12 - It Begins - 12

Evening, 11:30 PM

The transceiver made static scratchy noises, but they could hear that it was attempting to go through. Shadow stared at the small device with anticipation, as did Infinite. Since Shadow used to work for the doctor, he knew very well that he tended to operate privately at ridiculous hours after dark. It was a little early for him to be scheming, but Shadow knew that he sometimes began operations just before midnight. He more than likely was preparing his plan right at this very second, so this was the time to strike. Everyone flinched when they heard the transceiver make contact. "...ello? Hello? Who is this, and why do you have one of my transceivers? And why shouldn't I fire a missile at your exact location as we speak?"

They were in.

It's go time. Infinite glanced down at the paper of lines in front of him. "Doctor? It's me, Infinite."

"Infinite...? Who...Oh yes! Ohohoho yes, the jackal! I remember now, I forgot all about you for a moment. But your name was always fascinating to me." An angry vein throbbed onto the jackal's forehead, but he had to brush this off. Meanwhile, the voice of the world's biggest villain continued to talk. Rather casually actually, as if the jackal was nothing more than a fleeting memory to him. No surprise there, Eggman always treated his pawns like garbage. "Anyway, what do you want? Your purpose has been served, I don't need you anymore."

Bastard, the mercenary thought. But that was okay, he'd make him pay before long. "Listen, I escaped from GUN custody. They're looking for me, but I found somewhere to hide." Shadow instructed him to make sure to sound as if he was troubled, like he'd been on the run for some time to falsely give Eggman a sense of emergency. "I know the plan was supposed to be a failure, but it could have succeeded if it wasn't for those damn amateurs. They took a lot from me, my family...Everything."

The mad genius chuckled from the other end. "Oh yes, I saw the news. Shadow really gave ya what for, huh? Took you all down single-handedly. Not surprising, really. That hedgehog has a history of fighting giant bio-monsters and demonic aliens on near God level scales of power. You never had a chance, which is why I gave you a task that I knew would fail. You bought me just the right amount of time I needed. Getting the ruby would have been impossible, since GUN had some kind of tracking device on it." Shadow and Rouge's eyes widened. GUN did what? When? And how did they do that if they never knew about the ruby until now? A dark chuckle loomed over the static. "I thank you for the distraction, because those little minutes of time were all I needed to put my plan into place. That diversion made it so that they wouldn't notice if the gem was stolen, and hacking my way through their computers to momentarily disable the device was a doozy. Now that I have what I need, I can finally be rid of that rodent for good."

Infinite briefly looked at Shadow, who hesitantly nodded for him to continue. "Shadow ruined everything for me, so I want revenge. I remember you said your plan involves killing him along with Sonic, and I want in on that."

The doctor was a little hesitant in answering. "Interesting proposal, but there's a few problems I have with that. For one," He listed off sarcastically. "I'm not primarily interested in killing Shadow. Sure he could be a problem for me, but I haven't made enough research to determine whether or not he needs to die along with that blue rat. For now, that remains to be seen. Second," He added. "You're a weakling, like I said before. If you couldn't even scratch Shadow, I know for sure you can't even so much as breathe on Sonic. You'd be useless to me anyway. And finally," His voice became quite sinister, as if he was smirking through the device. "You and I both know that the only reason why you're in this position isn't Shadow, it's me. I'm the one who forced you on that suicide mission, and thus, I'm the one who ruined your life. You don't want revenge on Shadow, you want revenge on me. You're just lying through your teeth so you can get to me and do Chaos knows what. Nice try, though. If anything, I should find and kill you before you can run your mouth. Then again, no one would believe the babbling of some loser ex-mercenary anyway..."

Growling with clenched teeth, the jackal squeezed his fingers against the device. He was right, as he had no sense in trusting anything Infinite had to say. But, he needed to get closer to him somehow so he could cut him down when he least expected it.

Maybe...

Shadow could see the realization in the jackal's eyes and shook his head quickly with an alarmed expression. No, just stick to the script, he mouthed silently. All Infinite would have to do is insist and proclaim reluctant loyalty to Eggman, and threaten to tell GUN about his plan if he didn't comply. He didn't have to do anything else. It was simple, easy. Everything was written out for him, they didn't have to worry. So why...

...Was he making that expression?

Infinite only smirked in return, holding up a finger to his lips to indicate for him to be quiet.

