Fixing My Broken Heart

Chapter 4 - Shadow's POV

I started to struggle against the cuff on my ankle, and tried to break apart the ones on my wrists. How was Mephiles still alive? That blast 5 years ago should have killed him! Did that mean Ibilis was still alive too?

"You can torture me all you want, you fiend. Just know you'll never get anything from me. You can't break me that easily." He frowned. "I'm not going to hurt you, Shadow," he said. "You are in no danger. The only reason you are restrained is because you could easily hurt me. All I would like to do is talk."

I frowned. "A likely story," I told him. "You could easily be lying to my face, planning to manipulate me to join your si-" Suddenly, Mephiles threw a pillow at my face, causing me to fall silent. A few seconds later he burst into joyful laughter, falling onto the ground from giggling. I was shocked. Was this the same guy who tried to destroy all of time?

"Sorry, I don't mean to laugh," he said, recollecting himself. "It's just your face was completely shocked and it looked so funny! I couldn't resist laughing! Oh, that felt good. Laughing always helps with my mood. You should really try it sometime."

I blinked, then couldn't help but smile. Why? I was falling into his trap by smiling! He looked at me, and his cheeks turned purple for some reason. "Okay, can we come to an agreement?" Mephiles said, sitting down on the table. I frowned. "What kind of an agreement?"

"If I uncuff your wrists, then you won't hurt me. And I can explain more on what I'm doing here and why." I looked down at my ankle. "But what about my ankle?" I asked. He looked at my ankle too. "If I take that off, you can't run away. I want you to completely trust me, and I know I have to earn that. But I need to know if I can trust you or not."

I sat there and thought for a moment. Something in my gut told me this wasn't a trap, that he actually meant no harm. "Just do it, Shadow. Besides, he doesn't look to be in a state where he has much power." "Alright then, Mephiles, but this better not be a trap." He clapped his hands eagerly, then came over and undid the one on my ankle.

"Stand up and turn around," he said. "I won't hurt you, it'll just be easier to undo the cuffs on your back." I sighed, then got up and turned around. He undid those cuffs, then backed away and dropped the key & cuffs. He seemed to be waiting for something to happen. "Alright, now explain yourself," I said, sitting back on the couch. "You better have a good excuse to why you're here."

"Well actually, it's a good REASON, thanks, and it's gonna take a lot of talking. You have to pay close attention to everything I say." I crossed my arms. Listening to excuses was nothing new to me, as dealing with criminals lying during interrogations was in my wheelhouse. "Go ahead, I'm listening."

"...After the explosion, I couldn't understand why I was still alive. The blast should have destroyed me, but it didn't...and Ibilis wasn't destroyed either. He was just...a small flame, barely alive. I managed to get us both out of there...before you could catch us." I froze. That was right...there was a figure at the cite that I chased, but wasn't able to see what it was or catch it.

"After I managed to hide us in an alleyway, I got Ibilis to be a little stronger by warming him up a bit. Body heat was just enough to keep him from going out. We traveled to many places after that, and I managed to keep myself hidden so no one would recognize me. A year ago, I found this warehouse, and since no one was using it, I've made me and Ibilis comfortable. That was, until a few months ago."

Mephiles then stopped and got lost in a trance, looking up at the ceiling. I looked up at the ceiling too, then saw a few of the giant windows broken and shattered. "They came in and took him just a few months ago," he said. "I don't know who they are, or what they want, OR how they found us, but they did. They took Ibilis, and they...I dunno know what they did to me, but...here take a look."

He lifted up his jacket and revealed his chest. I hid my blushing from him. Looking at his muscular chest was enough to make me pass out. But on the center of his chest was a weird contraption that looked like a small metal box, attached to his flesh.

"I dunno what this is supposed to be, but it did something to me. I've gone into a feral-like state a few times, my powers almost to absolute zero, and I passed out every now and then. As hard as I've tried to get it off, it's dug deep into my flesh. But aside from that-" he put his jacket back on "-I have been trying to find where they took Ibilis. But no matter what, I can't find him. In fact, last night I was searching, but then saw you in a bank robbery chase, and you were about to crash. So, using up most of my energy, I managed to save you from being hurt. But those others...I couldn't reach them in time before they crashed."

I looked at him in shock. So that's why I was saved. It made a lot more sense now. "Don't worry, they survived," I said. "Those teenagers will live their lives without anymore trouble, or so I can hope." Mephiles smiled a bit, which made me relax somehow. "That's pretty much everything that's happened during the five years," he said. "...So, any questions?"

I sat there for a moment, then said, "What if I were to help you find Ibilis?" He looked at me, confused. "You...want to help me? But why?" I gave a caring smile. "You look like you need help," I said. "Besides, I need to get you out of this place. You can just stay at my apartment while we look for Ibilis."

Mephiles's cheeks turned purple. Was that him blushing? "And why are you helping me? Haven't I caused a lot of problems for you in the past? The least you should be doing is having me locked away forever." It was my turn to blush. That wasn't far from the truth.

"Well, um...consider it returning the favor. You helped me, so now I'll help you in any way I can. Do we have a deal?" Mephiles's eyes filled with hope, and he hugged me tightly. "It's a deal!" he agreed. "Thank you, Shadow the hedgehog! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

I couldn't help but smile, yet I didn't show any sign that I cared. What was happening to me? Why was I letting my feelings slip?!