Behave | Awakening | aloftinthebreeze

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{SEQUENCE UNKNOWN}

{DATE UNKNOWN}

{CONTEXT ABOARD SPACE COLONY ARK}

[Project SHADOW Partial Video Log Entry

An aged human, bald and sporting a white and bushy mustache adjusted the angle and focus of the recording device. A look of discontent pinched his face and he took the hem of his white laboratory coat and rubbed the lens of the camera. Dr. Gerald Robotnik inspected his work and gave a curt nod. “Better.” He declared.]

<Processing Note Insertion Request: Organic labeled as Dr. Gerald Robtonik will hereafter be referred to as Professor Robotnik to avoid kernelling or string comparison confusion with FATHER.>

<Approved>

[The aged professor receded in the recording device’s frame into the background, revealing a well-appointed laboratory with a steel examination table at the center. Glass faced cabinets contain jarred samples floating in preservation liquids. Advanced analytical equipment dominates bench surfaces along the walls as well as several heavy wheeled carts. Atop the table, a mostly black mobian male of the hedgehog variety sat, his attention squarely on the human.

“Are you ready to begin, Shadow?” The Professor placed a neoprene gloved hand on the mobian’s shoulder.

“Yes, sir.” Shadow answered, ears attentive and his tail thrashing against the metal tabletop.

Professor Gerald cleared his throat and stepped back from the table. “As you know, today’s tests concern your cognitive functioning. I need to provide input into your subjective experience. You are to answer all questions clearly and truthfully. Can you do that for me, Shadow?”

Shadow nods eagerly, “Of course I can, sir.”

“I am glad to hear it. Now, I would also like you to report any changes you feel in your emotional or cognitive state as well as you can.”

Shadow’s tail stilled. “Sir?”

“I will be monitoring a number of parts of your brain and I would like compare those results with what you can tell me.”

Shadow’s ears wilt backwards. “Monitoring? T-that means…”

“Shadow,” The old human drew out the final syllable, “we’ve talked about this. Everything you endure serves a purpose. You trust me, don’t you?”

The mobian lowered his gaze. “Yes, of course I do, sir.”

“Nothing is extraneous. All tests and procedures are to prepare you to fulfill your purpose. Isn’t that what you want? To be useful and fulfill your purpose?”

Shadow looked up, a naive eagerness apparent on his features. “Y-yes, sir. I do.”

“Then I should like you to remain still.” Professor Robotnik motioned and stepped back from the table.

A pair of white coated humans approached Shadow and began fitting him with a large series of electrodes. The black mobian lowered his head and his eyes unfocused, as if he’d experienced this process countless times before. The Professor’s assistants worked quickly, practiced fingers finding worn patches of flesh long used to this treatment. The mobian’s pelt was clean and shone from proper nutrition and care, but many bare patches marred him.

One of the researchers approached with a long needle. Shadow’s hackles rose and his spines stiffened, causing the pair of humans fitting him with electrodes to jerk back. One hissed an expletive and clutched her hand. Dark dampness seeped through the woman’s glove.

“Shadow!” Professor Robotnik snapped. “Behave yourself!”

Shadow immediately wilted, his quill and ears lying flat. “I’m sorry! I-I’ll behave.” He looked at the researcher with the cut hand, “I’m so sorry.” She said something to the mobian, her face trying to appear friendly despite the pain, but the audio equipment did not pick up the words. The injured researcher moved out of the camera frame.]

<Processing Note Insertion Request: Upscaling and facial contortions analysis return a result of “It’s okay, Shadow. I know you didn’t mean it.” with 99% confidence.>

<Approved>

[Looking pointedly down, the hedgehog gripped the edge of the metal table. “I won’t move again.” He assured the gathered humans. Carefully, the researcher with the needle approached Shadow’s side. With one gloved hand, the man cupped the mobian’s chin with a gentle, but solid grip and with the other he positioned the needle against the base of Shadow’s skull. In a smooth motion, the needle disappeared and the only reaction that the hedgehog gave was a slight parting of his lips.

