Emerald the Lynx, thanks for the review! X3
Enjoy!
Entry 27
Never Turn Back
''It's been a long rough road and I'm finally here. I move an inch forward it feels like a year. Everything I feel seems so unreal. Is it true? Is it true? I'll take one step forward and two steps back. Got a hundred thousand pounds sitting on my back. I'm up, down, all around don't know quite what to do to get thru... But I'm on my way (on my way, on my way, on my way)… Here I am (here I am), made it to the end of you! Never had a chance while I'm around (no, no)! No, no, no, no! And now I'll never turn back (I'll never turn back)! Never turn that way! No matter how life tries to face me, I turn the other way! And now and then (now and then), my head starts to spin (starts to spin), but I'll never turn back again (no, no)! From this moment on (moment on), I am moving on (moving on), and I'll never turn back...''
– Never Turn Back by Shadow the Hedgehog
xXxXxXx
Sonic dodged a punch from Shadow, which was followed by another punch, then a kick. Sonic just kept up avoiding the blows until he could find a good opening, but Shadow was relentless. Sure, Sonic fought him before a couple of times, but he had never seen him this furious. Although, he'd take furious Shadow over Shadow who had nothing left to fight for any day. Sonic briefly glanced back, noting the wall behind him, and he managed to dodge another sweeping kick to his head, stepping back and using the wall to bounce and tackle Shadow to the ground, trying to pin him down.
''Do you have enough?'' Sonic asked, grinning as he pressed Shadow's shoulders down. Shadow's response was to kick him with his knee, leaving Sonic reeling from the pain and then punching him again in the chest.
''Hmph, I've seen better from you,'' Shadow responded, staring at Sonic coldly as the latter recovered from the hit.
''Yeah… You did,'' Sonic responded, suddenly dashing forward.
Shadow braced himself for an attack, but Sonic zoomed past him, circling around him in a zig-zag manner to confuse him. Shadow kept calm, though, having understood what Sonic was planning to do, and when Sonic vanished from his sight, Shadow turned around, expecting a sneak attack from behind. However, instead, Sonic performed a homing attack from above, hitting Shadow and knocking him down. Sonic leapt back with a smirk on his expression as Shadow slowly got back up, knowing well his rival wouldn't just go down from one attack.
Admittedly, Sonic's plan wasn't to defeat Shadow. He just wanted the latter to vent his aggression through a battle and calm down so they could have a proper conversation. It was a simple stalling tactic, at least on paper, but Shadow was everything but simple. Sonic just hoped that he'd have enough stamina for this battle.
''Chaos Spear!''
''Yikes!'' Sonic managed to side-step the energy spear, letting it fly past him, feeling a little alarmed. If Shadow was willing to use his Chaos Powers, then things just got more complicated.
Another Chaos Spear formed in Shadow's hands, but instead of throwing it, Shadow used more like a weapon, swiping at Sonic. The cobalt hedgehog curled up, doing a spin attack at Shadow, who used the Chaos Spear to block the latter, energy sparking all around them. As the Chaos Spear dissipated, Sonic bounced back, uncurling, with a faint scent of burnt fur filling his nostrils. Before he could do anything about it, Shadow suddenly charged it for another punch, but to both of their surprise, Sonic blocked this one by grabbing Shadow's arm.
''You know, if you already want to fight me, then at least we can also talk!'' Sonic told him, sweep kicking Shadow, who leapt back, dodging the attack.
''There is nothing to talk about!'' Shadow growled. However, Sonic persisted, avoiding another punch and kicking Shadow in the chest.
''I understand that you're angry at me. I probably shouldn't have sent you so many messages either…''
''You spammed me 50 messages per day!''
POW!
Shadow managed to punch Sonic in the face, sending him flying. Sonic landed on the ground, shaking his head. ''Ughhh… I guess I deserved that one.'' He quickly got up, having to use his super speed to dodge another punch form Shadow as the latter warped right in front of him. ''However, I still think you should've just gone out and talked to someone than isolating yourself!''
''I don't want your advice!''
Sonic rushed down the street, forced to dodge Shadow's attempts at punching and kicking him as he warped around him. He saw a street lamp, rushed towards it and used it to circle around, kicking Shadow right in the gut as he warped in front of Sonic. Shadow fell on one knee, glaring at his rival as he clutched his stomach.
''I'm not saying that you have to take my advice. I just want to understand what is going through your head. I know that you're traumatized-'' Sonic replied when, suddenly, Shadow tackled him, warping both right back to the underpass and pinning Sonic below him.
''What do you know about trauma?!'' Shadow snarled furiously, glaring daggers at Sonic. ''What do you know about losing the most important person in your life?! What do you know how it feels when the whole world is against you?!''
