A/N: ahahhah didya know the secret freedom fighters had code names? anyway, I realise this is a really long gap between chapters, but… I posted this anyway? so, well, it's here. No chapters after this one, though. And I promise Shadow's number originally was saved as a funnier name on Sonic's phone, but for some reason FFnet didn't accept it.

"You gave a GUN agent your personal phone number and told him you're Sonic the Hedgehog?!" Knuckles demands, and Sonic smiles benignly at him from where he's perched on the wing of the Tornado, mentally going oh, oops, c'mon, you're totally making it sound way worse than it actually is, buddy!

"I did," Sonic says calmly, completely reasonably, peacekeeping face on, "Give him my number, after I found out he was an agent, but the 'FYI I'm the leader of the Freedom Fighters'-bit? Is not my fault. I may have hinted-"

"Hinted!"

"-a bit, to the fact, that maybe I approve of our resistance warfare technique-thingies, BECAUSE I DO, they sure work on Eggs Benedict- welp, and then he figured it out on his own. After I had already left, by the way, so there wasn't ever even any chance for him to arrest me!" Sonic throws up his hands in a ta-dah gesture. "I just gotta test out Tails' new garbage disposal by feeding it my phone and voilà, problem solved, he no longer has my number."

Knuckles gives him a doubtful look, but then he sighs and puts a hand on Sonic's knee, likely because Sonic's shoulders are out of reach because Sonic wanted the literal high ground here by climbing the plane, and Knuckles says mellowly, "I just worry 'bout you, Sonic. Your attitude is gonna get you in trouble someday."

"Nah, it's already happened," Sonic quips back. "Remember when you literally punched me out of my Super form?"

"Good times," Knuckles says sarcastically, and Sonic laughs, and it's cool, emotional moment over, Sonic doesn't want Knuckles to worry about him, ever. Honestly, Shadow wasn't that bad. He was a bit too proper and a bit too tidy, which just made Sonic want to tease him more, or even better: suggest things. Or even best: mess him up a little bit. But Sonic didn't, because he's calm and cool and rational, and because his best friends are always ready 24/7 to roast him for his dumber choices, and he is, absolutely, going to chuck his phone into the sea or a garbage disposal at first chance he gets, because he's responsible like that, just like the leader of the Freedom Fighters should be.

He doesn't throw his phone away.

One night, he scrolls down his list of contacts, and stares for a very intense moment.

He could be at the garbage disposal in half a second, back in his bed minus his phone in another half. But, he thinks loudly, making a point to himself and to the world, where is the fun in that? Where?

Tails and Nicole already made this phone as secure as possible, so there's no way GUN can use this for anything. Except for calling.

So he sends off a text message:

August 3

SHADS: Wait. You're *the* Sonic the hedgehog, aren't you?

C'EST MOI: eh.

August 11

C'EST MOI: hey what's up?

Then he processes this decision, the mercilessly perfect letters on his phone screen, until a minute later another text bubble bobs up.

SHADS: It is 2 am.

Sonic grins and replies, because of course he does, what the heck else is there to do?

C'EST MOI: but you're awake!

C'EST MOI: or shoot did i wake u?

SHADS: No.

SHADS: I'm working.

C'EST MOI: wait you're hiding in vents somewhere? :O

SHADS: No.

SHADS: And it's all strictly confidential information.

SONIC: :/

Shadow can really appreciate how it's impossible to lose your poker face in text conversations sometimes, because at the back two idiots are starting up a bar brawl and meanwhile Rouge looks like Wrath itself, deadly in all black and stilettos, as she goes to throw them both out of her club and onto the curb. Shadow's only job tonight is to help Rouge run the bar at Club Rouge, which means he mixes a lot of drinks and takes a lot of orders. Omega on the other hand prefers to clean the tables, so that's his assigned task for the evening, while Rouge is bouncer and hostess both.

Team Dark do this once a week, usually, so that the staff of Club Rouge can have a free night.

-Shadow can't say what made him reply to Sonic's text, however.

The Sonic the Hedgehog's goddamn text message, because the first thing Shadow did after coming up with that idea was to search through the archives of GUN for all files on Sonic the Hedgehog, leader of guerrilla fighting group the Freedom Fighters, and stare hard at his smug face.

Boredom can drive people to strange things, Shadow knows. And he thinks extra hard about this as he takes a picture of the Club's interior, dark and lit by strobes of pink and yellow light, packed with people, and sends the picture to the actual Sonic the Hedgehog.

