Welcome folks to the new Arc of this story - The Cyberspace Chaos Arc, which will focus on the aftermath of what happened during the previous Arc.
Honestly, I wanted to post this chapter alongside a new chapter for With Light In My Heart, but unfortunately, I got busy and couldn't finish writing that chapter. Nevertheless, I assure you that I'm still working on it.
I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, tho. It focuses heavily on Eclipse, Shadow and Touka and what their relationship currently is and what it will become.
Entry 79
Alien Family
''Please tell me about you, your beautiful face and voice. Every time I learn more, softly and vividly, my heart breaks. What is self-consciousness? Is it something embarrassing? Yes, in this world, everyone hides it, but is that really so? Aren't we showing our true selves? Do I have to discard it before I die? I messed up so many times, but this time, I'll finish a journey I can't return from, from now on! Beyond the six realms of reincarnation, if it's a path where we can laugh, then I'd rather drown with you alone in a beautiful world. Like a flickering mirage, does it seem like a world of human suffering? Who will I cross with to understand, in this world? Fluttering and dancing, petals are blown by the wind! Fluttering and falling, tears gently drop!''
– Shura Nikki by Isekai Shikkaku (No Longer Allowed In Another World)
xXxXxXx
''Eclipse?!''
Touka and Shadow were baffled to see the little alien, with Touka walking up to him and dragging his limp body out of the water, muttering in disbelief, ''How did he even survive?''
''I don't know. Even if Black Doom had just warped him to Cosmo River, I had used the hive mind to find and Chaos Control all of the Black Arms that were still in Neos City to the Black Comet,'' Shadow said. ''I don't understand how I had missed Eclipse.''
''Maybe Black Doom blocked Eclipse from the hive mind, which is why you couldn't detect them?'' Touka suggested. Shadow shrugged, only to lower his head, glaring at Eclipse, his hand crackling with dark energy. He may have missed Eclipse during the initial Chaos Control, but now he had the opportunity to correct that mistake. ''Shadow, please don't.''
''You have asked me to spare Eclipse's life before. Why?'' Shadow asked, his eyes narrowing. ''He had hurt you and he remained loyal to Black Doom even when it was obvious that he would be treated as a sacrificial pawn. He should've died alongside the other Black Arms.''
''I know, but- ouch!'' Touka winced when she felt a sting on her cheek when Shadow touched the cut left by Eclipse. ''I need to get that treated,'' she muttered, turning back to Shadow. ''I know that Eclipse is dangerous, but in his current state, it wouldn't be worth it.''
''I assume that you two had some kind of conversation, because you wouldn't want to keep him alive for no reason,'' Shadow pointed out, arms folded across his chest. ''I have recognized that look you were giving to Eclipse. It's the same one you'd give me whenever I was hurt or in distress.''
''Well, I…'' Touka fell silent, unsure how to explain herself. Instead, she picked Eclipse up. ''I guess we should tell the rest of our team that Eclipse is still alive.''
Shadow was still irked that she left Eclipse alive, but he decided to leave it be. After all, Eclipse was weakened and possibly injured, meaning that he wasn't a threat. Despite his disapproval, he did trust Touka, hoping that she knew what she was doing. Both went back to the group, who were all happy and relieved to see them, only for their expressions to fall when they saw Touka carrying Eclipse.
''Black Arms presence detected!'' Omega announced, immediately turning his arms into machine guns and pointing them Eclipse.
''Hey, Omega, wait! Eclipse is not a threat!'' Touka panicked for a moment, only for a sense of relief to wash over her when he lowered his weapons.
''How is that possible? I thought Black Doom killed him,'' Rouge said, just as baffled as everyone else. However, their bewilderment was more because of the fact that a member of the Black Arms survived, not because of who had survived.
''Wait, did you just call him Eclipse?'' Minami asked, stepping closer. Touka nodded, while Shadow exchanged glances with Rouge, Omega, Sonic and Lucas, realizing that no one here even knew about Eclipse, since the little alien only seemed to have targeted Shadow. However, it seemed that Minami had recognized him. ''Honestly, I almost forgot that he existed.''
''What are you talking about?'' Vector asked her.
