espballs

[espballs]

I love your fics don't perish

Just when I was planning to disappear for two years *Sigh* This gave me the motivation to continue writing a chapter!!!

[espballs]

In The Best Way

Chapter 11 - Tomorrow Belongs To Me

“You’re insufferable…” Shadow muttered. “But you loveeee me!” Sonic purred. Shadow didn’t and couldn’t deny it.

♡ Cross posted on AO3

♡ Series Pairings: Sonic x Shadow, Metal Sonic x Amy

Before Sonic could even think about panicking—Shadow chaos controlled his way out of danger and over to Sonic. Y’know, because he can?

“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HIM?!” Sonic yelled, grabbing Shadow by the shoulders and shaking him. Shadow scowled before pushing Sonic off of him and brushing the dirt off his shoulders.

“Stone did something to him, he’s after you now.” Shadow answered, glaring up at Metal Sonic as the robot stared down at the pair.

“Wasn’t he rehabilitated or something? Y’know… Good and all?” Sonic asked, putting a hands on his hips while his other scratched at his head. He too stared at Metal Sonic, who seemed to be glaring down at him specifically now.

Shadow sighed and rubbed at his temples. “Stone got tired of that, claimed he corrected Metal, now he’s back to trying to kill you.” He growled.

Sonic’s ears flattened and he groaned. “Oh, come on! That’s so last year!” He yelled, pointing a finger up at Metal. “You’ve got serious issues, dude!” Metal only stared down at the blue hedgehog as he stepped forward. “I mean you could’ve been good, you could’ve got the girl and all but nooo you just went back the way you were before, didn’t you?” He scoffed.

Shadow stepped forward to stand beside Sonic. “He didn’t chose for this to happen, Sonic. Stone did this to him.”

Sonic shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t get why he treats that guy like his dad then.” He muttered. “I mean… What’s the point of a redemption arc if you go back to the way you used to be?”

Shadow just side-eyed Sonic before looking back up at Metal Sonic.

Just in time to see Metal throw himself at Sonic to slap him into a tree. Sonic was sent flying by the force and hit a tree hard, knocking down loose leaves and making Sonic crumble to the ground with a groan. “Okayyy…. Give me a second to get back up…” Sonic held up a finger before he flopped down like a rag doll. Probably because getting slapped by a metal hand hurt like a bitch.

Shadow granted Sonic that Sonic when he kicked Metal Sonic in the head and sent the robot flying. Yet Knuckles—coming out of NOWHERE jumped out just to slam a fist into Metal Sonic’s head, sending the robot back to Shadow.

They played ping-pong with Metal Sonic’s head for ten seconds before he realized he didn’t have to be thrown back in forth—resulting in Knuckles getting a random kick to the abdomen.

Sonic, meanwhile, groaned and sat up against the tree. He blinked blearily and shook the stars out of his vision. Then, his ears perked up—he glanced around.

Amy was helping Maddie, Tom, and Ozzie.

Knuckles and Shadow were fighting Metal Sonic.

Their camp was still on fire.

Tails was nowhere to be found—

Wait…

TAILS WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND?!

Sonic’s stomach did a full 360-degree flip.

His head darted left, then right. No fox tails. No little brother. No genius best friend who should’ve been right there to tell them what was wrong with Metal Sonic and how to held him.

Did he get caught in the explosion?

No, he wasn’t close to it… Plus he could fly!

Did he get caught in the fire?

No, the others would’ve been screaming.

Tom and Maddie weren’t panicking or screaming at Tails… Meaning he must be safe and off doing some super genius planning with his super cool gadgets! Tails probably already had some plan to take down Metal Sonic!

Sonic stood up, a hand on the tree to support himself as he stood up.

Alright, they’d just have to bide their time until Tails came back, Easy!

Easier said than done because Metal Sonic just pulled out his energy cannon and tried to shoot Sonic.

Sonic scrambled to rush out of the way, barely escaping in time. The blast from the cannon shot through the air with a high-pitched whir, blasting the tree he’d been standing in-front of. Sonic skidded to a stop, his heart pounding, as he watched the tree collapse in slow motion.

“What the…” Sonic muttered before turning to watch as Metal Sonic kicked Knuckles in the head. Blatantly copying Shadow.

Knuckles crumpled to the ground, shaking his head as he stumbled back to his feet. “What the heck?!” He yelled before almost getting shot by Metal Sonic’s canon. Shadow came to his rescue by tackling Metal Sonic.

Metal Sonic threw Shadow off of him, the robot quickly stood up and set his priorities on Sonic. Sonic readied his stance, but froze when he saw Shadow grab a log of wood and throw it at Metal’s head.

Sonic took the chance to spin dash into Metal as he fell forward, slamming the robot in the chest and sending him flying back into the dirt.

Sonic whistled then froze as Knuckles suddenly ran forward to punch Metal Sonic, sending him flying back into—A CAR?!

Metal Sonic was abruptly hit by The Wachowski Family car and sent flying into a tree, leaving two hedgehogs stunned, one very proud echidna, and one excited little fox. (Also a confused pink hedgehog, two concerned parents and a dog.)

Sonic stood there, eyes wide, staring at the car that had just sent Metal Sonic flying. “What… just happened?” he muttered, blinking rapidly. Sonic turned to Shadow to make sure they were both seeing the same thing, but Shadow was just as confused as he was that a car was in the woods to hit a robot.

Tails gave a thumbs-up from the driver’s seat as he stuck his head out, his face lit up with pride. “I wasn’t sure what to do so I hit him with the car!” He yelled with a big smile on his face that practically radiated light.

Tails jumped out the car, bringing a… PORTABLE JUMP STARTER WITH HIM?! Tails walked up to Metal Sonic with a smile on his face, as if he wasn’t about to fry a robot… probably with thousands of volts of electricity jump starter was very obviously modified. Sonic wondered why Tails had thousands of volts just lying around in the form of a car jump starter…. didn’t cars only need 12???

Sonic decided to be concerned later.

Knuckles grabbed Metal Sonic and dropped him in-front of Tails before stepping back.

Tails grinned, looking like he was about to win some kind of science fair. “Alright, Metal! Time to reboot!” he said, hooking up the modified jump starter to Metal Sonic’s exposed circuitry. The hum of electricity filled the air as the device charged up, buzzing with raw power. Sonic raised an eyebrow, impressed and a little terrified.

“Is this gonna blow up?” Sonic asked, eyeing the contraption nervously and taking a hesitant step back.

“Not if I can help it!” Tails replied, grinning ear to ear. He twisted a few knobs, adjusting the settings for maximum voltage. “This should be just enough to overload his systems and knock him out without completely frying his circuits! I think!”

The jump starter crackled with static as a surge of energy coursed through it. A high-pitched whine built up as the electricity poured into Metal Sonic, his body jerking slightly.

Sonic winced as a bright flash erupted from the robot’s body. “Uh… Should we be running?” he asked, tapping his foot anxiously, taking more steps back.

Shadow didn’t even move, so Sonic decided to let the guy get fried if Metal Sonic did blow up.

But Tails was too busy, watching intently as sparks flew from Metal Sonic’s mechanical joints. “Almost there…”

With a final crackle, Metal Sonic’s eyes flickered and dimmed. His whole body slumped forward, lifeless for the moment.

Tails gave a triumphant cheer, pumping his fist. “Got him! That should hold him for now!”

Sonic, still processing what had just happened, crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “You sure that thing’s not gonna turn him into a toaster or something?”

Tails, looking super proud of his work, gave Sonic a quick thumbs up. “It’s all good! I know my tech!” He then turned toward the others. “We might need to keep an eye on him, though. I’m not sure how long the shut-off will last, but… at least it’ll give us some breathing room.”

Amy walked up to stare at Metal Sonic, her expression softening at the sight of his deactivated form. He looked so peaceful when he wasn’t exploding her campsite and trying to blast her friends into pieces.

