Jayde the Hedgehog • Rising Adversity [2]

19: Motivation ✔️

Music: Comin' Back - Jordan Schor

Jayde sighed, leaning against the tree. At the moment she was away from everyone to gather her thoughts. Tails and Miles continued to argue in the lab, Scourge and Sonic argued over who was in charge, Amy and Rosy continued to give death glares across from one another and Jaylee wouldn't stop trying to turn her evil – was there any point to this anymore?

She had woken up to everyone arguing around her, for a reason she didn't stay to find out. She quietly walked out, her mind damaged and permanently tortured by the images of Shadow's emotionless orbs piercing into her, his hurtful words that she couldn't help but feel true.

The grey female felt a failure.

She had been defeated twice now by Adversity. She didn't protect and help Shadow from transforming into this emotionless being – and she had lost her Shard. The one thing she was given by the Gods to protect and it was taken from her in a whim. Adversity had snatched it within her evil claws at the end of the last battle when Shadow almost killed her. And now with Eclipse unleashed, and the three forming their evil plan that the Ultimate Lifeform probably has no say in, that's at least three times she messed something up and made it worse for the multiverse.

Jayde knew that Adversity would start with Moebius – she wouldn't even spare it. Everyone that could stop her was here, and the Moebians of Scourge's dimension wouldn't stand a chance. They would all perish along with Moebius.

Jayde flinched when her communicator went off, "Yeah?"

"Can't you answer like a normal Mobian?" Rouge's voice came through before her face appeared on the small screen. Jayde chuckled slightly, "Anyway, we've managed to make contact with –" Rouge paused as she stared at the grey female, "Hey, are you okay?"

Jayde glanced at Rouge before projecting the screen in front of her, "Hm? Yeah, I'm fine."

The ivory bat studied Jayde for a second before shaking her head, "No, you're not, hun, what's wrong?"

"Honestly, Rouge, I'm fine."

"Then you're lying to yourself. I've seen Shadow look like that, so I know when something's up." Rouge noticed Jayde's flinch when she said the ebony hedgehog's name and realised, "It's about Shadow, isn't it?"

Jayde sighed, wrapping her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees and looking sadly up at the bats hologram, "Are we running out of time, Rouge - out of luck?"

Rouge saw her ears bend back and smiled sadly at her, "I can't say everything's going to be okay because I know it isn't. It's just like last time – Shadow was taken over by his 'brother' Eclipse and almost killed Omega and I."

Jayde's ears perked at this and she sat up slightly, "How did you get him back?"

"Well, we started talking about his past – his real past. Eclipse had switched his memories around, making him think that the humans purposely killed Maria and that it was his duty to save the Black Arms." Rouge told her, "But this time Shadow has been taken over by a much powerful force. That being not only has Black Arm's in her, but she has naturally enhanced hearing and sense – wherever you go, she will hear you."

"Great, you're helping Rouge." Jayde muttered.

The ivory bat chuckled, "All you have to do is look for her weak areas and use it against her. She wants to restore the Black Arms and she's started with Shadow –"

"So, you're saying if we get Shadow back, she'll be weakened?"

"Exactly," Rouge concluded, "I know you're not in good terms with those opposites, but in order to win, you need them."

"They'd never work with us." Jayde said.

Rouge smirked, "Jayde, you're a soon-to-be GUN agent. You're better than just giving up. You need to find out what they want and use that to your advantage as well. These worlds aren't all sunshine and rainbows – you just need to be smart. Just remember, hesitation isn't an option."

——————

Jayde ran through the halls of the castle before reaching the lab. Everything was a huge mess. Everyone was yelling at each other, even Jaylee had joined Scourge in yelling at the blue hedgehog, "You guys are so pathetic!" Scourge snapped, "Do you really think that you're going to defeat that darkling?"

"From what I hear, you don't even know who Eclipse is. You just thought, 'Oh, look, a guy trying to steal my pretty princess hat, let's fight him!'" Sonic answered, performing a weird impression with a strange feminine voice that caused Amy, and even Rosy, to giggle at him, amused. But Scourge growled at the anti-Amy which quickly shut her up.

"For the last time – it's a crown!" The green male hissed, "And if someone was trying to take Moebius from me, then yeah, I would fight them!"

"Are you guys serious?" Jayde snapped, stepping in between them, crossing her arms. The authority in her voice was heard by all, causing them to immediately shut up, "Shadow's life is on the line, Moebius is on the line, and you're screaming at each other like a bunch of five-year olds!"

Tails and Amy joined the small circle, still glaring at their lookalikes, "I don't care about that hedgehog! All I care about is returning Moebius to the way it was!" Scourge snapped, clenching his fists and sizing up to the grey hedgehog.

Jayde didn't back down, "And how exactly are you going to do that?" She questioned, crossing her arms, staring straight into his eyes, "Are you going to act all brave and powerful in your super form? Because that won't work!"

"How do you know?" Scourge snarled towards her for underestimating his power.

"Adversity is a being that can take you over with easy. One chaos blast from her and you're dead, get the picture?" She asked, "The only way to end this battle is by working together! I thought you were someone who didn't let anyone get in his way – are you just going to give up on this team, and let all this effort go to waste?" Scourge gritted his teeth as she continued, "None of us can fight this alone, Scourge. Even if we hate each other, we need each other to survive this. The only way for you to get Moebius back for yourself is to fight with us – not against us!"

The green male turned away. Behind him stood his team – Miles, Rosy and Jaylee. They nodded towards him because they already knew that working together was the best option. It can make the battle end faster and they can return to the normal routine. He sighed. There really was no way out of this – the 'King of Moebius' had already shook on it with the blue hedgehog to agree to fight with them. He turned back around, looking at the grey hedgehog, "What's your plan?"