''I… don't…'' Sonic responded in a defeated tone. Shadow stared at him, still angry, but noticeably calmer after hearing Sonic's response. He furrowed a brow when Sonic then looked back at him with a determined gaze. ''However, I know that you're feeling really lonely, as if everyone had abandoned you, and that you're carrying a huge responsibility on your shoulders. I want you to help with that burden, because I understand that feeling of loneliness. I told you before, and I'm telling you now, even if this is the path you have chosen, I won't give up. I will continue to fight for my friends, for Neos City, and especially for you, Shadow. So, stop being so stubborn!''
To Shadow's surprise, Sonic managed to kick him off him, causing him to stumble backwards, with Sonic getting ip on his feet. He expected Shadow to attack him again, but instead, the latter just stared at him with a steely gaze.
''Why?'' Shadow asked, suddenly walking towards Sonic, who quickly stepped back, feeling a little nervous, only to feel the wall behind him once again, with Shadow slamming his palm next to Sonic's head, keeping Sonic pinned against the wall once again. Shadow stepped even closer, with Sonic catching a faint scent of lavender coming from him. ''Why are you so determined to be so close to me?''
''Because I think you're an interesting person and I like hanging out with you. It's simple as that,'' Sonic responded in a chipper tone, giving Shadow a smug grin. Shadow's expression fell, avoiding eye-contact with Sonic.
''Right… It's simple as that,'' Shadow muttered, stepping back, his ears drooping as he stared at the ground, fists clenched. Sonic exhaled, feeling relieved that Shadow had finally calmed down. Shadow then looked back, his glare sending shivers down Sonic's spine, making him wonder if Shadow found another reason to be angry at him. ''You're still insisting on that, despite me showing no interest in being your friend like the others do. I agreed to being your ally and rival, but nothing beyond that.''
''Well, regardless of what you think, I still consider you my friend,'' Sonic replied happily, much to Shadow's chagrin. ''So, what happened to you and Touka? If you don't want to talk about it, could you at least give me a hint or something?'' Sonic noted the glare Shadow shoot at him, his ears drooping. ''Okay, I know I'm not really the best person when it comes to talking things out, especially emotional stuff. Amy's way better at this, so if you're more comfortable with that, we could go to talk to her. Or if you prefer a more blunt approach over a compassionate one, we could also talk to Minami.''
Shadow remained silent, giving Sonic a steely gaze, then lowered his head, staring somberly at the ground, arms folded across his chest. He closed his eyes when he felt a hand on his shoulder, followed by a surprisingly gentle tone coming from Sonic, ''Shads, I'm serious. You're not alone. If you still believe that, then I'll be always here to remind you that you have a friend by your side.''
''You're really a thorn in my side,'' Shadow responded, with Sonic feeling a little concerned, only to see Shadow's expression change to a more vulnerable one. He sighed, showing a pained look as he continued, ''I-I feel like I'm losing Touka again.''
''Shadow…''
''What we learned at that place, the truth… It completely broke her. I never saw her like this before; it's like she has turned into an empty shell of the person she used to be,'' Shadow explained, his hands falling by his side and clenched his fist, shaking. ''I hate seeing her like this and it frustrates me that there is absolutely nothing I can do to help her. I want to protect her, but how do you protect someone who is hurting themselves? I feel like a failure.''
''Shadow, I don't think you have failed,'' Sonic said, stepping up, with Shadow giving him a look of genuine surprise, only for it to change to a frown when Sonic placed his arm around his shoulder. ''I see this as a setback. Yeah, things were going great before, but you tripped and now you don't know how to continue. All you can do now is get up and keep going.''
''I'll consider your advice… Would you take your arm off my shoulder?'' Shadow growled.
''Sorry,'' Sonic quickly stepped back, grinning sheepishly. ''Also, next time you feel like venting your frustrations through a battle, just ask. I'm always up for a sparring match.''
''I'll keep that in mind,'' Shadow responded. Sonic just smiled at him happily, with Shadow still feeling a little irked by his positive outlook, but at the same time, the weight he felt on his shoulders wasn't as heavy as before. He was too used to act and fight on his own, with only Touka by his side, and he felt like there wasn't anyone beside her he could trust. Sure, there was also Kisaki, who would watch over them, but even then, they would exclude her from many things. During their life at the Codex Research Facility, they had developed an ''us against the world'' mentality and it was hard to shake it off. He hated the fact that he had just cracked under the pressure, but at the same time, he knew that he had to accept outside help to find a solution to this problem. It was quite frustrating for him, but at the same time, he felt a sense of relief.
''Now, let's go pick up Touka and…'' Sonic was about to walk away when, suddenly, a bunch of crystals shoot out of the ground, stopping him in his tracks. ''Whoa- What was that?!''
Both suddenly heard a cold chuckle coming from somewhere above. They ran out of the underpass, spotting a shadow-like figure hovering on the top of it. Shadow frowned, growling, ''Mephiles!''
