Chapter Text
Nothing hurts more than being controlled by someone stronger than you.
How could she escape... without getting hurt?
She had tried. Again and again.
But every attempt at rebellion only fueled his fury. Every misstep had consequences.
The hedgehog, panting and with blood smeared on her nose, huddled in the far corner of the room. Her large, frightened eyes searched for an exit that wasn't there. The air felt heavy, as if even breathing were an act of defiance.
She tried to run and scream. But he...
He was faster, stronger, and sicker.
A crazed hedgehog whose mere presence chilled the blood. From the tips of his boots to the last of his quills, everything about him screamed danger. He didn't need to raise his voice to command respect. His gaze was enough. Eyes that burned with an obsession that had ceased to be love and had become a prison with invisible bars.
She was his.
Shadow the Hedgehog had an obsession.
An obsession that had consumed him from the moment he saw her.
Amy Rose, the brave and stubborn member of Sonic's team. She wasn't like the others. She didn't run from him. She wasn't afraid of him. She challenged him with her gaze, with every swing of her hammer, with every word spoken during skirmishes.
She didn't know what she had unleashed.
Shadow couldn't tear his eyes away from her. He focused on her movements—agile, precise, almost hypnotic—on the firmness with which she gripped her hammer, on the confidence with which she faced even chaos.
A girl who didn't flinch in the face of danger...
A woman who loved a challenge.
And that drove him mad.
In his darkest moments, he wondered if that strong, flexible body could also assume other positions. If her resilience could be applied in other circumstances... more intimate. More violent. More his own.
Would he scream the same if he had her beneath him?
If he took her without remorse, without mercy?
In his mind, the image was as vivid as it was dangerous.
"Please... don't stop!"
"More difficult!"
Words he had never heard her say, but which his mind repeated like a mantra. He imagined them in her voice, amidst moans, tears, pleas born not of fear... but of surrender.
And the more he thought of her, the more the line between desire and madness blurred.
God, just imagining it... was enough to ignite his body and cloud his soul.
He desired her so much...
That even at night, when he lay in the cold bed of Eggman's headquarters, his mind gave him no rest.
He imagined her.
Naked.
Mounted on top of him, panting desperately, her body moved to the rhythm of a fantasy she could no longer control. Her hands roamed the sheets as if they were her own skin, her fingers scratching the mattress as if clinging to it.
"Move more... good girl."
Words she didn't speak aloud, but that her mind repeated like a dirty, addictive echo.
He was in love, he said.
Obsessed, he whispered the truth in every corner of his soul.
And when the need consumed him beyond what he could bear, when the urgency clouded his judgment, he sought refuge in the little he had.
A pillow, his imagination, and the desperation of someone who had never known love... but believed he deserved it at any cost.
When he mounted the pillow, he held it tightly. He used it as if it were her.
He took his frustrations out on that thing, letting his dirty thoughts about the hedgehog take over.
He would stain it again and again, until his body gave out and his mind felt less alone, even if only for a few seconds.
At least six times a week, that pillow ended up in the washing machine, laden with his obsession, his delusion, and his morbid side.
Always in secret.
Always with the door closed so Eggman wouldn't notice. So no one would know.
He lived there, in that headquarters, amidst technology and madness, but his prison wasn't made of metal.
His prison had green eyes that kept him from sleeping soundly at night.
Eggman lived obsessed with finding the perfect formula to destroy Sonic.
Every day, locked away among blueprints and steel, designing more powerful, more lethal robots... but all with the same fate: defeat.
Even with Shadow's help, nothing seemed enough to bring down the blue hedgehog.
Yet, hatred kept them allies. They both agreed on the essential point: Sonic was the problem.
But what fueled Shadow's desire for destruction...
Something that gnawed at him from within.
A reason he would never confess to Eggman.
Amy Rose.
Of all of Sonic's team, she was the only one who dared to face him with a weapon.
Neither Tails with his inventions, nor Sticks with her feline agility, could compare to Amy's audacity.
That hedgehog looked him straight in the eyes and pointed her hammer at him as if she could actually defeat him.
And that drove him mad.
