Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any of the characters in this story. I only own Scarlet, Iris, and Cecelia Rose, OC's I made to serve as parents for Rouge, Shadow and Amy respectively. Other made up parents are not named and will only be mentioned in passing.
Title is inspired by lyrics from Flyleaf's song Much Like Falling.
9 You Grip my Wrist, I Let Go
It wasn't the ache in her back that woke her, but the soft and rhythmic snores traveling to her uncovered ear. When she came to, Amy found herself on her side, bundled in Rouge's blanket. She blinked sleepily at the wall, then shifted when her aching body begged her to change positions, but she froze when she realized she was still in Sonic's bed. The events of last night started to flood in, and unease made her body go numb as she remembered Sally. Then Sonia's voice echoed in her mind.
For someone so sweet, you can be so selfish!
"I'm such an idiot," Amy mumbled.
Guilt stacked on top of her uneasiness and Amy swallowed the lump in her throat, moving to unravel herself without disturbing Sonic's bed sheets further. After tossing her legs over the bed and moving to stand, she tripped over her bag and caught herself on the carpet as softly as she could manage when the snoring returned. Once upright, Amy identified the source and found Silver cuddled up on a twin-sized air mattress on the other end of the room. Amy watched him closely, wondering if he would stir from her movements, but remembered that Blaze mentioned Silver always slept like a rock. She gave the sleeping hedgehog a sad smile as he twitched under a small blanket, wondering if he was dreaming of Blaze. She tip-toed over to him and noticed his quills weren't as dingy as before, and he looked to be wearing a black t-shirt, his jersey discarded.
Looks like he showered. And managed to get to sleep. Thank Chaos.
Amy backed away from her best friend and smoothed out Sonic's sheets. Quietly lifting her bag to her shoulder and tucking Rouge's blanket under her arm, the pinkette padded softly to the door, cracking it open and listening out for anyone else before stepping out herself. The only thing that pierced the silence of the darkened home was the hum of the dryer. She secured the door behind her and twisted to head to the living room, only to stifle a squeal and grab the wall to avoid falling over the dark bundle on the ground. She lowered her hands and breathed a sigh of relief, lifting a brow at Shadow, his back pressed against the wall as he slept upright, his arms crossed and head tilted low. She thought for a moment that he may just be resting his eyes, but his twitching fingers and slow, deep breathing pattern made her think otherwise.
How is he sleeping like that? Moreover… why is he sleeping by Sonic's door?
Stepping around the ebony hedgehog carefully as she pondered his presence, she made her way into the living room, the lump that was Knuckle's legs coming to view as Amy approached the couch from behind. She smiled apologetically at the echidna, finding him blanketless and on his back with his fingerless hand on his chest. His face was scrunched up as if he went to sleep angry, the evidence of his frustration permanently seared into his face. She draped Rouge's blanket over him gently, wondering just how much he drank in order to get himself to sleep as she eyed the open flask on the coffee table. He hummed at her action, but didn't wake, simply turning over and pulling the blanket to his chest as he stuffed his nose in the soft surface.
"Sorry I kept this from you. Hopefully Rouge can join you under this blanket soon," Amy whispered.
She backtracked into the hallway, past Shadow's sleeping form and Sonic's bedroom, the ebony's ear twitching as she passed. She stopped into the restroom to freshen herself up, checking the time on Espio's phone as she reached for a change of fresh underwear. It was nearly seven, but with how still it was in the triplets' home, she'd originally guessed it no later than four in the morning. She threw on her only other set of clean clothes, an oversized light purple sweater, a denim pleated skirt, and a pair of long, black knee high socks to keep her warm. After brushing her quills into order, she made her way to the kitchen and eyed the dishes in the sink before turning to the stove.
I should… make myself useful.
It didn't take her long to find what little edible options were still stocked in the home, the pinkette effortlessly navigating the pantry and fridge as she rolled up her sleeves and fell into her usual cooking workflow. With a quick chop of the last three potatoes and a crack of the last six eggs, she found herself preheating the oven after a chance look in the freezer garnered her a pack of frozen biscuits she hoped weren't freezer burned. With another sweep of the cabinets and pantry, she managed an onion and some seasonings, chopping the vegetable and adding the diced bits in her egg mixture, turning it with a whisk. Once the potatoes hit the heated pan of oil, the sizzle brought some life into the pinkette. She tossed in the eggs after sliding in the tray of frozen biscuits into the oven, blowing her bangs away from her forehead, grateful for the current distraction.
At least when I'm doing something like this, I'm not getting on anyone's nerves… or getting into an argument.
"Looks like you beat me to it."
Amy stiffened. Sally's voice from behind her made her neck grow cold. She didn't move for a moment, hoping the chipmunk would take the hint, but Sally's footsteps against the tile told her otherwise. The chipmunk just barely moved into the corner of her eye as Amy glared into her neat pile of eggs and potatoes.
"Want some help with that?" Sally asked.
"Nope. Just finishing up, actually," Amy said firmly, still refusing to look at her.
"Right. I'll just grab the dishes."
Their backs were to one another, the rush of sink water and the fading hiss of frying eggs filling the gap. Amy kept herself occupied by meticulously wiping nonexistent specks on the counter and squatting to check the biscuits. She crossed her arms and waited for the sink water to stop and for Sally to go. Finally, the guilt caught up to her and she clenched the oven door handle, bracing herself.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep in Sonic's bed last night. That was insensitive of me," Amy said stiffly, but genuinely.
Sally perked up, grabbing the drying towel that hung from the cabinet below her. Amy took a deep, calming breath before releasing the oven door handle and crossing her arms, turning to eye the chipmunk behind her. Without turning around entirely, she addressed the chipmunk with her guard still up. Sally pressed her back against the sink coolly, drying her hands and facing Amy with an encouraging lift of her lips, though her expression was worn and held a dash of sorrow.
"It's okay, really. I'm sure being in his room made you feel at ease. His bed was the only place I could get any sleep my first night here," Sally admitted.
"I can see why. It sounds like you had a tough time with Sonic. I bet it was scary hauling him all the way here without getting caught… or bitten, for that matter," Amy said.
Sally's eyebrows upturned and she rubbed her arms, looking away with a sad smile directed to the ground.
"Yes. I went through… a lot of emotional extremes that day, at school and afterward. And that night at the park isn't something I'll ever forget, for several reasons," Sally said softly, her voice cracking at the end.
Amy cut the heat from the stove, letting the silence console the chipmunk rather than making herself find the words to do so herself. She reached into the oven with a mit and placed the biscuits next to her egg and potato mixture, hoping Sally's hunger overtook her need to explain further. Instead, the chipmunk cleared her throat.
"Do you… want to talk about it?" Sally asked.
Sally started at the sharp clang of the spatula smacking against the pan. She watched Amy's shoulders rise and fall quickly as she finished her task and moved to leave. Sally only saw the side of Amy's face as she fled, the emotionless stare that had taken over her features discouraging further conversation.
"I'm going to wake Silver," Amy mumbled.
Sally reached for Amy, but didn't have to stop her, as the pinkette froze halfway to the kitchen entrance on the right. Amy's irritation multiplied as Sonia strode in and halted, looking between Amy and Sally before crossing her arms expectantly as Manic trailed in behind her. Sonia's eyes eventually held Amy's hostile stare, but Manic stepped between unassumingly. Manic rubbed an eye as he sniffed the air, rubbing his stomach and completely missing the look on Amy and Sally's faces as he leaned over to check the stove.
"What's cookin', ladies? Sure smells good in here," Manic said.
