunflowers. Every natural colour of each flower existed somewhere in the domain, sometimes in separate patches, sometimes clumped with a bunch of other flowers. Hyper was sure there were even more than what he was familiar with or could see just from where he was standing.
The wide open expanse of hills and meadows made sense. It appealed to Sonic's love of running. The wide open spaces also allowed Sonic to watch the sky. Super loved manipulating the skies, the time of day, in his domain for Sonic.
Hyper's own domain was more of a forest, filled with trees of all kinds. His domain shifted from Spring, to Summer, to Autumn, to Winter the further you walked in. Sonic had always been partial to the Spring section of the forest, where the cherry blossoms were in permanent bloom. The shades of the blossoms ranged from almost white to a deep, deep pink. Sonic always said the palest blossoms were his favourite. Hyper had kept that in mind and left a few solitary trees of pale blossom apart from the rest.
Sure, Sonic couldn't run as efficiently in a forest, but he certainly loved the challenge. Sonic was also addicted to the mystique a forest radiated, he'd noticed.
It sort of fit, if Hyper thought about it. A forest was more than just surface level; there was much to be discovered in its depths. Similarly, there was way more to Sonic than what the world saw on the surface, and Hyper wasn't just thinking about himself and the other super forms. Sonic was a wonderful mobian with more problems than anyone would ever know. It was one of his worst traits, borne from his early forced independence and incessant need to protect everyone around him at all times. He hated when people were worried about him because he was convinced that it was his job to worry about everyone else. He was selfless to a fault. Hyper couldn't really blame him for it though. It was Sonic.
He had so much heart but it worried Hyper sometimes.
He worried about Sonic a lot. He spent his whole life protecting the world, but what did he really get for it? When he was… gone… would the world really miss him, or his protection? Hyper wasn't always convinced that the world deserved the young hero.
He and Super really needed to find a way to talk to Sonic. Soon. They needed to know what was happening so that they could help. Though Hyper had a feeling that they were on their own with this.
Hyper frowned. He felt his ears lower.
That also meant that Sonic was alone. Sonic and alone did not mix. Hyper hoped that whatever was going on, Sonic would stay with his friends and not freak out. But now that he thought that, he knew exactly what Sonic was going to do.
Sonic was going to freak out.
Sonic stared at the clouds gathering overhead, flat on his back. He hadn't eaten properly in days, but at the same time his recent encounter with Dark had left him feeling queasy. His throat still felt tight like it was hard to swallow. It was just his imagination but it felt so real.
At least, he was sure it was. The phantom feeling just wouldn't go away.
Sonic forced himself up until he was sitting. His head felt heavy, foggy. He probably needed to start figuring out where he was. For a guy who liked speed and adventure, he hadn't really moved far in the last few days. He just didn't have the motivation to. He had to find the motivation fast though, or he might accidentally end up starving himself. He was awful at remembering to eat at the best of times, but all of this… it just made it worse.
He pushed himself to his feet and just picked a direction. Eventually he'd come across something.
He started off at a slower than walking, stumbling pace. He was sluggish. Sonic grit his teeth and pushed on. For years he'd dragged himself out of bed in the morning and pushed himself to face the day. This was no different. All he had to do was keep walking. Keep walking. Keep walking.
"Keep walking!"
Sonic choked on his own spit and almost tripped. A surge of adrenaline forced him upright, his spine rigid. Quills bristling, Sonic swung his head around. Left. Right. Behind. In front. Above. Below.
Nothing. Absolutely no one was there. But he knew that voice. Had heard it enough recently not to be able to recognise it immediately. He was still dreaming, right? He was still dreaming. This was all just some fucked up dream. Maybe he didn't actually wake up earlier and this was just a continuation of the nightmare he thought he'd escaped. Is that why his throat still felt clogged? Is that why his head was as heavy as Angel Island? Is that why he was still so disoriented?
"Where are you?!" he snapped at the trees.
He could hear Dark laughing at him. He was always laughing at him. His hands curled into fists so tight he could feel his claws digging into his palms. He didn't care; this wasn't real anyway!
Sonic growled. "Come out, you coward!"
Dark had admittedly gotten the better of him earlier. Yes, he'd been afraid. Yes, he'd cowered like a hoglet before his super form. Yes, he regretted that now. But that didn't mean he was about to back down.
Maybe if he just ran. Just ignored the bastard and ran. Just ran and ran and ran until his mental form's legs gave out and he couldn't any longer.
He was already moving before he could think about it further. Dark's voice followed him. He started running faster and faster, ignoring the trees closing in on him from either side and his legs shouting in protest. Sonic covered his ears with his hands and kept running. Dark's laughter fizzled out and was replaced with one word. Whispered in his ear. Clear as day.
