Sonic clicked off his communicator, his eyes fixed on the scene before him. Shadow gripped Magnus by the collar, the scientist's lab coat torn and bloodied at the edges. The casual brutality in Shadow's movements sent a chill down Sonic's spine.

This was just an act, Sonic reminded himself. Shadow was playing along to protect Blaze. But the way Shadow's fingers dug into Magnus's shoulder, the cold detachment in those red eyes - it looked far too convincing.

Magnus whimpered as Shadow yanked him forward, and Sonic forced himself to remember the scientist's own crimes. The experiments on Scourge, the twisted research with Blaze's father. Still, watching Shadow embrace this darker side made Sonic's stomach turn.

Scourge's laugh echoed through the corridor. "Well, if it isn't my favorite blue boy." He cracked his knuckles, green quills bristling with chaos energy. "Shadow, take our guest to his new accommodations. The doctor and I have some catching up to do later." His grin widened. "But first, I've got a score to settle."

Shadow nodded, dragging Magnus toward the elevator without a word or glance in Sonic's direction. The perfect soldier following orders.

"Just like old times, right?" Scourge's eyes gleamed with malice. "Except this time, your righteous friend's playing for my team."

"He's not playing for anyone," Sonic shot back, dropping into a fighting stance. "You're just using Blaze to control him."

"Maybe." Scourge shrugged. "But you should've seen how naturally it came to him, roughing up the good doctor. Makes you wonder if the Ultimate Lifeform was ever really one of the good guys."

That did it. Sonic launched forward in a spin dash, but Scourge matched his speed with practiced ease. Their attacks collided in bursts of blue and green energy that lit up the dim corridor.

"You're not getting to Shadow that easily." Scourge blocked Sonic's kick with his forearm. "He's made his choice."

"The only choice he made was protecting someone he cares about." Sonic ducked under Scourge's swing, retaliating with a sweep that Scourge jumped over.

The green hedgehog's laughter bounced off the metal walls. "That's what makes it so perfect. The great Shadow the Hedgehog, compromising everything he stands for because of feelings." Scourge's fist grazed Sonic's cheek. "Guess Maria taught him well."

Sonic's expression hardened at the taunt. His next attack caught Scourge in the chest, sending him skidding backward. "You don't get to talk about her."

"Why not? Shadow and I shared a lot during our time in prison." Scourge wiped blood from his lip. "All those late-night chats about loss, betrayal, revenge. Really brings two guys together."

Their battle intensified, neither gaining the upper hand. Sonic noticed Scourge deliberately keeping him away from the elevator Shadow had taken. Whatever was happening below, Scourge needed time.

"Face it, blue." Scourge caught Sonic's arm, twisting it behind his back. "Shadow's always had this darkness in him. I just gave him permission to embrace it."

Sonic broke free with a spin, putting distance between them. "You really think you've got him figured out?"

"I know exactly what makes the Ultimate Lifeform tick." Scourge's grin turned predatory. "And right now, he's ticking along to my rhythm."

Scourge's fist crackled with chaos energy as he slammed it into the wall where Sonic's head had been a split second before. Metal crumpled under the impact, leaving a smoking crater. His attacks grew wilder, more vicious, each strike meant to maim rather than disable.

"Always dodging." Scourge spat blood from a split lip. "Too scared to take a real hit?"

Sonic matched Scourge's fury with precise counterstrikes, years of battle experience evident in every movement. "Says the guy who ran away to another dimension when things got tough."

The taunt hit its mark. Scourge's face contorted with rage, his attacks becoming more erratic. He charged forward, unleashing a barrage of punches that Sonic deflected or avoided - each miss destroying another section of the corridor.

"At least I don't hide behind a hero complex." Scourge's heel caught Sonic's shoulder, sending him spinning. "Playing nice with humans who'd turn on you in a heartbeat."

Sonic recovered with a backflip, launching into a spin dash that clipped Scourge's side. "Better than torturing people to feel powerful."

Their battle intensified, chaos energy crackling between them as they traded blows at supersonic speeds. But Scourge's attacks grew increasingly desperate, his perfect rhythm faltering as Sonic consistently matched him.

Frustration blazed in Scourge's eyes. He needed to end this - Magnus was waiting. In a sudden shift of tactics, Scourge gathered chaos energy in both hands, compressing it into a tight sphere.

"Let's see you dodge this, blue boy."

The blast exploded outward, too wide to avoid completely. Sonic crossed his arms to shield himself as the wave of energy slammed into him, launching him through several walls and into darkness.

Scourge didn't wait to see where Sonic landed. He bolted for the elevator, jamming the button with more force than necessary. "Time to have some real fun with the good doctor."

—

Sonic crashed through layers of concrete and steel, his body carving a path of destruction until he slammed into what felt like a support beam. Pain exploded across his back as he crumpled to the floor in a heap of dust and debris. The impact knocked the wind from his lungs, leaving him gasping in the darkness.

His head spun as he pushed himself to his knees. Blood trickled from a cut above his eye, and his right arm screamed in protest when he tried to move it. That chaos blast packed more punch than he'd expected.

"Rouge..." He fumbled for his communicator with his good hand. The device sparked and fizzled, its screen cracked beyond repair. He pressed the talk button anyway, receiving only static in response. "Come on, work!"

The communicator gave one final pathetic spark before dying completely. Sonic ripped it off and threw it aside, frustration mounting as he pictured Rouge and Blaze making their way through the maintenance tunnels below, unaware that Scourge was heading their direction.