That irrational strength, that suicidal courage, that fire in her eyes that he didn't find in any other being.
She was weak, yes. Shadow knew it. She wasn't a real threat to him.
But even so, he admired that courage, that stubbornness, and that desire to fight even when she had no chance of winning.
And yet... he wondered.
Would she have the same attitude if he had her in bed?
Would she hold his gaze with the same courage as he pushed her beyond all limits?
Would she continue to defy him, or would she break, surrendering in his hands?
The thought haunted him.
And excited him.
...
But there was a problem that ruined everything.
The blue hedgehog.
She was sure she wanted to be alone with her thoughts for a while, and of course, the ebony hedgehog followed her like a stalker.
That day, like so many others, Shadow watched her from the shadows, hidden somewhere to stay out of Amy's sight. Now he was among the trees, watching her.
It was a sick routine. A silent habit that made him feel close to her... even though he couldn't even touch her.
And that hurt him more than he was willing to admit.
There she was, sitting on the grass, unsuspecting in front of the lake.
She wore a light red dress, decorated with small white flowers.
The wind played with the fabric, and her quills fell loosely over her shoulders, messy but soft.
Shadow felt the urge to go down and tear that dress off with his teeth.
Or to throw her to the ground right there and mark her as his.
To erase every trace of freedom from his skin.
But then the blue hedgehog appeared.
"Sonic, you finally came!" Amy said with a smile that pierced Shadow's chest.
"What can I say?" Sonic replied in his usual carefree tone. "I'm never late."
Amy threw herself into his arms without a second thought. Sonic caught her, holding her securely by the waist. And before Shadow could process it, their lips met in a long kiss.
Shadow blinked.
Once. Twice.
"Did they just... kiss? No. It couldn't be." The ebony hedgehog thought, his heart pounding.
"Were they dating?" He thought again, hoping it was just a figment of his imagination. A lie.
But it wasn't like that. The blue hedgehog's hands only tightened around her waist, pulling her closer to him as the kiss continued. A sigh escaped Amy's lips.
The ebony hedgehog clenched his fists so tightly that his claws dug into the tree bark.
He stood there, frozen on the branch... but seething inside.
His blood boiled.
His fangs ground together.
He growled, a rabid animal roar escaping his throat.
A rabid animal.
He felt... that what was his was being stolen.
Shadow felt his entire body tremble.
It was the instinct of a predator whose prey had just been snatched away.
"My mate..." he thought, his fury barely contained.
Their lips parted slowly, leaving a faint trail of sighs and shy smiles between them.
Sonic lowered his gaze, gently taking in Amy's figure. His green eyes lingered on the red floral dress that covered the pink hedgehog's body.
"You look good," he said with a half-smile, the one that always managed to melt her heart.
Amy looked away, but couldn't stop a blush from rising in her cheeks.
"Thanks..."
There was no doubt about it: they were dating. For several months now, they had begun a relationship after so long, the hedgehog had been in love with him, and he had accepted her, realizing he felt the same way, the idea of sharing moments without having to hide it.
This outing, however, was the first they had planned in advance, without interruptions, without excuses.
Although they showed affection at home, they preferred having their own space alone.
Even on their first dates at the local restaurants, they quickly realized they were remarkably alike, making them seem like the perfect match.
The blue hero was finally with the girl.
That's how they arrived at that hidden clearing in the middle of the forest, surrounded only by trees, rustling leaves, and the scent of damp earth. An intimate place, perfect for enjoying each other's company without the world bothering them.
A moment to savor, without fighting robots.
From atop a branch, Shadow gritted his teeth.
His fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. His chest rose and fell slowly, as if he were holding back a roar.
He watched them like a rabid wolf, crouching atop the hill, stalking its prey and its opponent.
And in his mind, the love he claimed to feel for her began to be tainted by a darker fury. One that doesn't distinguish between what is desired... and what is needed.
All that time, the two hedgehogs sat on the grass near the lake. The breeze played with the leaves of the trees, the sky was orange, and the water reflected the sky like a rippling mirror.
They laughed, they talked, they were lost in their own world, one in which only the two of them existed.