Tails paused and glanced at her, then back at Sonic to raise a questioning brow. Tails then paused again to look back and forth between Sonic and Shadow, Tails then went on to raise a questioning brow at Knuckles.

“Tails,” Amy’s voice drew the fox’s attention back. “Do you think… You can turn him back to normal?” She asked.

Tails hummed, scratching his chin and tapping his foot against the ground before he answered. “It’ll take awhile, I didn’t make Metal so I don’t have any idea as to how he works—” Tails broke off upon seeing the sadness on Amy’s expression. Tails sighed and shook his head. “But, I’ll do my best!”

Tom walked up and whistled at the sight of the deactivated Metal Sonic while Maddie busied herself by getting Ozzie into the car. “So… we’re not taking him home to… are we?”

Amy turned toward Tom at the sound of his voice, her expression filled with uncertainty but also hope. “I don’t know…” She hesitated, glancing back down at Metal Sonic. “I mean, it’s not like we can just leave him here, right? I… I still believe there’s a chance to help him.” She said, looking back up at Tom.

Tom gave up resisting right then and there and glanced back at Maddie. “…I know you said four was final…” He turned around and the kids all stared Maddie down to magically convince her into taking Metal Sonic and Shadow in. “…Tails said he could build more rooms…” Tails looked a little offended till Sonic lightly nudged him.

Tails sighed then nodded.

Maddie gave Tom a look, then glanced down at Shadow. “Do you want to stay?” She sighed.

Shadow paused, and looked over at Sonic but quickly looked away when he realized Sonic was side-eyeing him. Shadow sighed and hung his head low. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Maddie’s expression softened, and she gave a slight nod. “Alright then, you’re welcome to stay.”

“YESSSS!” Sonic screamed, jumping on the dark hedgehog to hug him, sending both of them down to the ground.

The car ride made Shadow re-thing his life decisions.

First of all, was it legal to ride in the back of the truck?

Second of all, Knuckles had pulled a bunch of grapes out of NOWHERE and was now munching loudly on them, which seemed to bother no one else. Amy was staring out into the sunset, looking like she too was re-thinking all her decisions that led her up to being in that truck. Sonic was yapping in his ear.

But thankfully, Tails was his saving grace… to some degree.

“It’ll take me a while to re-program Metal Sonic and all but I think after that I’m gonna try making him a voice box so he can directly communicate with us instead of using Shadow as his translator—” Tails continued on but Shadow didn’t need to know any more.

Shadow was glad to be liberated from the suffering that was being the only one able to understand Metal Sonic… but knowing him he’d still beep to tell Shadow stuff he doesn’t want the others hearing.

Metal was randomly placed in the center of the truck bed, everyone was just sat around it looking in different directions and doing different things. It was honestly concerning to Shadow how they were just all positioned around Metal Sonic.

Knuckles, still loudly munching on his grapes, suddenly poked Metal Sonic’s head with a finger. “You think he’s dreaming?” He asked, looking around.

Sonic made a face. “He’s a robot, Knucklehead. He doesn’t dream.” He mocked playfully.

Knuckles squinted. “Yeah, but… what if he does?” Knuckles tilted his head to the side. “He’s already a formidable foe who says he’s not a…” Knuckles broke off then continued. “A formidable dreamer!”

Amy, who had been silently watching the sunset, turned to look at Metal Sonic. Her fingers twitched slightly like she wanted to reach out and touch him but decided against it. “…If he did, what do you think he’d be dreaming about?” She asked, mainly directing her question at Shadow, telling by the way she looked over at him.

Sonic snorted. “World domination.”

“Explosions?” Knuckles guessed.

“Cats…” Shadow guessed.

Tails hummed thoughtfully, his tails flicking behind him. “Eating? It’s a normal thing we do and he doesn’t, maybe he dreams of doing it.” He suggested, making Shadow remember of how Metal used to pretend to eat plastic food.

The truck bed went quiet for a moment, save for the rumbling of the road beneath them.

Amy smiled softly. “I’d like to think he dreams about flying.”

Sonic raised an eyebrow. “Flying?”

Amy nodded, finally reaching out and brushing some dirt off Metal Sonic’s arm. “Yeah. Not like, ‘chase Sonic and shoot him out of the sky’ flying, but just… soaring. No orders. No battles. Just flying because he wants to.”

Shadow eyed Amy curiously.

Tails tilted his head, considering her words. “Huh… Maybe when I fix him, I can add something that lets him choose what he wants to do! I’ll try to give him free will! Somehow…” Tails pulled out a notepad and began writing down on it.

“Stone won’t give up on him,” Shadow began, not daring to look up from Metal Sonic’s deactivated form. “Metal Sonic was created by the doctor, he’s not someone Stone will give up so easily. Whether it be now or later, he will try to get him back.”

Sonic hummed in agreement before suddenly wrapping an arm around Shadow and pulling him into a hug. “Yeahhh and then the five of us chase him away! Easy peasy! And if he tries to hack us then we get Tails to fix Metal while we jump him!”

Shadow stiffened slightly in Sonic’s hold, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he sighed, shaking his head. “You make it sound way easier than it’s going to be…”

Sonic grinned, giving Shadow a playful shake. “C’mon, man! We’ve taken down way bigger threats than some guy in a fancy suit! What’s he gonna do? Lecture us to death?”

“You’re insufferable…” Shadow muttered.

“But you loveeee me!” Sonic purred.

Shadow didn’t and couldn’t deny it.

(Tails and Knuckles shared a glance before going back to ignoring the homosexuals in the truck)

Shadow liked The Wachowski’s home.

It felt like a home.

It had no top secret labs where a man made monsters or evil robots. It was lived in, all warm and cozy with pictures of the family decorating the walls. There were no beeping monitors, no sterile white walls or any of the those giant test tubes Shadow hated. It was just a cozy home that clearly belonged to a family.

For a long moment, Shadow just stood in the hallway, taking it all in.

Then, Sonic clapped him on the back, startling him out of his thoughts. “Alright, since Metal’s in the garage for now and Tails is probably gonna pull an all-nighter working on him, that leaves you and me, buddy!” He said happily.

Shadow blinked at him. “And?”

Sonic gave him a lazy grin. “And you can take my bed for the night. I’ll just crash on the couch.”

Shadow frowned. “I don’t need a bed. The couch is fine.”

Sonic rolled his eyes. “Dude, you’ve had, like, the worst couple of days ever! Just take the bed. It’s not a big deal.”

Shadow hesitated, glancing past Sonic toward the bedroom. The thought of sleeping somewhere soft, in a real bed that didn’t feel cold and unfamiliar… It made something in his chest tighten. But at the same time, he didn' But at the same time, he didn’t want to leave Sonic without that.

“Can’t we share?” Shadow asked as if it were the most normal thing in the world—Because to him, it was. Shadow had gotten used to being squeezed like a teddy bear at night by Maria, he honestly missed that feeling.

Sonic froze, cheeks flushing pink and taking a full minute for his brain to reboot. Shadow raised an eyebrow at Sonic’s reaction. “What?” he asked, genuinely confused.

“Uhm… In a totally platonic non-gay way… right?” Sonic asked, face turning redder by the second as he looked anywhere but at Shadow.

“…What does that have to do with sharing a bed?!” Shadow asked, a-bit frustrated by how complicated Sonic was making it.

“Uh— Never mind—Uh, we can share a bed! Totally!” Sonic laughed before racing up the stairs to scream into his pillow.

Shadow was left on the first floor, totally confused by whatever the hell that was. He’d search it up on ‘Google’ later… after he found out what that was too.

“He’s in love with you.”

Shadow blinked, turning his head to find Knuckles casually lounging on the couch, arms crossed, looking completely unfazed by the situation.

“He’s what?” Shadow asked, still standing in the same spot, his mind still struggling to catch up with Sonic’s behavior and now Knuckles springing that up on him.

Knuckles rolled his eyes. “I mean, c’mon, it’s not that hard to figure out. He’s obviously got some feelings for you.” He said it so matter-of-factly, as if it were as obvious as the sky being blue. “Can’t believe you didn’t notice!” he huffed.

