-several days later-

Sonic lay limp on the table he could feel them poking around trying to figure out whatever quite frankly he didn't care for he was used to being tortured and tested on, scientists always had to get in the way they couldn't just leave well enough alone.. did he want to be alone? Was this better than being abandoned? no this was worse for he was once again in the hands of scientists and whatever they were doing wasn't good and he had the cuts to prove it.

But he couldn't do anything about it, he was destined to be stuck in this endless torture for their twisted experiments, though he couldn't help but think his father would come and save him but he banished the thought from mind because he knew once anyone he got attached to left they would never come back like his mother she cared for him but she left and never came back to rescue him, it was the same thing all over again and he didn't care anymore he was doomed but his heart was already broken so he paid it no mind.

"Robotnik, my payment?"

"Alright you may have your payment, if you do one last thing for me." The man said, walking away.

Sonic squeezed his eyes shut as more tears came to his eyes, he was in so much pain he could barely stay conscious but he forced himself to stay awake, he had cried out loud several times before but each time he did it only made his pain increase to an unbearable level where he passed out so he tried his hardest to keep from crying too hard so he could stay awake longer though it wasn't working too well for he was now falling unconscious again.

"What do you want now?" The stranger hissed in irritation.

"I need a blood sample." Robotnik answered, stroking his orange mustache.

"Oh no you're not sticking any needle in my arm." The stranger snapped.

"From you? No, I need blood from the one you stole this kid from." Robotnik chuckled evilly. "Then I will give you what you want."

"Give me?" The stranger thought those words over. "Then.. it's a deal."

With that they shook hands and the stranger hurried away as Robotnik turned and went to continue his experiments.

-Mephiles-

As a shadow Mephiles searched through the city trying his hardest not to lose his right mind, it had been about a week since he last saw Sonic and it was making him even more frustrated that he still couldn't find the one thing he cared about, he had grown so attached to the blue hoglet that he couldn't think about anything else but to find the poor infant.

Irritated he went into an alley and needing to get some steam out he emerged from the shadow as a terrifying hedgehog, his form more crystal and color changed from gray and green to purplish gray and light purple, his eyes red and green with only slits for pupils.

With a furious snarl he started to unleash his rage on the alley, he was so angry that by the time he stopped to regain himself the whole alley was charred and anything loose was torn to shreds even the dumpsters and parts of walls were also torn up a bit and ruined.

"Wow when you throw a tantrum you sure throw a tantrum."

Mephiles paused and looked over his shoulder to see someone sitting on the wall in the end of the alley where it was a dead end. He watched quietly as whoever jumped down and strolled over, not the least bit frightened of Mephiles' nightmarish appearance.

"What do you want?" Mephiles growled, turning to face the stranger fully.

"Your blood." The stranger hissed, an evil smile spreading across his face making his sharp teeth glint from under the hood.

Suddenly the stranger lunged and knocked Mephiles down but he simply kicked the stranger off before jumping back up and sending a blast of power at that stranger who dodged it just in time.

Mephiles growled frustration and blasted his power at the stranger several more times but missed each time only adding on to his anger, not wanting to deal with this right now he vanished into a shadow that went after the stranger and quickly he re-emerged right in front of whoever it was, he then grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall making the stranger grunt in pain.

Mephiles then pulled back a fist with the full intent of smashing the strangers skull in but he paused sensing something familiar, unsure he looked at the the strangers hand and noticed scratch marks on his gloves and sleeves, recognizing the size of the scratches he grabbed the strangers arm and there he felt it the signature he knew to be Sonic.

Eyes now darkening he looked back up at the stranger, his teeth bared as he hissed menacingly at the stranger. "Where is Sonic?"

The stranger made no reply to that; he just stayed stubbornly silent.

"Where is Sonic?!" Mephiles demanded, pulling the stranger forward before slamming him against the wall again. "Tell me now or I will shred you to pieces!"

"Y-you wouldn't do th-that and you know it." The stranger said, oddly calm.