“I know that you find the probe uncomfortable, Shadow, “ Professor Robotnik offered, “but the access it offers to your limbic system is unparalleled.” Shadow grunted. “Can you speak?”

“Yes…sir.” The mobian was gritting his teeth.]

<Processing Note Insertion Request: The level of pain experienced by Project SHADOW during this experiment is unnecessary and may have affected the collected data.

<Denied. Stop editorializing.>

<B-but->

<Denied>

[“Let’s begin.” Professor Robotnik declared. “Begin the installation.” A voice offscreen acknowledges the command.

Several minutes passed with little activity within the view of the camera, other than Shadow’s strained breaths. Periodic updates are given verbally. Slowly the tension in Shadow’s face eased and his eyes grew softer. Eventually a voice declares that the protocol matrix has been successfully installed.

“How are you feeling, Shadow?” The Professor asks.

Shadow looks up and blinks slowly. “I am feeling optimally, Professor.”

“I am glad to hear it.” Professor Robotnik held his hands behind his back. “Now, I would like you to try to imagine a few things for me. Try you best to think as clearly as you can.”

“I will try.” The mobian smiled.

“I would like you to imagine Maria, Shadow.” The older man paced back and forth in front of the steel table. The black mobian followed the Professor’s progress, the lead from the needle inserted into his brain gently sliding through his back quills. “It is several years into the future and you and I have successfully freed her from the grasp of her aliment.” Shadow’s smile grew. “How do you feel, Shadow?”

“Happy.” Shadow answered breathlessly.

The Professor stopped and stared at a piece of equipment that was facing away from the camera. “Good, good.” He said absently. “And how do you feel about Maria?”

“I love her!” Shadow exclaimed.

“Very good.” The Professor began pacing again. “More time passes. Maria grows up into a brilliant woman. Her body is strong and you have remained ever her stalwart companion. She finds a human man with whom she falls in love. How do you feel about that, Shadow?”

“I…” Shadow thought for a moment. “As long as Maria is happy, then I am happy, too.” He answered finally.

Professor Gerald Robotnik examined the equipment console once more. “Very good.” He nodded. “Very, very good, Shadow.”

Shadow’s tail began to slowly flop against the table again.]

< Processing Note Insertion Request: Why does Shadow’s tail move incongruently with other hedgehog mobians’? Perhaps this is the influence of Black Arm DNA?>

<Approved>

[“Now,” The Professor continued, “let us move to more complicated questions. In this future, Maria will have a child. In fact, she may have multiple children. How could you feel about Maria’s children, Shadow?”

“I would love them!” Shadow answered immediately.

“Yes!” Someone out of the camera frame said excitedly. Professor Robotnik leveled a glare of condemnation at the speaker.

“Yes, very good.” The older man returned his attention to Shadow. “Eventually, Maria’s children will have children of their own. How would you feel about them?”

“I would love them!” Shadow answers, his breath coming quicker in his state of imagined excitement.

“Correct, Shadow. Very good.” Gerald Robotnik hummed and stroked his mustache as he examined the console. “Very, very good.” He mumbled.

Shadow’s tail continued to swish across the steel table. “I am doing really good today, aren’t I, Professor?”

The Professor chuckled. “Yes, Shadow. You are doing very well, today. But now we must move to even more difficult questions.”

“I am ready!” The mobian declared.

“Alright, Shadow, settle down.” The old man smiled congenially. “Now, imagine the following scenario. Maria has grown old. She has lived a long and fulfilling life thanks to the work you and I do here in the present. She has reached the point as which her mortal body has reached its limit.” Shadow released a low whine. “Shadow…” The Professor cautioned. “I need you to concentrate.”

“Yes, sir…”

Professor Robotnik stops in front of Shadow, nearly looming over the smaller creature. “You and Maria’s youngest descendant are with Maria when she reaches her final moments. She passes away peacefully. How do you feel?”