Sonia gave Amy a final resolute look as if to pin her to her spot, grabbing Manic's shoulders and ushering him through the other kitchen entrance.
"I see we're interrupting something. We'll just go set the table while you two finish," Sonia announced.
"Set the table?" Manic said, planting his feet at Sonia's actions, earning a sharp look from his sister as they floated in limbo in the middle of the kitchen.
"Actually, I was just leaving. I need to go wake Silver," Amy said.
Unaware and half-awake, Silver strode in through the entrance Amy sought to escape through. He tried to speak through his yawn, scratching the back of his messy quills as he adjusted the oversized band T-Shirt Manic had given him. The blurry shapes of his friend's came clear and his eyes eventually zeroed in on Amy, though she wasn't looking at him. The pinkette was holding a silent show of defiance as she and Sonia kept up their stare off. Sally gave an exasperated sigh and Manic, confused, looked between the two girls.
"Hey, is something burning… oh…" Silver said.
Sonia caught everyone's attention with a sharp clap of her hands as she regarded the group with a wide smile. A sugary-sweet smile. So sweet it hurt.
"Ah, Silver, you're awake! Well, it looks like you can stick around and chat after all, Amy. Unless you have some other excuse?" Sonia said.
Amy was tightly coiled and ready to pounce underneath her unmoving facade. Sonia cocked a testy brow, her fake smile looking more like a twisted sneer the longer Amy stood her ground. Everyone else started to fade away, so much so that as Amy zeroed in on Sonia, she barely registered Silver's sigh and Manic's slow inching toward the stove behind her.
"Amelia."
Everyone held still. Shadow stepped through the entrance and Silver moved out of his way as the ebony hedgehog scanned the growing group indifferently. Though all eyes were on him, he didn't make a move to return their looks or respond in any way until his eyes fell on the pinkette. He saw her relax as she gave him her attention, her contorted facial features softening in confusion.
"Can I speak with you for a moment? It's important," Shadow asked.
"Um, sure," Amy said.
She followed Shadow out of the kitchen, Sonia watching her intently the entire way. Just as she passed the wall and caught up with Shadow, he opened the door to the bathroom, confusing her even more. The ebony hedgehog ushered her in first and closed the door behind them, leaning against it with his arms crossed as he pressed an ear to the surface. Amy twisted around to face him, prepared for his conversation before Sonia's irritated voice came through muffled from the other side of the door.
"Manic, I said we wait," Sonia said sharply.
"Food's gettin' cold, sis. Who knows how long their conversation is going to take, anyway. And we can't let Ames' hard work go to waste," Manic said.
Amy's ears perked as Shadow snickered under his breath before letting his head fall back against the door as he closed his eyes.
"Um, Shadow?" Amy asked.
"Let's just wait for them to start eating before we go back out there. Manic won't last long with food in the vicinity and once he grabs a plate, everyone else will follow," Shadow said.
"Y-you did that to help me?" Amy asked.
Shadow opened his eyes and kept them directed to the ceiling.
"We could all do without the extra yelling this morning. And… I think you've been through enough," Shadow said.
Warmth heated her cheeks and she smiled gratefully at him, rubbing an arm sheepishly.
"You know, you seem to be helping me out a lot lately. And what's really getting to me is I can't seem to figure out why... or what you could possibly be thinking at times like this. You're so hard to read," Amy admitted gently.
Shadow's lips turned downward and he latched eyes with the confused pinkette.
"There's nothing to read into. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not in love with chaos and violence, and I certainly don't want to get caught up in petty squabbles with Sonia. I just want to keep the peace as much as Silver does at this point," Shadow said.
"You, know, I've never actually thought that about you. The chaos and violence-loving parts, I mean," Amy said.
Shadow stilled, watching her fidget under his unreadable gaze. His eyes lowered after a moment and he sighed, his eyes molten.
"I… I know. Look, let's just pretend we're deep in conversation in case Sonia comes by. You're quite outgoing. Why don't you start," Shadow said.
"Talk, right. I guess…. Well… I'm not sure what to say right now," Amy admitted, still reeling from the tension in the kitchen.
"Why don't we start with 'thank you'?"
Amy blinked at him as he gave her a small, playful smirk. It made something flutter in her chest and the next thing she knew, she was chuckling lightly. She placed her hands behind her back and gave him a small upturn of her lips.
"Thank you, then."
Shadow nodded and turned his head to the side, listening as someone passed by the door, the sound of their fork tapping against their plate as they hummed. It was then, with nothing else to do, stuck in the bathroom with the ebony hedgehog blocking her only exit, that Amy really took him in. He wore his private school slacks still, small slices in the fabric and stains on the bottom hem that overlapped his socks. None of that was out of order, but as she observed him further, taking in his untucked, half-buttoned dress shirt, she found a bloody outline diagonally splitting the fabric. Where an ugly gash should have been on his chest, all she could see was the trace of one that had already healed, new strands of chest fur already growing over the mark.
Now might be the only chance I get to ask.
"Well, I have been curious about something," Amy said.
"And what would that be?" Shadow asked.
"You, actually," Amy admitted softly.
Shadow stopped breathing. Amy recognized the way he tightened his crossed arms as a sign he was uncomfortable with the subject, but she couldn't back down now that she had the opportunity. She reiterated her observations in her mind, rethinking her angle as she searched for the right words, afraid her initial questions would make him close himself off.
"Can I ask you something?" she asked him.
"If it's about taking you with us to find Rouge, I don't have an answer for that yet," Shadow said hesitantly.
Amy shook her head, the striking look of her focusing hard on something making Shadow lower his eyes at her, searching for intent.
"You seem… a little different from the rest of us," Amy began.
Something passed Shadow's eyes and his face dropped sullenly.
"The quiet guy in the corner always seems different, Amelia," he said calmly.
Amy swallowed, feeling guilty before shaking it off to continue.
"What I mean is... I've noticed that strange things seem to be happening to you lately," Amy said.
"Like?"
Amy tugged at a sleeve and looked at the sink, remembering the warehouse.
"Well, for one, you seem to have this heightened sense. Like you can hear and see things before anyone else notices, like the pallet jack in the warehouse," Amy started.
Shadow let out a deep laugh, the rare occurrence stunning Amy as she blinked at him.
"That's what this is about? Amelia, I had a flashlight and you didn't. My light just happened to catch the edge of the forks in time to warn you. There's nothing strange about that."
Amy frowned and tossed an arm behind her to emphasize her point.
"But your light was facing the opposite direction."
Shadow's brow twitched at her observation, but his face turned emotionless.
"I'm taller than you. I had a wider view of the surrounding area," Shadow retorted.
"I'd only buy that excuse if it wasn't nearly pitch black in there," Amy said quickly, with a certainty that mirrored his own.
Shadow averted his gaze.
"I was on the alert, Amelia. We all were. Clearly we were each focused on different things. I just happened to see the pallet jack before you did. That's all."
"Okay, then. What about your eyes? Is there something special you take to make them glow in the dark?" she asked.
"Just a trick of the light," Shadow said.
"What light? The warehouse was barely lit."
Shadow locked his arms tighter, his fingers digging into his sleeves.
"Have you ever heard of the tapetum lucidum? It's a layer of tissue in the eye that's very effective at reflecting any available light."
Amy scoffed with a jerk of her head.
"No, that's not…okay, fine. How about you tell me how you were able to make it thirty blocks ahead of us in such a short amount of time yesterday? Without breaking a sweat, at that."
Shadow's eyes hardened as Amy pried more, the pinkette closing the distance between them.
"I've tied Sonic in every race we've ever had. I don't think it's a stretch to say that I'm quite quick on my feet," Shadow said.
