love like war - shadow x reader

six

Stealthily, the duo began edging towards the inside of the dark dwelling, the ebony hedgehogs' finger raised to his lips. Nodding, they both crept further in, the heroine raising a hand, indicating to Shadow that they needed to stop walking. Pink lips moving silently, she mouthed a few words to him: Grab your gun. Bobbing his head thoughtfully, he reached into his crimson-lined quills, pulling out a large AK-47-type gun. She watched him, (e/c) eyes widened, amazed at how he could pull an atrocity as large as that out of his quills. Shaking her head, she reached for the holster on her thigh, pulling out a pistol, and turning the safety off. Sharing a look of agreement, they continued to tiptoe forward, not a sound emitting from either of them. Backs pressed against the rough surface of the cave walls, they shuffled quietly towards the light that seemed to be coming from inside the cave.

Nearing the source of the calm, yellowish light, they took so much as a glance at each other, moving from their parallel spots on the wall, rotating so they were shoulder to shoulder. Their breaths were even, in sync with each other as they pressed up against one another. The light flickered, indicating that it must be a flame. Shadow peeked at his fellow agent, admiring the way the glow of the flame illuminated her fragile features. He gently whispered a single word in her ear.

"Ready?" She stiffly nodded, eyes trained ahead of her. He breathed out, their steps coinciding with each other as they scuttled forwards, knees bent, arms extended, weapons in hand.

"Hands up!" They yelled in unison, pointing their guns at the hunched over figure. Their voices echoed eerily, causing a small shiver to go up (y/n)'s spine. A deep, threatening chuckle was heard as the bundle of blankets stood up, hands raised. The place was nothing out of the ordinary; a small, oak desk leaned against the wall, some papers scattered over the damaged surface, while a melting candle stood atop a brass holder, the orange flame lighting up the space. A tattered couch sit in the centre of the vast space, a shawl haphazardly thrown across the burgundy fabric. Directly next to the desk, however, there was a large green gem, glowing proudly in the dimly lit cave. They both breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the emerald, as their task had become quite easy.

Mephiles raised an eyebrow, bottle-green, feline-like eyes meeting claret ones. "Ah, Shadow! Lovely to see you again!" His voice boomed, arms now slightly waving around, albeit still in the air. (Y/n) gasped at the resemblance between the two hedgehogs; when the commander said they looked alike, she did not expect this. He seemed to be an exact replica of Shadow, although a murky turquoise was present instead of the signature ruby red that was blended into his quills. Shadow growled, baring his white teeth.

"Mephiles," he regarded coldly, a scowl covering his face. "I wish I could say the same. Although now, we would like to retrieve that emerald of yours." He said, gesturing to the large gem. They glared at each other for seemingly a long time, the stares intensifying with each passing second.

(Y/n), although confused about how they know each other, decided to disregard it. Clearing her throat loudly, a cocky grin spread across her face. "I'm terribly sorry to ruin whatever bromance moment you were having, but we really need that emerald. Of course, if you'd like to fight us for it, we'd be more than willing to; after all, the commander has requested your presence as well." Their attention snapped to her, as if noticing her presence for the first time.

"Bromance?" Shadow spat, gripping his gun tighter.

The heroine merely winked at him, snickering.

"What an owl you've picked up, dear Shadow." Mephiles spoke, giving the woman a once over. She snorted in disgust, pistol still raised. The atmosphere seemed too calm for her liking, even though she couldn't pinpoint why they hadn't shot the thief already. Continuing to chit-chat was not the way the agent worked. She craved action, not flirting with the criminal.