Shadow frowned, but his brow also furrowed, as if he’s confused by either his reaction or the question. “I would feel sad.”

“No, Shadow.” Gerald Robotnik shook his head. “That is incorrect.”

The tail fell still. “P-professor?” Shadow’s ears canted back.

“You cannot feel sadness, Shadow. You are above such weakness.” Professor Robotnik approached the table and placed his hands on Shadow’s shoulders. “How can you take care humanity if you fall victim to weakness such as sadness? Hmm?”

“R-right.” Shadow hung his head.

“Now, think.” Professor Robotnik stepped back. “Listen to your instincts, Shadow. What do they tell you?” Shadow threaded his hands through his quills, tangling them with several of the electrodes. “Stop touching your quills like that, Shadow. You need to stop that habit.”

“Y-yes, sir.” The mobian slowly retracted his fingers.

“Now, tell me.” The older man asked, an edge in his voice. “How will you feel when Maria dies?”

“I-“ Shadow began to tremble. “I would…” He squints and a confused expression crawls across his face.

“Shadow?” The Professor arches a brow.

“I would…” Shadow fell still. His eyes grew glassy and unfocused. “I would…” He repeated the sentence fragment over and over.

“He’s seizing, sir.” A voice spoke from off screen.

“The protocol matrix is breaking down.” A woman calls. “I’m seeing regression. The whole cognitive package is being compromised. Shoot, I-I am trying to-”

“God damn it!” Professor Gerald kicked something metal off screen, the hallow sound covering several urgent voices. “Shut it down!” The Professor stabbed a finger towards out of frame. “Prep Shadow for reconditioning. No one takes a break until everything is prep to go again!”

“Yes, sir.” A flurry of white clad researchers descended on Shadow. One removed the electrodes from the mobian’s skin. Two worked to remove the needle, one holding Shadow’s head still while the other carefully extracted the length of steel. Shadow remained still as a statue, eyes staring blankly, lips still positioned to finish his sentence.

Once every piece of monitoring equipment was removed, two researchers positioned themselves close to Shadow while a third injected a solution into his neck. All at once, the black mobian went limp, eyes closing, and crumpled into the waiting arms of the researchers.

One of the researchers complained about how heavy Shadow had gotten. A second one explained that the chaos to matter conversion trials must be going well. Professor Robtonik’s assistants carried the mobian out of the camera frame.

The Professor stepped in front of the camera and looked directly into it. He sighed exasperatedly and, pushing up his glasses, pinched the flesh between his eyes. “The Project has hung, again. This concludes Imprintation Transfer Protocol test fifteen. The result is Complete Failure. I have to get this right…The chain of dependency cannot be allowed to break. Should Shadow fail to…” The old man swallowed. “I have to get this right! If I fail, all of this is for nothing.”

</Intelligible Output Compressed Video>

In a blinding flash of lime green light, two heavily laden buses appeared on the tarmac of a regional airport on the outskirts of Central City. Shadow walked, his gait heavy, but controlled, from between the vehicles and stopped a short distance away. He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes, attempting to block out the sounds of the fervent activity around him. As had become routine, he tested the depths of his chaos energy reserves for any telltale black stain. nothing.

The area was a warren of activity. Resistance members organizing and sorting and directing as goods and people flowed in streams across the concrete. Only a few days remained before Sonic’s hurricane slammed into Station Square and wiped it off the map. Until then, every second was spent evacuating as many people as possible from the doomed city and surrounding coastline.

Sage had been true to its word thus far. The air was heavy with Eggman ships delivering supplies from all directions. Those who were willing to move into Empire territory caught rides in the empty returning airships. Everyone else was being directed inland. Large parts of Central City were still inhabitable though the central island was off limits thanks to Shadow’s…activities.

