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Spoilers: This story contains spoilers for Sonic X Shadow Generations and SXSG: Dark Beginnings.

Trigger Warnings: Some chapters of this story will contain brief references to PTSD and suicide in a military context. Chapters that address these topics will be flagged with a note at the beginning.

Chapter 1

Shadow leaned over the railing. He held a cigarette in his gloved fingertips. The cityscape below GUN's headquarters was densely packed, lit by neon signs and electronic billboards. Rain descended in a slow, constant drizzle. The rooftop of the building was deserted at this time of night. The helipads were empty. In the far distance, flickering streetlights illuminated an alleyway splattered with graffiti. A woman ran past the illegible, sprawling tags, and two men chased after her. Gunshots popped. Red and blue lights flashed in the distance. A siren wailed. Beneath his feet, hundreds of agents went about their regular business.

A raindrop landed on Shadow's cigarette, causing it to glow and smoulder. He looked up. Once a year, the orbit of the moon would align perfectly with the orbit of Space Colony Ark. He'd first seen the sight while standing beside Sonic on Mission Street. Two celestial bodies – one natural and radiant, the other artificial and hollow. Under normal circumstances, the full moon would illuminate the abandoned space station he used to call home. But this year, the skies were filled with rain and mist, and he could only catch a glimpse of the distant past.

'Hey, handsome.'

He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. He tapped the cigarette once and watched the ash melt into the night, listening to the soft click of heeled boots on wet concrete. Rouge joined him at the railing and wrapped her wings around herself like a raincoat. She sneezed. Water droplets scattered with each twitch of her oversized ears.

She leaned on the railing as well, gazing at him. 'Are you waiting for the rain to clear up?'

He could hear the hesitation in her voice. He took one last look at the clouds above him. Then he turned toward her and shook his head. 'Can't smoke indoors.'

She gave him a wry look, jerking her thumb towards the sky. 'So you're willing to steal a spacecraft from GUN, but this is where you draw the line?'

'You were the one who helped me steal that spacecraft.'

'I didn't destroy millions of dollars worth of military assets, darling – that was all you.'

He gave her a sharp glare. 'What was I supposed to do? Ask for permission?'

'Apparently.' Her gaze softened. 'Abraham said he would still have supported you if you had asked.'

Shadow's hand twitched. 'Perhaps.' He gritted his teeth. 'Have you debriefed the commander on what happened in White Space yet?'

'Of course I have. Between the Time Eater and Black Doom, I've been in meetings all week. My wings are stiff from sitting too long.'

He drew on his cigarette and exhaled. 'Tragic.'

'… When did you decide to start smoking?'

He shrugged. 'If you're going to live forever, then you might as well try everything at least once.'

'What's next on the bucket list of bad decisions?' She gestured with one hand. 'Tax fraud?'

He half-smiled. 'We're both government employees.'

Rouge's eyes followed the smoke drifting from his cigarette. 'You really are from a bygone era, aren't you? People don't use tobacco products anymore.'

He drew on the cigarette and exhaled. Smoke wreathed through the mist. 'Back in the 50s, people thought these were good for you.'

'And at some point – while you were in stasis – we discovered that they aren't good for you. Why are you doing this, anyway?'

He returned her quizzical look with one of his own. 'Why not? I can't get sick. Remember?'

'I'm not the one with chronic amnesia.'

'Touche,' he muttered.

'Besides. Your cells can't degenerate – but that doesn't mean they can't multiply.'

He raised his eyebrows. 'Are you threatening me with lung cancer?'

She flicked his arm with one finger. 'You're threatening yourself.' She sneezed again and shook her head, scattering more water droplets.

'You should go back inside,' he said. 'I can't catch a cold, but you might.'

'I needed to talk to you.'

'You've talked.' Shadow nudged her in the direction of the rooftop door. 'Go. Get yourself dry.'

