Scream For Me

-25-

When Shadow next came to, he was in the plane once again, his torso wrapped tightly. He groaned, trying to sit up, but he fell back on the cushions, letting out a breath.

"Whoa there, mate," a familiar Australian voice said. "You took quite a hit back there. I'm actually surprised you're awake so early."

"What happened?" the dark hedgehog asked, his voice hoarse.

"You were shot, if you don't remember, and (Y/n) ran into you, basically tearing the place apart. She was insane!" the panther replied.

"Did...did we complete the mission?" Shadow inquired.

"You bet, mate!" Detonator waved someone over and Teleporter's head popped into view. Silver's came up slower, his quills mussed. They both looked exhausted and battered, but both were smiling.

"Look what we got," Teleporter said, her voice weary. Then each of the rescues held up an Emerald and an array of emotions ran through Shadow. They were getting closer to getting home. Three more Emeralds, they could restore his powers and they would go home to whatever disaster Sonic had gotten himself into.

But Shadow felt some hesitation. For a brief moment when he'd been shot, he had felt something he'd never felt before. Something that made him feel like he was truly alive.

And even more, he hadn't been the one protecting her, she'd been the one protecting him, and she'd been the one completing the mission. 

"How many...." He groaned, his chest throbbing. "How many bodies...?" Detonator barked out a laugh. 

"At least four," he said. "No hedgehogs though. Your speedy friend should be fine." The dark hedgehog chuckled. "We tried, but a few of them passed out from her screams and didn't wake up." 

"Where is she?" 

"Brooding, I guess. I'll go get her. T, Silver, you guys should go lay down as well." The three dispersed and Shadow lifted his hand, pressing it to his chest and gritting his teeth in pain. 

A moment later, Detonator returned with (Y/n), who looked almost more exhausted than the other two. "I'll leave you two in peace," the panther said, backing away before heading back into the pilot's cabin. 

"Are you alright?" Shadow asked, turning his head to look at the (a/t). She gave him a single nod. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them. "Thank you for saving me...back there...." She simply stared at him and one of his ears twitched. "(Y/n)?" She looked down, her hand lifting and making a symbol. 

"Scared." Shadow let out a breath, shakily lifting his hand and wrapping it around hers.

"You saved me," he said quietly. She lifted her head to meet his gaze, then shook it. "(Y/n), I don't understand. What happened to the AI?" Suddenly, he recalled something. Someone calling his name. He hadn't recognized their voice. It was a female. "(Y/n), are you selectively mute?" Her eyes widened slightly and she shook her head. "I heard you. You called my name." 

She shook her head yet again, opening and closing her mouth and waving her hands frantically in front of her face. Shadow closed his eyes again, taking a deep breath through his nose. "Why don't you want to talk to me?" Her hands slowed, one dropping into her lap, the other forming the same signal from before. 

"Scared." 

"Why?" She covered her face, looking down. One hand lifted slightly and pointed at her throat and he could hear her heavy breaths. He fell silent, waiting until she'd composed herself. Then the AI sputtered to life in the hedgehog's ear. He felt some sort of disappointment at hearing its monotone voice. He knew (Y/n) had a voice, and he wanted to hear it again. 

"I guess I never fell out of the habit of not talking. I thought that if I spoke, I would scream. And honestly, I did. A lot. Any type of sound that comes out of my mouth is a scream. Speaking turns to screaming. I just can't handle it." 

Shadow turned his head back so he was staring at the ceiling. He felt her lightly touch his arm and he glanced at her. Her ears fell back on her head and he forced his features to soften. "Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine," he muttered. He looked back to the ceiling. "More...more than fine, actually. I feel...for once, I truly feel alive." He saw her tilt her head in confusion out of his peripheral vision. He took a deep breath. "I suppose it's to say that back in our time, back when I am the Ultimate Lifeform, I feel...cut off. I feel like I can do anything, but nothing at the same time. I don't feel as if I am living." He shut his eyes slowly, turning his head back towards her before opening them again. "But here, with you, I feel mortal. I feel as if I could live a normal life." He extended his hand out, brushing the side of her face. She leaned into his touch. "It makes me hesitant to want to leave." 

Her eyes widened and she straightened. "What? Shadow, we have to go home. We have to go back to our time. Things could be seriously messed up if we don't!" He clenched his jaw, dropping his gaze. "Shadow...I understand. But now you've learned. Now you've learned what it feels like to be mortal, and you can remember this feeling forever. You can feel mortal even if you're not." 

"But I would have to live without you," he whispered hoarsely. He turned his head away, withdrawing his hand. 

"Shadow...please. You've learned so much in this time, please don't close yourself off again." 

"I learned it from you," he said sharply, turning suddenly and sitting up. He winced, curling over slightly as pain shot through his chest and (Y/n) instantly reached over, putting her hands on his shoulders. He caught his breath and looked up at her. "I learned about being mortal and not letting it get to my head from you. You've helped me so much, (Y/n), and I don't know if I could ever let you go." 

She stared at him, her mouth opening slightly. He put one hand on her face. "I taught you to be mortal, and now I have to teach you to let go." He closed his eyes, drawing his hand to him and curling it into a fist. Her ears fell against her head and she extended both hands to him. "Savor the moments you have. Savor them all. Control yourself. Control your anger."

Shadow took a deep breath, slight pangs traveling through his chest. Then he opened his eyes and lifted his head. "Stay with me," he murmured. He heard the AI hum in his ear for a moment before the sound died and she simply nodded and crawled into the seat next to him. Savor the moments you have.... He nuzzled the side of her face before adjusting himself so he was laying back over the seats, the throbbing in his chest subsiding slightly.

We will never speak of this to Faker, he thought. He wondered what would happen when they returned to the present. What Sonic would think. However, he pushed these thoughts from his mind. He was in the here and now. He closed his eyes contentedly as (Y/n) rested her hand on his chest, the other running gently through his quills.

And he wasn't going to waste a second of it.