Rise For Me (Sequel to Scream For Me)

-2-

Starline was already sending (Y/n) out for her first mission a couple weeks after her body had had time to heal. The Metal Virus had left a very destructive effect on the world and everyone seemed to be busy cleaning up. Her mission was to simply scout around the world, trying to find any Eggman activity that could lead to his adversary. 

But there was nothing. Eggman seemed to have completely withdrawn. 

Switching gears, Starline had ordered her to gather information on the whereabouts of the Restoration. Most of them were just scattered across Mobius, helping with relief efforts. Two main hedgehogs seemed to be missing, though. Sonic was gone, and so was Shadow. 

But why Shadow? Starline had seen the dark hedgehog as a zombot. He'd been infected and couldn't have helped in the destroying of the virus, which is where he assumed Sonic was. Recuperating or...perhaps gone altogether. There was no sure conclusion for the blue hedgehog but the doctor had quickly come to the conclusion that Shadow was looking for (Y/n) and had pulled her back soon after. 

Meanwhile, Shadow was not having a peachy time finding the (a/t). She was no doubt in someone's custody because he'd practically searched the whole continent and not a trace. 

"Look who decided to show up," Rouge said as he teleported into her location. "So? Have you found your love?" Shadow lifted an eyebrow and she chuckled, sauntering over to him and throwing an arm around his shoulders. "I'm guessing not or she would be here with you." 

"There's nothing," he said gruffly. His nose twitched and his ears flattened. What was this weakness? Crying? 

"Shadow, it's okay to be frustrated," Rouge said, patting his shoulder. He pushed her away from him, balling his hands into tight fists. He shook his head.

"Someone has her," he said. "If it's not the doctor, then who is it?"

"Have you considered the possibility of his fanboy?" Rouge asked, crossing her arms. "We are trying to account for Starline but he's seemingly disappeared off the face of the Earth, and your little observation about (Y/n) seems to correlate rather well with that." Shadow's ear twitched in acknowledgement. "Maybe you should switch gears entirely and look for Starline."

The dark hedgehog gave a small nod. He could do that. Looking for someone hiding in a hole, plotting, might be easier for him to track down than someone who had seemingly disappeared. 

But if Starline really did have (Y/n), there was no doubt he was going to finish what he started, which meant that if he did find her, he'd have to be careful. 

"I'm heading back out," he said. 

"Already? Have you been eating? Sleeping? Anything of the sort?" Rouge asked, grabbing his arm. Admittedly, he hadn't really. He had stopped to get a little to eat every evening, but it definitely wouldn't be enough to satisfy Rouge. "That's what I thought. You hesitated too long. Come on. Go out later. Right now, you need to relax. Do you want a head rub?" 

"Rouge." 

"Right, knew you'd say that. Anyway. Come on. Tails said he was going to bring something around for you along with dinner that someone had given him without seemingly knowing Sonic wasn't around." 

"Oh, really?" Shadow had a feeling he knew what it was and tilted his head, fishing out the old earbuds he'd used to block out (Y/n)'s screams. He hadn't replaced them since they'd returned from the past, hadn't really needed to. But if Starline had ahold of her, then he may very well need them. "New prototypes?" 

"You guessed it. He's worried about you running into a...reformed (Y/n)." Shadow's eyes narrowed at this and Rouge noticed it, grabbing his arm and pulling him inside the building and dragged him over to the couch, pointing to it. "Sit." He reluctantly did so, rolling the earbuds in his hand.