''It was quite amusing watching you fight and struggle, but having you heal from your emotional trauma is certainly not part of the plan,'' Mephiles told him. Sonic glanced at Shadow, then back at Mephiles, realizing that this was the ARNav Rouge had told them about.
''Dude, what are you talking about?'' Sonic asked the Dark, while Shadow understood immediately.
''You didn't bring us to that place just to meet Prof. Sakamoto. His death was planned from the start,'' he said, with Sonic giving him a confused look. Mephiles gazed at him, at first not answering to his accusation, but then relented.
''I see that you put quite some thought into what had happened,'' Mephiles started. ''You're correct in your assumption though. The reason Toshiro and I brought you to meet Prof. Sakamoto is because we hoped that you would eventually succumb to your prior programming as a weapon after learning the truth and go on a rampage. The additional trauma you and Touka had experienced was just the cherry on the top and I sincerely enjoyed seeing you at your lowest. Touka's breakdown was especially amusing. Is it true that she has actually become suicidal?''
''You-'' Shadow gritted his teeth, baring his fangs. ''You'll pay for what you've done to Touka!''
''Hmph, I'd like to see you try!'' Mephiles rose up his arm, with flames suddenly bursting from the crystals that had sprouted from the ground, going right after Shadow. Sonic quickly tackled his rival, getting both of them away from the fire.
''This guy looks like real trouble,'' Sonic said, with Shadow glancing at him, noting the determined look on Sonic's expression. Sonic winked confidently, ''How about we take him down together?''
''How about we make it a competition and see who gets the most hits?'' Shadow responded, with Sonic grinning widely, looking excited.
''Now you're talking!''
Both nodded and then turned towards Mephiles, who just frowned in return. This was not the kind of reaction he wanted to see.
xXx
Touka stared ahead, still sitting on the swing, the scene of Sakamoto's death replaying in her mind. Any time she closed her eyes, there was just blood everywhere. At this point, she was just numb to everything, yet she couldn't get the memory out of her head. She was horrified by what had happened, yet she had no idea how to even process everything. She felt like she couldn't care less about Sakamoto being gone, but at the same time, she felt a sense of immense guilt.
She wasn't supposed to exist. She wasn't even a person. Those thoughts were constantly swarming her mind and she didn't know how to deal with it. She was literally a body made for a person who suffered from a terminal illness, but that failed and now she was… Who was she even? What was she? She still had some of Tomoe's memories, so was she an incomplete Tomoe? Did Touka even exist as a person? Did she somehow steal another person's life? Was she even allowed to continue living? Those were all questions she had absolutely no answers to.
What should I do? Touka was just exhausted from everything. She wished that she could just end it all.
''Touka, promise me that you will be here when I return.''
Touka heard Shadow's voice echoing in her head, and was immediately overwhelmed by another wave of guilt. She had been acting completely unresponsive towards Shadow, who tried his best to help her, and she was ashamed that she couldn't get a grip on herself and get over it. She couldn't just wallow in self-pity forever, but how was she supposed to move on from this?
''Froggy! Froggy, where are you?'' Touka looked up as she heard someone calling out, surprised to see Big the Cat walking around, fishing rod placed over his shoulder as he shouted for his friend. She stared at him as he walked over to her. ''Have you seen Froggy?'' Touka shook her head, staring back at the ground. ''You look sad. What happened?''
Touka looked back up, giving Big a surprised look. She had actually expected him to move on with his search, not ask her how she felt. Touka was silent, wondering if she should even talk about what happened. Would anyone even understand? ''I… It's complicated.''
''Could you explain?'' Big asked, sitting down next to her. This caught Touka completely off guard, her eyes now wide in astonishment. Big then added, ''I'm good at listening.''
''I…'' Touka was conflicted over whether she should even tell Big anything. She barely talked to Shadow about what happened, so why start now? She could feel the weight pressing against her chest again, making her shudder. ''I-I don't even know where to start.''
''Try from the beginning.''
Touka snorted at Big's suggestion, well aware that his suggestion made sense. ''It's not that easy but…'' Touka's expression fell as she took a deep breath. ''I don't feel like myself.'' She shook her head. ''No, as a matter of fact, I'm not who I am. I'm not supposed to live this life. I'm fake. I-'' She felt as if someone was choking her, with whatever was holding her back suddenly breaking. ''I-I feel like I stole someone's life; someone who was very sick and wanted to live – someone who fought to live with all her might… and I have her memories, but I'm not her… or maybe I am? But, I don't know- What should I even do with myself?'' Tears started to form in the corner of her eyes. ''I don't believe I should even exist. I don't even know whether I want to exist. I'm not a real person.''