Shadow stood there in stunned silence for a moment, processing Knuckles’ words. “Huh…”

Knuckles shrugged. “He likes you. He just doesn’t know how to say it. So he acts all weird about it. Maddie says he’s just ‘awkward’ and after reading this dictionary,” Knuckles pulled a dictionary out of NOWHERE and magically opened it to the page that defined awkward. “I completely agree with her, Sonic is awkward about romance!”

Shadow, still in a bit of a daze, sat down on the couch across from Knuckles. “I— I don’t even know what to think about that. Why would he—” He stopped himself, feeling his chest tighten a little at the thought of Sonic liking him!.

Shadow sighed before slumping down onto the couch and staring off into the distance. “I just… don’t know if I’m ready for all of that.” Shadow paused, turning to stare at Knuckles. “And what would your parents think?”

Knuckles paused, turning to give Shadow a confused look. “Tom and Maddie support everything we do, Sonic could destroy the world and they’d still love him!” Knuckles laughed. “Why do you ask?”

Shadow gave Knuckles the most befuddled look he could muster before continuing. “And what would other people think?” He asked before burying his head in his hands.

Knuckles looked confused. “Shadow, people have parades for it… I don’t think anyone really cares if Sonic wants to kiss boys, specifically you.”

Shadow looked back up, even more confused than he was before. “Huh???”

Knuckles tilted his head to the side. “What? I’m pretty sure it was legalized a while back?”

“…GAY MARRIAGE IS LEGAL?!” Shadow yelled before slapping a hand over his mouth, realizing he might’ve disturbed the other members of the household.

Knuckles just slowly nodded before looking at the TV, which was turned off.

Shadow laid on the couch with several realizations in mind.

Oh crap, he’s known he liked Sonic.

Maybe even loved Sonic!

And now that he knows Sonic feels the same way… He has no idea what to do!

What do you even do after realizing you’re in-love with someone and they like you back?! Confess?!

Shadow groaned before covering his face with a pillow.

Knuckles laughed at the blank screen before going back to normal. Knuckles casually tossed a grape into his mouth—Where did he get that??? “Y’know, you could just talk to him.”

Shadow peeked out from under the pillow, deadpanning. “And say what? ‘Hey, Sonic, turns out I’m in love with you, wanna make out?’”

Knuckles gave a thumbs-up. “See? You got it.”

Shadow groaned again, sinking further into the couch. He was so doomed.

“Talk to Amy about this, she loves love. She’ll know what to do.” Knuckles suggested before throwing another grape into his mouth before going back to watching the blank TV—laughing again even though nothing was playing.

Shadow couldn’t be any more humiliated than he already was, he decided talking to Amy would be somewhat better.

Shadow hesitated outside the garage door, debating whether this was a good idea. Honestly it was the only idea Shadow had besides going to Tom and asking him for his blessing to date his son.. But Shadow didn’t want to ask that from guy he punched nearly to death so he decided to do that in ten years.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside.

The garage was dimly lit, mostly illuminated by the soft glow of Tails’ workbench as the fox tinkered away at Metal Sonic. The bot remained deactivated, sprawled out on the table like a patient in surgery. Amy sat nearby on a stool, watching Metal with a longing expression.

…Well! Seems like coming to Amy was the right choice!

Shadow cleared his throat, causing Amy to turn to him, looking surprised. “Oh, hey, Shadow!” She smiled, but it quickly faded into curiosity as she tilted her head to the side. “Everything okay?” She asked.

Shadow crossed his arms, shifting uncomfortably. “…I need to ask you something.”

Amy perked up immediately. “Ooo, really? What about?” She sat up straight, clearly eager to help.

Shadow hesitated as he walked over to her, then finally forced it out. “…It’s about Sonic.” He whispered as quietly as he could.

Amy blinked once. Then twice.

Then, slowly, a knowing smile spread across her face. “Ohhh,” she said, drawing out the syllables.

Shadow scowled. “Don’t do that.”

Amy giggled, waving her hand. “Sorry, sorry! It’s just—okay, go on, I’m listening.” She clasped her hands together, giving him her full attention.

Shadow sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Knuckles said Sonic… has feelings for me…”

Amy nodded. “Uh-huh.”

Shadow narrowed his eyes. “And you’re not surprised?”

Amy tilted her head. “Shadow… We’ve all known for months, he fell in-love with you when you two first met!”

Shadow nearly choked on air. “What?!”

Amy laughed, covering her mouth. “Yeah, it’s been pretty obvious. I mean, the way he talks about you, the way he looks at you—it’s kind of funny, actually!”

Shadow groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “And no one thought to tell me?!”

Amy shrugged. “We figured you’d figure it out eventually. Or Sonic would blurt it out like an idiot. One of the two!” Amy gave him a curious look. “What are you gonna do about it?”

Shadow frowned. “I—” He hesitated. What did he want? To tell Sonic? To keep it to himself? To ignore it and hope it went away?

Amy waited patiently, watching him closely.

“…I don’t want to ruin things,” he admitted finally.

Amy’s expression softened. “Shadow, you won’t. Sonic likes you. He’s been into you forever! And he knows he’s in love with you! He just doesn’t know what to do so he runs from his feelings as best he can instead!”

Shadow sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “…So, what? I just… tell him?”

Amy shrugged. “You could! Or you could take your time until you know you’re ready… Just… don’t overthink it too much, okay? If you like him and he likes you, it’ll work out.” Amy explained before looking down at Metal, that longing expression returning. “Just, don’t take too long…"

Shadow stared at her for a long moment. Then he sighed. “…I hate that you make this sound so simple.”

Amy laughed and turned back to him. “That’s because it is simple! You’re just making it complicated.”

Shadow grumbled under his breath but didn’t argue.

Tails, who had been quiet this entire time, suddenly spoke up from his workbench. “You should confess soon though. Sonic’s been having a crisis over it.”

Shadow’s eye twitched. “…What?”

Tails smirked. “Oh yeah. He’s spiraling.”

Amy nodded in agreement. “It’s actually kind of hilarious!”

Shadow groaned, dragging a hand down his face. Shadow exhaled through his nose, glancing down at Metal Sonic’s still form. It was strange seeing him like this—so vulnerable. Shadow reached out and gently tapped the side of Metal’s head.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” he murmured.

Metal didn’t respond, obviously, but something in Shadow’s chest still twisted at the sight. He gave Amy and Tails a final glance before turning toward the door. “Don’t stay up too late,” he muttered over his shoulder.

Tails waved him off. “No promises!"

Amy waved and yelled, “Go get your man, Shadow!” as he left.

Shadow climbed the stairs with heavy steps, his mind still racing from everything Amy and Tails had said. Shadow scowled at nothing in particular, pausing in front of Sonic’s door.

He could hear movement inside, muffled shuffling and what sounded like a quiet groan. Shadow hesitated, considering if this was a bad idea. But before he could change his mind, he knocked.

Silence.

Then, hurried footsteps. The door flung open, revealing Sonic, looking—disheveled. His quills were a mess, his ears twitching, and his expression? Pure panic.

“Shadow?! What—uh—what’s up? Everything okay?” Sonic asked, voice cracking slightly. 

Shadow narrowed his eyes and looked into the room. “Were you just… screaming into a pillow?” He asked suspiciously. 

Sonic froze. Then, slowly, he reached behind himself, grabbed the pillow that had very clearly been launched across the room, and tossed it back onto his bed. “Nooo…” He laughed awkwardly.

Shadow decided to just forgot about that then he exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “Okay…. uhh” Shadow sighed, stepping inside the room and closing the door behind him. Sonic watched him closely, fidgeting slightly as he looked around the room with an awkward expression.

“Sooo… what’s up?” Sonic asked, trying to sound casual, but failing miserably.

Shadow didn’t answer right away. He walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge. Sonic’s tail flicked anxiously behind him as he waited.