He staggered to his feet, using the wall for support. His vision swam, the room tilting at odd angles. That last hit had definitely rattled something loose. He needed to move, to warn them, but his legs wobbled with each step.

"Some hero," he muttered, forcing himself forward through the rubble. His usual speed felt impossibly out of reach as he navigated the darkness, trying to remember the layout Rouge had shown them earlier. The maintenance tunnels connected somewhere nearby, if he could just...

His knee buckled, sending him sprawling across the floor. The impact sent fresh waves of pain through his injured arm. Sonic gritted his teeth, pushing himself up again. Rouge and Blaze were counting on him, even if they didn't know it yet. He had to find them before Scourge did.

But in this condition, at this speed, he might as well have been walking backwards. Scourge was probably already in the elevator, heading straight for them.

—-

Rouge's boots echoed against metal grating as she carried Blaze through the dimly lit maintenance tunnel. Despite her enhanced strength, Rouge's muscles burned from supporting Blaze's weight while navigating the maze-like passages.

"There's an emergency exit shaft ahead." Rouge adjusted her grip on Blaze's legs. "Should lead straight to the surface."

Blaze's head rested against Rouge's shoulder, her breath warm against Rouge's neck. "I'm sorry for getting you into this mess."

"Please, honey. I've handled worse." Rouge ducked under a low-hanging pipe. "Though I have to admit, you've got interesting taste in men."

"What?" Blaze tensed against Rouge's back.

"Shadow. I've known him long enough to recognize when he's acting differently." Rouge navigated around a corner. "And he definitely acts different around you."

"It doesn't matter now." Blaze's voice cracked. "After what my family did to him..."

"Listen, princess. Shadow's been through hell before. What matters isn't your family's past - it's what you choose to do now."

"I chose to keep secrets from him."

"To protect him." Rouge spotted the exit shaft, moonlight filtering down through the grating above. "Sometimes caring about someone means making hard choices."

"Like you're doing with Omega?"

Rouge faltered mid-step. "How did you-"

"I saw the maintenance reports in your files. You've been covering up his degrading systems."

"He'd shut himself down if he knew." Rouge's grip tightened. "Sometimes we hide things from those we care about because the truth would hurt them more."

"Does that make it right?"

"No. But it makes it human. Well, so to speak."

A comfortable silence fell between them as they caught their breath near the exit shaft. Blaze shifted against Rouge's back, her voice hesitant.

"Can I ask you something? About what Scourge mentioned earlier?" Blaze paused. "He said you used to visit Shadow in prison all the time."

Rouge's ears perked up. "Oh? And what else did our green friend say?"

"Were you and Shadow ever..." Blaze's voice trailed off.

Rouge burst into laughter, the sound echoing off the metal walls. "Oh honey, no. Shadow and I were never like that."

"Then why did you visit him so much?"

"That stubborn hedgehog turned himself in after the Eclipse Cannon incident. Made a deal with GUN - one year inside in exchange for clearing his record." Rouge shook her head. "He didn't have to do it, but that's Shadow for you. Always carrying the weight of the world."

"He chose to go to prison?"

"Omega and I visited twice a week. Even Sonic dropped by, though Shadow acted like it was the worst thing ever." Rouge's lips curved into a fond smile. "You should have seen him pretending to read whenever Sonic showed up, acting like he couldn't be bothered. But we all knew he appreciated the company, even if he'd never admit it."

"That sounds like him." Blaze's voice softened.

"Shadow may act tough, but he values loyalty more than anything. That's why your situation hit him so hard - not because of what happened, but because he thought you didn't trust him enough to tell him."

Blaze's ears folded back against her head, her chest tightening at the memory of Shadow's anger. "He wasn't just mad. He looked... betrayed."

"Yet here you are, blushing about something." Rouge's lips curled into a smile. "Spill it, princess."

Blaze's fingers brushed her lip, remembering Shadow's gentle touch through the cell bars. "Before he left with Scourge, he came to my cell. He apologized for pushing me away at GUN." Heat crept across her face. "There was blood on my face from the fight with Fiona, and he... he reached through the bars and wiped it away."

Rouge's eyebrows shot up. "Well, well. That's certainly new for Mr. Brooding and Dangerous."

"What do you mean?"

"Shadow doesn't do gentle. Or apologize." Rouge shifted Blaze's weight. "And he definitely doesn't make soup for just anyone."

"The soup?" Blaze's face burned hotter.

"Honey, I've known Shadow for fifteen years. Never once has he cooked for anyone." Rouge's knowing smile widened. "Yet there he was in my kitchen, making you homemade soup."

Blaze buried her face in Rouge's back, hiding her burning cheeks. Rouge's throaty chuckle vibrated through her chest.

"Come on, princess." Rouge adjusted her stance and secured Blaze more firmly on her back. "Let's survive this mess so he can cook for you again."

The exit shaft loomed ahead, its metal elevator door reflecting the dim emergency lights. Rouge reached for the control panel, her fingers dancing across the keypad. The door slid open with a mechanical hiss.

Rouge's wings stiffened. Blaze's breath caught in her throat.

Scourge lounged against the elevator wall, his leather jacket splattered with fresh blood. His intense eyes gleamed with predatory intensity, a twisted grin splitting his face.

"Ladies." His voice dripped with malice. "Going somewhere?"