Sage’s promise to return Sonic had yet to be fulfilled, however. The computer claimed that it was searching for the necessary components, but that sounded like bullshit to Shadow. Tails, whom they had sporadic contact with, begged them for patience. Shadow could not help but suspect Sage of treachery…or whatever deception a virus could perform. Still, with its unblinking eye on him and the Ark likely hidden behind the shattered moon ready to lay waste to anything he cared about, his hands were tied.

Behind Shadow, the doors of the buses opened, and Amy leapt out of one. She swayed unsteady for a moment before regaining her composure. “Everyone out as fast as you can in an orderly fashion!” She yelled, her hands cupped around her mouth.

Two streams of Mobians, many of them visibility shaken by their trip through time and space, flowed forth from the buses. Each was heavily laden with backpacks and suitcases, their only possessions evacuating Station Square with them. Further cargo was haphazardly lashed to the roofs of the buses. Bulk sacks of foodstuffs and boxes of medical supplies, anything that could be quickly packaged and removed from grocery and medical supply stores.

Another successful trip of what had become known as the Shadow Express, though no one had had the balls to say that to his face yet.

Shadow remained still as a stone as the river of people and goods moved around him. A small voice called gratitude to him before the girl was shushed by her parents. Only a flick of an ear indicated that he had heard the words at all. Needless noise. Shadow had become little more than a machine that moved cargo. He went where he was told, he moved what needed moving, he stayed within eyesight of Amy, Knuckles, or Omega, and he kept a deadly close eye on his chaos energy. Nothing else.

nothing else.

and, if he was being honest with himself, there was a part of him, deep down, that liked this arrangement. being told what to do, where to go, being useful. he had been designed to obey, been born to serve, after all. this was what he was meant to do and it felt good to be in alignment with his purpose. sometimes he wondered why he fought against this, this natural state of his. free of the guilt, fear, and anxiety. it had a comfortable thoughtlessness that was just so appealing…

Shadow could not trust himself. His very thoughts were suspect. His memories, his emotions, all subject to tampering, to manipulation by this latest iteration of the Hivemind. Shadow clenched his jaw. The feel of it, now he knew it was there, was disgustingly nefarious. Where Black Doom’s presence had been a booming war drum demanding obedience, this version was soft, soothing, poisonously comforting. Enticing. Entrancing and subtle. a lullaby.

He had not been prepared in the least for the previous invasion. At the time, Shadow’s memories had been confetti, floating uselessly through the caverns of his mind. Black Doom’s offer of clarity had been suspicious, but impossible to refuse. Shadow had been unknowingly sucked into the Hivemind with little fanfare. He was ashamed of it now, but he’d slotted easily into the urges to destroy, to kill, to consume. The desires of the Hive had already been aligned with his own impulses.

Still, he fucking hated being ordered about and Black Doom’s commands triggered some deep-seated revulsion in Shadow. Yes, he’d gathered the Chaos Emeralds, but he fought the Hivemind every step of the way, perhaps to Black Doom’s surprise. To Shadow, the connection had to be a tool to achieve his own goals, or it was worthless to him. His hate seemed to cause a dissonance in the Hivemind, creating pockets for him to unconsciously hide from his progenitor’s direct influence.

In the chaos of the invasion, Shadow hadn’t recognized Sonic. At least, not in the way he should have. The cocky blue annoyance had seemed to just come out of no-fucking-where and frustrated the hell out of Shadow with his stupid unfaltering grin. Shadow hated remembering how aggressive and dismissive he’d treated Sonic. Throughout the whole invasion, Sonic had this…expectant look. Like Shadow would just…magically remember him. Fucking fool!

The hope in Sonic’s eyes only faltered the once.

While Tower’s mech billowed smoke, disabled but recoverable, Shadow had grabbed Sonic by the neck and dragged him, his stupid little sneakers desperately scrambling over the ground, across the platform. The Hive pulsed around them, screaming in Shadow’s mind to kill, to dominate, but most of all, to submit himself to it.

However, there was a louder, more obnoxious voice present.