Finally, Shadow spoke. “…Knuckles and Amy said you have feelings for me.” 

Sonic choked on air. “WHAT—” He yelled.

Shadow gave him a pointed look. “You’re not even gonna deny it?”

Sonic opened his mouth, but no words came out. He made a strangled noise before covering his face with both hands. “Oh my god. Oh my god.” He groaned.

Shadow tilted his head. “Sonic?"

“Oh my GOD.” Sonic groaned, flopping onto the bed next to him. He rolled onto his stomach, burying his face into the mattress. His muffled voice came out as a whine. “Why would they tell you that?!” 

Shadow raised an eyebrow. “You weren’t exactly subtle… apparently.”

Sonic peeked up at him, ears flattening. “…I wasn’t?”

Shadow noddd. “No. And everyone but me noticed.” He added, also wondering how he didn't notice it. Maybe Sonic was really subtle...

Sonic groaned dramatically, flipping onto his back and staring at the ceiling. “This is so embarrassing.” He cried, grabbing a pillow and covering his face with it only to scream into it.

Shadow looked down at him, watching as Sonic’s tail flicked anxiously. Then, before he could stop himself, he spoke.

“…I think I like you too.”

Sonic shot up, sending the pillow covering his face flying into Shadows. Sonic stared looking at with wide eyes. “You think?!” He yelled.

Shadow frowned. “…I know.” He admitted with a sigh.

Sonic’s ears perked up, his whole body going stiff. “Oh.”

Silence stretched between them. Sonic’s hands fidgeted with the blanket. Man it was so awkward…

Then, slowly, Sonic grinned and scooted closer. “So… what now?”

Shadow exhaled sharply, running a hand through his quills. “I don’t know.”

Sonic tilted his head. “Well, do you wanna date me?”

Shadow’s eyes flickered to him. “You’re awfully direct about this.”

Sonic shrugged, smirking. “Hey, I already embarrassed myself big time! No point in playing it cool now!” He announced as he scooted closer, sitting directly next to Shadow now.

Shadow rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to try…”

Sonic’s tail wagged slightly, and his smirk softened into something more genuine. “Then let’s try.”

Ok gang thats the end bye bye!!!! Also I had a bonus chapter where Amy and Metal Sonic get together when he wakes up but I fucking deleted it and I ain't re-writing allat!!!

[espballs]

changed my mind, y’all get a happy ending

[espballs]

In The Best Way

Chapter 10 - Five Thousand Footsteps

“You can’t fight a missile!” Amy yelled from the trees.  “Yes I can! I am one million percent musc—” Sonic tackled Knuckles to the ground with a force that would get him a spot on the NFL just before the missile struck the ground beside him.

♡ Summary: Everyone has a bad time

♡ Cross posted on AO3

♡ Series Pairings: Sonic x Shadow, Metal Sonic x Amy

Shadow lunged.

His body moved on instinct, fueled by pure rage and frustration. As soon as Shadow got close to Stone, he was quickly slammed down onto the floor. It felt like being hit by a wrecking ball. His head bounced against the floor so hard when he opened his eyes his vision was blurry, so blurry he could hardly even see Metal Sonic holding him down by the neck.

Shadow gasped, trying to push himself up but he was quickly shoved down by Metal. Shadow reached up to try to pry Metal’s hand off of him, but Metal only tightened his grip on Shadow’s neck. 

Shadow gritted his teeth, his hands clawing at Metal’s wrist, but it was no use. The pressure on his throat increased, cutting off his air, his vision still swimming from the impact. He kicked out, trying to twist his body free, but Metal held him down with a force Shadow had never felt from him before. There was no hesitation, no moment of resistance—just pure, mechanical efficiency.

Shadow was so deep in panic he forgot he could teleport. Shadow kicked Metal in the head to send him rolling off to the side. Shadow gasped for breaths as soon as he got up, keeping his gaze on Metal to make sure he didn’t get tackled again. Shadow rubbed at his aching neck, before flicking his gaze over to Agent Stone then back to Metal Sonic.

He felt so cornered.

Shadow gritted his teeth, his eyes locking onto Metal’s glowing red pupils as Metal Sonic stood back up. “Metal…” He snarled as he continued to rub at his neck.

Metal Sonic didn’t react, he didn’t even let out a mocking beep. No flicker in the red of his sharp pupils. Metal only stood and stared at Shadow, either waiting for him to attack or for Stone to give another order.

Shadow glanced at Stone, watching as the man slowly reached over to touch a button on his glove. Shadow’s fists clenched at his sides in frustration as he witnessed how much Stone seemed to enjoy their fight. Stone’s finger hovered just above the button, toying with Shadow’s emotions before he suddenly pressed a button.

Shadow was quick to chaos controlled away, but Metal was quick to change his trajectory to try to slice his neck open. Shadow took a step back, his mouth hanging open in shock that he would even try to go for a killing blow. 

What the hell…

Shadow stumbled back, his feet skidding across the wooden floor as he avoided another strike from Metal. Metal shot forward and tried to kick Shadow’s knee to knock out his balance. Shadow’s eyes widened as he took steps back to avoid Metal’s blows. When Shadow’s back hit the wall he chaos controlled away to avoid getting his guts spilled.

Shadow’s heart pounded in his chest as he reappeared a few feet away, taking a step back, one foot in the kitchen. Metal Sonic’s eyes were fixed on him, not yet leaping to try to attack again. 

Shadow was terrified.

Every time Metal stood there—watching him—Shadow’s gaze flickered back and forth between Stone and Metal, watching to see when Stone would press another button or if Metal would leap forward again to try to kill him.

Stone pressed a button, causing Metal Sonic to leap forward with his claws out. 

Shadow decided he needed to lock in, which is why he chaos controlled forward to kick Metal Sonic in the head with his 1000 pound air shoes, sending Metal flying through the wall.

Stone’s eyes widened in shock as Metal Sonic was sent flying through the wall, crashing through it and sending dust and debris all over the living room, causing damage with a price that Stone would not pay. Only for a moment, everything went still.

Shadow stood, his chest heaving as his shoes planted firmly on the ground. His heart pounded, and he held onto a wall for assistance. He was just so disorientated with everything spinning around him… his breath was returning to him and any scratches that Metal had managed to land on him were already healing up. Shadow would be in a better state by the time Metal Sonic crawled back in through the hole in the wall—

Oh.

Metal wouldn’t.

Stone pressed a button on his glove, causing Metal Sonic’s jets to activate and for him to float above the ground, clearly charging up to go high speeds. His direction going in one that he and Shadow had gone only few times before.

Northwest… Montana is northwest to New York… He was going after Sonic!

Shadow rushed over to grab Stone’s phone out of his pocket then to jump onto Metal Sonic just before he launched off with one hand, the other struggling to open Agent Stone’s phone to send Sonic a warning message. Shadow struggled as the wind fought against him, his grip on Metal Sonic slipping as the robot attempted to shake him off.

Gosh was this how Sonic had felt when he grabbed onto Shadow’s bike?

Shadow struggled to open the phone and open the Wachowski’s contact, only managing to send off a horribly typed message saying, “Sanic”

A reply was quickly given. “A and O are not at all close on any keyboard! How’d you get my name wrong?!”

The phone almost flew out of Shadow’s hands when Metal slammed him down into the dirt to try to shake him off. Shadow was quick to grab onto Metal Sonic’s arm and hold on while he shot Sonic a message. “Metald svoming ofr you” he sent it before realizing he had horribly mistyped it and it was hardly legible.

Sonic only sent back a “?” before he quickly added, “Gotta go! Knuckles is about to finish all the marshmallows!

Shadow groaned in frustration before throwing Stone’s phone off into the distance and kicking Metal Sonic in the head again, shooting him head first into the dirt. But Metal was quick to recover, already shooting back up as Shadow raced after him, choosing to stick on land this time rather than being forced to hold onto Metal Sonic and being dragged through the dirt.