He knew what he was doing, and he wouldn't regret the next decision he was about to make. "I know you think I'm stupid because of how I was defeated by you, but I promise you, I know a lot more than you think I do. You're damn right it's your fault I'm in this position, and I do want to kill you." Infinite made a fanged leer. "However, you forget that I nearly had your throat slit with my sword. If your Egg Mobile hadn't malfunctioned and ejected you away from my blade, you wouldn't even be speaking right now. I've been paying attention. I know what you're conniving, despite your efforts in destroying what little evidence of your plan I had left. I remember all the notes I wrote on you, and I remember your audio logs. You have the Phantom Ruby, and I know only a Mobian can use it to truly unlock it's potential. A strong one. You can't use Sonic or Shadow, because it would just empower the very things you're so scared of. You can't kidnap one of Sonic's friends, because he'd immediately find out about it and kill you where you stood. And you can't use a regular Mobian because they'd die the instant they would touch the gem. Not to mention, I remember you said the ruby needs a host that's willing to use it at all. So in summation, doctor—" The jackal grinned maliciously. "You need me. I'm not affiliated with Sonic nor Shadow, I'm a Mobian who's physically stronger than average, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get my revenge on Shadow, and eventually you. But I'm sure you've got some kind of plan to counteract that last part. Oh, unless you didn't think that far ahead."

Infinite could see that Shadow seemed extremely worried, as he didn't want him to give himself up like that. That wasn't part of the plan, he was only supposed to threaten him with telling GUN about this information. If he was going to use the ruby on a Mobian host, that meant that Eggman would do something to Infinite's body and modify it so that he could utilize the gem's powers. That meant experimentation. Experimentation was a horrible life and a painful burden to live with. But he knew this, and he was even more flattered that Shadow evidently cared that much about his safety. With a more frustrated tone, Eggman began to yell through the transceiver. "How did you know any of that? I never even told you about the intricacies of the Phantom Ruby, nor about the ruby itself! Where did you get this information!?"

A good question, actually. If Eggman never personally told Infinite any of that, why the hell was there a thumb drive in his hideout of all of Eggman's audio logs? A dark chuckle emanated from Infinite. "Like I said, I'm not as dumb as you would believe. All of my jackals have specific jobs with specific roles. A few of them were hackers who took a little peek into your computers while you forced us to work with you, and they found your logs and copied them to a drive. I have that drive right now. But you never knew that, did you?"

"Fine," Eggman suddenly spat. "I underestimated you, I understand that now. So you want me to just let you waltz into my base, give you the ruby and let bygones be bygones just so you can kill me the moment you get your paws on it? Don't make me laugh. Besides, you could be feeding this information to someone right now. Do you think I'm stupid? Why would I ever trust you?"

The mercenary's heterochromic eyes flashed to the paper of the improvised script, Shadow most definitely wrote out what to say in this situation. And indeed he did. "Oh come now doctor, you already have something in place in case things go wrong, don't you? Surely a weakling like me wouldn't stand a chance against your genius," He made sure to lay it on extra thick, as Shadow placed parentheses on this line to do so. "Right?"

After a small pause of silence, the doctor answered back. "You know what, you're right. I do have something in place in case you backstab me, and it's something you'll never see coming. Alright," He spoke with a lot less venom and more creepy amusement. "I suppose I could allow you into my base...Odd that the transceiver isn't tracing your location, but I can see that it's been damaged." Excellent. Shadow was worried about that part, but if he thinks it was only damaged, they were in the clear. "Wherever you are, come to the Chemical Plant. I'm underground. There should be a secret elevator in the ground floor of the ruins, it still works. That'll take you to where I am, and we can get that chip taken out of you. Then we can begin!" That information almost sounded a little too easy to extract, until Eggman said this next. "By the way, if Shadow, GUN, Sonic or any of his little friends are listening to this, be warned." He ominously advised. "If any of you are secretly working with this jackal to find me, the entirety of Mobius will pay. The moment I stop breathing, is the moment something will automatically aim and fire at the country. Once it penetrates through, it will strike at the core of the planet, and wipe everyone out along with me." An evil chortle followed through that threat. "What it is, you'll never know until it's too late. Do not betray my trust Infinite, or you and the entire globe will regret it. Is that clear?"

Within a split second, Infinite's eyes turned to Shadow, who reluctantly motioned for him to accept his terms with a heavy frown. "...Crystal."