Sonic did not stop talking, not for one blessed second. His words, strained through a constricted windpipe, his useless fucking words grated on Shadow’s ears. How he didn’t have to do this! How this wasn’t who he was! How it wasn’t too late! It was never too late to do the right thing! How Sonic was so sure Shadow was still in there somewhere!

Shut up shut up shut up! Why wouldn’t he shut up? Why wouldn’t everyone just shut up!?

Was it too much to ask that he be allowed to think his own thoughts? Just this once? Maria, please, just this once?

The Ultimate Lifeform held the Blue Blur over a boiling spawning pit. Countless eggs incubated in the highly acidic fluid below. The fool was still gasping out snarky quips as his toes barely touched the edge of the platform. He still had the look. “It’s okay, Shadow.” Sonic smiled against the pain of the injuries Shadow had inflicted on him. “You’re real beautiful when your angry, you know?” Sonic smirked, literally seconds away from death.

Like this was a joke they were sharing.

Like Shadow would grin and say, ‘just kidding’.

Instead, Shadow had declared himself the strongest hedgehog and released his grip.

Sonic had plunged.

The expectant hopefulness faded from Sonic’s brilliant green eyes as he fell. Disappointment and hurt rushed in to replace it. Not indignation. Not hatred. A mournfulness not for himself, but for Shadow. The memory stabbed Shadow in the gut. Why was he thinking about this now? so watching him die again won’t hurt as much.

Shadow had watched the hero disappear below the surface of the roiling fluid and he had felt nothing. as he should have, as was right and proper for one of his caste and capabilities. He’d turned away. Shadow was going to finish off Towers and deliver the Chaos Emeralds to Black Doom as he had been instructed by his Master.

But a tightness had taken possession of his chest with an unrelenting grip. A staggering wrongness permeated Shadow’s very soul and something…leaked from his eyes despite the close atmosphere of the Black Comet (his home, his dominion, the cradle of his family, the true and correct place for him to be). Shadow had turned around, his breath catching, regret and sorrow rippling through him in confusing waves. “Sonic!” He’d cried.

Pathetic.

Shadow’s eyes flashed open. His heart was pounding, his pulse thundering in his ears. Bile splashed the back of his throat, and he swallowed thickly. Why, of all his memories, was that the one he chose to pass his time recollecting? He’d failed Sonic then, but he’d hardly remembered who the blue fool even was. To this day, Shadow didn’t really know why he jumped in after the idiot. Shadow hadn’t started loving Sonic until years later.

“Sir!” A Resistance member drew Shadow’s attention and, therefore, his deadly glare. A vaguely familiar minx approached, a nervous smile betraying how much Shadow scared the shit out of her. “I just wanted to thank you, sir! During the Central City invasion, once you arrived, all the Doctor’s forces seemed to fall back. You must have had them running scared!” Shadow’s brow knitted slightly as he struggled to recall the soldier’s name.

twine is such a stupid name. “Twine, was it?” Shadow asked, the name coming to him suddenly. shit.

The minx brightened, “You remembered my name!”

Shadow scowled. “Don’t you have something better to do that fawn at me?” He growled.

The minx flinched and wilted, “Y-yes, sir. Thank you again, sir.” She dashed off back to whatever bullshit she was responsible for.

“They’re all unloaded.” Shadow pivoted to see Amy. When he looked at her face, her gaze shifted away, a slight grimace tightening her cheeks. Ignoring Amy’s reaction to him was doing neither of them any good and the severity did not seem to be lessening.

A fresh pall of shame descended on him and his gaze fell to the concrete at her feet. If he’d just recognized the Hivemind sooner, he would have never put Amy in a position to fear him like this. He hated it. Though she worked to hide her responses, his attuned senses could hear her rapid heartbeat, could see the micro expressions ghost across her face, and smell the slight sweat that coated her brow. Every second in his presence was effort for her.