Shadow chaos controlled above him again, aiming to kick him in the head to shoot him head first into the ground again but Metal anticipated his move this time, trying to grab onto him. Shadow was quick to avoid the attempt and opted to grab Metal Sonic by his arm instead to throw him down.

Metal Sonic was slammed down into the dirt, he was slower to get up this time, turning around to face Shadow as the hedgehog approached. 

Shadow was breathing heavily from all his efforts, yet Metal remained unphased by all of it. Shadow desperately wished that it would all end and that he could give up and try to live in ignorance, letting Metal Sonic do as he pleased so long as they could play their game of happy family.

Shadow wasn’t that type of person, and he couldn’t let Metal Sonic go out and kill Sonic and hurt his family.

Sonic’s safety was on the line, Shadow couldn’t stop until his safety was ensured. Shadow couldn’t hurt Sonic’s family again.

They had trusted him, dammit! They trusted that none of them would make another murder attempt on Sonic, so Shadow had to do everything he could to make sure their faith in him was well placed.

Shadow wanted to keep Sonic safe.

But he also wanted Metal Sonic to stop hating him, and to just… go back to being the person Shadow remembered him to be.

Shadow took slow steps over to Metal, who had not yet gotten off the ground, choosing to sit there and stay at Shadow.  

Metal Sonic was his family first and foremost. Metal would be his brother before he was ever his enemy. Shadow believed that Metal needed him.

Even if that wasn’t true, or if Metal didn’t want to be saved. Shadow wouldn’t stop trying.

He’d chase Metal around the world a hundred times if it meant saving him, or in better words; freeing him from the code that made him so hateful. Even if it made him different from the way he used to be, it’d be a good difference.

No matter how much Metal hated him, Shadow would never walk away. He couldn’t abandon Metal, not after everything they’d been through, even if it seemed impossible.

Metal Sonic’s glowing red eyes locked onto Shadow, examining his every move as the dark hedgehog took slow and hesitant steps towards the machine. Metal stared up at Shadow and beeped something that the hedgehog knew to be. “ You’re a liar.”

Resulting in Metal Sonic pulling out his gun and blasting the ground beneath Shadow and sending him flying back, having not anticipated the attack at all.

Shadow coughed the debris out of his lungs and waved the remaining dust around him away before he caught sight of Metal speeding away. 

Truly, Metal had every right to believe Shadow was a liar.

Shadow had once claimed that if it ever came down to him having to choose between Sonic and Metal Sonic, that he’d choose Metal Sonic. Defending Sonic must’ve made Metal Sonic think of him as a traitor.

So be it, because even then he’d still chase after Metal Sonic and drag him into freedom.

Whats a hedgehog supposed to do when their hot-topic-shopping-hedgehog-crush sends them a totally unreadable message while their family yells at them to turn off the phone and enjoy nature?

The answer is obvious: Turn off the phone and enjoy nature! That message was unreadable anyways!

Sonic barely had time to shove his phone back into his pocket before Knuckles made a grab for the bag of marshmallows, successfully yanking it out of Tails’ hands with a victorious laugh.

“Hey!” Tails protested, crossing his arms as Knuckles started stuffing his face like he’d never had sugar before in his life. “You could at least share, you know…” Tails grumbled.

Knuckles grinned through a mouthful of marshmallows. “Survival of the fittest, my friend! You should’ve been stronger!” Knuckles laughed before dumping the rest of the marshmallows into his mouth.

“Don’t worry, Tails.” Tom said as he stepped out of his tent, before presenting a bag of marshmallows. “We’ve got more.”

Tails gasped before clapping his hands together excitedly as he ran up to Tom to hug and thank him. Sonic would’ve laughed at the scene had he not been so concerned. Amy noticed his expression and walked over to him, “What's with that face?”

“Uh… it’s nothing.” He forced a grin, scratching the back of his head. “Just thinking about how fast Knuckles inhaled those marshmallows… Must be a new record!” Sonic forced an awkward laugh, but stopped when he noticed Amy’s silence.

Amy was giving  him a deadpan look. “Sonic.”

Dang it. He should’ve known she wouldn’t let it slide.

He sighed, rubbing his head. “Alright, fine!” He threw his hands up in surrender. “Shadow texted me. It was a mess, though—total nonsense! Like he created a new language! ”

Amy’s brows furrowed. “Shadow? He never texts unless it’s important.”

“That’s what I’m saying!” Sonic threw up his hands again. “It was all jumbled, but I’m pretty sure he mentioned Metal Sonic. Or, like, something close to that…. Might’ve just been autocorrect doing him dirty.”

Amy’s expression quickly turned concerned. “Metal Sonic?” She asked. “Is something wrong with him?”

What ISN’T wrong about him? Sonic almost replied, but decided he wanted his head intact. So Sonic only shrugged his shoulders. “Dunno, He said: Metals svooming ofr yor or something,” Sonic scoffed. “Ultimate life form but he can’t even spell!”

Amy hummed and tapped her fingers against her chin. “ Meals vooming off you? Metals spooning?” Amy muttered. “Metals spooning ice cream…”

Sonic decided he’d never ask her to decipher bad spelling ever again.

“Hey!” Knuckles yelled, causing the two hedgehog’s to turn their heads so fast they almost got whiplash. “Does your conversation have anything to do with that whistling sound I’m hearing?” Knuckles asked, scratching his head while Tails—who was standing next to him—was staring off at the missile in the sky that was rapidly approaching them with his mouth hanging open in shock.

“Who launched a missile at us?!” Maddie yelled before being tackled to the ground by Amy, who also dragged Tom down with her. Since Amy had grabbed then, Sonic chose to save Ozzie because he loved his silly dog.

Tails was still standing there so Knuckles threw him off into the forest. 

Sonic stopped running when he realized Knuckles wasn’t nearby. He looked around at Amy, Tom, Maddie, Tails, and Ozzie, but Knuckles was still back at the campsite. “Knuckles!” He yelled, rushing forward to drag his brother away.

“You all stay back! I will deal with the missile!”

“You can’t fight a missile!” Amy yelled from the trees. 

“Yes I can! I am one million percent musc—”

Sonic tackled Knuckles to the ground with a force that would get him a spot on the NFL just before the missile struck the ground beside him.

The explosion shook the ground, sending a shockwave rippling through the campsite. Sonic and Knuckles tumbled across the dirt, narrowly avoiding the worst of the blast. 

Sonic coughed as he sat up, his eyes widening at the sight of their destroyed campsite, set ablaze by the missile. But then he whistled and put his hands on his hips. “Could be worse…” He muttered.

Right before Metal Sonic appeared in a blur of blue, throwing Shadow into the fire.

[espballs]

Ran out of ideas so im sending a missile at Sonic

[espballs]

Im gonna try to put the last couple chapters into one massive one since all the events r relatively close together just so I don't run out of motivation bcz its easier for some reason

[espballs]

Taking an unfortunate break from In The Best Way cuz I ran out of motivation and passion and unfortunately, other ideas I will not yet discuss are invading my mind

[espballs]

Falsettos spoke to me, my writing fuel is back and I have ideas now

[espballs]

IM RUNNING OUT OF WRITING FUEL AHHHHHHH

[espballs]

In The Best Way

Chapter 9 - The Winner

"It's no one's fault that you got attached to a bundle of scraps but your own, Shadow. If you ever planned to stay with Metal Sonic then you should've planned to be against Sonic, again."

♡ Summary: Shadow has a bad time

♡ Cross posted on AO3

♡ Series Pairings: Sonic x Shadow, Metal Sonic x Amy

The apartment was quiet after Stone took Metal for maintenance. Shadow found that odd; he had expected to hear some beeping or clanging of Metal, maybe even a chainsaw. Perhaps he had been watching too many movies lately.

Shadow continued to brush the doll's hair, even though Metal wasn’t there to make him do it. He glanced at the closed door, contemplating going to see what Stone was doing, but then he shook his head, deciding that it would be rude of him to intrude. But despite everything, Shadow couldn’t shake the unease in his chest.