"Maurice."
Sonic scrunched his eyes closed and missed the tree that had entered his path. He didn't hit it head on but he clipped his side, knocking his arm. It struck him off balance and he fell, skidding along the forest floor until he met another tree. For a moment he lay there, breathing hard as his vision swam. He was lying on his side, back to the tree that had stopped his momentum entirely. Slowly, feeling came back to his adrenaline-numbed body. Every scrape from the scattered twigs and stones burned. His back ached. His head was throbbing. And worst of all, his arm was screaming in agony. The pain first started dull but as his body relaxed from the adrenaline it became an intense, clawing feeling. It started in his shoulder and shot down through the rest of his arm.
Tears collected in his eyes but he blinked them away. He rolled onto his back, ignoring the way his spine protested, and brought his uninjured arm up to inspect the damage. His shoulder felt weird under his fingers; not the smooth transition from his collar bone to his arm that it should be, but a strange dip and then a rounded lump. Closing his eyes, he breathed through the roiling feeling that settled itself in his stomach. Careful not to move his arm too much, he felt along the appendage, checking for any breaks.
He couldn't find any, so he was hoping it was just dislocated. That didn't mean there wasn't a break though. He wasn't a fucking doctor.
Either way, it was not ideal.
He knew he probably had to support the arm, but he just lay there, staring through the branches of the trees.
Dark's laughter had turned into a full on cackle. Sonic tried to tune it out. It was difficult, but he tried. And that's when it dawned on him. He'd already woken up. He couldn't see Dark. Dark's voice had stayed constant – and even though the super form was strikingly fast, the sound hadn't changed one bit, like he'd been right beside him the whole time. He'd heard Dark's voice through his hands, clear and strong, not muffled in the slightest. And now he'd seriously injured himself. Over nothing.
Because Dark wasn't here.
He was in his head.
Which meant Dark could bother him even when he was awake. And Sonic had a bad feeling his last Dark-induced nightmare was to blame. He'd let his resolve slip. And even though Dark didn't have control…
He'd forced his way out far enough to have access to his conscious mind.
Shadow sighed irritably.
It looked like it was going to rain. The clouds that had filled the sky all morning appeared to be getting darker. A lot darker. It wasn't ideal, but that wasn't what had soured his mood.
Why did Rouge assume he'd give a shit about what was going on with his rival? He was missing? And only for five days? He snorted. If Sonic wanted to give his friends heart attacks, that was his prerogative. It had nothing to do with him.
He'd come back soon and everyone would be relieved and wonder why they were even worried to begin with.
He was lying on the roof of Club Rouge, though he wasn't sure how long he'd be doing that judging by the clouds. Shadow was honestly surprised that his annoying roommate hadn't followed him. She was good at talking his ear off until he reluctantly gave in but she wasn't even trying this time. He wondered if she'd left the house entirely. It was possible.
Those clouds were definitely darkening. It washed out the city around him, making the grey buildings look even duller than normal. Shadow was no stranger to dull, grey surroundings, but that didn't mean he liked them. They were pretty depressing. And reminded him of the Ark. In a bad way.
A really bad way.
He rubbed a gloved hand down his face and sat up. Shadow wanted to get a run in before the heavens decided to burst. He needed to stretch his legs and clear his mind. The nearby forest, which he could just about see through the taller skyscrapers, would be a refreshing change of scenery. There was just the issue of having to go back through the apartment to leave. He hoped Rouge really had left.
Re-entering the apartment through his window, Shadow reached out to grab the Chaos Emerald off his nightstand and froze. Damn it. He really shouldn't have left it down here while he was on the roof. That's probably why Rouge hadn't chased after him.
Great.
Now if he got caught in the rain, he'd have to run home instead.
Shadow growled and stomped through the hallway. It looked as if Rouge was out because all the lights were off. As he walked through the club downstairs, he noticed the place was locked up too. He had to unlock the club doors with his spare key and re-lock them behind him as he was leaving. Seemed as though Rouge wasn't even opening Club Rouge tonight then. He didn't think she'd cared about Sonic that much. As far as he knew they weren't even that close. She'd never expressed any interest in him before.
Shadow wove his way though the streets, expertly dodging pedestrians as those depressing buildings passed by him in a blur. Club Rouge was close to the centre of Central City. This area of the city was Night Babylon. It used to be home to numerous casinos and bars, their neon lights drenching the streets in bright colours throughout the night into early morning. Most of the other night-life businesses had since shut down, but Rouge was proud that her own club was still going strong. It had been the most popular place to visit back when everything else was open, so Shadow supposed it made sense. It did make the street quieter at night, which Shadow preferred, but that also meant they were surrounded on either side by boring corporate buildings now.