''I'm talking about the Sonic video game lore,'' Minami explained. ''Eclipse the Darkling is actually a character that appeared in the short promotional manga for the Shadow the Hedgehog video game, the one that introduced the Black Arms. If I remember correctly, he acted as Black Doom's second-in-command, appearing only in two chapters out of the total five. He is a quite obscure character, so I'm not surprised I haven't recognized him at first.''
''Honestly, I don't think any of us ever heard about Eclipse until you had mentioned him,'' Warren commented.
''If someone has insanely detailed knowledge about the Sonic video game lore, it would be Minami,'' Amy said in a praising tone, with Minami just smiling proudly.
''So, what should we do with him?'' Silver asked.
''I suggest we follow Omega's example,'' Knuckles said, punching his fists, only to be met with a glare from Touka, which left him confused. ''Or… not?''
''Touka, you know that Eclipse almost killed you,'' Lucas spoke up, having quietly observed his teammate. He saw how Touka acted at the Black Comet, suspecting she knew more than she let on.
''I know that, but…'' Touka lowered her head, unsure how to express herself. She then gave Lucas a determined look. ''I want to talk to Eclipse. As I said before, he is not a threat, especially not in this state, and I want to see his response to this whole situation.''
''I'm not sure if that's a good idea, to just keep him around…'' Lucas said.
''If you guys insist on bringing up the fact that he almost killed me by absorbing my BioEnergy, then I think it would be only right if I take responsibility for Eclipse,'' Touka suddenly said in a firm tone, surprising Lucas.
''Hey, Shads, what do you think?'' Sonic asked, turning to the dark hedgehog. ''That would mean that Eclipse would be staying with you.''
''I don't approve of Touka's idea, but I also know that I can't stop her. I suppose the best option now would be to keep a close eye on Eclipse. If he decides to cause trouble, I will stop him,'' Shadow answered.
''Heh, that sounds reasonable,'' Sonic replied with a small grin, only for his eyes to widen as he heard his stomach growl, his fawn muzzle turning red in embarrassment. He laughed, rubbing the back of his head. ''I guess that's a sign to get something to eat, kick back and relax.''
xXx
While Shadow kept in mind Sonic's words to relax, he couldn't. Instead, he was sitting on the other end of the couch at the Kageura residence, legs crossed as he stared at Eclipse, who was still unconscious. Touka, who was leaning over the couch from behind, had bandaged him up after spotting some cuts on his skin. She herself put a plaster across the cut on her cheek, insisting that she was fine otherwise.
Both of them were silent, with the only sound that could be heard being the sudden downpour outside, with the three managing to get home just in time before they got caught by the rain. They had also made sure to message Kisaki about being safe, with the response being that she would stay at the hospital overnight due to what had happened and that she was relieved that they were okay. However, they neglected to tell Kisaki that they had a guest, deciding to tell her once they figured out what to do with Eclipse.
''You know, Shads, Eclipse didn't hurt me because Black Doom ordered him to do so. Instead, he lashed out because he hated me because you care about me as your sibling,'' Touka said, tracing with her finger across the plaster on her cheek. ''I know it sounds weird, but that's why I can forgive him for hurting me.''
''Maybe you can, but I can't,'' Shadow told her in a stern tone. Touka couldn't help, but smile a little at the response.
''Of course not,'' she said, her gaze turning back to Eclipse. ''I wonder how he'll react to the news about Black Doom's defeat.''
''I assume that he would be devastated and furious,'' Shadow said. ''After all, he remained loyal to Black Doom until the bitter end.''
''That's the expected response, but I'm also certain that he might have some mixed feelings over the fact that Black Doom abandoned him, hoping that he would die during his attempt to stop you. That's a lot to process,'' Touka pointed out.
''It would be easier to process if you just stopped pitying me.''
Touka and Shadow were startled by the sudden grumble coming from below the blanket, noting a pair of golden eyes staring back at them.
''Have you been awake this whole time?'' Shadow asked Eclipse as he tried to sit up.
''I've been awake since you got me out of that river,'' Eclipse said bitterly, reaching for the bandages on his head in an attempt to remove them. ''I have witnessed Black Doom's defeat and the destruction of the Black Comet, only to fall into that river. Instead of saving me, you should've finished me off.''