SHADOW: [image]

SONIC: is that a club?

SONIC: are u out partying?

SHADOW: Side-job.

SONIC: do GUN not even pay you wth

Shadow doesn't laugh, but he does smile a bit.

Other people aren't so bad. Maybe he should try talking to them, sometime.

Life goes on, and if you're Sonic then life usually leads back to Dr Eggman.

It's a beautiful sunny day about two weeks after their first text conversation and he's just about to set off a nice lil explosion in one of Eggman's bases, when Tails starts screeching in his ear comm, "NO NO STOP WAIT, stop, there's a life sign near you, someone's alive in there-"

"Eggman has taken prisoners?" Sonic says, appalled despite himself. Like, you know, Eggman has taken prisoners before, even tortured people. It's just been a while.

"There's just the one," Tails says. "I think it's moving closer to you-"

Which is when someone falls from the ceiling and pounces on Sonic, and it's twenty seconds of exhilarating nerve-wracking struggling to choke one another, before Sonic looks a bit closer and realises that, "Wow hey, you're Shadow," which he promptly wheezes out, and then Shadow abruptly lets go and Sonic wriggles free.

"Sonic?" Shadow says, frowning. "You are… sabotaging."

"No," Sonic replies, while pulling himself to his feet, "I'm trying to blow this base up. That's like Sabotage XXXL."

"You're sabotaging my job," Shadow grumbles. "Move. I need to extract data from-"

"Then by my guest! Take whatever you want, but then I'm blowing this place."

Unfortunately Shadow still has the nerve to protest, because he starts saying, "I was explicitly told to be stealthy-"

"Don't you dare."

Shadow stops. Sonic says, very slowly, "I am going to blow up this base. You know why? Because it's here where Eggman produces his robots, which he then uses for things such as starting an invasion of the islands down south, which is where our families live!"

"...Sonic?" Tails asks. "What's happening?"

"Nothing. Just ran into someone, see you in a sec." Sonic shuts off his comm and looks hard at Shadow.

"Yes," the agent says, looking away. "Of course."

"Good," Sonic says. "Glad you agree."

Then Sonic sits down on a crate to wait as Shadow gets his data, feeling generous enough to wave goodbye to him once he leaves. Shadow just ducks out of the building without a word.

Sonic sits there and waits for another half an hour for decency's sake (Shadow can claim to his superiors that he had nothing to do with this in peace, loser), which is the actual limit of how long he can wait for something, and then he lights the metaphorical fuses and darts outside. First comes the satisfying boom and rumble of the building collapsing in on itself, and then flames start to snake their way out. Eventually most of the building is on fire, so bright and hot Sonic feels it even where he's standing.

There, Eggman's work burns, Sonic can think, and feel just a bit more relieved every time.

One bit at a time, they're tearing his empire down. GUN are all talk and no doing: this is why the Freedom Fighters must do this. This is why Sonic is always doing it. This is why he can never stop: if he and his don't fight Eggman, then who will? Sometimes it's fun, and sometimes his friends get hurt and he waits in fear in the infirmary with them. Sometimes they lose, but mostly they win, and sometimes it's hard! Sometimes it's exhausting and bloody and horrible, and sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's ridiculously easy, but no matter how it goes, the Freedom Fighters are going to be there.

-Agent Shadow is wasted at GUN.

But Sonic gets it, if that's the road he must follow for whatever Chaos-forsaken reason, because this is the way Sonic is paving with the ashes of Egghead's bases, and he can't not follow it.

He swore to protect this world. He promised.

Yet it's started to feel like a chore, being an Agent for GUN is just a job, and not a very good one either. Sure, the pay's good, but that's not why Shadow took the job. He wants to protect the world, and GUN… could do better. Should do better.

-Shadow still doesn't agree with the Freedom Fighters' methods.

But he feels bad about what happened at the factory, and maybe… a compromise would be the best idea. Perhaps.

...If Sonic still wants to talk to him again, that is.

Central City has a lot of inhabitants, which means lots of guests at Chez Amy. Blaze isn't a half bad chef though, and Silver is just about the quickest waiter in existence thanks to his psychokinesis, while Amy likes taking orders and making desserts, and Sticks is a pro at arranging the tables even though her tastes in decor are rather avant-garde, but it's all cool. Due to Central City being as big and tourist-y as it is though, Amy doesn't have that many regulars.