"Excellent!" The doctor could be heard clapping from the transceiver in excitement. "Be at my base tomorrow night, same time tomorrow. Do not be late, and I implore you not to bring any friends. After I examine you, we'll prepare your body for the ruby. Over and out."

Then, they heard nothing but static.

Infinite's hand started to become warm and vibrated, and the biohog knew what that meant. Rouge and the Overlander GUN soldiers were startled, but Shadow motioned to stay back for their own safety. He thought fast, snatched it from Infinite's hand and threw it to the other side of the tiny apartment prison, blowing up against the wall and making a small dent. Probably didn't want a mole tracing Infinite's location when he arrived at the Chemical Plant ruins, the doctor always covered all of his bases. Though Shadow planned most of the conversation, he didn't expect Infinite to be "examined" before inheriting the ruby. "I wish you didn't do that." He said ruefully before turning back to him. He didn't like the sound of that, he didn't want him to be experimented on like he was. "Are you sure about this? Eggman is going to pick and prod your body to prepare you for the ruby, and I promise you that is not a good experience. Experimentation can scar you for the rest of your life."

Infinite shook his head. "No, I know that. I know what I'm getting into. He may very well do to me what he did to my family," He gripped his hand into a strong fist. "But unlike them, I know what this entails, and I know what this is for. This is the perfect chance to get him right where I want him." The jackal took one last look at the script Shadow handed him, and he was impressed by how scarily accurate his prediction of Eggman's responses would be. He smirked as Rouge walked over to take the paper and place it in a folder under her arm, along with her laptop. "I can take it, I'll prove to you that I'm stronger than I look. Once I'm ready, I'll destroy the Phantom Ruby and crush all of his hopes right in front of him, just like he did to me." He raised his attention to Shadow. "I don't know how you're gonna do it, but you'll keep an eye on me I assume?"

Shadow nodded as he stood up from his seat. "Correct. I have ways to keep you under some form of surveillance, don't you worry about that. I'll have them let you out of your prison three hours before your planned arrival tomorrow night." He held out his hand to him. "Needless to say, your execution's been permanently postponed. When this is over, you'll be escorted to Prison Island in a renovated cell to your liking to live out the rest of your life sentence. You'll receive plenty of favors, along with some deserved privileges which includes monthly visits with other members of the Jackal Squad. Pleasure doing business with you, and may our enemies fall before you take a single scratch."

"You know," Infinite replied as he shook the biohog's hand. "If I knew you personally before all this, I would have made you the first outsider in history to join the Jackal Squad."

The striped hedgehog turned around and began to take his leave along with the rest of the GUN agents. "No thanks, I don't deal with villains—nor heroes for that matter. I go my own path: The path that only I see fit." He was the last one out of the hidden prison. "If you feel you have a safe chance to contact me with an update, do so. Good luck."

With that, the iron door to the tiny apartment was locked shut.

...

...And unbeknownst to them all, a mysterious figure was standing just behind the rickety shack that they were all currently exiting out of. A strange but smooth tactical helmet with a long back to it, was currently hiding their face. They wore a military themed uniform, leaning back against the wall of the shack. They tapped a long nightstick against their boot, bored of what they were listening in on. They were currently reporting on something themselves, their voice oddly manipulated with a strange filter. "So that's how the doctor got his hands on the ruby...It seems the Overseer before me never anticipated that an Overlander of such genius could crack the code. General," It was as if they were talking to someone else despite not having any obvious device on hand to communicate with. "First lieutenant general reporting. They're finally proceeding with their plan to intercept Dr. Robotnik. My guess is that it'll be fruitless, as this goes beyond anything anyone on this planet can comprehend. I see I'll have to make a move soon enough, but they'll never know, as usual. Permission to engage?"

A normal, deep voice replied back through static within the helmet itself. "Permission granted. Just be sure not to reveal yourself by any means, they don't need to know who you are. Not yet."

The unidentified soldier scoffed. "Have you forgotten I've been doing this long before I had the aid of the corps? They will never know I even exist, that is the number one rule as an Overseer. Chaos Born are just pawns in their games, I'm just here to manage them."

"True, but I'm technically your manager too. Meaning that you, your accomplishments and your potential failures are all my responsibility. I have a job to do just as much as you, so keep that in mind." The voice from the other end of the helmet's built in transceiver raised a question that sounded almost threatening. "Unless of course, that's an issue we need to discuss, first lieutenant general?"