"Not fast enough to run halfway across town and back in ten minutes like it's nothing," Amy refuted.
Amy's disbelief at Shadow's deflection was cut by the raw emotion in his eyes, his rubies hostile and unforgiving as she stared up at him. Rather than back off, she pursed her own lips and stood her ground, refusing to take his dismissive responses for proper answers.
"You know, I could have sworn you wanted to ask me something relevant to our current situation," Shadow whispered behind his teeth.
Amy blew her bangs from her face.
"Fine. Currently, you should have a wound across your chest from the infected that managed to get on top of you in the warehouse. But all that's left is this," Amy said, her voice drifting from a firm assertion to a gentle admission.
Amy zoned in on his exposed chest. She inched close enough to see all of the harsh lines of the scar, Shadow nervously uncrossing his arms to push her back, but her closeness made him hold still. Without thinking, she pressed a hand to the scar on his chest, the mark continuing to actively fade even now before her eyes. Her touch was tender, her fingers tracing the outline of the scar before hovering over the path it forged through his chest fur. Her breath caught lightly as she remembered just how he sustained the wound, the cry of pain he emitted so distinct and gut wrenching, she would never forget it.
"This must have been so painful, and yet you shook it off and kept going, like it was nothing. It was the same thing for the scar on your hand, which I bet is completely gone by now. That's not normal. How are you… how is your body healing so fast?" Amy asked.
His fingers curled around the hand she pressed to his chest and Amy realized just how close she'd gotten to him. The flush that blossomed hurt and the glistening ruby eyes she looked up into were soaked in several heavy emotions, though one stood out to her the most: hurt. Though he hid it behind clear frustration and a simmering anger, the pinkette recognized the undercurrent of torment twisting inside him.
Did I say something wrong?
"And why do you feel entitled to this information, exactly?" Shadow said in hush.
Amy swallowed, wanting to back away but finding herself locked in place.
"I don't feel entitled to it… I just… everything is falling apart around us and I can't help but wonder why these things are happening to you all of a sudden," she muttered.
His eyes started to melt, and his bottom lip wavered as he determined how to respond to her.
"Not so sudden, actually," Shadow finally whispered.
Shadow searched her gaze for several heartbeats, but the pinkette seemed to back off the longer her own words set in. She looked more uncertain, then pain flashed across her face as she averted her eyes. Shadow kept his intense eyes on her, but his frustration with her was already subsiding. Sonia's voice echoed in Amy's ear as she reflected on her behavior.
Selfish.
"Hey, you done in there, Shadow? I really gotta take a piss."
Knuckles' tired grumble from the other side of the door floated between them. Shadow's intense and guarded look didn't waver even as he loosened his grip on her hand and Amy brought it to her chest, her heart in her ears. Shadow cracked the door and addressed the impatient echidna as Amy stayed hidden behind it, tugging a quill and messing with the decorative towel hanging to her right.
"I'll be out in a moment," Shadow said.
"You sure? I'll go outside if you're still sprucing up your quills or whatever," Knuckles said.
"It's either you relieve yourself with an infected breathing down your neck, or you hold it like an adult until I'm finished. Take your pick," Shadow grumbled.
"Okay, okay. I'll wait out here. Tch, no need to get all snappy."
Knuckle's presence seemed to move from the door as he mumbled to himself, but neither hedgehog wanted to be the one to break the awkward air around them as Shadow secured the door. Amy bit her lip, her flush still evident. Shadow rubbed the back of his neck before clearing his throat.
"Why don't we drop the subject for now? And, possibly, keep these observations between us?" Shadow suggested.
Amy bravely lifted her head, but found his eyes still traced with hurt and something uncertain as he faced her with a resolute press of his lips. She couldn't find it in her to respond, but she didn't refute his suggestion, which was enough for the ebony hedgehog. Shadow turned the door knob and broke their standoff curtly.
"I'll head out first and distract Knuckles enough for you to get by without him noticing you. I'm sure you wouldn't want him to get any ideas about what we were both doing in here," Shadow said.
Embarrassment smothered her and kept whatever reply she had stopped up in her throat as realization hit. Shadow stepped out and cut the light, pretending to have been alone in the bathroom. In the darkness of the small space, Amy ran her hands through her quills and internally groaned.
Great. My big mouth just got me into deeper shit with the one guy who can get me out of here! What is WRONG with me?
She only spent a minute hovering in the darkened bathroom before sliding out of the door Shadow had left cracked. It seemed the ebony hedgehog was successful in drawing Knuckles away from the bathroom, as the empty hallway greeted her, the click of utensil-to-plate covering her footsteps. Yet, right as she went to turn into the kitchen entrance to avoid further suspicion, Knuckles turned the corner as he finished his conversation with who she assumed was Shadow, freezing as he noticed her. Amy sighed, not even bothering to come up with an excuse as the echidna looked at her then the bathroom, his eyes growing.
"Woah. Were you in there.. with him?" Knuckles asked, seeming to purposefully keep his voice down.
"I don't want to talk about it, Knuckles," Amy warned under her breath.
Amy avoided the dining area and tried to get around him to head for the living room. The echidna got in her way, unfortunately, but rather than apologize for accidentally matching her steps, he continued to ramble about the implications of her and Shadow alone in a room.
"Hey, if you and Shadow have a secret thing or were… doing something, that's none of my business. Just try not to do it in the only bathroom available, I guess? Especially if you want to keep that stuff on the down low, ya know?" Knuckles muttered.
"We weren't doing anything weird in there, Knuckles. That's… not what I'm worried about right now, anyway," she whispered back.
Amy moved into the open area, leaving Knuckles to shrug before heading to the bathroom. She weighed her decisions, finding Sonia, Manic, Sally, Silver and Shadow seated at the dining room table. Silver picked at his plate while Shadow beside him seemed too trapped in thought to consider filling the empty plate in front of him. Across from the unenthusiastic boys, Sonia and Sally graze on half-full plates, the girls whispering among themselves as Manic stuffed his face eagerly beside them.
"Hey, Ames, why don't you come have a bite?" Manic called.
Amy realized that her appetite was minuscule after the morning drama. Manic's scratchy, friendly voice pulled at her heartstrings and nearly had her shuffling over to the table, if only to appease the green hedgehog after all the yelling and drama he'd endured. To share a meal, however meager, with the friend's she'd found so far felt like a comforting hug.
"Yeah, Amy. We've got a lot to talk about as well," Sonia added.
Her stomach shrank into nothing, especially as everyone at the table looked at her with various levels of sympathy, making her believe Sonia had spilled that the pinkette had seen Sally and Sonic in the park. The pinkette immediately turned from the dining room table and went searching for her things in the living room, finding her bag, bow, and quiver placed neatly behind the couch next to Silver's things.
"Not hungry," Amy called.
Amy threw a dismissive wave in Sonia's direction, which was the wrong move. The moment she crouched to sift through her bag, Sonia's chair screeched and Amy looked up just as the older girl towered over her, hands on her hips. Amy stood upright to confront her, Sonia roughly pulling her bow from her hands.
"What are you…?" Amy started.
"I'm sick of watching you avoid all these hard conversations, Amy. You already did exactly what I told you not to do and went into Sonic's room, and slept in his bed at that. And now you're avoiding any and all opportunities to explain yourself?" Sonia said.
The pinkette bared a fang and moved to take back her bow only for Sonia to grab her wrist. A violent jolt shot up her back at the action and Amy snatched her wrist from Sonia's grasp, turning on the older girl quickly as she successfully retrieved her bow from Sonia's grasp the second go around.