So she definitely noticed when that black hedgehog became one, and today he's here again. He always orders more or less the same thing, a dessert or a sandwich with either water or coffee. He never wants an actual meal, or something alcoholic (of which they don't have much anyway, because Blaze refuses to let Amy order any)

She doesn't know his name, or really anything about him, because he's just a customer. If he did do something fishy, Amy could always take a photo of him and send it to Tails and Nicole for them to do some hacking or whatever computer magic it is they do for them to find out his entire life story.

Which Amy of course won't do unless he starts acting really, really shady, which he's not. No matter what Sticks is saying.

He comes in like usual one day, orders a vegetarian sandwich and a caramel frappuccino, and eats for a while. Amy isn't exactly paying attention. Then Sonic shows up, and Amy drops what she's holding to rush over and hug him, because hello amigo, but then Sonic exclaims, "Shadow?"

-and then Amy turns around, and the black hedgehog is halfway out of his chair, looking like a deer in headlights.

"Sonic?" Amy asks, half wary and half curious. Assessing.

"Shadow," Sonic says again, taking a step toward him - and then he says, "He's a friend, Ames, I'm just surprised to…"

"Hello Sonic," Presumably-Shadow says wearily, and holds up his frappuccino. "I'm just here for a coffee."

"Oh," Sonic says. "Mind if I join you? Can I…"

Sonic and Shadow sit down together, and Amy cocks her head. Interesting. Sonic notices her looking and looks sheepish. Hah! something's going on here, and then Sonic says, "Could ya get me chili dog, Amy? Okay thanks."

Amy goes to give the order to Blaze, watching Sticks sidle over to Sonic's table to 'arrange the twig bouquet'. The other customers are thankfully ignoring this, and while Silver looks like he also wants to eavesdrop he dutifully keeps on carrying plates. When Amy gets the chili dog from Blaze she delivers it herself, just so she can wink at Sonic and give him a thumbs up. Sonic looks at her in this expression like he's regretting making her the leader of the Secret Freedom Fighters, and Amy just smiles serenely.

Shadow, huh.

Amy goes to brief Blaze on these developments.

A few weeks or so later, the Secret Freedom Fighters, thanks to Amy's careful planning, strategising and orders, are infiltrating GUN HQ. Or, that's certainly what they're going to try to do. The rest of the Freedom Fighters need more intel on Dr Eggman's business, and the only thing GUN agents ever do is collect more information to then hoard it selfishly. Tails and Nicole have been unable to hack into the archives of GUN HQ so far, but if Amy and her team manage to manually plant one of Tails's 'bugs' in there…

That would be amazing.

Amy has a direct comms line to Tails, as secure as they can make it, and Tails wholeheartedly agrees with her idea but tells her to be extremely careful anyway. Which Amy was obviously planning on already, but anyway. The mission. Agent Ace, aka. Silver, is going to get them in…

Which he does by carefully removing a door at the back of the building.

When the black-clad Secret Freedom Fighters enter, they sneak inside what appears to be a janitor's closet with two more doors. Incredibly quiet is the way: it's night, so there's only a skeleton staff left in the building. Still, the security systems are on. There's no doubt about that. Amy takes one of Tails's 'bugs' (really, they look more like paper planes) and sticks it to the control panel on the wall, which was apparently connected to the door Silver broke.

"Tails?" Amy murmurs.

"Taking control of cameras…" Tails murmurs back through her comm. "Trying to take control of cameras…"

"...Tails?" Amy's team looks at her as Amy asks again.

"Sorry," Tails says, "Their systems aren't as bad as I thought… hmm. If you could be quick I'd appreciate it."

"Alright," Amy says. "Do you know which way we should head?"

"Down," Tails says. "There's… a bunch of servers in the basement…"

"Thanks," Amy says. Then, to her team, "We should hurry."

They creep through the base, aiming for the stairs. They're two floors down when they see a light at the end of a hallway, and then they all promptly duck inside of a janitor's closet. It's really crowded with Amy, Silver, Blaze and Staci all crammed together, and they have to stay there for twenty minutes at Tails's insistence.

"Spades," Silver mumbles at about minute 13. "Have you seen that Shadow guy the boss has been hanging with?"

"Shadow?" Agent Spades, aka. Staci, whispers back. "I thought he was Sonic's boyfriend?"