''If you have a death wish, I can fulfill it now,'' Shadow told him in a cold tone, glaring at his supposed ''brother''. ''If you heard everything, then you know why I didn't do it earlier. The only reason you're still alive is because Touka showed you mercy on multiple occassions. If it were for me, you would've joined Black Doom the moment we found you.''
The look Eclipse gave to Shadow was filled with pure hate, silently glaring at the dark hedgehog, only to turn into a look of intense rage when he turned his attention to Touka.
''Why did you spare me?!'' he growled as he stood up, despite the sense of weakness he felt in his legs. ''I told you I don't want any of your pity! I would've been better off dead than defeated but alive!''
''Eclipse…'' Touka was silent, clearly still reluctant to express herself. Eclipse gritted his teeth, growling as he glared at Touka for the lack of response. He then leapt down from the couch, running towards the door. ''E-Eclipse, wait!''
Touka and Shadow ran after him, spotting Eclipse using Chaos Snap after he couldn't figure out how to work the door knob. The two opened the door, seeing Eclipse running down the street in the rain. Touka grabbed her hoverboard, dashing towards the little alien. ''Eclipse, wait!''
Eclipse didn't respond, simply keeping on running down the street. He didn't care where he was going, he just wanted to get away from Touka and Shadow as far away as possible. He knew that he was on his own now, the only survivor of the Black Arms. Even if Black Doom abandoned him because he was useless, he still refused to give up. He still had his pride as a Black Arms soldier and he wasn't going to throw it away now. Instead he would avenge his kind and…
''Eclipse, watch out!''
Eclipse froze when he saw a speeding car coming towards him as he attempted to cross the street, its headlights blinding him and its siren piercing his head like a drill. He simply couldn't move, his legs refusing to listen to him. It was as if everything slowed down, with Eclipse's senses completely failing him. He couldn't run away. He couldn't do anything to save his life.
He was completely useless.
''Eclipse!''
''Touka!'' Shadow screamed in horror as he saw Touka throwing herself at Eclipse just as the car passed. His heart almost stopped, his crimson eyes wide as for a moment he thought that the car had hit them. But then, he saw them lying on the ground on the other side, both of them still alive, with Touka's hoverboard lying next to them.
Touka herself was breathing heavily, dirty and wet due to the rain and mud, but seemingly unharmed, having used the accelerator to grab Eclipse and pull him to safety, with both falling onto the ground. She could feel her heart racing, but otherwise, nothing was broken. Instead, she turned to the little alien, whom she was still holding in her arms. Eclipse, in turn, looked up in disbelief, unable to comprehend that he was saved again. Suddenly, Touka grabbed him by his shoulders, anger showing in her eyes.
''Are you crazy?! Don't ever run into a street like that! You could've been ran over by that car!'' Touka yelled at Eclipse, who was taken aback by her sudden outburst of anger. He was shaking, his eyes wide as a different emotion had formed. Fear. Touka's gaze softened, realizing that she was the cause of it, and despite his earlier contempt, Eclipse was now afraid of her, even closing his eyes as if he expected some kind of punishment. Instead, he was startled when Touka suddenly pushed his head into her chest, hugging him tightly, her voice now a soft whisper. ''I'm sorry, I was just worried. I shouldn't have shouted at you like that.''
Why? Why are you like that? Eclipse wanted to say, but he couldn't voice any word. He was exhausted, not knowing anymore what to do or what to think. He was done with life itself.
''Touka, are you okay?'' Shadow joined the two, with Touka giving him a relieved smiled.
''Yeah, I am-'' she said, only for Shadow to interrupt her.
''That's great- because doing that was the most idiotic thing I've seen you do so far!'' Shadow suddenly yelled at Touka, causing her to flinch when she realized he was furious. ''You could've gotten yourself killed by your stunt!''
''I-I'm sure I've done things worse than that…'' Touka replied, giving him a nervous smile. Shadow just sighed, pressing his hand against his forehead.
''I should've expected something like this to happen…'' he muttered, putting his hand on Touka's shoulder. ''We're going home now to treat your injuries.'' Touka lowered her gaze, having not realized that her skin on her legs and elbows was scraped and that she was bleeding due to how she fell when she saved Eclipse. Shadow then shot Eclipse a glare. ''All of us. No more running away. Have you understood me?''