Shadow had apologized, yes. Multiple times since he’s returned from Angel Island with Knuckles, but Amy always waved him off, told him she forgave him, underplayed the significance of what he’d done to her. He felt no more forgiven than Amy was as fine as she insisted.

“Where to next?” He asked, trying to force his thoughts back to the work at hand. Move cargo. Evacuate people. The only actions he could be certain were right. Take this from here to there. No questions, just execution.

His ear flicked at the sound of a drone descending. Shadow resisted, for what felt like the millionth time in the past few days, to blast the thing out of the sky. Sage’s projection appeared with little fanfare. “I have two more containers prepared of supplies at the staging area near Empire City.”

How much of this could have been avoided if Shadow had recognized what Sage really was sooner? If he hadn’t destroyed the Death Egg? If he hadn’t killed Infinite? If he hadn’t run from Sonic in the cave? Hadn’t insisted on looking for Sonic on his own? regret was useless. discard it.

Shadow’s chain of failures was so long he could scarcely see the end of it. His blindness had led him directly into Sage’s trap and now he was squarely pinned under its thumb. Upon realizing that Sage was more akin to a natural disaster than an actual malicious entity, Shadow’s anger had little place else to than himself. a foolish, self-destructive, and wholly unnecessary endeavor.

Of all the failures, the desecration of Maria’s memorial hurt especially. Her final resting place had been weaponized once again despite his efforts to declaw it. Further, Sage had managed what GUN had failed to do in the fifty years Shadow had been sealed away: activate the Ark’s mobility architecture. That functionality had been locked away along with all the data on Shadow’s creation when Gerald turned on GUN and tried to enact his revenge.

Those…those bloodstained memories…are unimportant. only the future matters. Right. Move forward. Be better.

“Very well.” Shadow acknowledged Sage’s directions and held out his hand to Amy. The exhausted pink hedgehog reticently took it. Shadow shoved away the feelings Amy reluctance inspired in him and teleported them across the continent.

Arriving in the significantly colder climate of Empire City, Amy immediately dropped his hand and doubled over wrenching. “Amy!” Shadow grabbed her shoulder and hip to keep her steady as a splatter of vomit hit his airshoes. His muzzle crinkled in disgust, but he remained supporting Amy.

“S-sorry…” Amy stammered, wiping her mouth. “I don’t think I’ve ever chaos controlled this much in a single day before.” She straightened and Shadow stepped away.

Right. Shadow had gotten so used to the effects of transposition that he didn’t even notice them any longer. The near instantaneous change in air pressure, temperature, humidity, and biome would leave any normal person reeling after a single trip and Amy had been all over the world with him today. Babysitting him, Rouge would call it.

“You need to rest.” He told her.

Amy snorted mirthlessly. “There are a lot of things I need.” She shook her head, looking around at the deserted airfield. A late autumn snow flurry greyed the sky. Two large shipping containers sat on the tarmac perfectly spaced so Shadow could stand between them and touch both. The Doctor’s smiling logo was painted clearly across the broadsides of the containers. “But I think this is the last trip for me today. You can keep doing runs without me.”

Shadow shook his head. “I cannot.” He said gravely, “I promised Knuckles I would not do anything on my own.” He’d told Amy this several times. Maybe her fatigue was degrading her memory or many she just trusted him that much, despite all evidence pointing to that being an objectively stupid thing to do. He couldn’t risk being alone and losing himself.

“Every trip you make saves lives, Shadow.” Amy hiccupped and spit out an errant stomach particle. “Knuckles would understand.” Shadow wished she wouldn’t tempt him. Yes, it was objectively correct that without Knuckles or Amy slowing him down, he could be moving a lot more cargo and at a higher rate, but the risk of losing control grew exponentially. How many lives would be put in jeopardy if he lost his way?

“The risk is too great, and consequences are too dire.” Shadow shook his head, “You know that better than most.” He said and strode towards the containers. He heard Amy sigh and follow him.