"I made breakfast for you guys and I already apologized to Sally for the bed thing. Is that not enough for you?" Amy hissed.
"No, it's not. You can't just cover up what you did with a half-assed apology and breakfast! What you need to do is explain to everyone here what you were doing in the park on Thursday night so we can see if any of us can trust you at this point. What do we need to do to get you to talk?"
"What I need is some space!"
The chairs of the dining room table screeched with movement one after another, but Amy was zoned in on the irate older girl in front of her. She'd never experienced a real fight with her own mother, but this felt like the closest thing to it. Sally was the first to come into view, her eyes panicked as she reached for Sonia's shoulder.
"Sonia, it's alright," Sally said.
"No, it's not alright. I'm not going to let her have her way without facing the consequences. We need everyone on the same page if we're going to save my brother, and I need to make sure she isn't planning to ruin everything," Sonia said as she addressed the calm chipmunk.
Amy clenched her fists as she watched the girls talk about her as if she weren't right in front of them. Shadow and Silver hovered behind the trio of feuding girls, Silver eying them all wearily as Knuckles emerged from the hall cautiously, joining the distant boys. Manic squeezed around them, watching Sonia and Sally wearily before throwing Amy an apologetic look before hovering close to his sister. Shadow watched Amy carefully, his face tightening as Amy passed him a distressed look.
"If you're still planning to get yourselves tangled up in this emerald mess, then do that on your own. Amelia is coming with me," Shadow announced.
"She isn't going anywhere with you. You'll get her killed!" Sonia retorted without missing a beat as she turned on the ebony hedgehog.
"And your crazy expedition to cross the city for some mystic gem won't?" Shadow responded just as quickly.
Sonia scoffed, but the ebony hedgehog wasn't finished as he took a meaningful step toward her.
"And what if the emerald is not at the estate? G.U.N. is likely already looking for them so they can apprehend the psycho doctor who's got the city under lock and key, and if her father values his position, then he'll have already handed over the emerald to G.U.N. or the local government. You'll be walking into infected territory for nothing, risking your lives and Amelia's life for nothing," Shadow challenged firmly, throwing an accusatory thumb at Sally.
Sonia turned her hands to fists as she took a few solid steps toward Shadow in response, Sally's pull on her the only thing keeping her from tacking a finger to Shadow's chest.
"You've got a lot of nerve acting like your innocent little mission to find Rouge is noble. It can't be anything like that, not if you're the one calling the shots. Who are you to tell me which of our missions is worth it, let alone which will keep Amy safest?" Sonia spat.
Shadow grit his teeth, but kept as cool as he could manage, refusing to budge.
"Getting involved with the emeralds will have G.U.N. breathing down our necks in an instant. If you want to be G.U.N.'s next target, so be it, but I'm not going to leave Amelia to get mixed up in that mess," Shadow stated clearly.
"Oh, so I'm guessing your mission to find Rouge, who's mom is, oh, let me think, a former G.U.N. agent won't involve running into any members of the same organization? Never mind that the city is already teeming with G.U.N. soldiers running left and right with their guns pointed at anything moves! You can't seriously look me in the eye and tell me what you're doing isn't just as dangerous!" Sonia retorted.
Shadow shut his mouth with a clench of his jaw as he took on Sonia's wrath, knowing she was right to some degree. Amy watched Sonia's hostility toward Shadow climb, each word setting the pinkette alight. Fuming, Amy defiantly threw her quiver around her and pulled the straps of her bag over both shoulders. Sonia turned back to her, but Amy refused to acknowledge the older girl. Amy gave Silver a nod, and the white hedgehog stiffened, but moved to Amy and grabbed his bag and bat. Knuckles already had his things and floated around the hall that led to the back door, an uneasy look directed to the carpet.
"Amelia Rose," Sonia hissed.
It was a warning, but all it made Amy want to do was defy Sonia even more.
"I don't want to be here, Sonia," Amy said.
Sonia's shocked face did nothing to Amy, but Sally's pained look in her direction made the pinkette's heart squeeze. She headed for the hallway, Silver already making his way over in the heavy silence, muttering an apology to Sally as he passed. Sonia reached for Amy's wrist again while fighting with her own words, but just skimmed Amy's skin as the pinkette twisted around to face her.
"I can't save Sonic, but I can look for Rouge, Cream, Blaze, Tails… They need me more…and I'm suffocating in here, anyways," Amy said.
A flash of hurt crossed Sonia's face, Manic moving from her flank to her side as he tried to talk some sense into her below his breath. Angry tears pricked the older girl's eyes, but she let her burning emotions take over, boring holes into the back of Amy's head as she watched her trail behind Shadow, Silver, and Knuckles. Amy stopped at the door as Silver removed the various items that barricaded the door. She felt Sonia, Manic, and Sally follow them down the hall and it took everything in her to keep her eyes on the door.
"So that's it? You can't have him for yourself, so he means nothing to you now?" Sonia hissed below her breath.
Amy bit her lip, the urge to cry crawling up her throat. She hid her pain in her heart with an irritated glance back at the three friends she dared leave behind as the three boys in front of her exited the home. Shadow muttered her name and she followed them out, turning to secure the door behind her.
Between the shrinking space of the door and the frame, all Amy could see was the disappointed face of Manic, the angry tears streaming from Sonia's eyes, and the anguish in Sally's face as she caught Amy's gaze just as the door shut.
~aAa~
Sonia hates my guts. I would hate my guts, too, I guess. I betrayed her.
Perched on a tall chair while keeping watch, Amy reflected miserably. She scanned the grey-sunken city from behind the glass barrier of an old sandwich shop, the mutterings of a mounted box TV filling her ear, though she didn't bother to register the news report. She moved her elbow to the standing table beside her, crushing her cheek into her palm.
Whatever. I'm just glad to be out of that house. Maybe now I can think straight.
Right as the pinkette lifted her head to scan the street for trouble, the crust of a toasted sandwich slid into her vision. Amy didn't have to look to know Silver had returned to her side to check on her and encourage her to eat. Shadow and Knuckles were busy ransacking the sandwich shop for supplies and whatever hadn't spoiled. The white hedgehog hadn't left her side since they left Sonic's place, not saying much as all four of them fled the suburbs to the cluttered city streets, but his presence was welcome nonetheless.
"Looks like Knuckles' uncle never got around to restocking the brown mustard, so this may be a bit dry. Unless you're up for some vinaigrette?" Silver said.
Amy shook her head numbly, keeping her head forward.
"I'm… still not that hungry," Amy muttered.
Silver's face lifted in a playful, mock disbelief.
"What? Amy Rose turning down a ham and swiss? It really must be the end of the world."
Amy side eyed him with a slightly enthused turn of her lips, but it fell instantly. Silver unravelled a napkin and placed the sandwich on top, leaving it on the table just within eyesight of the pinkette. He joined her in companionable silence, leaning against the other end of the tall table as he nibbled on his own early lunch. Amy listened to him chew, her own stomach groaning angrily at the smell of his sandwich choice.
"Still haven't moved on from warm bread and cheese?" Amy teased.
"Hey, it's simple and tasty," Silver said.
"You mean basic and nutritionless?"
"It's easy to hate from outside of the club. If only you had an invitation…"
Amy rolled her eyes as Silver nudged the ham and swiss, but she finally picked on the edge of the sandwich. Silver passed a glance over his shoulder, looking around for Shadow and Knuckles. Shadow was still nowhere to be found and Knuckles could be heard rummaging in the back storage room. When Silver turned back, he took a bite out of his sandwich and scanned the infected city beyond. Amy thought the toasted sandwich would clear her thoughts, but the food only reminded her of the breakfast she'd left behind and the disappointed friends she left with it.