An annoyed but oddly submissive sigh was their response. "...No, general." The mysterious figure stood off of the shack's back wall, and pulled something out of their pockets. They tossed a small golden ring ahead of them, and a portal that just barely fit their stature appeared. The portal revealed a highly advanced world of a huge high-tech metropolis, with flying cars and buildings that could float in the sky. A world that no one from Mobius would ever see. As they stepped through, they reiterated one last thing as they dragged their nightstick with them. "But I do know what I'm doing, and this mess will be sorted out in due time."

The portal closed, leaving nothing behind.

July 18th - Empire City

DAY 8: Friday

After dark, 2:30 AM

Everything seemed to work out good enough. He initiated his plan without a hitch—kind of, Infinite was going to keep a closer eye on Eggman, he got some extremely valuable information and he could focus on his next course of action: Attacking Eggman's base. Shadow reported his progress to Tower while leaving out the whole Chaos Born theory, and was in turn informed of GUN's mass investigation into their own soldiers. Tower confirmed with high certainty that there were no other moles hiding in plain sight. Those who Shadow personally deemed as safe were not investigated, which was why he had those two GUN agents in the secret prison with him. He worked with them for a while and observed them long enough to know they weren't at all suspicious. Not only that, but Tower was also forced by the president to issue an official apology letter to Sonic about the jackal GUN spy who stalked him. Shadow was sure the hero tore up the letter and tossed it in the garbage. Shadow tried to ask him why there was a trace on the Phantom Ruby, also informing him that this was why Eggman initiated the Jackal Squad's bomb attack, but when he brought it up...

...Tower seemed to be utterly confused.

He had no idea what Shadow was even referring to, and was even more confused by the appearance of some gem that wasn't a chaos emerald. He admitted that yes, hackers did report a strange instance in their systems during the day of the bombing attempt, but they thought it was just some small error. Nothing to be concerned about. He didn't know GUN ever had a trace on the ruby, and no one even knew where it was located or that the precious stone even existed.

That was...strange.

After all that, Shadow clocked out and returned to his apartment in the city. He didn't need to sleep per say, but he was mentally drained with this Chaos Born nonsense. What the hell even was that? How did Eggman even discover evidence of such an ancient race of people? Why did GUN have a trace on the gem? Why did it seem like Abraham genuinely didn't know what he was talking about? And why was Sonic involved? He wanted to ask his boyfriend about this so badly, but he knew Sonic wouldn't appreciate it and just clam up. Plus, he didn't want to ruin what they had going. Sonic was legitimately traumatized by what he did to the doctor, and would never dive any deeper with information regarding his super form. And their super forms—Why did Eggman come to the conclusion that they were evil? His head was swimming with so many questions, and he had a horrid migraine for the past three days straight. Tonight only made it worse, he was so stressed. If Sonic wasn't involved, he wouldn't be this pressed about it all. When he went to bed, he hoped his head would stop hurting and his mind cleared up.

And unfortunately, it never did.

Why? Because for some reason, he felt hot.

Very hot.

Not in terms of temperature, but in terms of...Libido.

He couldn't believe he was doing this, and he still couldn't understand how he was able to even feel this way. But here he was, touching himself at night in his sleep, once again memorizing the photo of one of the blue blur's magazine covers that was sent from Rouge. He was doing this like some filthy degenerate, all thanks to that damn blue hedgehog. This was only his second time doing something like this, and he didn't even know if he was doing it right. Despite being deep within a dream, his body took control, and seized the task in pleasuring himself. He unsheathed his bulging length, his tan colored member twitching and beading precum from the head. His body was lightly moist with sweat, his ungloved hands slowly stroking himself. His face was flushed red, biting his lower lip and scrunching his eyes shut due to this new feeling of sexual self-gratification. His dream was amazing, which was why this felt so good.

He could see it now, his fantasy.