Touka finally broke down crying. Her fists, placed on her knees, were balled into fists, her nails digging into them. She was shaking, feeling a cold sensation spreading through her body. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up, realizing that it was Big trying to comfort her.
''There, there… Do you feel better now?'' he asked. Touka wiped her tears off, nodding.
''A little…'' she replied. Big just nodded in response.
''Do you have memories? Happy memories, bad memories?'' he asked her. Touka was a bit confused by his question.
''Yeah, I do,'' she replied.
''That means you are a person,'' Big told her. Touka had to admit that she was a bit stunned by Big's logic. Technically, he was right, and sure, she had other memories besides Tomoe's, ones she could call her own.
''Okay, but…'' Touka wasn't sure to respond, falling silent again. Big tilted his head.
''You know, when I feel sad, I talk to my best friend, Froggy, and I feel better afterwards,'' he added. Touka lowered her gaze, well aware what Big was implying. She had people she could talk to, and they were probably worried sick about her. She also felt a bit better after getting some advice from Big, and if she opened up more, they could help her deal with her problems. Suddenly, both heard croaking.
''Froggy! There you are!'' Big picked up the frog from the ground as he hopped up to them, croaking again. ''Where were you?'' Big was silent for a moment when Froggy croaked again, then turned towards Touka, ''Froggy says he saw your friends being in trouble.''
''My… friends?'' Touka rose an eyebrow.
''Froggy said he saw a black and a blue hedgehog fighting a strange grey hedgehog who was floating,'' Big responded. Touka quickly got on her feet, frowning in realization.
''That's Shadow and Sonic fighting Mephiles,'' she said, turning to Froggy. ''Where are they?''
''Over there,'' Big pointed at the distance after hearing Froggy croak again, towards an underpass not too far from the playground they were at. Touka quickly ran off, followed by Big and Froggy.
xXx
Both Sonic and Shadow dodged a wall of flames Mephiles sent towards them. Sonic then used his super speed to rush towards the Dark, only to be surprised by a barrage of sharp crystals growing out of the ground. Fortunately for him, Shadow fired a Chaos Spear, shattering the crystals and clearing the path for Sonic, who launched into a spin attack towards Mephiles. However, instead of hitting the Dark, he spun right into the flames that Mephiles had conjured.
''Sonic!'' Shadow shouted as he saw a ball of fire emerge from the flames, spinning and hitting a nearby wall. He uncurled, clearly dazed and singed. Shadow then turned to Mephiles, who fired a whirl of flames towards him. Shadow warped around them, about to punch Mephiles, only to pass through him, with the shadow-like copy disappearing and Mephiles appearing right behind him.
''You're so predictable,'' Mephiles hissed, with Shadow turning around in an attempt to roundhouse kick him in one swift motion, but the Dark already merged with the hedgehog's shadow, avoiding the attack. Shadow looked down, only to for crystals to sprout from the ground, enveloping the dark hedgehog completely.
''Shadow!'' Sonic screamed, holding onto his hurt arm, his eyes wide as he saw the ghastly crystallic structure with Shadow in the middle of it, trapped. Mephiles emerged from the shadows on the ground, looking at his little masterpiece in interest.
''I expected you to put more of a fight,'' he said. ''But, I suppose I should've expected this from someone so weak-minded and easy to manipulate.'' Mephiles then turned to Sonic, who tried to ignore the pain in his arm and took a battle stance. ''I suggest you to back down unless you want to end up the same as this idiot. My business is with Shadow.'' Mephiles' gaze then changed for a moment. ''Although, I wouldn't mind taking you down as well.''
''I know that you hurt Shadow and Touka, and I will make sure that you- huh?'' Sonic cut himself off as he saw a glowing red light behind Mephiles. The Dark too turned around, realizing that the red glow was coming from Shadow, his whole body enveloped in crimson light.
''Chaos BLAST!''
The crystallic prison exploded due to the blast of red energy, with Shadow falling down on his knee, breathing heavily, the glow in his eyes fading. Unfortunately, he had to use up a lot of energy just to free himself from Mephiles' trap and he was winded from the attack. Still, he got up, glaring at his opponent. Mephiles' eyes narrowed as he stared back. He had to admit, Shadow was stubborn. Nevertheless, he was the one standing on the top. The so-called Ultimate Lifeform and his equal were clearly unable to make a scratch on him.
''I had fun playing, but-'' Before Mephiles could even end his sentence, he suddenly felt something wrap around his chest, pulling him backwards. A string? Before he could even respond in any way, whoever was holding onto the string swung him into the wall of the underpass, causing him to hit it hard and fall over.
''You're being really mean.''
''Big?!'' Sonic and Shadow's eyes widened in complete surprise when Big emerged, holding a fishing pole, with Froggy on his shoulder. He was glaring at Mephiles, who cut through the string with his claws and glared back at Big. Rest assured, he clearly didn't expect for him to appear in join the fight.