His grip tightened on the doll as he brushed her hair repeatedly. The brush snagged on knots created by his aggressive brushing, but he absentmindedly yanked the brush until the hair was forced cooperate.

Shadow knew he should trust Stone; he had no reason to believe that Stone was up to anything. Stone had allowed the Wachowski children into his home despite their past conflicts—which he wouldn’t do if he hated them! 

Unless, of course, he had ulterior motives Shadow’s mind supplied, much to his displeasure. Shadow frowned and pushed that thought away; he was being unreasonable—paranoid. Stone would never do anything bad! Not now that the doctor was gone! What reason was there for Stone to hurt anyone?

If it was to avenge the doctor.

...Stone wouldn't do that!

...Would he?

Shadow's grip on the doll tightened, and her hair becoming more and tangled with each of Shadow's frantic brushes. Shadow gave up and sighed, setting her down to avoid ruining her. If he damaged the doll, it would make Metal sad.

Shadow couldn’t help but wonder when he had began to consider Metal’s feelings.

Shadow looked back at the door and considered going out to check on Metal. Not to interfere with the maintenance, but to soothe his meaningless worries. With this in mind, Shadow decided to stand up and walk to the door.

But he hesitated to turn the knob. He just stared at it for a good minute.

Would Stone be alright with it? Would Stone feel awkward? Would Metal feel offended by it if Shadow were to intrude?

Shadow exhaled a sigh, ears twitching to try to check for any sound. As expected, the apartment had nothing but silence to offer him. Shadow wanted to step away from the door and dismiss the whole thing as just a simple check-in. He had nothing to worry about.

But the worry was gnawing at the back of his mind, he just couldn't shake the idea that something might be wrong.

Metal was already acting unstable, and Shadow didn't want him to get any worse. Maybe he could at least go to tell Stone about how weird Metal had been acting to see if he could fix him.

Yes! That would be normal of him. It would be a normal thing to express his worries over Metal's behavior, there was nothing wrong with being worried about that!

Shadow nodded to himself, gripping the doorknob with renewed confidence. He wasn’t snooping. He wasn’t being paranoid. He was just looking out for Metal—ensuring he was properly repaired and not spiraling deeper into instability.

It was logical! It was normal! There was nothing to fear!

Shadow turned the knob and opened his door. He stepped into the hallway and was met with nothing but darkness. The light from his room barely stretched past the threshold, swallowed quickly by the overwhelming darkness of the hall. Shadow hesitated, his ears twitching. The silence was thick and unwelcome, making his fur bristle with anxiety.

Despite the fact he knew there was nothing to worry about, his first steps into the hallway were cautious.

Shadow's ears twitched as he heard the sound of a door opening. Shadow froze, his breath caught in his throat as he turned his head toward the sound. The door to Stone’s workspace creaked open, spilling a faint sliver of light into the hallway.

Stone was the first to step out, his expression unreadable in the dim lighting. His usual casual demeanor was in place, but there was something… off. Shadow couldn’t quite place his finger on what it was.

Metal soon followed after Stone.

Shadow’s eyes locked onto him instantly, scanning for anything—any sign that something had changed. Metal’s movements were precise, and calculated, but there was a stiffness to them. A strange delay in how he turned his head to look at Shadow, his glowing red eyes unreadable.

Shadow’s fur puffed up even further, making him look like a real hedgehog.

“Maintenance is all done!” Stone announced, clapping his hands together, his tone lighthearted. “Good as new!” He declared, patting Metal's shoulder.

Metal didn’t beep in confirmation. He just stood there, still, staring at Shadow.

Metal's silence was... unusual. Metal would've been beeping 

Metal blinked slowly, his optics flickering for a brief moment. Then, finally, he let out a single, short beep. But it sounded… wrong. It sounded like more of an attempt at normalcy than anything. As if Metal was trying to act like everything was alright.

If Shadow knew that this was how Metal acted after maintenance, he would've done anything and everything to prevent it.

Shadow wanted Metal to go back to acting how he normally did.

“What’s wrong with him?” Shadow demanded, forcing his voice to stay even despite the fear coursing through his body.

Stone raised an eyebrow at Shadow’s tone, staring at the hedgehog blankly before he let out a small chuckle. “Wrong with him?” Stone repeated, shaking his head. “Nothing’s wrong with Metal! I just had to make a few adjustments!” Stone explained.

Shadow was still skeptical, Stone's words had done nothing to comfort him. If anything, it only made him feel worse.

His gaze flicked back to Metal, who remained eerily still. The red glow of his eyes felt devoid of everything Metal had once expressed. His fingers were stiff at his sides. His whole body rigid and stiff.

“Shadow,” Stone began, calling Shadow's attention back. “I know you’ve grown a little protective to him, but trust me—this is necessary. Metal was acting unusual, right? Even you saw that." Shadow nodded, and Stone smiled. "See, that’s exactly why I needed to fix him!”

Shadow tilted his head to the side. “Fix him how?” He asked.

Stone went silent before he let out a heavy sigh. "Shadow, you know exactly what he was created for."

Shadow went silent, staring at Stone and then giving Metal a quick glance. "I know," Shadow sighed. "He was created to destroy Sonic..." He grumbled.

"Created to destroy Sonic, yes! Very good!" Stone patted Shadow on the head—much to the hedgehog's annoyance. "So why are you so surprised that he's acting like a weapon?"

Shadow didn't know why it bothered him so much, maybe because he got used to Metal's odd behavior. "Because he doesn't usually act like one." Shadow answered.

Stone nodded in agreement. "Yes, he doesn't because he was wrong before. I corrected him."

Shadow's gaze flicked back to Metal, who still hadn’t moved an inch. His gaze remained locked onto Shadow, unreadable and empty. It was a stark contrast to the Metal he had come to know—the one who had his own quirks and personality.

Shadow's fists clenched at his sides as he looked back up to glare at Stone. "You had no right to correct him... He was perfect as he was." He growled.

Stone just stared, before he let out a small chuckle. "Shadow, he's not a person!" He laughed. "Metal Sonic is a machine created by the doctor to destroy that blue rat! He was malfunctioning and I couldn't let him go to waste, could I? So I fixed him!" Stone kneeled down to be at eye level with Shadow and continued. "It's no one's fault that you got attached to a bundle of scraps but your own, Shadow. If you ever planned to stay with Metal Sonic then you should've planned to be against Sonic, again."

Shadow’s breath hitched, a flicker of horror flashing across his face. His fists tightened, so much that he felt a sting of his nails against his palm despite having gloves.

Stone’s words rang in his ears, over and over, like a cruel echo. If you ever planned to stay with Metal Sonic then you should've planned to be against Sonic again.

No. That wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true.

Just when Sonic and Shadow had reunited. Just when Metal and Shadow had started to get along. Why couldn't this have happened before Shadow got so attached? Right when Shadow wasn’t just a weapon anymore. Metal wasn’t just a weapon either! Metal had proved time and time again that he was so much more. They both deserved to be more than that.

Shadow's gaze flicked back to Metal, searching—desperate—for anything, any trace of what once was. But Metal just stood there, motionless, silent, his pupils glowing an empty red.

He wasn’t there anymore.

And it was Stone’s fault.

A deep, guttural growl rumbled in Shadow’s throat. He took a step forward, his quills bristling. “You had no right,” he spat, his voice filled with anger and sorrow. Shadow was an inch away from breaking yet he held himself together with his burning anger.

Stone just hummed, tilting his head in amusement. "Metal is under my ownership, I had every right." Stone held up his hand, revealing his control glove. "It takes the press of a button to send Metal Sonic to attack Sonic, what would you do then? Are you gonna choose Sonic too?"

Shadow's eyes widened and he stepped forward, daring Stone to try. "You wouldn't ."

Stone shrugged his shoulders. "I would, and what would you do about it?"

Shadow didn’t hesitate.

In a flash, he lunged at Stone.