Eclipse narrowed his eyes, not answering, but also not fighting back. Shadow took this as his answer, using Chaos Snap to warp them all back to the Kageura residence.
''You two are so reckless. No wonder I have to be the responsible one,'' Shadow grumbled as he shook out the water droplets from his quills. He walked towards one fo the cupboards in the kitchen, which was holding a spare first aid kit. ''Touka, you should clean yourself up. I'll take care of Eclipse.''
''Okay,'' Touka said, noting how she was drenched from the rain. Not to mention, now that the adrenaline wore off, she quickly feel the stinging pain from her injuries. She went upstairs, while Shadow turned to Eclipse.
''I'll have to change your bandages,'' he said.
''I don't remember asking for your help,'' Eclipse replied, glaring at Shadow.
''Then, what was that about calling me your brother?'' Shadow responded in a snarky tone, his answer irritating Eclipse.
''You killed all of the Black Arms! I don't have any reason to call you my brother anymore!'' Eclipse yelled at him. However, that response didn't seem to bother Shadow.
''You know, if Black Doom hadn't kicked you out when he did, you would've been dead as well. It is quite ironic that the person he deemed useless is the one who survived the whole ordeal,'' Shadow said. The little alien lowered his gaze, his eyes narrowing. ''I also need to clear up something. That look Touka always gives you? The one you said that you hate? It's not pity.''
''What?'' Eclipse gave him a look of confusion.
''That look means that Touka genuinely cares about you. It's the same I had experienced while being with her. I would always see it whenever I was hurt or in distress. I think the reason she won't admit it is because she is worried about your reaction to the truth – or rather, she knows what your reaction will be and fears it,'' Shadow said, turning his back to a shocked Eclipse. ''It seems that she is the only person in existence willing to put her own life on line for you. Not even Black Doom would go that far. Perhaps, you should reflect on that.'' Shadow turned his head back, his eye flicking towards Eclipse as he furrowed a brow. ''If you decide to cause trouble for her, I will make sure that you will regret ever existing.''
Eclipse lowered his head, his tail curling around him as he watched Shadow walk into the living room. He was shaking, the coldness of Shadow's words seeping into his skin. Even though he hated Touka with all of his being, he knew that Shadow was right. Time and time again, she showed concern for his own wellbeing, even when he tried to end her life. No one else ever went so far for him as she did. But, still, he couldn't understand why. Why was she acting like that?
Eclipse remained sitting in the hallway, even when Touka returned from upstairs, now in just plain black shorts and a red T-shirt, a towel around her neck and her hair damp. She sat on the couch, her scraped skin now looking red and raw, wincing when when Shadow started the treatment, wiping the skin with a disinfectant.
''I don't think it looks that bad,'' Touka started, her tone casual, only to immediately shut up when Shadow shot her a glare. Clearly, he was still angry at her for being so reckless. Touka remained silent, looking instead at the hallway and noting how Eclipse was still sitting there, silent as a statue. She sighed, turning her attention back to Shadow, a dejected smile on her lips. ''You know, I don't mind Eclipse lashing out like this.''
Shadow didn't react, but Eclipse did, raising his head and looking into Touka's direction.
''I understand how furious and hurt he is, especially given how all of his kind had been eradicated. Sure, the Black Arms invaded Neos City to enslave all of humanity, but they were still his family, and that's something he'd hardly get over. Hell, it would be cruel to expect him to feel anything but hatred towards me considering how the only surviving family member cares more about me than him,'' Touka continued, only to grimace, squeezing one eye shut when she felt a sensation of needles prickling her skin. ''Not to mention, to be acknowledged by the person you considered your parental figure, only to get abused and abandoned by them… I guess Eclipse and I aren't that different in that matter.''
''What are you talking about?!''
Touka couldn't help but smile when she finally heard Eclipse responding to her speech. Shadow, on the other hand, sighed, as he knew that meant listening to more arguments, and he was slowly getting a headache from all of this nonsense.
''You and I are nothing alike!'' Eclipse stormed into the living room, glaring at Touka as he pointed his finger accusingly. Touka, on the other hand, gave him a confused look.
''Eh, what do you mean?'' she asked innocently, her reaction leaving the little alien puzzled. ''Since you claimed that Shadow's your brother, and Shadow is my brother, wouldn't that make me your older sister by default?''