I can't save Sonic. None of us can. Rouge, Cream, Tails, and Blaze… finding them takes priority any way. I didn't leave because I no longer care about Sonic... Not that Sonia would have care either way. I don't think there's any way to get her to trust me now.
Amy tried to block out her thoughts, absolve herself of the guilt so she could focus on the mission at hand, but with the current delay, she could only sit and let the events of the morning fester. Sonia's tearful state as they left came to mind, then the pain on Sally's face. Amy pushed the sandwich away and swallowed heavily, the image of Sally dragging an infected Sonic to Sonia and Manic's door replaying like a broken record in her head.
"I couldn't have done what Sally did."
Silver perked up at Amy's admission, bringing his half eaten sandwich low as he turned to the pinkette that mentally turned in on herself.
"I'm sure if it had been me instead of her that night, Sonic would have never tried to bite me… because I would have run like a coward and left him behind before he could get the chance," Amy muttered.
"Are you beating yourself up over this because you were in the park Thursday night?" Silver asked gently.
Amy flinched, finally turning to lock eyes with Silver's sympathetic yellow.
"So, Sonia did tell you guys about it," Amy stated begrudgingly.
Silver rubbed the back of his neck.
"I think she spilled the beans because she wanted us to try and convince you to talk. I just told her that, whatever happened to you at the park, you would tell us when you were ready."
"There's not much to tell. I found a note in my locker from Sonic asking to meet him in the park, but it turns out that it wasn't for me," Amy mumbled.
Silver visibly cringed.
"Ouch. I'm guessing you didn't get the chance to let Sonia know that?"
"It's not like she'd believe me, anyway."
Silver parted a lip to pass on a word of comfort, but struggled to find just the right words for his best friend. It was enough of a pause that Amy had the time to ruminate and battle with her conflicted feelings.
"It's just…I keep wishing that I was the one he chose, because that's what I've wanted for so long, but no matter how I look at it, there's no scenario where him choosing me feels right. Especially now that I know just how far back his affection for Sally goes," Amy admitted.
"Amy…" Silver mumbled.
"It really doesn't matter, Silver. I'm not going to get in the way of their relationship. I just want Sonic to be happy. He deserves the world, and if that world doesn't involve me, then so be it."
"Amy, don't do that to yourself. Sonic is important to you and I'm sure you're important to him, too. You're one of his longest standing friends. I don't think he'd drop you completely now that he's taken. There's still a friendship to be had there."
Amy found sincerity in Silver's words and almost let him comfort her, but a morbid thought made her lifting lips drop again.
"We're talking about him as if he's still … himself right now," Amy said.
"Ah, right," Silver mumbled.
Silver gave his best friend a small smile. When she didn't return it, his face fell, watching as the pinkette turned from him and drew her legs up to her chest.
"I wish I never loved him. I wish he was never so kind to me. I wish I'd never seen him and Sally-" Amy said miserably, voice shaking.
"Hey, hey. We're not going back there. It's not your problem anymore. Now you can focus on finding our other friends and keeping yourself safe, okay?" Silver said, placing a hand on the back of her chair.
"But… what about Sonic? What if the emeralds are real somehow and we really can turn him back? Shouldn't we at least try to help them? They're our friends," Amy said with a sniff, composing herself.
"Do you actually believe Sally's story? You didn't seem too receptive to what she had to say back at Sonic's place," Silver asked skeptically.
Amy picked at the laces of her right boot before unfolding her legs and letting them drop over the chair.
"I may have… let my feelings get in the way. But, I guess, if there's a chance that he can be saved, I don't see what's the harm in looking for an emerald and seeing if it works," Amy mumbled.
"I don't know, Amy. I don't even think they exist to begin with. Magical rocks with the power to heal people? I'd think the emeralds would be a miracle in the medical world and a staple in every hospital if they were real. I mean, what would a bunch of teenagers like us do with an emerald if we found one anyway?" Silver said.
"Hand them over to G.U.N. immediately."
Shadow materialized from nowhere as he usually did, drawing Amy and Silver's attention.
"I thought you didn't believe in the emeralds' existence either?" Silver asked.
"I don't. At least the logical side of me doesn't," Shadow said.
"And the other side?" Amy asked.
Shadow gave Amy a brief blank stare before looking down at a hand and clenching it tight, his brow creasing ever so slightly.
"Skeptical, as always."
His response reminded Amy of their conversation back in the supermarket, and she watched the ebony hedgehog closely before Knuckles shuffled in from the backroom, stuffing something hard and metal into his bag.
"Okay, people, five minutes and into the tunnel we go. Also, the old hag isn't known for her hospitality, so we'll need to tread lightly when we get there."
"We're headed to Grandma Bats place? I don't think Rouge and her mom would camp out there. I'm pretty sure Rouge said her grandma threatened Scarlet last time they went over. Now, Rouge only ever visits the old lady by herself," Silver added.
Shadow gave Knuckles a look and the echidna lifted a hand in surrender.
"Hey, don't give me that look. We need to turn over every rock and the old hag is one of the few family members Rouge even visits on a regular basis," Knuckler said.
"I agree. I'll still be waiting outside while you use your impeccable charm to coerce her into telling us of Rouge and Scarlet's whereabouts, if she has any information to begin with," Shadow said.
Shadow adjusted his leg holster while Knuckles eyed him with amusement.
"Scared? Or are you just that antisocial," Knuckles challenged.
"Beatrice doesn't exactly tolerate me by any stretch of the imagination, and I don't want my presence to keep her from giving us the information we need."
"What, you think she likes me any? She tried to drown me in her kitchen sink the first time I met her. She only let me go when Rouge told her I was under eighteen and still in school," Knuckles said.
"At least she speaks to you. She's always seemed averse to treating me with any semblance of respect," Shadow admitted.
Before Knuckles could get out his rebuttal, the TV's cadence changed, drawing Shadow's attention. Silver reached for the remote somewhere over the sandwich assembly counter and raised the volume as all four zoned in on the news report. Amy was already on her feet with her bow in hand, and she inched toward the TV as she studied the face on the screen, finding her place beside Shadow as he did the same. The doctor's face was a still image next to the reporter, his smile bone chilling.
"The human scientist and self-proclaimed evil genius, Dr. Robotnik, has completely taken out G.U.N. forces that surrounded his hideout early Saturday morning. G.U.N. Commander Abraham Towers has dispatched additional forces to apprehend the madman and obtain the cure for the infection that has plagued the city. Currently, the doctor has taken refuge at the top of Station Square Tower and refuses to cooperate with authorities until he receives the 7 chaos emeralds and a creature called Project S. Locals theorize that the doctor came through a G.U.N. regulated portal from Earth, which raises concerns of G.U.N.'s intentions on Mobius…"
Shadow jolted in Amy's peripheral. The pinkette broke from the TV to catch Shadow's face as it contorted in pain, the ebony hedgehog bringing a hand to his head. He looked back at the TV, but rubbed at his temple as he viewed the doctor's image wearily.
"That man… the doctor… he seems-"
Amy honed in on Shadow's face as he mumbled to himself, cocking a brow inquisitively as the ebony hedgehog looked like he was struggling to remember something.
"...familiar."
All three hedgehogs turned to Knuckles as he spoke out loud, rubbing his chin with a thumb as he studied the TV.
"What do you mean?" Silver asked.
"Well, he kinda looks like a man from this old echidna bedtime story…"
Knuckles perked up as he noticed their faces change to that of disbelief, almost as if the echidna himself had grown another head.
