Blaze stood with her back to the room, her eyes locked on the dim hallway ahead. The faint hum of the terminal behind her was the only sound, save for Rouge's occasional tapping on the keyboard and Tower's low muttering. She forced herself to focus on the shadows stretching along the corridor, on any sign of movement, but her mind raced, her pulse thundering in her ears.

Shadow had nearly died. And now, there was talk of infiltrators, missing research, and stolen emerald data. The weight of it coiled tightly in her chest, threatening to crush her.

"You're tense," Rouge's voice broke through the silence, low and teasing as always, though there was an edge to it.

Blaze didn't respond. She refused to.

Tower, however, did. "I'd say she has every reason to be," he said evenly. "This isn't just an attack on Shadow. This runs deeper."

Blaze's flames flickered faintly at her fingertips, a silent warning. She didn't turn, but her ears swiveled toward the conversation.

"What do you mean by 'deeper'?" Rouge asked, leaning forward to scan the files Tower had pulled up.

Tower's good eye flicked to Blaze for a moment, then back to the screen. "The attack on Shadow wasn't random. Whoever orchestrated it had inside knowledge of his vulnerabilities—a level of detail only someone within GUN could provide. But that's not all."

Rouge tilted her head. "What else?"

Tower's voice lowered, his tone grim. "At the same time Shadow's files were accessed, records concerning Chaos Emerald research—and Sol Emerald research—disappeared from our archives."

The mention of the Sol Emeralds made Blaze's flames flare involuntarily, lighting the dim hallway for an instant before she forced them to recede. She inhaled sharply, calming herself, but her chest burned with something far hotter than her flames.

Rouge didn't miss Blaze's reaction, though she said nothing. Instead, she fixed Tower with a sharp look. "You think the two are connected?"

Tower nodded. "I'd bet my life on it. The Chaos Emeralds are always a target in power struggles, but the Sol Emeralds? That's a whole different game. Their location, their power—it's supposed to be classified. Secure. Someone knew exactly what to look for."

Blaze's tail lashed once, but she kept her gaze forward, her expression unreadable.

"And you think this traitor is funneling that information to someone?" Rouge pressed.

Tower's jaw tightened. "I know they are. Whoever's behind this has been quietly placing operatives, stealing data, and orchestrating attacks for months. Maybe years. This isn't just about Shadow—it's about destabilizing everything tied to the emeralds. Including your allies."

His words lingered in the air like a storm cloud. Blaze could feel Tower's gaze on her back, heavy and calculating. She didn't move, didn't react, but her heart raced.

Rouge arched an eyebrow, her voice casual but cool. "And what exactly are you implying, Commander?"

Tower didn't answer immediately. His gaze lingered on Blaze for a moment longer before he turned back to the terminal. "Nothing… yet. But it's worth considering who stands to gain from this. And who might have access to sensitive information."

Blaze's hands ignited briefly, her flames flaring before she clenched her fists and snuffed them out. She said nothing, keeping her back to the room as the tension coiled tighter in her chest.

Rouge watched the exchange carefully, filing away both Tower's pointed look and Blaze's silence.

"Alright," Rouge said after a beat, breaking the silence. "Let's say you're right. Let's say someone's playing a long game here. What's your plan?"

Tower leaned back, crossing his arms. "We keep digging. If we can identify the traitor—or traitors—we can cut them off before they do more damage. But I'll need help."

Rouge tilted her head. "Help from me?"

"You've got connections," Tower said. "Places I can't go. People I can't reach. If you work with me, we might be able to get ahead of this before it's too late."

Rouge's expression didn't shift, but her eyes narrowed slightly. "And what about Shadow?"

Tower hesitated. "He needs time to recover. If we present our findings to him in a week, it'll give him some peace of mind—and hopefully keep him from burning himself out trying to fix this himself."

Rouge studied him for a long moment before nodding. "Fine. But if this is a trap—"

"It's not," Tower interrupted. "Whatever you think of me, Rouge, I'm on your side. I'm on our side."

Rouge gave a noncommittal hum and stood, brushing off her gloves. "Alright. I'll work with you. But for now, I've got places to be."

Tower nodded, his gaze flicking to Blaze again. "Princess."

Blaze didn't respond, her gaze fixed on the hallway.

Once they were out of earshot, Rouge glanced at Blaze as they walked. The silence between them was heavy, but Rouge was nothing if not persistent.

"You've been awfully quiet," Rouge said lightly, though her sharp eyes studied Blaze carefully. "Anything you want to tell me about back there?"

Blaze's steps faltered for half a second before she caught herself. She exhaled softly, her voice quiet but firm. "Please don't tell Shadow about this."

Rouge raised an eyebrow, her sharp gaze narrowing just slightly. "And why, exactly, would I agree to that?"

Blaze stopped walking and turned to face her, golden eyes steady despite the storm of emotion swirling beneath the surface. "Because I need to be the one to tell him. Not half-truths, not rumors—the entire story. When the time is right."

Rouge crossed her arms, one brow lifting higher. "The time is right when it gives us an advantage. If knowing this now could help him—or us—deal with whoever's trying to take you out, I'm not exactly in the habit of keeping secrets."

Blaze's gaze didn't waver, but her voice softened. "I understand. I just… I want him to recover. To focus on healing. I'll see him every day at your place. I'll make sure he's healing. And when he's strong enough to handle this, I'll tell him. Him, and the rest of you."

Rouge studied her for a long moment, her sharp eyes searching Blaze's face. Then she smirked faintly, leaning a little closer. "Good thing you're growing on me, Princess. But don't think for a second this is just for your sake. He needs to be sharp when this all blows up—and right now, he's anything but. So fine. I'll keep quiet. For now."

Blaze exhaled slowly, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Thank you."

Rouge's smirk widened, though her tone remained pointed. "Don't thank me just yet. You'd better follow through on that promise, or I'll spill every detail the second this starts to go south. And trust me, sweetheart, I'll make it sound juicy."

Blaze inclined her head in acknowledgment, her expression unreadable. "You have my word."

Rouge didn't reply, though the teasing glint in her eyes lingered as she turned and started walking again. Blaze followed, her thoughts swirling.

After a long stretch of silence, Blaze finally spoke, her voice low. "The royal family has made many enemies."

Rouge glanced at her, sensing the shift in tone. "Go on."

Blaze hesitated, but only for a moment. "For generations, my ancestors worked with Mobians to research the Sol Emeralds. To understand their power. Their connection to living beings." Her voice was steady, but there was a bitter edge to it. "It didn't always go well. There were… consequences. And not everyone forgave us for them."

Rouge's brow furrowed slightly. "Consequences?"

Blaze didn't elaborate. She kept her gaze forward, her posture rigid.

Rouge recognized the weight in her tone, the kind of burden only someone like Shadow—or herself—might truly understand. She chose not to press further, though her curiosity burned.

"Well," Rouge said after a pause, her tone lighter, "sounds like you and Shadow have more in common than you think. Secrets, guilt, enemies—it's a real bonding opportunity."

A faint flicker of annoyance crossed Blaze's face, but she didn't respond. Her gaze remained fixed ahead, the violet flames at her fingertips burning just a little brighter as they walked into the quiet night.

Rouge glanced at her briefly, filing away the conversation for later. Blaze was hiding something big—something that would explain why someone would go to such lengths to find her weaknesses, to target Shadow, and to destabilize everything connected to the emeralds. For now, though, Rouge had her own priorities.

As the silence stretched between them, Rouge smirked faintly to herself. "This is going to be one hell of a week."