Blood Bonds

Part 4 - The Savage Sisters

It was a pleasant morning for the Ultimate Lifeform as he headed down to the G.U.N. Hospital Wing, a sparkling lavender emerald clutched in his hand. He twirled it with his fingers, the force of his toss sending the gemstone a few inches up in the air before it landed back in his gloved fist, his mind elsewhere as he gazed at the irreplaceable treasure. He was nearing the doors when a pink flying squirrel and a purple bat suddenly burst out, nearly running into him.

"What's up?" Shadow asked coolly as Nutmeg and Batanna exchanged nervous looks.

"Hi Shadow, sorry, we're in a hurry." The Head Mistress laughed apologetically. "We've got a new trainee."

"Oh really? Is he a special case?"

Batanna give him a hesitant smile. "You could say that..."

The dark hedgehog gave them a dismissive wave. "Well good luck with that then, I'll stop holding you back. See you around, ladies."

"Bye, Shadow!" Nutmeg yelled over her shoulder as she and Batanna frantically darted across the sidewalk to the armored G.U.N. vehicle awaiting the two counselors.

Shadow turned only to run into someone again, this time the world-famous blue hedgehog known for his incredible speed and witty remarks.

He narrowed his eyes, his pleasant mood slightly soured by the sight of his rival. "Hi, faker. Visiting your doppelgänger, I see?"

"You know it. Looks like you're up to the same biz," Sonic shot back, smirking. His smug look slightly dissipated when he saw the armored vehicle pull away. "Did the girls say anything about a new trainee?"

"They did. Sounded urgent. Why does it matter?" The dark hedgehog scrutinized Sonic's concerned expression with a distasteful scorn of his own.

"Oh, well," Sonic shrugged and cheesed a smile, skirting around the annoyed hedgehog. "Maybe you can ask them about it some other time. Catch ya later, Shads!"

The blue blur ran after the car. His edgy counterpart looked after him, contemplating their short exchange with some irritation before looking down at the gem in his hand and remembering why he was there in the first place. The thought of his own doppelgänger made his sour expression soften, and he entered the hospital, refusing to let a bad mood spoil his visit.

Shadow was still in good spirits by the time he entered the wing and found the room he was looking for. On the left were two bed-ridden jackals, and on the right were the remaining three Head Counselors of F.V.R., temporarily hospital-bound. His attention immediately swung to the hedgehog counselor who bore red markings strikingly similar to his own, despite the two not sharing a drop of related blood. The Ultimate Lifeform shot a sassy look at one of the jackals, the one with long white hair and a scar across his right eye, as he crossed the room to greet his friend.

Infinite the jackal returned the hedgehog's assertive glance with a knowing smirk of his own, watching as Shadow handed the shining emerald to Scarlet the hedgehog. The room was somewhat quiet as Valorie the fox attended to a Sudoku puzzle, Cyanic viewed the bouquet at the foot of her bed, and the other jackal, Aaron, fingered through a book. Shadow noticed something off about the atmosphere, like there was something going on that he didn't know about. He ignored it as he watched Scarlet admire the gleaming gemstone, her blood-red eyes sparkling with pleasure.

"Thank you for returning it, Cy and I like to use it to get around quicker." She sat up in bed and pulled the reluctant hedgehog in for a warm hug, before reclining back in bed. "Y'know, Cyanic and I are sisters..."

Shadow noticed everyone either glance over expectantly or continue their activity with newfound determination, pretending to ignore the conversation. He frowned and studied Scarlet's pleasant expression of detachment as she played with the gem. "I was wondering if you have any relatives...?"