"They're dating?" Silver squeaks, high-pitched, and Amy kicks him in the shin.

"We gossip after missions," Amy whispers. "How many times do I have to say that?"

Blaze is, as usual, the most professional of them all.

"Sorry Hearts," Silver mumbles. At least Amy's powerpoint about using codenames seems to have stuck: Amy's codename is Agent Hearts.

-when they're finally free of the closet prison, they head uninterrupted for basement level three. There Silver opens five doors for them and knocks out a guard, who Blaze then locks in another janitor's closet by melting shut the door. Staci and Amy don't have any flashy super powers, so they mostly stand guard.

Eventually they reach the official private server banks of GUN. Her team fans out to explore the rest of the room, to make sure there are no nasty surprises in store, while Amy carefully gets to work. When she finally sticks the 'bug' to the server… absolutely nothing happens. -Then Tails says, over the comm, "Yes!"

Amy grins. Success! Victory for the Freedom Fighters always tastes sweet, even when there are no explosions present; one step closer to making Eggman's Empire crumble to dust.

Sonic and Shadow, decided, tonight, to hang out together. In a, in the flesh, no pretenses, let's definitely not talk about work, welcome to my apartment-kind of way. It had been awesome! Sonic watched a movie on Shadow's sofa, with Shadow, while eating snacks and doing some light absolutely platonic we're just bros cuddling, until Shadow smiled at him. It was that kind of smile. Sonic smiled back, but before he worked up the nerve to like, do something more interesting, Shadow got up to get a glass of water.

And then he came back five minutes later, holding his phone and looking furious.

"Was this intentional?" he asks, quietly. "Did you plan this?"

"Plan what?" Sonic throws back, helpless, flipping through schedules and plans and trivia in his head.

Shadow eyes him for a moment before saying, "There's been a break-in at HQ."

"A break-in…?" and then Sonic realises, finally, but to be fair Tails only mentioned it to him like, once, and Sonic didn't even know that they'd do it tonight. He says, "Well, no one got hurt, right?"

"That's not the point!" Shadow snaps. "I'm fraternizing with vigilantes! I missed the calls from HQ because I was too busy-" he cuts himself off, sharply. Sonic tries not to wince.

"It's not that bad," Sonic attempts to soothe. "I may not have given the order, but I know my fighters wouldn't do any serious damage without good cause."

"You were distracting me," Shadow accuses. "And even if you didn't plan it…"

"You think I would-" Sonic switches tracks, even though he's pretty hurt by what Shadow's saying here. "I just wanted to hang out with you! You're a cool guy! I like you!"

Shadow scoffs.

"I think you best leave," he then says. "Before I say something I regret."

"Like what?" Sonic says, challenging, before he can stop himself, because rebellion is practically written into his DNA, even if Sonic wants to eat his shoes the instant after he's said that.

"Go," Shadow says flatly.

Sonic bites back GUN sucks and you should join FF and this wouldn't be a problem and other phrases the opposite of helpful, wordlessly making his way over to the door. He stops there before going outside, says, "I'm sorry."

Shadow doesn't answer.

Sonic leaves.

Their relationship can be described as almost entirely consisting of ups and downs: either they're mad at each other, or Sonic is making Shadow laugh and smile and question his entire set of morals. But the Freedom Fighters do not get along with GUN personnel, and GUN agents do not get along with the FF. The Commander outright despises the Freedom Fighters and their mysterious leader, Sonic the Hedgehog.

Shadow does his best to ignore this.

He does wonder, however, if he could do something about that.

Any ally in the fight against the Doctor is a good ally, no?

Shadow is a skilled agent. He's fast, generally follows orders, and he's on Rouge's team. Surely he could make the Commander at least consider some sort of cooperation with the Freedom Fighters.

Sonic gets the phone call when he's right in the middle of a Freedom Fighters leaders' meeting, and Tails immediately gives him a suspicious look at the unfamiliar ringtone. "Oops!" Sonic says too loudly. "Gotta take this, I'm so sorry - Sal, you're in charge, see ya," and he skips out the door before anyone can stop him, pulling out his phone only when he's a few rooms away from the meeting.

"What's up?" Sonic begins brightly. Then he deflates a little. "And sorry about last week, Shads."

"It's fine, but I wanted to tell you something."

"Yeah?" Sonic tries to neither sound nor feel too giddily hopeful. "Spill the beans, baby."