Eclipse dropped his jaw, remaining completely flabbergasted by this logic. Shadow just groaned, wrapping the bandage a bit too roughly and causing Touka to wince due to the jolt of pain, with her understanding that he was voicing his disagreement on the matter.
''That's not true at all! Shadow and I share the same blood, but I have nothing to do with you!'' Eclipse protested.
''Something I had learned is that family doesn't mean being related by blood. Because the people who were related to me wanted nothing more but to harm me. But the family I had chosen were the ones who loved and cared about me,'' Touka responded, a sly smile forming on her lips.
''That doesn't mean anything! You can't just pick and choose who'll be your family!'' Eclipse responded, clearly worked up over the whole argument.
''Oh, really? Because I just did,'' Touka replied, sticking the tip of her tongue out in a playful manner.
''I refuse to accept that! Shadow, you-'' Eclipse turned to the dark hedgehog, only for the words to die in his throat as he and Touka saw the irritated look he was giving both of them. Having finished treating Touka's injuries, he slammed the lid of the first aid kit down, glaring at both of them.
''Would you two stop involving me into this argument?! I don't want to have anything to do with this!'' he growled, with both Touka and Eclipse cowering. ''If you want to argue, do it without me!''
He then walked away, practically stomping as he went upstairs to get some peace and quiet, and a shower.
''I… I think we went a bit overboard with that…'' Touka muttered anxiously. Eclipse couldn't help but agree, even nodding in response. ''Don't worry, he'll calm down eventually. This was just a really stressful day for everyone.''
''I blame you for that,'' Eclipse told her in a deadpan tone, arms folded across his chest and tail flicking.
''I know,'' Touka said, not bothered by his words, and opening up the first aid kit. ''Anyways, I still need to change your bandages, since Shadow didn't do it, and I can't let you wear dirty ones.''
Eclipse glared at her for a moment, then relented, sitting on the couch and allowing Touka to change the bandages. Despite his reservations, he knew that he didn't have much of a choice if he actually wanted to heal properly, and Touka seemed to know how to patch him up. It also helped that she remained silent instead of pestering him with unnecessary questions, but even then, Eclipse disliked the silence. His head had always been filled with many voices, thanks to the hive mind, but now there was nothing. The silence was eerie.
''I can't hear them anymore,'' Eclipse muttered, just to break that silence. ''They really are gone…''
''It couldn't be helped. Shadow and the rest were trying to save me and the city,'' Touka said in a quiet tone, wrapping the bandages around Eclipse's hand. ''You know, I wouldn't mind you staying here, if you're fine with that.''
''Shadow hates me,'' Eclipse pointed out, his eyes narrowing.
''He hates you because you hate me. Otherwise, he couldn't care less.''
''That's fair.'' Eclipse looked at his bandaged hand, while Touka focused on removing the bandages around his head. ''Your friends hate me too.''
''I think they hate you less than Shadow does.''
Eclipse snorted, despite finding no amusement in the answer. ''I don't know anymore if I want to make Shadow like me.''
''You were given another chance. You can try.''
''Why are you so annoying?''
Touka snorted at this question. ''I told Shadow once that, as his older sibling, I'm responsible for him. Since the same goes for you, it makes sense that I'll be a bit annoying.''
''I have never agreed to you being my sibling,'' Eclipse replied, folding his hands across his chest in protest.
''You do want to belong to somewhere, right?'' Touka asked, with Eclipse falling silent.
''You're creepy, you know that?'' Eclipse grumbled, much to Touka's surprise. ''Even though you're not part of the hive mind, you always know what I'm thinking. That's creepy.''
Touka giggled. ''I think that's because I had so much practice with Shadow. Since he's not exactly an expressive person, I just had to learn how to read his mood. You, on the other hand, wear your emotions on your sleeve.''
''What?'' Eclipse gave her a confused look.
''I meant that you're more open with showing your emotions. That's why I don't need a hive mind to understand how you feel,'' Touka explained, finishing the treatment and putting the remaining bandages into the first aid kit, then turning the TV on. ''Here. At least now it won't be so quiet.''
Eclipse curled up on the couch, staring at Touka as she got up to put away the first aid kit, listening to the murmurs of the people on the TV. He wanted to hate her, he really wanted to, but whenever he tried to imagine harming her, his mind went blank. Was his resolve so weak just because she treated him with kindness and compassion? He didn't want to even think about it. He just wanted to curl up somewhere and forget what had happened.
