IMPENDING DOOM

04

✥
FOUR
Rage
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៚ "AGENT STONE! YOU'VE CAPTURED THAT MENACE SONIC AND MADE HIM EMO!"

Goth was the better word, but Agent Stone was too busy laughing his ass off to correct him. He laughed until he couldn't breathe, hot and teary-eyed, diaphragm aching.

Shadow thankfully did not run, breaking his frightened gaze on Robotnik to watch Agent Stone recover from his laughter. Slowly, very slowly, he relaxed. There was no danger here. Not yet, maybe.

The Doctor, however, still made him nervous, and Shadow sipped his water to be busy, to avoid the staring.

Agent Stone took a deep breath and wiped his eyes."Ivo, this is Shadow."

Robotnik gasped dramatically. "The Shadow?"

"Yes."

Robotnik blinked. "But I—! You—! How—? I told you to steal me files!"

"I did. But I stole him, too."

"You kidnapped me?" murmured Shadow.

"I think rescued is a better word," he answered quietly.

Shadow paled and his fork dropped to his plate with a loud clang. Eyes were wide as if he just remembered something terrible.

"What is the year?"

When he told him, Shadow slammed his fists on the counter, cracking his plate.

"You lie."

A heartbeat passed. Robotnik and Agent Stone spared each other a glance.

"You cannot be telling me . . . that I have been imprisoned . . . for fifty years." Each word was forced through gritted teeth. "You speak lies, Master Stone."

Agent Stone wished he did. He avoided Shadow's gaze, staring at anything but those haunted ruby eyes.

"Mmm, unfortunately not," Robotnik chimed in. "Welcome to the future, hedgehog! Did ya sleep well?"

Shadow didn't answer, slowly unclenching his fists. They shook and wicked sparks danced over them, albeit controlled. Orange sparks. Opposite of blue. Robotnik was awed; Agent Stone was afraid.

After a few deep breaths, Shadow was calmer, the sparks dissipating. "You should not have freed me," he murmured. "They will find me and kill you. They always find me."

Did his voice crack or did Agent Stone imagine it? He opened his mouth for a clarification, but Robotnik scoffed loudly.

"Pah! You should be a little more grateful. You owe me your life, hedgehog, so you better start kissing my pretty boots."

Again, Agent Stone did not correct Robotnik. He sighed, though, for it was typical of the Doctor to be demanding. He shook his head to himself, and Shadow noticed. He scoffed himself.

"I am not yours to control."

Twice in less than twenty-four hours Robotnik found himself being told what to do. Silenced first and now denied.

"I bow no longer to the evil ways of the human race."

"I OWN YOU!" If Robotnik was Hades, he would erupt into flames.

"You do not." Shadow was breathtakingly calm.

"You are property of Robotnik—and I am a Robotnik! You're mine to use as I please!"

"No."

"Yes!"

Still so calm. "No."

"My grandfather gave you life and I can easily take it from you, hedgehog!"

"Then take it. I no longer want it."

Agent Stone winced terribly at those words. He might as well have been shot.

Robotnik growled—snarled—like an animal. "You cheeky—! You—! You're worse than the blue one!"

Shadow had no idea what Robotnik meant by that, but he didn't care. His breakfast sat unfinished, but he could no longer eat it. He excused himself and scooted down from the barstool, walking away from the fuming Doctor and his kind minion. Shadow entered the bedroom and closed the door behind him gently, shutting Robotnik out. Agent Stone was amazed at Shadow's calmness.

In frustration, Robotnik threw his hands in the air. "Teenagers! They're the worst!"

Agent Stone just hummed. "He is a person, not a weapon."

"I'm not here to get to know him, Agent Stone—I'm here to use him to be rid of that blue pest."

He wasn't surprised; he had a feeling Robotnik would say that. Unfortunately, he had no retort, just a shrug and an aching heart for poor Shadow.

What the hell did they do to him?