Brothers in Arms

Shadow/Eclipse: This Car Trip is Ruining My Reputation

Shadow's POV:

You've got to be kidding me, I think, sighing as I stop in the doorway to Eclipse's room. I put an exasperated hand to my forehead, taking a moment to calm myself, then stride over to his bed and shake him roughly.

"Get up, you idiot," I grumble, and his eyes open blearily, blinking up at me in confusion. "We're leaving. Everyone's been waiting for you."

"Oh, hell!" He exclaims, bolting upright, and I give him an unimpressed look as he leaps out of bed, frantically unbuckling the blunt plastic sheaths that prevent his crests from ruining the covers.

"Please tell me you're at least packed," I say flatly, crossing my arms as he grabs his suitcase from the foot of his bed, stuffing his crest guards into it.

"I am, I am, I'm sorry!" He replies, rezipping the suitcase and grabbing his keycard off his desk. "I'm ready!"

"Do you have your uniform?" I check in a slightly less deadpan tone--maybe we won't be too late--and he scoffs, slinging his suitcase onto his back.

"It was the first thing I packed," he answers, miffed, but I can see his glowing eyes sweep across the darkened room, just in case. He nods, satisfied, and he follows me as we step out into the hallway, locking his door. Only the emergency lights are on right now; it's before five in the morning, outside of G.U.N.'s usual operating hours, and the red lighting gives the sublevel an odd atmosphere as we jog up the stairs to ground level. I lead Eclipse to the nigh-deserted garage, and we hurry over to a black SUV on the first level, where Tower is waiting next to a bedraggled Rouge without makeup.

"Nice of you to be on time," Rouge mutters to Eclipse as I take the keys from Tower and unlock the car, loading our luggage into the hatchback, and my half-brother flushes as he apologizes to the Commander for oversleeping.

"It's alright this time, but please don't repeat the mistake. Would you like a louder alarm?" Tower questions after Eclipse finishes, and I let a relieved smile ghost across my lips. If the Commander was irritated like my batty teammate, this trip would be off to a bad start, but it seems he's in his usual mood.

"No thank you, sir. I just had a bad night," Eclipse replies, and I glance toward him with concern, catching the darkness in his tone as his sentence ends. His expression has flattened somewhat, confirming what I thought; he's having nightmares again.

Eclipse and I made a mutual pact to calm our minds before bed using the hivemind, and the practice has helped both of us sleep through the night more consistently, but it's not perfect. Sometimes, nightmares will slip through the cracks in my or his subconscious, especially when we're feeling stressed. If he's not sleeping well, it likely means that he's feeling under pressure, which--well, I can't blame him. This week is going to be a long, difficult one.

I wonder if I can do anything to help him out, I think, frowning as I adjust the driver's seat. Seeing as this is a human vehicle, I have to use a booster seat to see out the windshield, as well as switch the pedal commands over to the steering wheel. Only a few of G.U.N.'s newer vehicles have the necessary features to allow a Mobian to drive, a change Commander Tower is implementing to allow the organization to take on more Mobian employees.

Driving this thing is going to be weird, I remark to myself, reviewing the various controls on the steering wheel so that I won't make a mistake on the road. The passenger door next to me opens, and I'm surprised to see Eclipse hop in, his gloomy mood replaced by excitement as Tower and Rouge take their seats in the back.

"Is it safe to have Eclipse in the front, Commander?" I ask, looking at the man in the rearview mirror as I adjust it. I can almost feel the dirty look Eclipse is giving me, booster seat in hand, but I have to check, even if it means depriving him of a good view.