He sort of missed it, if he was to be perfectly honest.
Eventually, hard concrete pavements gave way to dirt and grass. Shadow slowed his pace slightly, but he was still going faster than the naked eye could see. He breathed in the clearer air, completely free from the pollutants of the city which stood only a mile away at most. He could tell now that it would rain soon. The air had that cold dampness that he found was often a precursor to the rain.
As he was skating through the trees effortlessly, he caught a colour out of place in the browns, greens, yellows, oranges and reds of the Autumn-touched forest. Blue.
Bright, royal blue.
He scowled, coming to a stop. Of course. Of course the dumbass was literally just in the forest by Central City. Why was he surprised? All his stupid friends were losing their shit for no reason. Perhaps they needed to search better if they were really that worried.
Intending to give the hedgehog a piece of his mind for interrupting his day and worrying his friends, Shadow turned around and stalked back to where he'd seen that flash of blue. He'd run a bit further than he'd realised, because it took him a moment to find him again. He caught sight of Sonic and stopped.
He could see him from the side. Sonic was huddled by the roots of a tree, head down. His arms were folded over his chest. There was a soft red glow by his hands. Still far enough away that Sonic wouldn't see him, if he looked up that was, Shadow walked further into the trees to get a better angle. Something was off. With his new angle, more head-on, it looked to Shadow like Sonic was holding his left arm up with the other. He had red rings around his wrists. Shadow wondered what they were, but determined that there was more that needed his attention first. He'd moved a little closer now, and could see that Sonic's ears were folded flat against his skull. He couldn't see his expression.
Shadow began to walk towards him. The closer he got, the more he realised that Sonic's arm looked wrong. No, not his arm. His shoulder. He'd hurt himself. And his breathing was fast. Too fast. With a jolt, Shadow realised he might be going into shock.
He ran over.
"Faker?"
Sonic didn't respond. His head remained down. His breathing was shallow.
Shadow reached out to shake his good shoulder. The moment his hand brushed peach fur, Sonic flinched. The blue hedgehog kicked out, the uncoordinated and sloppy attack still managing to land. That gold-buckled sneaker connected with his chest; Shadow hadn't been expecting it. The blow sent him tumbling backwards. The blow had been hard, but not enough to break his collar bone and thankfully not quite enough to wind him either. If Sonic hadn't been disoriented, that kick would have been devastating. It was definitely going to bruise though.
The dark hedgehog would have loved nothing more than to retaliate with a fist of his own, but he couldn't do that. Sonic may be one of his least favourite people on the planet, but he needed help. Shadow wasn't heartless.
He'd deck the fool in the face when he was coherent again. Hard. And hopefully break his stupid nose.
Shadow let out a strained breath. He thought back to his medical training from the Ark. He needed to be calm, and reassuring, no matter how hard that was for him.
"Faker, it's me, Shadow. Can you look at me?"
Sonic's wide emerald eyes were staring through him. It was a little unnerving. He waved his hand in front of Sonic's face until his eyes cleared slightly.
"Look at me," he repeated. "I need you to control your breathing."
"Shad…?"
His voice was quiet. Raspy. Shadow had never heard him sound like that before. It made something inside of him writhe with an emotion … unfamiliar to him. Not quite foreign, but forgotten. It was something he couldn't quite grasp.
He shook it off. That was something to unpack later. Or never. Right now he needed to focus on Sonic. He wasn't steadying his breathing.
"Faker, you need to breathe slower. What happened?" he asked.
Sonic's eyes were still a little unfocused. He blinked slowly, starting to try to slow his breathing down. It wasn't perfect, a stuttering slow then fast then slow gasping, but he was trying. That meant that he'd heard him at least. It also meant that Sonic hadn't gone into full-blown shock. But he'd been close.
"D-dislocated sh-sh-shoulder…" he wheezed. "Don't think it's b-broken."
"How?"
"Tree… p-panicked."
Shadow frowned. "Panicked?"
Sonic didn't respond. His eyes were closed, breathing low. Shadow wasn't sure how present he really was during that conversation, and now the fucker was asleep. Hopefully he didn't have a concussion on top of that arm…
And now he had to get him back to Club Rouge. Without an Emerald. Which was going to be so easy with all that dead weight, while also being mindful of his arm.
Shadow felt a drop of water land on his ear.
"Fuck you, Rouge," he growled under his breath.