"Hey, I know it sounds weird, but there's this mural and… actually, I'll just show you guys. C'mon. We've wasted enough time here, anyway."
~aAa~
Silver hadn't been a member of their traveling group when Knuckles solved a dusty puzzle in the ground at the warehouse and led Shadow and Amy through the secret echidna tunnels to Sonic's house just a day prior. As a result, the white hedgehog was in awe after Knuckles shoved a broken fridge to the side, revealing a bronze door and thumbing through a blocky pad with strange symbols to disengage the lock. They stepped through, the dark path already partially lit by glowing green stones embedded in the walls. Knuckles was hyper focused on moving through the passage as quickly as possible, so he wasn't prepared when Silver matched his steps with curiosity alight in his eyes.
"So, how exactly did your family manage underground tunnels throughout the city?" Silver asked.
"Ehrm, well, the echidna roots are pretty deep around here. There was this super wrinkly old geezer that always told stories at family gatherings when I was a kid. The story he told on repeat was one about how the echidna's were the first to settle in this region after some floating rock or whatever fell from the sky," Knuckles said.
"Rock? Like a meteor?" Silver asked.
"Nah, like a piece a land. Said we echidna's used to live on it or somethin'. Anyway, these tunnels have apparently been around since that time, built by our ancestors. When Station Square started to grow on top of it, the leaders of the tribes came together and agreed to keep 'em hidden from the public. It made it easier to hide with all the clan members that took office. Jules says there's not an election that goes by without an echidna on the ballot. Not that I pay much attention to that stuff."
"Interesting. So, how do the puzzles work? The ones that open the doors," Silver asked.
"Ehrm, not sure. Some ancient code or somethin'. My uncle says it's words from some chant, probably a dead language," Knuckles said with a shrug.
"And the light from the rocks on the walls?" Silver asked.
"Shit, I don't know, Silver. Bioluminescence?" Knuckles said.
"That's.. not how that works, Knuckles."
Ten paces behind the two, Amy shuffled along, thoughtfully fiddling with a sleeve. Her steps were deliberate, but she moved on autopilot as she kept pace while battling her most recent discovery. Shadow covered their rear as usual, and he scanned the walls of the tunnel carefully with his hand hovering over his holster. Amy looked back at him once, but he was too preoccupied to notice her.
Shadow seemed to recognize Dr. Robotnik… but they couldn't have possibly met before… right?
Her focus on the ebony hedgehog made her wince as she remembered their last interaction before leaving Sonic's home. Looking to make amends for her behavior, she slowed her pace until he caught up to him and she was by his side. Shadow regarded her with a lift of his brow at her approach, his face softening as she bit her lip and avoided direct eye contact.
"I'm sorry," Amy said.
"What for?" Shadow asked.
"I didn't mean to make you upset when I interrogated you back at Sonic's place. I'm sorry for getting into your personal space as well."
"Don't worry about it. My anger was… misplaced. You're not the one I'm truly upset with."
The pinkette found his eyes, his look genuine, but still guarded to some degree.
"Who are you upset with, then?"
"I'm not sure who to direct my anger at yet."
Amy mulled over his response, tugging a quill as she pieced something together, their walk through the tunnel reminding her of her walk to the gymnasium on Thursday with Cream and Rouge. Rouge's voice came to mind as Amy recalled one of the bat's fleeting comments to her before the pinkette headed to the park that night.
… so Shadow will be joining us this weekend… sounds like he's bummed about something and wants my opinion…
"Is that why you're looking for Rouge? So she can help you find who you need to be angry with?" Amy finally asked in hush.
Shadow looked ahead, his eyes seeming to gloss over a moment. Amy wasn't sure he would respond, but when he did, his intensity made her skin crawl.
"Yes."
Amy let the silence rest between them as she pieced a few things together, trying to find the right questions to ask. She thought to pry about Shadow's recognition of the doctor, but she feared he would get upset. Trying for a different angle, she spoke with a curious tilt to her head.
"Shadow?"
"Yes, Amelia?"
"Can I ask you another question?"
"If it's about my strange abilities, I'm afraid I don't have any answers for you right now."
"No, it's not that."
"Hm?"
"I was thinking about everything that's happened to us… and I was thinking about Julie-Su and something she told me about you."
Shadow stiffened.
"It was a mistake to leave you in her care, and another to assume G.U.N. had it handled at the supermarket. I'm sorry… for leaving you behind," Shadow said.
Amy shook her head.
"I know why you did it. And I don't blame you for believing in them. Julie believed in G.U.N., too. It's not your fault, Shadow," Amy said.
"Your question?" Shadow asked.
"Julie mentioned that you wanted to join G.U.N. after graduation and I wanted to know if that was true. I might be the only one who really doesn't know much about your plans after graduation, maybe because you only share that kind of thing with Rouge?" Amy speculated.
Shadow hesitated, his mouth opening then closing as he thought hard about her observation.
"Yes. I've wanted to join their ranks for a while now," Shadow said slowly.
Shadow's voice was distant, almost lost.
"You don't seem very excited about that," Amy said.
Shadow didn't seem like he wanted to explain further, but one glance at Amy's encouraging smile made Shadow relax, and he let her warm regard pull the truth from him. He eyed Silver and Knuckles ahead of them, the two locked in a debate of sorts. Shadow slowed his steps and Amy followed, the pinkette scooting closer as Shadow lowered his head.
"I just don't want to cause any more trouble for my aunt. I've put her through enough. I've been one incident away from expulsion for a while," Shadow muttered.
"What do you mean? Your aunt Iris has only ever talked about how amazing you are. I don't think she sees you as a burden or anything like that," Amy said.
Shadow's lip flickered upward at his aunt's mention, but it didn't stay as Shadow thoughts headed elsewhere.
"Sonia has clearly never told you about me," Shadow said.
His statement fell off the tongue bitterly.
"What does Sonia know about you that I don't?" Amy asked.
"I'm sure you've noticed that I'm not much of the social type."
Amy hummed at his response, lifting her bow thoughtfully before giving Shadow a small smile.
"Well, sure, but there's nothing wrong with that. I mean, I think it would be amazing if you shared more about yourself, but that doesn't mean you're trouble or anything. To make up for that, you're pretty observant and great at reading people."
Shadow acknowledged her compliment with a short, pleasant sound from the back of his throat.
"Well, not everyone sees me the way you do. Some of my classmates see my silence as a threat. They often take my decision to disengage as a sign I think I'm better than them. They often use the opportunity to get a rise out of me," Shadow explained.
Amy blinked as she tried to unpack what he was insinuating.
"Are you saying people at school try to get you to fight them because you don't speak much?" she asked.
"Yes. And the only way I know to get out of it is to defend myself, but that doesn't go over well with the administration at the academy."
Amy fiddled with her bow, irritation evident.
"Are you serious? No one tries to defend you? And what about the teachers? Don't they do anything when other students taunt you?"
"I'm not exactly a teacher's pet, Amelia, and the administration doesn't even try to hide the fact that they think I'm a lost cause. It's been impossible to improve my reputation and when I try, none of the adults in the room seem to care. Blaze has managed to get me out of a few situations, but even she has so much sway. The chaotix only ever make things worse," Shadow explained.
Amy swam in disbelief. She shook her head and wrung her bow between both hands.
"But you're so smart and capable. I don't understand why none of the teachers see your potential and your efforts to do better and try to help you, give you the benefit of the doubt, at least," Amy said.
"My intellect doesn't mean anything without the grades to back it up," Shadow said.
"What?"
Shadow rubbed the back of his neck before explaining.