"I talked to the Commander of GUN, and we might be able to… persuade him to accept a truce between GUN and FF. Maybe even a partnership."

"Oh?" Sonic says, because this certainly wasn't what he expected to hear - but it's not bad, anyway, in fact it's great! "What's the catch?"

"The Doctor has an active stronghold a few miles north of Westopolis," Shadow says. "GUN wouldn't be able to take it on their own, but…"

"You want us to join forces to convince the Commander?"

"If you'd want to. If your people would be up for it."

"I'll… have to hear with the others. But you can get a - meeting or whatever, with the Commander?"

"Yes."

Sonic drags a hand through his quills. "Okay. Great. I'll - call you later, okay? Take care."

"...You too."

They end up together in the Commander's office, which is all greys and whites and minimalist decor with uncomfortable plastic chairs. His desk is a massive slab of wood with a stack of reports on it and barely anything else, and from behind it the Commander stares Sonic down with an expression like he just stepped in something sticky and nasty.

Sonic does his absolute best to lounge nonchalantly in the stupid chair and grin cheerfully.

"Agent Shadow," the Commander says. "I heard you had a proposal for me?"

"Yes," Shadow says. "The Eggman outpost near Westopolis needs to be taken down."

"Does it now." the Commander says.

"There's a Chaos Emerald inside," Shadow says. "I think you'd be interested in that, sir."

Even Sonic perks up at that. A Chaos Emerald?

"How do you know that?" the Commander asks gruffly.

"I went scouting," Shadow answers. "As you know, I can sense Chaos energy."

Sonic and the Commander stare at each other with hostility for a moment.

"The so-called 'Freedom Fighters' are lawless hooligans," the Commander says, and Sonic bristles, "however, if the FF lend their assistance in taking down this 'stronghold'. If that mission goes well… Perhaps we can work out an agreement."

He extends a hand and he and Sonic shake on it, each trying to crush the other's hand.

Then Sonic gets dismissed while Shadow and the Commander talk about something, but that suits him just fine. They've got it! All they need to do is complete one mission, destroy one fortress - they can manage that. And after that…

Well, Sonic can count on Shadow to negotiate for them.

The thought is absurd but it's true - Sonic can count on Shadow. They haven't ever fought side by side (but maybe that'll change in a few days) but Sonic still knows that Shadow would have his back, not that he'd need it, but wouldn't it be nice?

Heh.

"So, there's some big mission tomorrow." Rouge sits down in the sofa right beside Shadow, turning off the TV and handing him a box of Chun-nese. Shadow sighs and takes it, fumbles with the chopsticks.

"Yes," he answers, and eats a noodle.

Rouge waggles her eyebrows meaningfully at him for a few seconds before giving up and going at it directly: "I heard you planned the mission, actually."

"Hmm."

"Got a friend in the Freedom Fighters?" Shadow must have twitched or something, because Rouge exclaims, "Ha! Got ya. So, what's their name?"

"That's hardly relevant," Shadow defends.

"Ooooh, it is if you've got a special friend," Rouge says.

"Who says it's a 'special friend'?"

"Like you'd pull this whole thing off for just anyone."

"Maybe I would," Shadow says. His biggest ambition will always be to protect the world - this plays into that goal nicely. "Either way, you'll find out tomorrow."

"Hmfh."

They sit together in silence and Shadow slowly consumes his meal, steadfastly not thinking about tomorrow. He'll be focused when the moment comes, but now there's no point in imagining how it will go. He has looked at plans of the stronghold, he has run around it and taken a good look, he knows Sonic and his fighters are coming, he's prepared.

"Well, I'm off to bed," Rouge announces after a while, getting up from the sofa. She points at Shadow and says, "You better introduce us to your friend tomorrow, Shadow."

"We'll see," Shadow says vaguely. "Sleep well, Rouge."

Rouge rolls her eyes, which is a move so charmingly meant to imitate Shadow that he feels almost fond, and then she goes to bed. Shadow eats the last of his vegetables and goes downstairs to throw away the container… and then he'll go to bed.

Hills and mountains surround Westopolis, a few trees here and there, but most of it is only grass upon grass. It's an overcast morning, no wind, and the air lies hot and humid over the plains. Eggman's fortress sticks out like a sore thumb once you're close enough to get a good look - built in a sorta groove between two mountains, another hill right in front of it, it's kinda hard to spot unless you know where it is.