Sonic, relaxed as always, gently stroked the female hedgehog's cheeks, playing with one of his quills as if it were a delicate flower.
Amy, with shy smiles and soft giggles, let him. She enjoyed that tenderness, that attention she had longed for for years.
That was the Sonic she loved: warm, playful, a haven where her heart could rest.
"I bet this one goes farther," he said suddenly, picking up a flat stone between his fingers. He stood up, stretching, and threw it with force.
The stone bounced several times across the surface of the lake, skipping gracefully.
"Did you see that?!" he exclaimed proudly.
Amy let out a hearty laugh, covering her mouth with her hand.
Her eyes shone with sweetness. Only that hedgehog could make her laugh like that.
And meanwhile, up above...
Shadow watched them.
He envied them.
The sound of that laughter... hurt him.
And something inside the ebony hedgehog creaked like an old branch.
A feeling that burned without solace, a mixture of desire, frustration... and rage.
Amy stood up lightly, gently brushing the bits of grass from her dress. She approached the blue hedgehog, her cheeks still flushed from their closeness.
"I want another kiss," she said suddenly, looking him straight in the eyes. A touch of embarrassment and shyness lingered.
Sonic blinked, somewhat surprised. But his smile appeared immediately, a lopsided, charming smile, the one that always made her laugh or blush even more.
"Oh, wow... don't worry, I have plenty more kisses for you," he replied playfully, moving closer to her as he intertwined his fingers with Amy's.
The hedgehog could barely contain the happiness coursing through her body. And she closed her eyes, waiting for the hedgehog of her dreams to kiss her.
But someone couldn't take it anymore.
The ebony hedgehog, hidden among the tree branches, felt something inside him break.
Enough.
No more.
In an instant, his body tensed. His quills danced with a contained energy. His gaze turned red as fire.
And without thinking, he launched himself from the branch with the fury of a storm. His body spun in a swift and precise Spin Dash, roaring toward the blue hedgehog.
The impact was brutal.
"What the heck...?!" Sonic managed to shout before being struck by the force of the attack and falling into the lake from the impact, separating him from the pink hedgehog.
Amy screamed, bewildered, taking several steps back as she saw the black silhouette appear before her, its eyes burning like embers.
Shadow was panting. Not from exertion, but from rage.
The tension in the air was unbearable.
Amy looked at him fearfully, not understanding what was happening.
Sonic emerged from the water coughing, struggling to his feet, touching his aching shoulder as he frowned.
He hated water.
"Shadow?! What the hell are you doing here?!"
The ebony-haired boy didn't respond.
With a guttural growl, Shadow propelled himself forward like a black bolt of lightning. His body spun in the air, forming a Spin Dash charged with pent-up fury. This time, he wasn't doing it to intimidate. He was doing it to hurt.
The impact was brutal.
Sonic barely had time to protect himself as the spiky sphere violently slammed into him, sending him flying several meters further, crashing into a tree trunk with a groan of pain. The ground trembled beneath him.
Sonic got up, brushing the dirt from his fur. His eyes now showed determination and anger boiling in his veins.
Who did he think he was, attacking him out of nowhere, especially at a moment like this between him and his pink girlfriend?
"Fine... if that's what you want, then let's fight."
He transformed into a vibrant blue sphere, hurtling toward Shadow at supersonic speed. The air sliced around him as he circled, unleashing a flurry of precise, lightning-fast blows.
One, two, three direct hits to the black hedgehog's torso.
Shadow took a few steps back, growling. But before Sonic could throw the next punch, the ebony hedgehog muttered:
"Chaos Control..."
And vanished.
Sonic stopped dead in his tracks, confused, spinning in every direction.
He growled through gritted teeth, his ears pricked, listening for any sound, any distortion in the wind.
Suddenly, a shadow fell from the sky.
"Sonic, watch out!" Amy shouted, warning him.
Shadow appeared above him, descending from the heights, his fist encased in pure chaos energy, unleashing it with force at his enemy.
The blue hedgehog barely heard her and rolled to the side in time; the blow shattered a section of the ground, leaving a deep crack. Chunks of earth flew through the air from the shockwave.
Amy screamed at the sight of them fighting like this. She didn't understand what was happening.