"Skipping class was a pretty common habit of mine my first year. Once my aunt convinced me to attend classes regularly, the fights became more frequent, leading to dismissals and probations. It's hard to turn in assignments when you're never there to hand them in," Shadow explained plainly.
"Do they look at your record and report card without looking at everything else that might be causing you to struggle? What you're going through personally doesn't matter to them?" Amy asked.
"They see what they want to see, but I don't blame them. It's true that I am… prone to violent outbursts, as they say. Sonia doesn't hate my guts for nothing. She knew I had the capability to rip Sonic apart with my bare hands, and knew I had every intention to do so that day…"
Shadow trailed off as if talking to himself, his eyes glazing over. An uneasy feeling set in the pit of Amy's stomach, but she swallowed and hardened herself. The distance between them and Silver and Knuckles grew as they slowed to a crawl. Amy's eyes upturned, but she regarded Shadow gently, without judgement, though the mention of Sonic had her on edge.
"What happened, Shadow? What did you do to Sonic?" Amy asked.
Shadow's face twisted with frustration, guilt. He spoke to the ground as Amy continued to give him her full attention.
"Do you remember when Sonic broke his arm and suffered from a concussion? Two years ago?"
"Of course. I came over everyday for a week to bring him snacks. Sonia had to send me to run errands and lock me out of their house to get me to go home. I got the idea I was overstaying my welcome pretty quickly," Amy said with a hint of shame.
"That was my fault."
Knuckles and Silver turned a corner and disappeared. Silver was the only one with a proper flashlight, so Amy and Shadow were left with the dim light of the green crystals to illuminate them. Amy watched the twisting tunnel ahead of them before turning to Shadow again, the glow of his lowered eyes sharp and the green light reflecting off one side of his face making her swallow. Her eyes beckoned him to continue and he did so.
"Espio and I were at the skatepark. I was on suspension for splitting some stuck up punk's desk in half after he spent half the semester flicking me off and leaving trash in my locker. Telling the adults didn't seem to help, so I thought a warning shot would get him off my back. But even when I did it, I knew I had gone overboard," Shadow murmured.
Amy's brow furrowed, thinking of her own impulsive reactions to the bullies at her school. She'd only ever gotten a small slap on the wrist for the few times she fought back, but never regretted giving her bullies a taste of her own medicine. The pinkette grimaced and crossed her arms.
"Sounds to me he got what he deserved," Amy said under her breath.
Shadow hummed at her comment, but he only seemed to partially agree with her.
"My aunt was so disappointed in me because I'd been doing so well before that. I spent most of my suspension at the skatepark to avoid her. Espio skipped the last half of the school day to come with me, talk me through it. Then Manic showed up to hang out… with Sonic in tow," Shadow said.
"Of course," Amy muttered.
"That faker challenged me to beat his time on his usual route on my rollerblades. I told him I wasn't in the mood, but, as always, he managed to coax me into participating. I should have just walked away, gone home at that. I'd already worried my aunt enough," Shadow said.
Amy watched his face closely, watching Shadow upset himself as he recalled the details.
"Sonic took off on his skateboard and finished in record time. When it was my turn, Sonic threw his usual cocky jabs at me, trying to tick me off. His words were harmless, and I knew that… but all I could think about were the assholes in school that taunted me, threatened me, picked endless fights with me for nothing. And when I lost my focus and tripped up, I completely lost it," Shadow said.
Amy's neck went cold.
"I didn't waste any time. I made my way out of the bowl and went straight for him. He was too busy laughing to realize I wasn't messing around, so when he finally sobered and tried to talk me down, it was too late. I tossed him over the stairs without a thought, before any of them could stop me. And before I could do any more damage, someone screamed… and when I looked back, Sonia was there," Shadow said, his jaw hard.
Amy swallowed and fiddled with the bottom of her skirt as she remembered what she knew about the incident.
"Sonic just told me and everyone else that he fell down the stairs at the skate park to avoid running over a kid," Amy said.
Shadow growled and balled his hands into fists. Stopping abruptly, he turned his back to Amy and threw a fist into the wall. Amy flinched at the motion and watched as the dent he made in the wall crumbled on the edges. Heartbeat in her head, the pinkette looked out for Silver and Knuckles and noticed the glow of Silver's flashlight growing in intensity from around the corner.
"Tch. I don't have a clue as to why. I did it. I put my hands on him. I… lost control," Shadow hissed.
Amy didn't hesitate to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. Shadow held painfully still, refusing to look back at her as he lowered his head. Though he seemed to be trying to calm his breathing, his quills flared defensively.
"Sonic has a good heart, Shadow. I'm sure he knew you were overwhelmed and reacted on impulse. And I'm sure he knew he was partially at fault, too, whatever he said to you. I'm sure you warned him. You always do," Amy said firmly.
Shadow seemed to shrink, his quills falling as he retracted his fist from the hole he'd created in the wall. Shadow sighed and when he faced her, his eyes were heavy, but his frustration subdued. He didn't smile, but as he searched her face, she couldn't help but feel tension fall, his gaze anything but hostile.
"You really do see the good in everyone, don't you?" Shadow asked.
Amy deflated.
"Not everyone. I've never really given Sally the benefit of the doubt," Amy said.
"Yet, you seemed to sympathize with her story about Sonic and the emerald from her childhood, if only for a moment."
"It's complicated," Amy mumbled.
Silver peaked around the corner, shining his light on the two. Before Silver could question them, Amy gave him a tight smile and subtly shooed him away with a hand. Shadow watched their exchange from the corner of his eye, and when the white hedgehog nodded and fled, Shadow scratched the back of his quills before continuing.
"I'm… a lost cause, Amelia. I'm not good with people. I can't prove to anyone with authority that I'm worth saving, and I… I just don't want to break my aunt's heart anymore. She doesn't deserve that. She deserves to have raised an upstanding hedgehog, one with a future, one she can be proud of," Shadow explained.
"And you think joining G.U.N. will fix all of that?"Amy asked.
Shadow eyed the wall behind her rather than look Amy in the face.
"What choice do I have? At least if I join the military, I can put my violent tendencies to use."
Amy frowned and leaned forward to get him to look at her.
"I'm not going to tell you what to do, Shadow, but I don't think your aunt would want you to join G.U.N. just to please her. Even if she did, they aren't your only option. You can do anything you put your mind to. At least I think so," Amy tried.
Shadow eyes drifted to the wall again, and he shook his head lightly.
"I'm not entirely doing it just to make her happy. G.U.N. is an intergalactic organization, and I have a connection through Scarlet. G.U.N. can… get me out of here. No one seems to want me here anyway, so why not enlist, get a chance to have G.U.N send me elsewhere to do their dirty work," Shadow said, trailing off.
"I want you here."
Shadow and Amy's silent standoff was tepid until Amy broke it with her outburst.
"Sorry, that was… well… I meant what I said… I just didn't mean for it to come out so aggressively…" Amy said.
Amy silently hoped the lights were too weak to show the evident blush on her cheeks. She anxiously fidgetted, averting her gaze until Shadow released a deep, genuine laugh. It was warm, grateful, and when Amy looked him in the eye, she found that his smile reached his eyes, the creases at the corners of his eyes endearing. She couldn't help but respond in kind.
"Don't worry about it. Thank you. I'm, um, flattered," Shadow said.
Shadow beckoned them forward. Hurrying to catch up to Knuckles and Silver, Amy let her new knowledge about Shadow flood her after their exchange.