''Why you-?!'' Mephiles felt a sense of rage overwhelming him. He made it clear that no one was going to even put a scratch on him and if this purple cat wanted to participate in this battle, he would make him pay. However, before he could do that, Shadow suddenly rushed forwards, using the moment of distraction to launch an attack at Mephiles. Unfortunately for him, Mephiles turned back, creating once again a wall of fire to stopped Shadow in his tracks. ''Tch, you can't defeat me!''
''Leave my brother alone!''
Too distracted by what was going on in front of him, Mephiles didn't even register Touka sneaking up behind him, holding a pipe in her hand and whacking him over the head with it. She glared at him as he fell over, seething with rage. Shadow was shocked to see her here, only to get elbowed by Sonic.
''Hey, Shads, remind me to never make Touka angry,'' he said, a soft grin on his lips. Shadow couldn't help but grin in response, as this was the Touka he was familiar with. The teenager dropped the pipe and then ran past Mephiles and towards the hedgehogs, Big and Froggy.
''Are you guys okay?'' she asked, a look of concern on her expression.
''It's nothing that we can't walk off,'' Sonic responded in a casual tone. Shadow gave her a worried look.
''What about you?'' he asked. Touka shook her head, responding with a look of guilt.
''I'm so sorry for making you all worried about me,'' she replied. Shadow was about to respond, but Sonic interrupted the two.
''You know, we can talk about this once we're done with Mephiles,'' he said, pointing at the Dark, who got up. Despite the glare he shoot at them, there was clearly a slight hint of alarm in his gaze, especially since Touka was clearly more than willing to aid the group in the battle rather than be consumed by her depression and trauma. Shadow noticed that, stepping out.
''Care to prove your status as The Ultimate Weapon against the Chaos Surge-boosted Ultimate Lifeform?'' he asked. Mephiles frowned, backing away into the shadows. He knew that without Toshiro's aid, he would have a hard time against Shadow powered up by Chaos Surge.
''This won't be the last time we see each other!''
The group watched him disappear, before collectively sighing in relief. Sonic then put his arms behind his head, adding in a causal tone, ''Well, that was fun.'' He smiled sheepishly when he saw the exasperated look Shadow gave him, turning towards Big and Froggy. ''Thanks for the help, guys!''
''You're welcome,'' Big responded happily, glancing at Touka, who had a smile on her lips, despite her clear look of discomfort.
''I… I suppose there's a lot to explain,'' she started. Shadow raised an eyebrow, surprised to see that she was actually willing to come clean about what had happened, with Touka catching on his non-verbal question. ''I had talked to Big, and I think it would be a good idea for the rest of Team Neos to learn the truth.''
''Are you sure?'' Shadow questioned her. Touka gave a firm nod, with Sonic and Shadow exchanging glances. While Shadow was still uncertain, Sonic just gave him an encouraging grin and a thumbs up.
''I'll call Lucas and the rest of the team, then.''
xXx
''The Badniks have cleaned up the whole base, gathered all the reusable parts and disposed of Professor Sakamoto, just as you had ordered, Boss,'' Orbot reported to Dr. Eggman as they walked down a hallway at Egg Base Sigma.
''There is also no sign of Toshiro and Mephiles nor can we reach them,'' Cubot added. ''The system is still filled with corrupt data, so it'll take time to recover anything.''
''I see…'' Eggman paused, thinking about the situation. ''Shut down this base, but keep recovering any data left and transfer it to the main server. I want all of the Professor's work tied up in one neat package.''
''Yes, Boss!''
Eggman then walked into the main computer room, where he found Ferra, arms crossed on her chest, and Metal Sonic looking at the video footage of what had happened inside the base. After she had ran out of BioEnergy, she followed Lucas to where Sonic and Metal Sonic fought, grabbing her partner and getting away before anyone could notice her, then joined Eggman later at Egg Base Sigma. As for the video footage, Eggman had already taken a look at it, mainly the most important parts, so he let the two to review it fully.
''Any important details I have missed during my viewing? Even though I doubt I did,'' Eggman asked the two. Ferra and Metal Sonic turned around, shaking their heads.
''No, it is just as you said. Toshiro and Mephiles brought Touka and Shadow to this base, they had an 'argument' with the… delusional Prof. Sakamoto, Rouge appeared and messed with the system, and then they escaped,'' Ferra summed up the whole event, although she looked quite uncomfortable during the whole thing.
'They weren't here to take down the Egg Base,' Metal Sonic added. 'This was a personal matter.'
Eggman walked up to the monitor, looking at it. ''I will admit, it is quite a shame to lose another briliant mind – not as briliant as mine, though – but I really had no more reason to work with Prof. Sakamoto. I wasn't planning on getting rid off him… but I suppose this is none of my concern anymore, as long as the authorities don't trace his death back to here.''