Dust still hung in the air as Sonic leaped up. His brow was furrowed, his chest rising and falling with each heavy breath.
"Are you crazy?!" the blue hedgehog roared, his voice thick with rage.
The ebony hedgehog didn't respond. He emerged slowly from the chaotic mist like a living specter, his dark silhouette vibrating with latent energy. His crimson eyes blazed with a fury bordering on madness, fixed on the single target his twisted mind refused to relinquish.
Then, without warning, both hedgehogs launched themselves at him.
Their bodies spun at full speed, colliding mid-air in an explosion of energy. The Spin Dashes collided with such force that a shockwave shook the nearby trees, tearing off leaves and branches, while birds took flight in a stampede. The lake trembled as if the sky itself had fallen into it.
Amy stepped back, terrified.
"Stop! Please!" she cried, her voice breaking.
But they didn't hear her.
Sonic unleashed a flurry of swift punches, so fast they resembled trails of blue light. Shadow blocked one blow after another with his forearm, recoiling from the force of the impacts, though his piercing, venomous gaze never wavered, as if each strike only fueled the hatred coursing through his veins.
And suddenly, he vanished.
"Huh?!" Sonic managed to murmur, confused.
Shadow appeared right behind him with the sharp whine of Chaos Control. He brutally grabbed him from behind, lifting him as if he weighed nothing, and slammed him to the ground with a sharp, devastating blow. The impact kicked up a cloud of dirt and leaves, echoing across the clearing like thunder.
Sonic gasped for air, but still tried to get up.
They didn't give him time.
Shadow was already raising his fist, enveloped in an intense, vibrant, dangerous red light, ready to finish what he had started. He was close.
"STOP!" Amy shouted.
Her voice pierced the scene like a gunshot.
She ran toward them, hammer in hand, her eyes blazing with desperation and courage. She leaped with all her might, and the blow she unleashed with every fiber of her being struck Shadow directly.
The hedgehog's body was flung to the side, rolling across the ground. His back scraped the grass, his energy sparking as it hit the earth, and a muffled groan escaped him.
Amy landed on her feet, fists clenched, hammer still raised.
Protecting Sonic.
"Th... thanks, Amy..." the blue hedgehog coughed, still on the ground, one hand on his stomach and the other trying to push himself up.
His voice was weak, but his eyes shone with relief. And with something more... gratitude.
Amy didn't turn to look at him.
"Anything for you..." she murmured, her voice firm and determined, as she stepped between him and the raven-haired man.
Her legs trembled, but the hammer remained steady in her hands. The handle dug into her fingers, and her ragged breathing didn't prevent her from maintaining her position.
"Don't you dare touch him again!" she shouted.
Shadow, still on the ground, stared at her. But this time... his eyes weren't filled with surprise, pain... and an invisible wound that burned hotter than any blow he'd received.
The hedgehog didn't lower her weapon. Her eyes, ablaze with protective rage, didn't waver.
The wind blew softly through the trees, like a sigh from the forest trying to soothe the fire of that battle.
Sonic, still staggering, managed to sit up. His eyes were on Amy, filled with wonder and concern.
It wasn't just the blow, but the stance she'd taken: that courage to protect and her own will to challenge the enemy.
Shadow slowly got to his feet. His muscles were tense, his fists clenched. But what stood out most were his eyes: two burning coals, moist, flickering with a rage that seemed on the verge of breaking... or bursting into tears.
He growled, his voice hoarse and bitter.
"You're going to pay for that..." he threatened, each word laced with a pain he didn't try to hide.
Amy didn't flinch.
"Oh, yeah. How scary," she replied sarcastically, her gaze fixed on his blazing eyes. "Go ahead, Shadow."
The air seemed to freeze for a moment. The tension was so thick you could have touched it.
But then, something broke in the distance.
BAM!
A tree split in two with a powerful punch, and Knuckles emerged from the shadows, his fists smoking and his expression stern.
"We're here," he announced in his deep voice, his gaze fixed directly on Shadow.
Seconds later, Sticks shot out from the top of another tree, spinning through the air like a wild acrobat before landing on her feet, boomerang in hand.