He was standing against a wall, breathless and moaning loudly as his legs trembled below. He was holding onto the wall for dear life behind him, blissfully tilting his head back and closing his eyes. It felt so good, so real. The hero was on his knees, placing his palms on Shadow's pelvis, using it as leverage to bob his head back and forth. His member was in Sonic's mouth, reaching deep down his throat. Every so often, he'd look up at Shadow while sucking his member, as if asking for praise for a job well done. The biohog obliged him every time and pet his head, scratching behind his ears. He would feel him purr, and it vibrated against his length in his mouth. Audible slurping sounds were turning Shadow on even more, Sonic was just so filthy. Then as he deepthroated him, he felt something penetrate his body. Shadow made a loud gasp, his thighs making intense tremors as he felt a finger probe into his entrance down below. Sonic just smirked as he sucked him off, thrusting his finger inside him over and over. As he did so, Shadow felt his hips move on their own. He desperately reached out to grip the top of Sonic's head and forced himself into his mouth even more. Humping his face as he was fingered, he could feel his breaking point. Shadow was drooling as he watched him take every inch, every centimeter he had. Sonic tilted his head back and nearly pulled his entire length from out of his mouth. He slapped it against his tongue as he watched his orgasm arise. With one last thrust of his finger reaching deeper within him, Shadow cried out in pleasure and released.

White squirted into Sonic's mouth, which dribbled down his lips. Shadow nearly crumbled apart, his legs feeling so weak. He wanted to fall, but Sonic kept his legs still. He watched the hero swallow every blow he shot onto his face, and he even wiped his mouth with his hand only to lick the rest of his essence off of his bare fingers. "Have fun?" He whispered sensually.

Shadow nodded, out of breath. As he watched the blue hedgehog press kisses against his softening member, he felt himself blurt something out. "I love you."

...

...He immediately pressed a hand to his mouth, as he proclaimed some forbidden spell.

Why did he say that?

Why would he ever say that?

Suddenly, Sonic's face twisted into a state of utter repulsion. "...The fuck did you just say to me?" He hissed before painfully slapping away Shadow's member. "Oh hell no." He stood up and scoffed at him. "I just wanted a quick lay, not some sentimental bullshit from some faux excuse of life. Tch," He chuckled a little. "How could I ever love some freaky ass science experiment? I mean, you're not even real. You're just some fake thing made in a lab. You're good to fuck, not much else, honestly. But you've ruined that, too."

He turned his back towards him and walked away.

"Pathetic. Don't ever talk to me again, loser."

Shadow's eyes shot open with a start, panting out of his sleep as if he ran a world marathon in under a second. His eyes were bloodshot, he was tired. That dream quickly became a nightmare, and he dreaded this feeling. He felt aroused at first, but it was slowly dying out and being replaced with bleak anguish. This flip flop of emotions was not only annoying but absolutely painful. This was so confusing, he hated it. He hadn't felt this kind of sadness in years. Fake...He was just a fake. He was inept of truly loving anything. He didn't know why he kept forgetting that. He dragged his fingers over his face before pressing it more into the pillow. He gripped the pillow, his eyes moistening.

How could anyone ever love-

He felt his phone vibrating on the nightstand. He sighed. He slowly sat up, reached over and lazily grabbed the phone. After unlocking it, he checked his notifications, seeing that he got a message from Sonic. Why at this hour? He narrowed his eyes and checked the text.

i had a bad feeling somethin happened 2 u. I dunno y. u okay? reply when u can

Just a little bit, a small warmth grew inside of his aching chest. Shadow smiled a little, as he didn't expect this but he was glad that he was experiencing it now. His black and red striped fingers tapped away on the screen, answering back:

Bad dream, nothing to be concerned about. Thanks for checking in.

hey...is some of my spines in ya?

Shadow blinked. Huh. He patted himself, specifically his torso and abdomen before feeling a tiny blue spark surge through him. He reached behind his left side and felt something pointy, but dull. He grunted as he pulled it out, and looked at what he grabbed. Yeah, it was a blue spine, two of them in fact. The color in one of them was fading, and the power inside of it was barely even noticeable. He suddenly saw blue energy fade away from it, and it's fur became a dull gray. Must have died. Since they were both hedgehogs, Shadow didn't even realize that a spine that wasn't his own was stuck in him. He tossed it away somewhere but he kept the other in between his fingers, before texting back on his phone.

Yes, you were right. I had a few in my side. When did you do that?

i dunno but thats weird...i might have accidentally stuck 1 in ya at the beach when we were cuddlin up~ ;)

He recognized that odd symbol. That was supposed to be a winking emoticon, right? And next to that was one shaped like a heart, or at least that's what Rouge said when she explained texting to him some time ago. It didn't mean he loved him, but it did mean some level of charm, which he appreciated either way.