If you do approach it though, it's all painted bright red or yellow, a few splashes of unpainted steel in there. It's a large, looming building, taller than it's high which isn't what Eggface typically goes for, and the place it's built on makes it an annoying place to storm.

Sonic and Sally discuss this as they wait for the GUN troops to come to some sort of decision, and Sonic definitely doesn't sneak any looks at Shadow meanwhile.

"Okay, so we know there's an emerald in there-" Sonic can feel it very faintly- "And I think I - or someone skilled, maybe Silver - should go through the base and retrieve it as fast as possible, before it can be used to power any defense mechanisms or whatever it is Eggman's got in store here."

"Point," Sally says. "But whoever has to do will be in the most danger if anything goes wrong, and there's a lot of enemies in that stronghold, Sonic."

"Which is why I volunteer myself."

Sally frowns. "I still think - you should get a team for that. Or a partner, at least. Maybe Agent Ace?"

Hmmm.

"Actually," Sonic says, trying not to grin. "To make things fair, y'know, I think I should partner up with a GUN agent."

"A GUN agent?" Sally raises a brow at him, all 'really, pal?'.

Sonic grins a little, a tiny bit, and says, "Yeah, it'll be properly equal then. But we can let Agent Ace and - uh, Agent Queen do a distraction at the same time, maybe? They're flashy."

"You'll have to ask Amy if you want to borrow her agents," Sally says, but Sonic thinks it looks like she likes that idea. Silver and Blaze are both flashy and powerful; it'd work.

Amy then joins their discussion, and so all the Freedom Fighters leaders they brought here are together in one place (they've got Tails & Knuckles running HQ in the meantime). They talk a bit more details, until Shadow, a bat and a human GUN agent start to walk towards them.

"Hello," says Shadow.

"Hi," says Amy dumbly, then turns to Sonic with an expression full of glee.

So does, alarmingly, the bat.

"Hey Shads," Sonic says, trying to ignore Amy, and turns to the human with a bright smile. "Hi, I'm Sonic, leader of the Freedom Fighters."

"I'm Topaz," the human says. "Have you made any plans?"

"I think it'd be best if we sent a team ahead to get the emerald, and let the rest of our forces follow," Sonic says. "The less time Eggman has a Chaos Emerald, the better."

"If Sonic had a partner from GUN when he does this - unless you have objections to any of this, ma'am - the mission might run smoother," Sally adds swiftly, giving both Sonic, Shadow and the bat a look.

"Hmm." Topaz eyes Shadow.

"I volunteer," Shadow says, looking at Sonic. Sonic winks.

"Well, now that that's sorted out…" Topaz turns to Sally. "What's the rest of the plan?"

Infiltrating one of the Doctor's bases together with Sonic turns out to be - interesting. For one, Sonic talks a lot: he makes quips at badniks and Egg Pawns as he destroys them, he comments on the layout of the place, he makes fun of the Doctor, he asks Shadow about his opinions, he cracks jokes…

At one point (several) Shadow wonders whether Sonic's flirting with him.

He doesn't ask.

They both can sense the Chaos Emerald, it turns out, but Shadow's slightly better at it. He'd be really alarmed if it was otherwise. They're both incredibly fast, and tracking the emerald down takes no time at all - they kick their way through doors and clears mazes in a minute at most.

The emerald is located high up in the base, and as they climb their way over staircases and elevator shafts, they realise that specifically, the emerald is in a tower on the left side of the base. Getting up there won't take long...

Running alongside Shadow and destroying badniks together feels magnificent. Not getting rid of his phone, the phone with Shadow's number on it, was a brilliant decision in the end, which Sonic will tell Tails as soon as they're finished here and have worked out a brand fresh little partnership between GUN and the Freedom Fighters, which will be beneficial to everyone, especially as after it's gone into effect none of them any longer will have to fear getting arrested by some extra pissy trigger-happy GUN agent when grocery-shopping.

Sonic tells Shadow, "Can't wait to do this again!"

Shadow huffs out a breath in that way Sonic's come to recognise as laughter, and then they tear down the last door between themselves and the prize.

The room they enter is large, with giant windows - no, there's no glass, it's just a big balcony sort of structure, with a high ceiling and a highly ominous-looking robot in the middle of it. It looks like a smaller, metallic version of the Egg Golem - and it's definitely got the emerald.