"What did I miss?" "Has everything exploded already?" he asked, looking around with restless eyes.
And finally, the familiar whir of propellers was heard.
Tails descended from the sky with the help of his tails, landing softly between Amy and Sonic. In his hands, he held a silver device with blinking lights, still smoking from use.
"Sorry for the delay," he said, panting slightly. "We knew what was happening as soon as the tracker picked up the anomaly in Shadow's energy. We came as fast as we could."
Shadow took a half step back, watching as the team automatically formed around Amy, with Sonic supported by Tails, Knuckles in front, and Sticks hovering like an alert shadow.
He was surrounded.
His eyes locked on Amy one last time. He said nothing... but the weight of his gaze spoke louder than any threat.
Shadow's breathing was ragged, his body trembling with a mix of emotions: rage, pain, humiliation... and something deeper that even he couldn't name. His eyes met Amy's for one final moment.
"I swear I'll destroy them... all of them," he whispered, his voice breaking, barely audible. "But not now."
In a burst of scarlet energy, his figure blurred. The air trembled, and the ground cracked slightly beneath his feet just before he vanished completely with the power of Chaos Control.
A heavy silence hung over the clearing.
"Coward!" Sticks roared, hurling her boomerang into the air where he had stood seconds before. "Come back and fight like a real maniac!"
Knuckles let out a low growl and crossed his arms.
"I knew that guy couldn't be trusted..."
Tails was still holding Sonic, who was clutching his abdomen in a grimace of pain.
"Are you okay?" the fox asked.
Sonic forced a smile, though his voice sounded tired.
"I've had worse... but yes, I'm fine."
Amy remained silent, standing with the hammer still raised. Her green eyes, still filled with fury, were now clouded with a heavier emotion.
The group remained alert for a few more seconds, in case Shadow returned. But he didn't.
Upon arriving home, the friends carefully laid Sonic's aching body on the sofa. His breathing was heavy, but steady. Amy didn't waste a second; she ran to get the first-aid kit, her heart still pounding from the ordeal.
"I don't know what's wrong with that crazy guy..." Sonic muttered, his voice still tense, gritting his teeth against the pain. "He ruined our afternoon..."
"I told you a hotel was the best option," the echidna said, crossing his arms.
The hedgehog returned with some bandages, gauze, and a damp cloth. The others moved aside, giving her space. Amy knelt beside him, her expression serious and careful. She placed her hand on his chest, gently pressing the cloth against the wound. The blue hedgehog shivered at the sudden cold, but didn't complain; instead, he let the relief of the water and her touch relax him.
The wound wasn't deep, barely a scrape, probably caused by a branch or a rock during the fight. Even so, Amy's gaze was one of genuine concern, as if the slightest harm to him hurt her too.
Sonic couldn't tear his eyes away from her face. The way she frowned slightly as she concentrated, how her eyelashes trembled with each blink. Everything about her seemed infinitely more beautiful now that she was safe.
"What?" Amy asked, noticing his lingering gaze.
The hedgehog let out a soft, almost nostalgic laugh.
"Nothing... I was just thinking how beautiful you are."
Amy blushed, looking away for a moment. Sticks rolled her eyes sharply from the corner, while Knuckles looked away uncomfortably. Tails, on the other hand, didn't even flinch, still focused on his scouter.
Sonic slowly raised his hand, gently placing it on Amy's cheek. He stroked her with his thumb, as if her skin could soothe the chaos that still throbbed within him. He slowly drew her closer and sealed their lips with a silent, warm kiss, filled with something beyond words.
Amy froze for a second, surprised... but then she surrendered to the moment and returned it, as if she'd been waiting for this gesture her whole life.
"Waaah! Stop it!" Sticks exclaimed in a squeaky voice, crossing her arms like a child. "Do it somewhere else, please! My eyes don't need to see this!"
"You know that couples do that, right?" Knuckles asked, raising an eyebrow at the badger.
"Yes, but in private! With a closed door and all that!"
Knuckles shrugged and left the room, muttering something about making a sandwich.
"I'm outta here!" Sticks huffed, visibly uncomfortable, and disappeared through the door as if fleeing an emotional plague.