[espballs]

What do you do when 2 new ships wiggle their ways into your brain and now you're being tortured into writing... MPREG about them bcz Mpreg is my love language

[espballs]

In The Best Way

Chapter 8 - Metal's Dilema

Whether it be because Shadow believed that Metal needed him, or because Shadow needed Metal. Shadow would never know, but he chose to believe the former. 

♡ Summary: Metal needs reassurance, Shadow does his best to provide

♡ Cross posted on AO3

♡ Pairings: Sonic x Shadow, Metal Sonic x Amy

Shadow was afraid. 

Even now that he was standing in the kitchen—watching as Knuckles tried to fit as many grapes as he could in his mouth 78 so far—he still felt scared. Every instinct inside of him was telling him to go down to the garden and make sure Metal Sonic didn’t hurt Amy. That the two shouldn’t be left alone together. That being near Amy would only hurt Metal Sonic in the long run.

But Shadow had a hope, deep in the bottom of his soul, that Amy’s kindness would set Metal on the right path, that she’d prove to him that she did care for him.

Shadow never liked to think of Metal as dangerous—even though the robot was created to destroy Sonic. But Shadow couldn’t believe that a robot created for destruction would have his room all pink and frilly and brush a doll’s hair. Shadow wouldn’t believe that a robot who sat at a table and pretended to eat would ever hurt the ones Amy loved.

Amy could handle herself if Metal attacked her anyways! She'd bash his head in if he tried to hurt Sonic!

Right, so Shadow shouldn’t worry about it. Everything would go back to the way it was soon.

Knuckles made a choking noise that snapped Shadow out of thought. Before either of the hedgehogs could react, Tails smacked Knuckles on the back until a half-mushed grape flew out of his mouth. “Dude,” Tails muttered. “That was disgusting.”

Knuckles put a fist over his chest. “A warrior must know his limits!” He announced proudly before going back to test his limits with another handful of grapes to the mouth, which only served to disgust Tails.

Sonic chuckled lightly before he glanced over at Shadow, catching his worried expression. “You still worrying about Metal, huh?” The blue hedgehog asked.

Shadow huffed, crossing his arms. “I’m not worried!” he scoffed, but it didn’t even sound convincing to himself. 

Sonic clearly wasn’t buying it either. “Uh-huh. That’s why you’re standing there looking like you just saw G.U.N. try to make another Ultimate Lifeform out of a toaster.” Shadow had to shoot him a glare, because that was the weirdest comparison ever.. But Sonic just grinned. “Look, man,” Sonic continued, leaning against the counter, “Metal’s weird, sure, but Amy’s got this. She’s good at—y’know—being Amy.” He gestured vaguely, like that was supposed to mean something. “She could probably make Eggman himself turn over a new leaf if she tried hard enough!”

Shadow didn’t respond.

Shadow had seen what happened when someone gave unconditional love to something that was never meant to be loved. Maria had been like that. She had given him that kind of love. And for a while, it had been enough.

Until it wasn’t.

Until she was gone, and it was all because she had loved something not meant to be loved.

Sonic’s phone rang with a call, he picked it up and began to talk to the person on the other side. Shadow didn’t listen in, too busy with his own spiraling thoughts. Sonic put the phone down after a moment and turned to Shadow, “Well, The Donut Lord wants us back!”

Shadow wanted to fall to his knees and thank whoever that was for giving him the chance to talk to Metal Sonic, but he had great self control, so he didn’t.

“But don’t worry Shads!” Sonic put a hand on his shoulder… what the fuck. “We’ll come back to visit another time” Sonic patted his shoulder. What the hell?!

Sonic then walked away, Knuckles and Tails in tow. “Lets hope we don’t walk in on a romantic scene down there! Bye Bye!” Sonic yelled before heading straight out the door, unlocking it for himself and his siblings before walking out to go collect Amy. Shadow stood there, frozen with his mouth agape, staring at the door like it had been the one to shock him.

What the hell just happened?

Sonic had touched him. Sonic had patted him. Like they were friends... Were they? Sonic acted like the whole thing was normal to do! Gosh, Shadow felt like his brain had short-circuited…

Shadow shook his head when the door opened again, and in came Metal Sonic.

Metal was… quiet, causing Shadow to tense immediately.

Metal turned to look at Shadow, letting out a soft beep before he revealed a flower in his hold. Shadow stared at it momentarily before looking back at Metal. Metal didn’t speak. He just stood there, still as a statue, holding out the flower like it was supposed to mean something.

Shadow opened his mouth to speak, but Metal was already heading off to the room. Shadow was quick to follow after, he followed Metal into their shared room and shut the door behind him. Metal reached a hand out for the blonde doll on his bed and sat down on the floor, his back to his bed. Metal set the flower down on the counter besides before he reached for the brush under his bed and began to brush through the doll’s hair. Shadow stood at the door, watching. 

Seeing Metal act like this—like his normal self—warmed Shadow’s heart for some reason. Slowly, he made his way over to Metal and sat down across from him. “So…” he began awkwardly, clearing his throat before going on. “Amy gave you a flower?” He asked.

Metal nodded. Shadow glanced at the flower on the counter. The flower was small and delicate, a poppy, if Shadow had to guess—it was something so easily crushed in the grip of a machine. Yet, Metal had held it carefully, like it was something precious. It must be to him, because Amy had given it to him. Shadow had spent enough time with Metal to understand why it would be such a big deal to him. “And you know why she gave it to you?” Shadow asked, tilting his head to the side.

Metal was quiet, simply brushing the dolls hair in silence before letting out a soft beep and shaking his head. 

Shadow hummed. “She cares about you, and dare I say—she loves you.”

Metal paused, finally looking up at Shadow to beep without meaning. Metal Sonic pushed the doll and brush into Shadow’s hands. Shadow hesitated, but began to brush through the doll's hair, his eyes never leaving Metal’s face. Metal remained still, though there was a subtle shift in his posture, a quiet tension.

Metal’s gaze flickered from the floor to Shadow’s face before he beeped softly in what Shadow understood as, “Would you choose Sonic too?”

Shadow was silent, but thay didn’t stop Metal from staring at him, waiting for an answer.

It was difficult to give one, after all Shadow had met Sonic first, it made sense that he might chose him over Metal. Sonic was the one who had lent out a hand to him and set him on the right path, he had helped Shadow redeem himself despite the damage he had done. Without Sonic, Shadow would’ve died with the rest of the world. Without Sonic, Shadow would have never been able to meet Metal in the first place.

Shadow loved Sonic.

But Shadow had also come to care for Metal, he loved Metal. Thought it was in a differently way from how he loved Sonic. It was still love, just in different form. 

Shadow had come to see Metal as a brother.

Shadow hadn’t expected to ever find a family again after what happened last time, but he had found a small yet strange one in Agent Stone's New York apartment. Now Shadow only hoped it didn’t end up like his last family: Destroyed. 

Shadow’s last caretaker tried to use him to try to destroy the world, and Shadow had at first assumed Agent Stone might try to manipulate him into doing the same or something similar, but the man had made no moves to try and manipulate him. Shadow had been slowly growing attached to both of them, he didn't want to lose either of them.

Metal Sonic was an odd sibling. But Metal didn’t much of anything from Shadow, only for pillow forts and as of recent, to play with dolls. Metal had only ever asked for Shadow’s companionship. 

The best way to say the truth was… Shadow saw a-bit of himself in Metal.

Shadow had grown used to being a tool in someone else’s agenda, whether it be G.U.N, or the Professor. Shadow only recently was given the opportunity to make his own choices, and wanted to give Metal that same opportunity. Shadow wanted to find a way to free Metal Sonic from the code that made him so hateful.

In Metal, Shadow saw a reflection of himself, of his own struggle to exist beyond what he was made to be.

And maybe that was why Shadow had grown to feel so protective of Metal.

Shadow finally answered softly, “If it ever came down to it, I’d choose you” Even though he hoped it would never have to come to that, it was inevitable. Whether Shadow had decided so because he believed that Metal needed him, or because he needed Metal. Shadow would never know, but he chose to believe the former. 