I suppose that would explain why you knew what I was feeling at the moment. Perhaps you could feel the wavelength in my body through the spine.

yeh maybe. didnt know i could do that tho. i just felt...all this sadness all of a sudden and i could tell it was comin from u. i thought somethin bad happened and i was worried. u sure u okay?

I'm okay, Sonic. I appreciate it.

As he stared at the phone, watching the little dots at the bottom that indicated that Sonic was typing, he decided to make a little proposal before he could reply back.

Hey, are you free this weekend?

yeh. whatchu tryna do~

Get your head out of the gutter, hedgehog. I want to spend time with you.

awww...really? i admit i didnt expect u 2 say that. whatd ya have in mind?

It's a long story that I'll explain in person, but I want you near me this weekend in case something might happen. But that's not the only reason. I sincerely want to be around you more often, and I want to welcome you in my home.

He was a little concerned about how Sonic would feel about that, since he knew he hated the idea of dating while constantly talking about Eggman or Infinite. He hoped he could see that his intentions weren't entirely selfish. He really did want to be with him this weekend—he was craving it to be honest—but he also needed to keep him close in case something might happen. Infinite would be under Eggman's hands soon, and who knows what would occur. Once the week began again, he'd have to physically clock into GUN and work at the office while also tailing Infinite's location. On the weekends, he'd work more at home but would still have to attempt at trailing Infinite's progress. Who knows? Maybe Sonic could help, but this wasn't his intention. He just wanted him here where he could see him, where he could make sure he was okay.

...

Shit, did he offend him? He wasn't responding.

...

...mmmnnnn...i guess i could do that. lil man is hangin with knux this weekend so he should be safe

He sighed in relief. He was also glad that Tails would be in good hands while he was out.

Good. You can come over at any time later this morning. I'll see you then.

i hope youre feelin a lil better now. try 2 go back 2 sleep and rest. i know my lazy azz will. goodnight~

He even sent a little kissing emoji. Sonic was so painfully of his generation that it was hurting his eyes, but Shadow found himself chuckling to himself.

Goodnight, Sonic.

As for this other spine that Shadow had, Sonic did indeed accidentally leave some in him when they were cuddling. He already knew that, but he also thought he had already used all the spines that Sonic stuck on him. 'Guess he missed a couple.

What he used them for, he would be the only one to know.

For now.

South Island - Green Hills, Green Hill Zone

Morning, 10:00 AM

The hero of Mobius stood near the door to the foyer, ready to leave just as soon as he fixed his hair. He was using the camera of his phone to look at himself, instead of a mirror. He had a satchel slung over his arm with everything he would need for this weekend. As he was fluffing his quills with one hand, he saw a orange-yellow fox slowly descend the staircase. He had on his light blue backpack, and he thanked Chaos he wasn't wearing that dumb emo hoodie anymore. He was chewing something, and when Sonic smelled a wave of fresh mint, he realized he must have took a bag of mint candies with him. He was moving around like a zombie, barely even awake. He must have barely got any sleep. Years ago, Tails would have had to use his plane to get up to Angel Island, but his namesakes were strong enough to get there on his own now. He was getting tougher, and Sonic was proud of him for this. However, considering his attitude as of the last few years, he needed to add a little insurance. Sonic took his hand from behind his quills and simply tossed a small spine at the teenager.

It landed right on his left ear, making Tails flinch. "...!?" He darted his baby blue eyes at Sonic, who was smirking mischievously. "Did you—Did you throw something at me?" He asked with an exasperated expression.

"Pfft, no." He lied with a smarmy grin. Sonic couldn't help but enjoy the small amount of fun he was getting out of the teenager's petulance.

"You're so annoying." Tails grumbled as he tried to dust himself off of whatever Sonic threw at him, but he'd never know what or where the spine was.

"Tails," Sonic asked while walking up to him and placing his hands on his own hips. "Be honest." He began with a thoughtful expression before getting down on one knee to get more on his eye level. Whenever the elder hedgehog did this, Tails was either in trouble or he needed to have a serious talk with him. Needless to say, the fox was a little on guard. "Are you scared of me?" Sonic asked with a neutral tone.

He could tell he was put off by the question. "W-What? No!" The fox exclaimed while backing up a few steps.

The hero was disappointed, as he could feel he was lying. His spine's chaos energy could feel feelings of deception and defensiveness. "...You mad at me?"

"No..."

"Do you hate me?"

"No."