The room fell into a sweet silence, broken only by the intertwined sighs of the two hedgehogs still embracing, relieved to be alive, together... and closer than ever.
When they separated, their breaths remained mingled, warm and ragged. Amy's forehead rested gently against Sonic's, who was still panting as if that kiss had been a stolen breath between life and death.
The blue hedgehog said nothing at first, simply holding her tightly, as if afraid that if he let go, the world would crumble again.
"Thank you..." he finally whispered, his voice hoarse with exhaustion and something deeper. "Really... But don't do that again. Don't risk your life for me again. Shadow is dangerous, Amy." You don't know what he could have done to you...
Her words weren't an order, but a hidden plea, a warning of approaching danger lurking beneath the cobalt blue's grip of fear.
Sonic had seen the darkness in Shadow's eyes, that look of someone who knew no bounds... and Amy didn't deserve to be near that.
But she only smiled sweetly. Not mockingly, but with that gentle tenderness only someone who has forgiven everything can give. Her lips brushed Sonic's again, this time in a brief kiss, like a playful game to dispel the shadow of her worry.
"I'm not afraid of Shadow..." she said with a soft laugh.
Sonic closed his eyes for a moment, trying to absorb the warmth of her voice, her touch, her unwavering faith.
But inside... something within him trembled. Because of that look in Shadow's eyes. There was something more than just anger; Sonic seemed to have sensed the dangerous, silent threat, like a storm that arrives without warning before devastating everything in its path.
His whole body told him that something bad was going to happen, that something bad would happen to him if he wasn't on his guard around that hedgehog.
That's why, as he hugged her and let her lean against his chest, Sonic silently swore that he wouldn't allow the enemy to cross that line.
Because he felt fear... and a bad feeling.
Meanwhile, Shadow arrived at the headquarters using the power of Chaos Control. Eggman barely glanced up, already accustomed to the hedgehog's untimely entrances. Without saying a word, without giving any details of his day, Shadow locked himself in the room the scientist had assigned him. The lamp flickered intermittently, barely illuminating the walls steeped in the silence and tension that always surrounded him.
Checking his wounds was like seeing his own reflection in misery: covered in dirt, with traces of blood from the battle scrapes.
His eyes, moist, threatened to betray him.
"Don't cry... don't cry," he repeated in his head like an obligation, as if crying were a sin.
He only had to remember how Amy had rushed to defend Sonic.
Her words continued to echo in his mind like a cursed refrain. And, although there was something about that fierce attitude that fascinated him, drove him wild, it also wounded him deeply.
In his chest there was nothing but a bitter emptiness, pain, rejection, and abandonment.
In front of the mirror, he clenched his fists tightly. The reflection showed him the bruise that adorned his cheek: where Amy's hammer had struck, a darker purple than before.
He growled under his breath.
"You'll pay for this..." he muttered through gritted teeth, his voice deep and broken.
When he stepped into the hallway, he passed Orbot and Cubot. Eggman's annoying robots walked by as if nothing was amiss, ignoring his presence. They knew that the slightest touch would provoke the hedgehog, however small.
His firm footsteps echoed down the hallway until he reached the kitchen.
Eggman, nonchalantly, was preparing a cup of coffee. But before he could bring it to his lips, Shadow moved faster and snatched the cup from his hands as if it were nothing. So fast, the doctor barely had time to blink.
"That was mine!" he huffed, irritated.
The hedgehog just rolled his eyes, completely ignoring him. He walked straight to the living room and plopped down on the sofa, the very one Eggman considered his own. The scientist looked at him with annoyance.
"That's my spot."
"Not anymore," Shadow replied indifferently.
"It will be again as soon as you leave," Eggman retorted, his tone definitive.
The ebony hedgehog frowned, staring at him.
"You want to kick me out?"
Eggman adjusted his gloves, visibly annoyed.
"I think our alliance has come to an end," he said sharply. "It's been two months, and you've been nothing but an obstacle to my plans."
Shadow let out a dry, disdainful laugh. He didn't care whether he stayed or left.
"Fine."