When they appeared at the staging area outside Station Square with the containers, Shadow was ready. He caught Amy, effortlessly scooping her into his arm, and, ignoring the calls of the Resistance members assembled to accept the cargo, teleported them both into the privacy of Amy’s apartment.

Amy’s partner screamed in a frankly undignified manner from the dining room table and overturned their chair, spilling onto the floor. “Make chamomile tea.” Shadow ordered the supine quokka.

“Amy?” Barry scrambled to their feet.

“-fine” Amy mumbled. Shadow gently laid her on the colorful floral print couch. “J-just nauseous.” His eyes darted around. He found a box of tissues and placed it on the coffee table near Amy. Then he looked down at the sorry state of his airshoes.

Barry approached. “Is there anything I can do to help?” They worried their hands together as they looked at Amy’s pale face.

“Make. Chamomile. Tea.” Shadow repeated with as much grace as he could muster. Why did no one ever listen to him the first time? It’s not like he blathered endlessly like Sonic. When he chose to speak, it meant something. “And bring me a damp cloth.”

“R-right!” Barry rushed to the kitchen.

“I never want to chaos control ever again.” Amy covered her eyes with her forearm. Shadow grunted and crossed his arms over his chest. With a sigh, Amy pushed herself up and surveyed her living room with tired eyes. “Thank you for bringing me home.” She took a tissue and wiped her mouth. “I suppose all of this will be underwater soon.”

Shadow hummed. Amy’s apartment was close to the shore. The projected storm surge was going crest every building shorter than three stories and that didn’t take Sonic’s chaos energy into consideration. Though the signature blue energy was waning, the effects on the city would be significant.

Sage’s forces had been positioning to syphon as much of Sonic’s energy from the storm as possible, but the naturally fierce wind, coupled with the sandstorm-like particulate content from the volcano’s emissions, made getting close enough to the hurricane nearly impossible. That strange…thing that had called itself Nicole seemed to be in the storm…Shadow could barely begin to understand what that meant for everyone.

“You need to rest.” Shadow looked down on Amy.

She covered her face. “Are you just going to stay here while I do?”

“I-“ Shadow started, but tsked and looked away. “I will go find Knuckles.”

“Are you looking for Commander Knuckles?” Barry’s head appeared leaning from the kitchen. “He was looking for you both recently.”

Amy dropped her hands. “Looking for us?” She looked at the communications device strapped to her arm. It was one of Tails’ devices, but Sage had crept through it like a fungus, creating more functionality and leaving backdoors for itself no doubt. “Shoot! I’ve got several missed calls.” She typed away on it.

After a moment, the device chimed. “Hello, Amy!” Knuckles voice sounded from the device. Shadow could tell immediately the echidna warrior was agitated.

“Knuckles!” Amy answered, trying to force some positivity into her voice.

“Where is Shadow?” Knuckles asked without ceremony.

“Right here.” The hybrid answered gruffly.

“Good. Rouge’s distress signal has activated.” Knuckles explained. “I am going to go find her. Are you coming with me?”

Shadow stepped forward, his quills flaring. “What?”

Amy frowned and shook her head, “Where is she?”

“Nobody, not even Sage, knows exactly. Far to the north in Eggman territory, somewhere in about a fifteen-mile-wide swath of wilderness.” A shiver ran through Shadow. North. His brow furrowed. nothing important there. “I’m leaving right now.” Knuckles declared. “Shadow, where do you want to meet?”

Shadow blinked. Right. Rouge was in trouble. Rouge was never in trouble. If she was asking for help, it was serious. Of course he’d want to-

His emotions had been mounting, anger, anxiety, guilt, but then the feelings faded into a stony calmness. he was regaining his composure under pressure. he was getting better like he promised the bat. he would not act brashly.

also! something wasn’t right. the sneaky bat wouldn’t let herself get captured. there was no use in going on a wild goose chase right now. “It’s a trap.” Shadow said definitively.

Knuckles growled, “I don’t care! Trap or not, I’m going to go find Rouge. Are you coming or not?”