With a slow inhale, Sonic stood back up straight and nodded. "Okay." He could feel more truth to those answers, so he wasn't lying about that, but he was definitely scared of him. Not gonna lie, that hurt, that hurt really bad. He'd never let him know that, though. "Just be careful, alright? Have fun at Knux's this weekend." He knew Tails wasn't interested in speaking any further, they were basically strangers at this point. He simply patted his head and turned to walk away.

"You...You be careful too." The young fox suddenly called out, causing the blue blur to pause. "Where...are you going?" His speech was hesitant, as they rarely spoke to each other. They usually just did a morning or nightly greeting, or Sonic would just let him know what he was cooking for dinner or breakfast. It felt new and a little intimidating, especially since he was scared of him. "Are you going to hang out with Shadow again? You're dating, right?"

Sonic almost choked on his own spit. "...!" Damn, he figured it out that fast? Was it that obvious? And was it okay to talk about this with him? He was almost eighteen, and there was no point in hiding it...Maybe he should just come clean already. "Oh shit, um...Yeah? I was goin' over his place for the weekend." He muttered while sheepishly scratching behind his head. "Look, I know you're like, Eggman level genius if not smarter, but how'd you figure that out that fast?"

The vulpine tugged on his backpack strap, flattered from the compliment since it was something he hadn't heard in a while. "I mean, it's pretty obvious. You like girls and guys, don't you? You flirt with everybody-"

Flabbergasted and even a little embarrassed, Sonic immediately attempted to remedy this. There was no reason why Tails would know that he was bisexual. "O-Okay wait just a minute!" He waved for the fox to come closer, his face immediately flushed. Tails smiled a little from that, since it was hard to get Sonic like this. At least, it was for him. He walked over as Sonic leaned over to whisper. "Aight, who told you that? You been talkin' to Amy? Rouge? Wait," Sonic had steam blowing from his ears after a sudden realization. "Did that stupid echidna tell you that?!"

Chuckling a little, Tails shook his head. "Rouge and Amy didn't tell me anything. Knuckles didn't either. But," He knew Sonic was going to blow a gasket from this. "Rouge visits Angel Island sometimes, and you know she gossips a lot. Knuckles is really loud, so whenever he complains about you to Rouge, I can hear it in the other room." When he saw the hedgehog humorously gritting his teeth with an angry smile, he decided to add a little more fuel to the fire. "He also said at the party that compared to Shadow, you were a 'wet noodle'. I mean, I personally disagree of course." He shrugged with a faux absent-minded smirk. "But you know, Knuckles will be Knuckles."

"Wet noodle?" Sonic repeated slowly. "Me breakin' his God damn arm the other month, was me being a 'wet noodle?'"

Tails snorted. "You broke his arm?"

"Asshole challenged me in an arm wrestling contest."

"Ooohhhh-"

"Aye, you know what?" Sonic added with a scowl. "You tell that talking stop sign to square the hell up next time I see him. I'll show him a damn 'wet noodle' with my knee in his spleen."

The fox chuckled a little more, and barely trying to hide it. "Heheheh, okay." His smile then faltered a bit as he looked downwards. "...Does Shadow treat you okay?"

Noticing the shift in tone, Sonic's expression softened and he gave him a reassuring smile. "'Course he does, I wouldn't be with him if he didn't. Granted we've only been official together for a few days, so I guess that doesn't really count." He shrugged. "I dunno, I've been havin' fun so far. I think he has, too." He playfully poked at his nose. "You're not worried for lil' ol' me, are ya?"

Tails swatted his hand away with a stubborn pout. "No. I just..." His expression became sullen. "Don't want you to..."

"Oh Tails," Sonic sighed with a smile as he pulled him in for a hug. "I'll be okay, I promise. And I won't abandon you either, you're my best pal." He could feel that he wasn't hugging back but he could feel that he was reassured. He let him go and gently nudged his arm. "If he breaks my heart, I'll tell you right away so you can get first dibs and beat him up. Fair?"

With a small smile, the fox nodded. "Okay." He waved a hand goodbye as he walked past the hedgehog. "I'm gonna go, I'll call you if something happens."

"That's my lil' man." He praised delightfully as he watched the vulpine exit out of the home first. "Oh and don't forget to tell Knux to run them hands!"

Giggling a little, Tails agreed. "Will do."

As he watched the door open and close, Sonic made a relieved smile. There was hope for them yet.

12 - END - 12