''Doctor, may I ask you something?'' Ferra rose her voice. Eggman glanced back at her.
''What do you want to know?'' he asked.
''About Professor Sakamoto… Metal and I heard a lot of things about him, with Touka and Shadow telling us about Project Shadow, and Toshiro and Mephiles telling us about Project Shadow: Resurrection. Then, there is also all the stuff that we saw on the video footage,'' Ferra started, still feeling a little disturbed by what she just saw. ''Could you explain to us what happened to him after the Codex Research Facility got shut down and how did he end up working for you?''
''That is quite an interesting question,'' Eggman responded, figuring he might as well entertain Ferra and Metal Sonic with an answer. He placed his hands behind his back as he begun explaining, ''As you have just learned, Sakamoto had a gravely ill daughter, for whom he had fashioned a new body, only for that body to become its own person; and later on, he became the head scientist for Project Shadow, until it got shut down. Afterwards, he had been taken away by the authorities and started working for a military special operation force unit titled Advanced Reconnaissance & Mission Support; or ARMS for short.''
''What is ARMS about? Is it similar to G.U.N.?'' Ferra suddenly asked, not even thinking about her question. Eggman rose an eyebrow, but carried on.
''I suppose you can draw some similarities, but they are surface only. ARMS is mainly focused on dealing with cybernetic forms of threats, like the Irregular ARNavs,'' he explained. ''I suppose you had your own fair share of encounters with the Irregular Hunters.''
''Not really, since we know how to avoid them,'' Ferra replied, her and Metal Sonic exchanging a glance. ''But, we do know that they're a special law enforcement organization dedicating to hunting down and eliminating Irregular ARNavs.''
''You're correct in all but one key point – they imprison Irregular ARNavs and then take them to ARMS HQ, who then proceed with the supposed 'elimination','' Eggman explained. Ferra and Metal Sonic gave him a confused look, with Eggman just grinning in amusement. ''What happens behind the doors of the ARMS HQ is quite secretive, but given they had a hand in trying to create and weaponize an Irregular, you can draw your own conclusions. Point is, Prof. Sakamoto had managed to escape ARMS about a year ago, after providing them selective information in regards to his own projects. He attempted to take on a new identity and applied to work at the Tamago Corporation, which is how we met. I had offered him resources for his new pet project, the one that resulted in the creation of Mephiles and Toshiro, and in return, he helped me out with my own projects. It was a quid pro quo deal. Unfortunately, his mind started deteriorate and, blah, blah, blah, I think you already know where this is going.''
''Speaking of which, what should we do about Toshiro and Mephiles?'' Ferra asked. Eggman smirked deviously.
''I have noticed that you weren't quite fond of your fellow Enforcers; well, ex-Enforcers. If you ever run into them again, do as you see fit,'' he told them. Ferra smirked, her and Metal Sonic nodding.
''Duly noted.''
'New directions accepted. It is on sight.'
xXx
''You know, you don't have to do this if you don't want to,'' Shadow told Touka as they waited at the underpass for the rest of Team Neos to arrive. Even though he had agreed with Sonic that sometimes it was better to talk things out, he could see Touka's clear discomfort and his protective side kicked in.
''I know, but… I feel that I owe them an explanation,'' Touka replied, her tone now firm. She took a deep breath, adding, ''Think of it as ripping off a band-aid. I just want to get over with it.''
''I understand,'' Shadow replied, glancing at Sonic and Big, the former explaining to the latter which way it was towards Cosmo River, as Big wanted a new fishing spot. He then left, just as the rest of Team Neos arrived.
''Sonic, what happened to you?'' Lucas asked as he saw the burn marks on Sonic's fur.
''Shadow and I got attacked by Mephiles, but it's no big deal,'' Sonic replied, with Lucas giving him a look of concern. However, his and everyone else's attention was drawn by Touka, who looked like she had been through Hell. Her skin was pale, there were dark circles around her eyes and she was clearly disheveled and shaken.
''Touka, are you okay?'' Lily asked, as the group approached her and Shadow.
''Yeah… Well, no, I'm not, but I want to be okay,'' Touka stammered, feeling everyone's eyes on her. She absolutely hated the attention she was getting, but they were the people who showed a lot of concern and respected her wishes enough to stay away from her when she set up boundaries. She also knew that the best thing to do here would be to follow Big's advice and just be honest. However, that didn't mean that she was less anxious. She glanced at Shadow, who looked back, giving her a nod of encouragement. ''I suppose Rouge already told you what had happened.''
''About how you three witnessed Prof. Sakamoto's death? Yeah, we know. That has to be traumatizing,'' Makoto replied in an empathetic tone.