He heard steps, only to see Shadow coming down, having calmed down from his earlier outburst. He observed the dark hedgehog, who now ignored him, and instead joined Touka in the kitchen. He could hear him and Touka talking about getting something to eat, with Shadow grabbing a bag of coffee beans and placing one in his mouth. It seemed that he was now much more at ease, even smiling when Touka commented on him just eating coffee beans instead of having a proper meal. They were so happy, while Eclipse felt miserable.
Why couldn't he have what they had? Why couldn't he have a family who genuinely cared about him? Why couldn't he have someone who loved him?
Eclipse choked back a sob, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. He pushed his injured hand into his mouth, not wanting Touka nor Shadow to hear him, let alone see him like this, but he couldn't hold back the emotional anguish he felt. He cried, his sobs growing louder and louder, drawing Touka and Shadow's attention. Both were surprised to see him cry, with Touka dropping everything and walking over to Eclipse, who now stopped trying to keep quiet and finally broke down completely. He didn't care when Touka sat next to him and pulled him into an embrace. He didn't care what Shadow thought of him. He didn't care anymore about hating either of them. He just wanted for his misery to end.
Touka hugged him tightly, briefly raising her head to glance at Shadow, who was just staring at Eclipse in silence, his ears pinned back. He was completely stunned to see the little alien breaking down like this, being so openly vulnerable. He had always seen him as this pathetic creature who only cared about Black Doom and his orders, someone who was easy to hate and an obstacle standing between him and Touka. Even though Shadow still disliked him for what he had done, he understood Eclipse's pain. The idea of having your own family being torn away from you was all too familiar to him, to the point where he wanted to destroy everything in his path just to stop feeling this pain.
Shadow then noted Touka motioning to him to come closer, with Shadow understanding her intention. He was a little reluctant at first, but eventually relented, sitting next to Touka as she wrapped her free arm around him and pulled him into a tight hug. He closed his eyes, finally allowing himself to relax.
xXx
It was the middle of the night, or at least that's what Eclipse assumed it to be when he woke up with a start. He felt a little dizzy, squinting as he tried to figure out where he was. The environment was unfamiliar and certainly not his pod in the Black Comet. Instead, he was in a living room, the TV playing some late night show, and he saw the blanket pulled over him. Only when he looked up did he finally remember what had happened.
He was held by Touka, who was leaned against a pillow, still fast asleep, with her other arm being wrapped around Shadow, who was snuggled up to her. Eclipse recalled how he suddenly started crying and fell asleep due to exhaustion, feeling a little embarrassed by his show of vulnerability, but at the same time, he felt content, if not even relieved. Sure, the sense of bitterness was still there, but the hatred faded, or at least it wasn't as strong as before. He didn't understand why, but at this point, he didn't care. Touka nor Shadow were going to judge him for that and that was all that mattered. He yawned, his golden eyes almost glowing in the darkness, and he felt a sense of dryness in his throat.
I haven't eaten anything. Eclipse reminded himself, rubbing his eyes. Unfortunately, he had no clue where to get any food. Normally, the Black Arms would consume the flesh of their victims, but they could also live of a red fruit they'd grow inside the Black Comet. Eclipse wished he had brought along some of that fruit, realizing that he had no idea whether human food could sustain him. He knew where the food was, having observed Touka and Shadow at the kitchen when they talked about eating something, and he figured that he might find something.
He pushed himself away, carefully removing Touka's arm, making sure he wouldn't wake up either her nor Shadow. He got down on the floor, walking towards the kitchen, but just as he attempted to open the door, he suddenly sensed a presence behind him. He turned around, being met with a pair of crimson eyes.
''What are you up to now?'' Shadow asked, his voice not louder than a whisper.
''Nothing,'' Eclipse responded with the first thing that came to his mind, being startled by Shadow's appearance. Shadow frowned, clearly not buying it. Eclipse lowered his gaze. ''I'm hungry.''
Shadow's stern expression faded, and he sighed, opening the fridge. ''We have some leftover yakitori.''