-it also seems to be shut off at the moment.

"Okay," Shadow says, keeping his eyes on the robot. He's obviously wary. "How do you think we should approach it?"

Sonic wants to tackle it head first, but Shadow's presence makes him want to stop and think it over. "It seems dead to me. Just sneak up on it, maybe?"

"Together?"

"Duh."

They creep toward it, and for once Sonic makes sure to be on his very best behaviour, quiet as a mouse. They got close enough to touch its foot where it's sitting hunched over, then close enough too touch it's chest, and then Sonic can see the emerald. It's dark blue and set into its chest over the place a human's heart would be.

Carefully, carefully Shadow moves forward, reaches up - and rips the emerald out of its hole-

-and the robot lurches awake with a horrible screeching noise, Sonic and Shadow diving away from it, Sonic curling into a ball to roll along the floor for a sec, springing up again a safe distance away, fists up.

"Ooohoo, you wanna fight?" he asks.

"This is not the time!" Shadow shouts.

"Better us dealing with it than anyone else!" Sonic shouts back. "Its weak spot is the back of the head!"

"Why does it have a weak spot!" Shadow yells in incredulity, like he's mad about poor design choices instead of overjoyed at this giant-size game of whack-a-mole.

"Just hit it! Here, gimme a boost-" Sonic runs at Shadow, who has a split-second to realise and then help launch Sonic into the air, but he does it, and Sonic whoops as he goes. He lands on the arm of the robot, running along it until he can leap to the head and slam a spin-dash into the casing protecting the fragile machinery in its head.

The robot, predictably, seizes at this, and Sonic's flung off its head, curling into a ball just before he hits the ground.

"Are you crazy!" Shadow yells at him from the other end of the room, skating out of the way as the robot tries to stomp him with one massive foot.

"This is normal for me!" Sonic shouts. "Now help me do it again!"

"No, let me!"

Fine, whatever. Sonic sprints over to Shadow, ducking beneath a swipe of the robot's large hand, and then he stays still for Shadow to run at him so he can give him a boost into he air. Shadow performs the maneuver with the grim determination of someone who'd rather be doing something saner, and manages to land on the arm of the robot, setting off immediately as to not slip off.

Sonic waits with bated breath, then avoids a giant metallic foot, then tries to spot Shadow again - and he does it just as Shadow attacks, jumping toward its head with lightning shooting from his hands. There's a flash of green light-

-and then the thunk of the robot's knees hitting the floor as it collapses, the collision heavy enough to make the building shudder.

"Yes!" Sonic cheers, rushing up to Shadow as he emerges from behind the wrecked robot, still holding the Chaos Emerald. "You did it! We did it! Damn, we're so good at this."

Shadow's expression at that twists through many, many interesting emotions before it settles on something Sonic would classify as: weary joy.

"Right," Shadow says. "The emerald goes to GUN, and once the stronghold has been cleared-"

"Partnership forever!" Sonic exclaims, slapping a hand against the one Shadow had been about to brush through his quills.

"I suppose," Shadow says, but he's nearly smiling.

"Like, honestly, I don't even care about the emerald," Sonic says. "We've already got one, and if this mission's a success?" You and me, business partners, work comrades - oh man, we get so many opportunities to do stuff together! The Commander can have that emerald, all I care about is you- uh." Maybe Sonic had been saying too many things there-

"Do you," Shadow says, haltingly, "Want to get dinner together? Today?"

-or maybe not! Maybe Sonic was saying just the right amount of personal things there!

"Yes!" Sonic says. "Yes, please, yeah, when?"

"Seven, maybe?" Shadow glances at him.

"Seven sounds perfect," Sonic says with a grin, and right now, life's pretty perfect- "But no place with a dress code, I don't wear suits."

"I'll find something," Shadow agrees.

For a moment they just stand there, next to a giant destroyed robot, and smile at each other.

Then Sonic remembers something. "Oh, and we're blowing this place up after we're done here, right?"

"You'll have to negotiate that by yourself," Shadow says, teasing.

"Uh-huh, is that so?" Sonic teases back.

"Yes. Enjoy dealing with the Commander."

"Hey!" Sonic says, but then he cracks up laughing.

Shadow shakes his head at him, but Sonic knows he really likes him, really.

"Eh, maybe I'll leave it be," Sonic says, at last. "See you at seven?"

"See you at seven."