''Unfortunately, that's just the tall end of that story,'' Touka said, placing her hand on her arm and avoiding eye-contact with everyone. ''She wasn't around to hear what he had told us before that.'' She exhaled sharply, deciding to just drop the truth bomb. ''Do you guys remember our investigation at the Codex Research Facility and the photo Knuckles and Silver had found?''
''Yeah, we do. We speculated about who that girl on the photo was,'' Amy rose her voice.
''Well, she…'' Touka bit her lip, wondering how to explain the next part. This was key for her, for who she was, or rather, for who she wanted to be known as. ''I guess I can call her my older twin sister.''
''What?''
''Yes! I knew you two were related!'' Minami exclaimed, earning several looks from her friends which screamed 'show some tact!'. Minami just chuckled sheepishly. Touka, on the other hand, snorted in amusement, having expected this kind of reaction from the resident conspiracy theorist. Somehow, she felt a little lighter.
''It's a bit more complicated than just calling us twins, as that's what I consider her. The truth is, I… I was created to be Tomoe,'' Touka continued, with now everyone giving her a shocked look. However, the silence gave her courage to continue, ''Tomoe had suffered from a terminal illness, and Sakamoto literally created a new body for her to contain her consciousness and memories, that body being myself. However, the transfer had failed and Tomoe died, but somehow, the body gained a… I suppose you could say a soul and mind of its own. That's how I came to be.'' Touka swallowed, feeling her mouth being dry. ''The reason why I refused to talk to anyone was because I suffered from an existensial crisis the past few days, and I didn't even know who I really was since I still have some of Tomoe's memories and desires, and I felt guilty for just stealing her life, even though I had no way of knowing anything.''
Touka then looked up, observing the looks of shock everyone gave her, even Minami. It seemed that, just like her and Shadow, this kind of truth was a lot to take in for them. She could even see Rouge peering a bit further away, probably having somehow overheard Sonic's conversation he had with his friends and followed them here to hear the whole story.
''That's…'' Lucas trailed off, not sure how to even respond to this.
''So, you're technically an artificial human?'' Minami suddenly piped up, breaking the silence. Touka nodded, with Minami narrowing her eyes. ''Not to mention, you had been created with the intent to save another person's life only to gain a life of your own, and going by what we know, you weren't exactly treated the best.'' Touka nodded again. Minami then just smirked. ''Man, now that's a cool villain origin story!''
''Eh, what?'' Touka asked flatly, only for Minami to shake her head, musing.
''Wait, no, that doesn't really fit your aesthetic. I'd say it's more of an anti-hero origin story,'' she added in a casual tone.
''Are you serious?'' Amy rose an eyebrow, glaring at her partner as she scolded her. ''Touka's here pouring her heart out and talking about something that really hurt her, and you're acting like this is some kind of anime or manga story.''
''Well, I can't help it but see some parallels…'' Minami replied, puffing her cheeks. Her expression changed from annoyed to confused when she heard giggling from behind, only to realize that it was Touka.
''I kind of expected a different response, but I'll accept this one,'' she replied, feeling the weight on her shoulders crumbling. Her smile then vanished and she crossed her arms on her chest. ''Unless you guys have something else to say.''
''Honestly, it's understandable that you would have an existential crisis after learning something like that,'' Warren said.
''It was a burden you wanted to bear by yourself,'' Knuckles added. ''No one can fault you for that.''
''Still, it's great that you decided to share it with us,'' Tails said.
''Right… I'm sorry for making you all worry about me. I shouldn't have broken down so easily,'' Touka replied, lowering her gaze, only to see Shadow shaking his head.
''You were just processing something that shattered your view of who you are. Don't apologize for that,'' he told her.
''True, but now, I made the resolve not to suffer from another existential crisis. I may have Tomoe's memories, but I also have memories of my own, of you, of the Codex, and of all the past adventures, and, as someone told me, those make me my own person,'' Touka responded in a firm tone, fist-pumping with both of her hands. ''I had been thinking whether I was really just Tomoe but with messed up memories, but now I understand that I'm Touka and that I have my own life to live instead of being stuck in someone else's shadow.''
''I'm glad to hear that,'' Shadow told her, feeling relief that the Touka he knew was finally back. ''Unfortunately, you aren't exactly unique in that regard.''
''What do you mean by that?'' Lucas asked.
''You're already familiar with Mephiles, right? He also has a partner named Toshiro Miwa, and just like Touka, Toshiro is an artificial creation, albeit for a different purpose,'' Shadow explained.
''They're the ones who will destroy the future,'' Silver said in a grim tone, drawing everyone's attention as he approached Shadow. ''The kind of fire powers Mephiles has is identical to that of Ignis Infernalis, and considering how I was sent from the future to the exact moment of the past from which the fire originates, I'm certain that it's him who will be the catalyst for this disaster.''