She lowered her voice. 'I didn't come up here to chat about your newfound nicotine addiction, all right?' She glanced behind her. Due to the rain, the guards who typically monitored the rooftop access door were stationed inside rather than outside. Shadow followed her gaze. The unblinking red light of a security camera shone out from the darkness. They both turned their backs on the camera and leaned on the railing once again. She unfurled her wings and raised them, partially shielding the two of them from view.

'I know you've probably had other things on your mind, but have you heard anything … odd, recently?' she asked. 'In GUN?'

'I don't give a damn about water cooler gossip,' Shadow scoffed. 'I may be immortal, but I still value my time.'

'Well, maybe you should give a damn this time – because the "water cooler gossip" is about you.'

'If they're that upset about the spaceship –'

She cut him off with a sharp flick of her hand. 'This isn't about the damn spaceship. Listen, I've been hanging around in different departments between meetings.' She sighed. 'People never think to look up. It's alarming.'

Shadow imagined Rouge hanging from the ceiling, eavesdropping on the other GUN employees. 'Well, you're on the payroll as an intelligence agent. What did they expect?'

'They expected that you wouldn't find out that they're going to have a meeting about you.'

Shadow blinked in surprise. 'Why? Was it something I did?'

'This isn't about something you've done.'

Shadow stared at her. His thumb and index finger began to burn, and he flinched, dropping the cigarette. It fell through the rain clouds, disappearing into the mist like a faint, smouldering ember. He could see himself reflected in Rouge's eyes. The briefest semblance of a smile passed across his face – a flash of sharp canines – devoid of humour.

'Well, if this meeting is about me, then why wasn't I asked to attend?'

'I wasn't notified either. Neither was Omega. None of Team Dark were. You're just lucky that you have friends who are looking out for you.' Rouge paused. 'Or listening, in this case.'

'… Thanks,' he said. 'Do you know what departments are involved?'

'Military, biomedical research and public relations. Amongst others.'

Shadow's grip tightened on the railing. '... Damn it.'

He'd grown careless. After the Black Arms invasion, he'd joined GUN to monitor the organisation from within and ensure that the past wouldn't repeat itself. But over time, he'd seen things begin to change. Without realising it, he'd continued to step further and further back, focusing on the job GUN was actually paying him to do. He'd let go of the past and moved on … but what if GUN hadn't?

'Did I make a mistake?' he whispered.

Rouge stared back at him. '… That's not what the meeting's about.'

He shook his head. 'Forget it. I was talking to myself. Where's the meeting being held?'

Rouge's right ear lit up with a purple glow, and she frowned. 'Yes? What is it?'

Shadow heard the tinny echo of Omega's voice coming from Rouge's earpiece. 'Numerous heat signatures detected in the GUN's main conference room.'

'They've already convened?' Rouge muttered. 'They really must not want you there.'

'I am offended on behalf of Team Dark by our exclusion from this "meeting". Requesting permission to use ballistic projectiles.'

'Denied,' Shadow said abruptly. 'Denied!'

Rouge held a hand to her ear, and her gaze flickered. 'Shadow, I can try to patch you in –'

'We don't have time for that.' He materialised a Chaos Emerald and held it up. The facets refracted the neon lights of Central City. 'And I want to hear this for myself.'

Rouge's eyes widened, but she hesitated. Then she said, 'Shadow, wait –'

'Chaos Control!'

He'd already said the words before she could finish her sentence. A viridescent glow flooded the night. Each raindrop hung in the air like a crystalline needle. Rouge stood in front of him, unblinking, unmoving, lips parted. Something about her expression made him hesitate. But if he stopped to hear her out, then the normal flow of time would resume, and the meeting would continue without him.

He turned and skated away, passing through through the rooftop door in a swirl of flames.

To be continued…

A/N: I uploaded the first chapter of this story on the day that Sonic 3 came out in my country. I hope you've all had an amazing Fearless Year of Shadow!