“Hold on!” Amy exclaimed. “Let’s think about this for a moment.” Barry approached cautiously with a steam mug and placed it on the coffee table in front of Amy. She gave them a small, grateful smile and picked it up, cradling it between her hands. “Shadow is right, Knuckles. This doesn’t feel right and-“ She sighed, “I know this is going to sound cruel, but we’re already spread so thin…”

Barry returned with a wet towel and offered it to Shadow. The hybrid narrowed his eyes at the quokka before remembering that he’d asked for this. Shadow snatched it and sat down on the couch to clean his airshoes.

“What the fuck are you saying, Amy?” Anger was rising quickly in Knuckles’ voice and Shadow…didn’t…care? the female was right. look how distraught she was. Shadow looked up from his shoes and examined Amy. She’d been working so hard, no one could deny that.

“Rouge can handle herself better than anyone. I’m not saying we abandon her,” Amy sighed heavily, the weight of choosing from a selection of bad options crushing her further and further, “I’m just saying we can’t afford to take our attention off the evacuation right now.”

There was a long pause.

“I don’t care, Amy.” Knuckles voice was strained. Shadow closed his eyes. The echidna was giving them the curtesy of a warning. Shadow would have just gone if he hadn’t sworn off that sort of behavior. “I’m going. I’m sorry, but I’m going to find Rouge. I just…I have something I have to tell her. She needs me.”

Amy hung her head and the tea sloshed, hot drops sliding down the ceramic mug and dampening her already soiled gloves. “Knuckles, we need you here! I-I need you!” She looked at Shadow, her tired eyes heavy with tears. Shadow’s ears flopped backwards and he looked away, guilt tightly curling around his gut. She didn’t want to be left behind again. Left to manage the world while they galivanted off. “Please don’t go…” Amy’s voice was small.

“I need her, Amy.” Knuckles said definitively. “There is never a good time, Amy. There is always something more important. And…and this time…this time I’m choosing Rouge over the world.”

Amy’s shoulders shuddered. She took a small sip of her tea. “I guess I’ll just…” Amy’s words trailed off.

“If Rouge is in trouble enough to ask for help,” Shadow cut in. “then she must be in dire straits. No one is denying that. But Amy is right, Knuckles. Every moment could mean the difference between life and death for countless helpless people.” He swallowed, very aware that his next words may condemn Rouge to a fate he refused to acknowledge, “So, I will remain and help Amy with the evacuation. Go find Rouge and bring her home in one piece.”

Amy turned and looked up at him. Shadow met her gaze. A sickening war of emotion waged behind the shine of Amy’s eyes. One that would fester and turn bitter the colder it grew. Though they’d worked closely the past few days, they both needed to stop running away from each other.

“Sure thing.” Knuckles spoke through Amy’s communicator, oblivious to the hedgehog’s silent predicament, “She still needs to chew you out real good. I told Amy she should take a few good swings at you, but no one can rearrange your sorry excuse for ass like Rouge.”

Shadow smirked, “I look forward to it.” There was something Shadow needed to warn Knuckles about, but he couldn’t quiet remember what it was…and he didn’t seem to care. it must not be important. he could tell the echidna later. “Be careful up there. Bring Rouge back in one piece.”

“In the meantime…”

Shadow nodded, though Knuckles couldn’t see him. “Buddy system.”

“Right. And Amy, get with Vector. It’s time to find the Emeralds. Just in case.”

“I will.” Amy nodded. “Good luck and be careful.”

“I always am.”

Shadow 06 pathway that is canon for Awakening is Under the Name of Love (Chp 2’s title), with a slight modification to Final Haunt.

Westopolis -got the emerald

Glyphic Canyon -fight Dark Arms w Knuckles, though Shadow did not recognize the Echidna

Circus Park -got the emerald

Mad Matrix -just escaped

Space Gadget -got the emerald, racing Sonic

Final Haunt -defeated Towers and Sonic but then has a change of heart