''Then we will stop at nothing to make sure to prevent that,'' Shadow said in a firm tone. He and Silver were suddenly startled by a blue blur, with Sonic appearing right between them, placing his arms over their shoulders and pulling them closer.
''Shadow's right! Be it past, present or future, nothing can stop us from making the world a better place!'' Sonic said cheerfully, with Silver smiling back at him, while Shadow shoot him a glare, clearly still not liking the idea of being touched.
xXx
Touka took a deep breath as she and Shadow were sitting on the top of a building, staring at the sunset. She felt like the weight had been lifted from her shoulders, but she was still a little bit uncomfortable with just sharing everything with her teammates. She was just not used to things like this. She just leaned over, hugging herself as if she had an upset stomach.
''Should I be worried?'' Shadow asked her, seeing her reaction.
''No, it's just… I really hope neither of us will have to go through something like this again,'' Touka replied. ''I'm just exhausted from everything.''
''I share that sentiment. Unfortunately, Mephiles and Toshiro are still out there, and I'm sure they won't let us forget what had happened so easily,'' Shadow replied, remembering Mephiles' sinister gaze as he taunted him. I will never again let him manipulate me so easily. Never.
''We can handle these two,'' Touka said confidently, gazing at Shadow with a determined look. ''Especially now that we know whom we're up against.''
''Right,'' Shadow nodded.
Touka fell silent for a moment, with a firm look forming on her expression. ''Speaking of moving on, I suppose this also explains Sakamoto's reaction back at the time.''
''What reaction?'' Shadow asked.
''It was back before you were created, probably about a week or two after I woke up. I had been told that Sakamoto was my guardian, and while I didn't understand the situation completely, I had figured that this meant he was also supposed to be a father figure to me, even though he was always cold and distant. Despite that, I did my best to impress him and make him proud of me… until that incident,'' Touka explained, her eyes narrowing as a distant memory resurfaced.
She had been tutored by one of the staff members at the facility and had scored a perfect 100% on her exam, so she went to Sakamoto to show him in hopes that he would acknowledge her. However, the Professor was to busy to even talk to her, and instead of leaving, Touka lingered, trying to get his attention.
''Professor, please… I just want to…''
''Touka, leave me alone.''
''But, I-''
''I said leave!''
There was a snapping sound of a slap, with Touka falling on the ground, her hand over her now red cheek, her eyes tearing. Sakamoto stood over her, red-faced and furious over her intrusion, but his expression then changed to regret when he realized what he had done. However, before he could say anything, Touka got up and ran away, tears streaming down her cheeks, followed by a stinging pain.
''He hurt you.''
Touka opened her eyes as the memory faded from her mind and just nodded in acknowledgement of Shadow's statement. ''That was the only time he actually rose his hand against me. He never apologized nor acknowledged what he had done, but I understand now why he refused to interact with me at all. Whenever he saw me, he saw Tomoe, or at least, what could've been, and me trying to act as if he were my father figure was his snapping point.''
''That still doesn't excuse his actions,'' Shadow said. Touka frowned.
''You're right, it doesn't. As a matter of fact, that was when I realized I had no one to rely on at Codex, no one I could trust. I knew that I had to be strong on my own and learn to be independent, since no one cared what would happen to me,'' Touka said, only to turn her gaze towards Shadow, smiling, ''And they you came along, and I suddenly had someone I could protect and trust. I wasn't alone anymore.''
''The feelings are mutual,'' Shadow replied, only to be startled when Touka hugged him. Instead of rolling his eyes or backing away, he just hugged her back. After all, this one was long overdue. Once they broke off, Touka shifted on the spot, only to feel something pressing against her side.
''Huh?'' She reached for her pocket, realizing it was the old photo of Sakamoto and Tomoe. ''I already forgot I was carrying this around.''
''What do you want to do with it?'' Shadow asked curiously. ''Both the Professor and Tomoe are gone.''
''I don't want to dwell on the past. I want to move on,'' Touka replied, exchanging glances with Shadow. Both then nodded in a silent agreement, and Touka threw the photo in the air, watching it being carried away in the light breeze.
''Chaos Spear!''
Shadow and Touka watched the Chaos Spear obliterate the photo, with not even the ashes remaining. Both then leaned back, enjoying the moment together and listening to the hustle coming from the streets below.
''You know, we could totally play darts with Chaos Spear.''
Shadow suddenly turned to Touka with an alarmed look, which quickly changed to a frown as he saw her smiling back. ''No! Absolutely not!''
Touka just laughed heartily in response, finding Shadow's serious reaction hilarious. Shadow just sighed in annoyance, ears pinned down. Sure, he was quite grateful that the old Touka was back, but now he'd have to deal with suggestions like this one.
''I swear you're worse than Sonic.''