Eclipse watched him as the dark hedgehog took out a plate with skewered chicken and vegetables, then placed it in the microwave on the counter. Both watched it as it warmed up the food, worried that the noise would wake Touka up. Fortunately, it didn't, with Shadow turning the microwave off before it could signal that it was done. He then gave one skewer to Eclipse, who gave it a questioning look. The smell of the chicken meat was pleasant, albeit mixed with something Eclipse disliked. Still, he was hungry enough to give it a try, biting into it, only to cough and sputter.
''That tastes awful,'' he hissed. Shadow snorted, holding up his own skewer.
''That's because you bit into the bell pepper, not the chicken,'' he said in amusement. Eclipse shot him a glare, removing the grilled vegetable and then biting into what he assumed to be the chicken. To his surprise, it actually tasted good. It was meat, so he had no issue with that, but it appeared to be glazed with some kind of sauce that made it taste very sweet. He then sat down on the kitchen floor, nibbling on the meat, with Shadow sitting next to him, placing the plate between them. At least there wasn't any sense of tension between them, which Eclipse was thankful for. Frankly, he never expected that Shadow would be actually able to talk to him without any show of contempt.
''I'm surprised you didn't leave,'' Shadow said. Eclipse frowned.
''Do you want me to leave?''
''Do you want to leave?''
Eclipse didn't like how easily Shadow turned this question against him. He didn't want to answer it, being grateful for Shadow not being able to read his mind. Even if he did use the hive mind to locate all the Black Arms, it was clear that he still had little experience with it.
''Would you be mad if I stayed?''
''That depends on how you're going to treat Touka.''
''I should've known that would be your response,'' Eclipse grumbled, taking a bite out of the yakitori.
''I won't change my mind. You can either work with those conditions, or leave,'' Shadow responded in a sharp tone. Eclipse paused.
''What if I agreed to those conditions?'' he asked.
''I'd be shocked if you did,'' Shadow said in a deadpan tone. Eclipse shot him a glare.
''I am capable of adapting,'' he said, cheeks puffing up in indignation.
''You don't strike me as that kind of person, considering how stubbornly you followed Black Doom's orders despite them causing you only more harm,'' Shadow pointed out.
''Black Doom is gone…'' Eclipse muttered.
''You mean, our Father is gone,'' Shadow interrupted, knowing well that provoking Eclipse like this might lead to dire consequences. He was immediately met with a look of anger and hurt, his so-called brother clearly wishing to punch him, but surprisingly, he was holding back from having another outburst. Instead, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
''I understand what you two want to tell me. I know I was stupid for following Black Doom's orders to the point of endangering my own life, but I had no other choice,'' Eclipse said, giving Shadow a firm look. ''Even if I had turned against him, would you have trusted me?''
''No, I wouldn't have,'' Shadow said, lowering his gaze.
''That's what I thought,'' Eclipse muttered, staring down at his meal.
''Let me ask you this,'' Shadow suddenly rose his voice, drawing Eclipse's attention. ''If Black Doom returned, would you join him?''
Eclipse gave him a shocked look, only to frown. ''Black Doom won't return. He's gone.'' Despite his point, Shadow's gaze remained firm, waiting for Eclipse's answer. The little alien sighed, remaining silent for a moment. ''If Black Doom ever returns, he will either take control over me or kill me.''
''You fear Black Doom, don't you?'' Shadow asked. Eclipse averted his gaze, his answer clear. ''If you just want to survive, staying with Touka and me is your best choice. Touka obviously wants you to stay and I'm willing to tolerate your presence. Otherwise, you'll be on your own in an unfamiliar world.''
Eclipse perked up. ''Wait, did you say you're willing to tolerate me?''
''Don't push it,'' Shadow hissed.
''At least it's a step up from hating me. You're actually warming up to me,'' Eclipse teased him, while Shadow responded with a glare. ''I'll take what I can get.''
Shadow rolled his eyes, but Eclipse didn't care, instead focusing again on his meal, now looking a bit more lively. It seemed that the idea of Shadow accepting him cheered him up, along with the food he got. As for the dark hedgehog, he figured that this was better than dealing with an agitated Eclipse, especially now that he knew that his motives have slightly changed to just surviving in this new environment. Nevertheless, that didn't mean that he trusted Eclipse, knowing that his so-called brother won't stay out of trouble.