For him, all of this had just been an excuse to ally himself with someone who shared his hatred for Sonic. But beyond that... they had nothing in common.
Their thoughts were similar, yes, but their methods and goals were completely different. They got along like cats and dogs.
Or worse: like siblings forced to live under the same roof, fighting even over the remote control.
They were a dysfunctional duo, incapable of forming a real team.
Shadow knew it.
Deep down, he knew that every battle had ended in failure, without a single real victory. And although he usually blamed Eggman and his useless robots for it—those scrap metal cans that, according to the doctor, were lethal against Sonic and his team—a part of him couldn't help but admit that it was also his fault.
He was distracted. Too distracted.
By someone in particular who had diverted him from the plan, from the mission, from everything.
The arguments with Eggman were daily. Some arguments were serious, others absurd. They discussed everything from strategy to who had used the last roll of toilet paper.
It was becoming increasingly unbearable.
Finally, Eggman, fed up with putting up with it, began to vent to Orbot and Cubot one afternoon when Shadow had gone out and hadn't returned after 1:00 AM. Living with Shadow wasn't just unproductive, it was disgusting.
The robots had complained that every time they cleaned, they found the cushions dirty, sticky... covered in fluids that weren't exactly machine oil.
And that Shadow's quills always fell everywhere, like cat hairs all over the place.
Or that his boots always dirtied the floor after they had painstakingly cleaned.
For the robots, it was more a nuisance because of the filth in the headquarters and the discomfort it caused.
Eggman couldn't deny it, since he knew Shadow made a lot of noise at night, and who he fantasized about.
Just one more reason to want to get rid of him once and for all.
The discomfort was also part of his annoyance, aside from the arguments he had with the damned hedgehog.
Meanwhile, the hedgehog sipped from the stolen coffee cup, as if nothing mattered. With a vacant stare, he waited... what other nonsense would the scientist spout next?
"You must leave," Eggman said, arms crossed. "I don't need your help anymore. Although, to be honest, you never did anything truly useful."
The ebony hedgehog frowned and let out a low growl, like a wounded animal.
"Nothing?!" he repeated, his voice thick with indignation.
Eggman pointed at him, unfazed.
"Not only do you bring chaos to my fortress... you also pollute the air with a disgust that's hard to ignore."
Shadow froze.
His eyes widened with a faint flash of alarm.
Those words were more than a vague accusation; they were a revelation.
They already knew his dirty secret.
He tried to keep up appearances, to feign confusion, but it was too late. Orbot and Cubot exchanged nervous glances, stifling their laughter. Eggman, for his part, merely raised an eyebrow with an air of superiority.
"What are you talking about? Disgust?" Shadow asked, straining his voice.
The doctor let out a theatrical sigh. He didn't want to say it, but he also wanted to.
“We know about your… sick fascination with that hedgehog from Sonic’s team,” he finally said, bluntly. “My robots were quick to tell me about the… mess you left on every pillow you ordered. You always said they were ‘uncomfortable’ to sleep on, right?”
A wave of silence filled the room. Shadow felt his body tremble.
“My robots analyzed the sperm and…”
“Okay! Okay!” “I admit it!” Shadow burst out, bringing a hand to his face. “Now shut up!”
His cheeks burned. A bitter, thick shame enveloped him like poison. He was humiliated and cornered, with no escape.
Eggman watched him with disdain, his hand covering his face, frustrated and uncomfortable with the argument.
“That’s why you have to leave,” he repeated coldly. “Now you’re nothing but a useless distraction.”
The black hedgehog growled. He wanted to hit him, but what was the point? He turned away without a word. He walked quickly toward his room, seething with rage.
"Good!" he muttered over his shoulder. "I hope your ridiculous plans go wonderfully!"
The tension seemed to have lifted.
But just as he was about to step through the door, Eggman spoke again, his voice lower, almost serpentine:
"Although... we could do one last thing before we end our alliance."
Shadow stopped. He still had his back to the doctor, but his ears twitched slightly. He was listening.
"What are you implying?"
"I see your obsession with Amy..." Eggman smiled maliciously, a wicked grin spreading across his face, "...has also given me some interesting ideas."