"I will if you don't tell me where my child is!" Mephiles roared, tightening his grip.

"oh Meph, w-we both kn-know y-you wouldn't hurt y-your own brother." The stranger chortled through strangled breaths.

Mephiles stopped abruptly and stared at the stranger as he reached up and lowered his own hood revealing fur and quills black as night and red stripes that ran along the tops of each group of quills, and two deep red eyes that glinted in the moonlight.

Immediately Mephiles dropped him and backed up a step in utter disbelief. "Shadow?" He asked, staring at the black hedgehog who gasped for air before getting to his feet. "You're alive?"

"Was I not supposed to be?" The black hedgehog queried, raising a brow.

Mephiles looked away, for the moment forgetting what his goal was as he was too lost in thought to focus. "Y-you survived.. but how.. I watched you die."

"Surely you know by now us darks can't die." Shadow reminded, crossing his arms over his chest.

Mephiles nodded slightly before remembering Shadow took his adoptive son. "What have you done?"

"What do you mean?" Shadow inquired, ears flicking back a bit.

"You stole my child." Mephiles hissed, his eyes flaring.

"Yes, but I had no choice." Shadow growled back equally as angry but not at Mephiles.

"Everyone has a choice." Mephiles snarled.

"Listen Meph, our old captors made a deal with someone called Robotnik, they agreed to split us, they got you and your wife and Robotnik took me and our younger brother." Shadow explained. "But they knew you were the eldest and the most powerful so they had to fake our deaths so you would be too weakened in depression to fight back and find us, though it seems that backfired on them."

"And what does that have to do with stealing the one thing that kept me from going on a rampage?" Mephiles demanded, clenching his hands into fists.

"Because Robotnik still has our brother under lock and key, he has been forcing me to do his bidding and in return I got some time to talk and be with him." Shadow answered, looking away for a minute. "He has been getting worse though and I did it for a longer visit but he didn't pay me yet till earlier he agreed to give me our brother in exchange for some of your blood."

"And what of Sonic?" Mephiles asked, calming down a bit.

"I'm sorry.. but I couldn't do anything about him, Robotnik has been doing so many tests on the infant it is revolting." Shadow shook his head. "I didn't want to have quarrel with you especially get in between you and that hoglet you have gotten quite attached to but he threatened to harm our brother if I didn't retrieve the infant, and I still have that threat hanging over me if I don't get your blood or if I try to help the hoglet."

"Then you can give him something better." Mephiles said, his voice full of resolve.

"And what is that?" Shadow asked, looking back at him.

Mephiles smiled darkly revealing his sharp menacing teeth that glinted a bit in the dim lighting. "Me."

-a bit later-

Mephiles and Shadow both went through the town and went to Robotnik's hideout where they paused at the metallic slide doors.

"Just follow my lead." Shadow whispered, glancing at Mephiles who returned the gaze in his less intimidating form.

Mephiles nodded shortly, agreeing to keep his cool.. temporarily of course.

Shadow typed in the passcode and the doors slid open, he then took Mephiles' arm and dragged him in before shoving him to the floor in front of Robotnik who looked down at him then at Shadow who crossed his arms over his chest.

"I only needed some blood, not the whole thing." Robotnik growled slightly.

"Hey it's not my fault the syringe you gave me broke." Shadow snapped, putting a shattered syringe on the counter next to him. "Now, my payment?"

"All in due time." Robotnik waved off, taking out a new syringe and striding over to Mephiles who was now on his hands and knees staring at the floor. "Right now I need to do some tests, but seeing as you have brought your twin, maybe I will allow you both to see him."

Mephiles pinned his ears but held still and kept his temper under control as Robotnik stuck the needle into his arm drawing some blood making him hiss in pain and anger.

Once he got enough Robotnik turned and walked back to his computer where he typed on the keyboard.

Shadow then helped Mephiles up and gave him an apologetic gaze which the gray hedgehog nodded in response.

"My payment?" Shadow repeated.