It only makes sense that Shadow would want to join the military, especially with Scarlet in his corner. Though it is strange. If Shadow doesn't know anything about his strange abilities, then what will G.U.N. do if they find out about them. His speed, his strength, his enhancements, his insane healing abilities…
Amy slowed to a stop in the middle of the tunnel, zoning out as Shadow made headway in front of her. Her mind lingered on Shadow's healing, then she remembered Dr. Robotnik and his demand for the emeralds that he claimed he needed to make the cure for the infection, then to Maria Robotnik's need for Project S to cure her illness. Each instance involved healing, and each had G.U.N. lurking in the background.
Wait…why does G.U.N. seem to be the common denominator here?
"Amelia?"
Shadow had stopped for her, waiting for her to return to his side. Silver and Knuckles had turned another corner, their footsteps fading. Amy perked up and caught up with the ebony hedgehog. He made sure she was ahead of him before following after her, the pinkette finding everyone lined up and as Knuckles led them further down the dark and winding halls of the grimy underground.
"Here it is."
Knuckles' voice bounced around the space as their footsteps ceased. All four misfits faced a dingy wall, illuminated by Silver's flashlight. A mural covered the section of the tunnel they sought, from floor to ceiling as it curved with swirling lines that depicted the forms of echidna's of various shapes and colors, all adorned with golden jewelry. At the center, a large, green jem was etched into the stone, seven smaller, multicolored gems grouped together next to it. Just below the 7 gems, a peach-orange echidna was depicted with her hands outstretched to human form. The human was draped in white, with a white mustache feathering out from underneath a prominent nose.
"Are those the chaos emeralds?" Silver muttered.
Knuckles moved to the wall and ran his good hand along the stones, dirt peppering his shoes as Silver followed. Amy and Shadow waited behind them, both admiring the mural quietly. Knuckles stepped back.
"Story goes there was a human that came to Mobius looking for something. Came across the echidna clan in his search. They didn't trust him, but one echidna gave him a chance, thought he had good intentions after he saved her from a landslide. He told her he was looking for a cure for his granddaughter back at home. She ended up giving him the chaos emeralds to help him. Apparently he promised to bring 'em back, but something happened. Ehrm, I don't remember the rest of the story. Old man who told me that one liked to change the ending for fun," Knuckles explained.
"What's the big green emerald supposed to be?" Silver asked.
"The master emerald. Super important to the tribe, but I think it was shattered? Not sure what happened to it after that," Knuckles said nonchalantly.
"Wait, so you knew about this story and still gave Sally a hard time?" Silver asked Knuckles.
"It's just a story, Silver, old as hell. Who knows how much of it is actually true," Knuckles retorted, turning to walk away.
Silver backed off and threw his bat over his shoulder. Knuckles started down the tunnel again, the rest following close behind. As Amy passed the mural, she slowed to get a good look at the ancient depiction of the human, recognition making her heartbeat erratically.
"That's got to be Gerald Robotnik…which would mean he came here before G.U.N. did," Amy said breathlessly to herself.
The emeralds were given to Gerald who wanted to use them to save his granddaughter. Maybe that's why they have been missing for so long and thought to be a myth? If the story has any truth to it… then he likely used the emeralds to create Project S.
Amy had already moved from the wall to catch up when she realized she hadn't heard Shadow's footsteps behind her. When she looked back, she found Shadow had taken her place, his gaze drawn to the etches of Gerald Robotnik's form. The ebony hedgehog seemed transfixed, as if in a trance, and when he reached out with a shaking hand, he flinched back as if the wall had shocked him. Amy turned abruptly to help him, seeing him cradle his head again as he tried to shake off whatever was happening to his head.
"Shadow?"
He shook out his trembling hand before moving it to the holster at his leg, catching up to Amy without looking at her.
"I'm fine. Let's get moving," Shadow said as he passed her.
The ebony hedgehog moved quickly, but Amy couldn't get her mind to stop running, the overlap in her research, their current predicament, and Shadow's strange abilities consuming her. She stilled in the middle of the damp, grimy corridor and lowered her bow, watching Shadow's back as dappled green light reached for him. Her heart beat into her ears as she reached for a tentative conclusion.
Wait… could you be… Project S?
.~aAa~.
A/N: I HAD TO SPLIT THIS CHAPTER IN HALF. I AM SO SORRY (IT WAS BREACHING 19K EVEN AFTER EDITS… actually, even longer than that...). I know some of you mentioned you prefer longer chapters, but I think 20k for one chapter is a bit much. I think splitting this one up was much needed.
I worked really hard on this chapter and what is now chapter 10 (which you should see updated soon after this one). I added and subtracted and then added way more than intended (especially after going over Shadow's full backstory and rewrote how I was going to reveal all of it ten times over - trying to trickle the details throughout the story is proving quite the challenge). I think what ended up making this too long was all the dialogue I thought was needed. I figured we needed a little more background on Shadow's goals after school and his current relationship with G.U.N. before we turn his perception of the organization on its head. We'll jump right into that in the next chapter.
And because I added more than I wanted and kinda bloated the beginning of this, the dead bodies won't be seen until the next chapter. Apologies if this chapter was a little slow to start. These two chapters are definitely more transitional than anything.
I hope this was worth the wait, though. I've been MIA for too long. Working on putting out more consistent updates.
Also, I just want to thank all of you for your comments and kudos! Seriously, even if you don't think so, your questions, theories, and remarks actually influence the course of this story, even if only a bit (an extra shout out to my friend 6_twenty4 - her questions about the story made me make several connections I hadn't even considered!). I won't get into too much detail here, but reading all of your comments made me sit back and look at my outline/notes with a critical eye one day. And, somehow, all of your thoughts had me questioning things and digging deeper than I thought I would for this fic. And now, I have more to deliver (more in my next author's note). I sincerely thank you all for being so kind and engaging with this fic.
Let me know if this chapter had too much talking in it. I know not a lot is happening here, but I think I was able to put at least a little bit of development in several areas here.
Ooof. Looking at my line up of chapters, I'm a little worried for you guys.
Next up -
Chapter 10: Grandma Bats/Shadow and Amy are taken/List of the Fallen
Chapter 11: Trapped in a safehouse/Tails, truth of the note, and the emerald/Escape
Chapter 12: Truth of Twinkle Park/Moment in the park/Chaos Control/Meet with Silver and Knuckles
Chapter 13: Rouge's rescue
Chapter 14: A moment to mourn/Blaze, Cream, and the will to fight
Chapter 15: Changing Silver's mind/Emerald 2/Escape
Chapter 16: Everyone together again/Race to the Acorn Estate/Robotnik closes in
Next = Chapter 10: With the Truth in Your Eyes
Our Cast
Amy 16 (Junior)
*Shadow 18 (Senior)
Sonic18 (Senior)
Sonia 18 (Senior)
Manic 18 (Senior)
Sally 18 (Senior)
Rouge 18 (Senior)
Knuckles 19 (Senior/held back a year)
Cream 11 (Sixth grade)
Tails 13 (Freshman/skipped two grades)
Silver 17 (Junior)
*Blaze 17 (Junior)
*Mighty18 (Senior)
*Espio18 (Senior)
*Charmy11 (Sixth grade)
Vector (Mighty, Espio, and Charmy's adoptive dad/more like a brother)26
Vanilla (Cream's mother) 30
Aleena (Sonic, Sonia, and Manic's mother) 40
Iris (Shadow's aunt/OC) 40
Cecelia Rose (Amy's mother/OC) 35
Scarlet (Rogue's mother/OC) 35
Elias (Sally's brother) 23
Bunnie 20 (Graduated/Sally's close friend)
Mina 18 (Senior)
Julie-Su 17 (Junior)