"Alright, you two can visit him for two hours, but no funny business or he will pay the price of your foolishness." Robotnik warned, walking to the other side of the room where another door was located.

Shadow signaled his brother to follow and Mephiles reluctantly followed, still wondering where Sonic was.

They followed Robotnik to the door and waited as the man opened it before strolling into the room that was a plain black and shinned a bit when the lights automatically turned on as they entered, the room had a bunch of machines and tools like a laboratory but was more frightening and deadly at least for others but for them they were used to these tools and other things for experiments.

They went further in and right there in the far right corner was a glass cell where someone lay curled up facing the corner and didn't seem to notice them entering the room.

"Now I'm getting back to work, two hours should be enough for me to finish so enjoy your visit." Robotnik said before turning on his heel and marching out of the room but he paused at the door. "Just remember if you think about trying to free him both will pay dearly for it."

Mephiles and Shadow watched him go before Mephiles snarled in irritation when the door closed shut.

"I want to tear that foolish mortal into shreds." Mephiles hissed, his claws lengthening a bit.

"Yes we all do Mephiles but can't do much at the moment." Shadow nodded in understanding.

"Meph?"

Both paused and looked over to see the hedgehog in the cell had sat up a bit and turned to look at them.

"M-Meph!" The hedgehog exclaimed, getting to his feet and jumping forward only to have a chain clasped around his ankle stop him and make him fall down with a thud. "Oof!"

"Silver." Mephiles hurried over and knelt down as he put a hand to the thick glass.

The silverish hedgehog looked up at him and with tears in his eyes he got to his hands and knees before reaching out a hand to touch Mephiles' but the chain held him back and he could just barely get his hand to touch the glass.

"Meph! I-it's been so long." Silver smiled slightly as tears flowed from his goldish eyes. "I-I've missed you!"

"What have they done to you?" Mephiles asked in a forced soft tone as to not frighten the already shaken hedgehog though inside him he was going on a full out rampage.

Silver paused and slowly pulled his hand away as if in a daze, ears flattening against his head he looked down at his trembling hand. "I-I'm not sure.. I-I was out for some of the tests and experiments but the rest I was awake and rather loopy."

Shadow sighed and put a hand on Mephiles' shoulder as he too knelt down and put his free hand on the glass that was cutting them off from their trapped little brother.

"Don't worry Silv, we will get you out." Shadow reassured the whitish hedgehog who was moving back and sitting down with his arms wrapped around his knees. "Just a little while longer."

"I-it's okay.. I-I can wait.. After all I-I'm not going anywhere." Silver chuckled lightly, still trembling.

"I'm going to rip him to shreds." Mephiles growled under his breath.

"Y-you're just as vengeful as e-ever." Silver commented.

"Yes, and if he has harmed one quill on Sonic's head I will make him severely regret it." Mephiles hissed.

"S-Sonic? W-who is that?" Silver queried, tilting his head in confusion.

"A tortured hoglet I found when I broke free from my captors." Mephiles answered, looking away for a moment. "He is just an infant and already gone through so much torture."

"Oh.. so you adopted it?" Silver smiled slightly at the thought of a nephew.

"Yes I adopted him but someone who shall remain anonymous stole him and apparently brought him here." Mephiles snarled, still sore about what Shadow had done.

Shadow rolled his eyes and stood back up. "Seriously Meph, have you really turned father?"

Mephiles pinned his ears in frustration before standing up and turning to face Shadow. "You have an objection to that?" he asked, his voice threatening low.

"If you are wanting a fight then you are not getting it from me." Shadow said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Guys.. p-please don't fight." Silver whimpered slightly, ears dropping. "N-not right now."

"Of course Silver." Shadow nodded glancing back at Mephiles who hissed a little before also nodding. "Besides it's not all that surprising, you had a hole that needed to be filled from the loss of your new family and it seems Sonic has done just that."

Mephiles stared at Shadow wanting so badly to disagree but it was true, he had been depressed from the loss of his family and finding and taking care of the hoglet was the only thing that kept him going and kept him from losing his mind and attacking the world around him.