Metal needed Shadow more than Sonic did. Metal needed someone who would chose him over Sonic, to prove to him that he wasn’t just a second choice. That he wasn’t just a machine built in Sonic’s image, always doomed to be compared and ignored. Metal needed to hear those words—needed to know that he wasn’t just a shadow of Sonic, that he was his own being, that he was wanted. He needed to know that someone out in the world would chose him over Sonic. It might be cruel to Sonic—the one who gave Shadow a chance to be good—but Metal needed someone to give him that chance. Shadow needed to be that person so that Amy wouldn’t get hurt trying. Being around Metal wasn’t safe for her anymore, so Shadow needed to step in. 

He wasn’t Maria. He couldn’t save Metal from everything, he couldn’t make the world treat him any differently, not yet.

But he had to try, Metal deserved that.

Metal beeped a soft thanks to Shadow, and Shadow felt himself smile a-bit.

The moment was broken when the front door creaked open. Shadow’s ears twitched at the sound of footsteps making their way through the apartment. Shadow knew who it was before he even heard the voice, because there was only one man with a key to the house.

“Metal!” Stone called from the his room. “Time for maintenance!” His voice was cheery, but Shadow still felt a tinge of fear.

Metal tensed and turned to Shadow, beeping something that was too soft for Shadow to interpret. Then, slowly, he got to his feet.

Shadow stood up to try to hand him the doll, but Metal shook his head and pushed the doll back into Shadow’s hands. 

Metal walked out the room, not even looking back, before he shut the door behind him, leaving Shadow, his doll, and that flower behind.

Shadow knew maintenance was necessary for Metal since he was a robot, but the idea still managed to fill him with fear.

[espballs]

are u ok

no, to solve this I'll write more Mpreg

[espballs]

just so u know I find u hilarious for getting sent to a mental hospital and then when u got out you went straight back to writing fanfics

NOT THAT I FIND SERIOUS PROBLEMS FUNNY IT'S JUST- YOU GET WHAT I MEAN?? right??

The Mental Hospital only fueled my writing addiction!!!

[espballs]

Gang my mom said we need mexican passports incase we get deported AND my sister found honey packets in my dads closet Y'ALL ARE NAWT GETTING FLUFF ANYMORE 😭😭😭

[espballs]

In The Best Way

Chapter 7 - The Variable

Shadow was beginning to miss the times where Metal would beep nervously when Amy came up—like a schoolgirl with a crush—despite the fact those times hadn’t been too long agp.

♡ Summary: Metal loses the meaning of bros before hoes

♡ Cross posted on AO3

♡ Pairings: Sonic x Shadow, Metal Sonic x Amy

Metal was still, his eyes had not left Amy for several minutes.

Shadow thought it was a little odd. Before Metal would still be able to watch other things—like the movie—while looking back at Amy whenever there was a scene he wanted to see her reaction too. That was more manageable then Metal staying still and quiet just to watch her.

Metal only did this when she interacted with Sonic.

Since Amy was just reuniting with Metal, he held most of her attention. But there were a few times where Sonic and Amy would make light banter. Metal stopped and stared at those times.

Shadow wondered if he should be concerned. 

He didn’t jump to conclusion, But Metal’s silence was starting to concern him, for as long as Shadow knew him, Metal would do as much as he could to keep from being quiet in the comfort of his own home.

Shadow at first wondered if it was because of their new company, but quickly shut that theory down when he compared it to how Metal had been acting earlier. Metal told Sonic to jump off a building and die, he was definitely not afraid of Sonic or anything. Metal wasn’t so shy to the point of silence either.

Shadow couldn’t understand. Metal must know there was nothing between Sonic and Amy at this point. He should know that Sonic was no threat to his relationship with Amy, right?

Except that probably wasn’t true to Metal. To Metal, Amy had left him to go be with Sonic. Amy had shown him to live and to love, then she left him for someone that Metal deemed inferior to himself, Amy left him for his target, the one he was created to destroy.

Metal would never accept Sonic, he would never want to keep the blue hedgehog in his life for long. Metal may be civil but it was only for Amy’s sake, and even during those moments of peace, Metal must still feel the burning hatred for Sonic that he was created with. 

Shadow felt uneasy with the entire situation. He approached Metal slowly, but the robot didn’t notice him, or just paid him no mind. “Metal.” He spoke quietly.

Metal did not acknowledge him. 

Shadow’s frown deepened. Metal was never this unresponsive—not in a way that felt intentional . 

“Metal.” He tried again, firmer this time.

Still, nothing.

Shadow glanced at Amy, but she was too caught up in a conversation with Sonic to notice anything was wrong. Metal, however, noticed everything . He was locked onto her, the red pupils in his eyes dim yet unblinking. His stillness felt out of the character that Shadow had known him to be.

“Metal.” Shadow tried for the last time, louder than the last attempts. Metal finally spared the hedgehog the time of day to look at him momentarily before looking back at Amy.

That wasn’t normal. Metal always had some sort of reaction, whether it be smug beeps, exaggerated gestures, or anything else. Metal would do anything to make his presence known. This was off.

Shadow stepped closer, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Metal, what’s wrong with you?”

Metal let out a low beep, then another, slower this time. Shadow didn’t need to waste his time trying to translate it to know it was dismissive. 

Shadow glanced over to Knuckles and Tails, raiding Stone’s supply of mint and grapes. They were thankfully distracted. Shadow didn’t bother to stop the, he’d resupply for Stone before he got back from wherever he was.

“You’re staring,” Shadow muttered. “And not in your usual creepy way.” he added.

Metal didn’t respond, not even with his eyes of a small beep.

Amy’s laughter rang through the room as she smacked Sonic’s arm, before she continued to keep smacking him to the point it was on purpose and not because she was laughing. Metal tensed. Shadow saw it—the tightening of his claws, the flicker in his eyes that dimmed for a fraction of a second.

Shadow exhaled a disappointed sigh. 

He didn’t want to deal with this. Not now. Not ever.

Shadow had an idea of the oddity of Metal’s character. Metal would always seek to destroy Sonic, but Shadow had some hope that speaking of the blue hedgehog in a good light and maybe introducing the two might make them civil outside of battle. Shadow thought Amy could help Metal get there, since she seemed the best at doing that.

By being there, Amy was unintentionally undoing everything.

Metal Sonic was jealous.

Shadow had hoped it wouldn’t happen, he had tried to keep the thought away. He didn’t know what Metal’s jealousy might lead the destructive robot to do.

Shadow debated calling Amy over. Maybe she could snap Metal out of whatever trance he was in to remind him that she loved him in a different way from the way she loved Sonic. But something told him that wouldn’t work—not this time. Metal’s love wasn’t just admiration anymore. It wasn’t even love at this point.

It was obsessive.

It was an unhealthy fixation, manifesting in a way that made Metal Sonic seem possessive. 

Shadow kept his hand on Metal’s shoulder, grounding him in place. The last thing he needed was for Metal to act on whatever twisted thought process was running through his corrupted code.

“You need to cut this out,” Shadow warned, voice low. “You know Amy wouldn’t like this.”

Metal twitched, his fingers flexing. His head turned to face Shadow fully this time, and his pupils shrank to thin slits. A sharp beep followed, quick and mechanical.

Shadow wished he couldn’t understand Metal. 

But he did. Metal’s words made Shadow’s fur bristle. Shadow’s grip tightened on Metal’s shoulder. “No,” he said, his tone sharp, trying to conceal the helplessness he was beginning to feel. “She isn’t.”

Metal’s pupils flickered—first with static, then with something close to fury. His claws twitched at his sides. Another beep, drawn out and distorted, rang between them. Shadow didn’t need to translate. Metal was disagreeing.

This was bad.

Amy had always been a key part of Metal’s development—his sense of self, his emotions, his ability to be something more than just a weapon. She had shown him kindness when no one else would. Shadow understood why Metal latched onto her so desperately.

Metal’s love was unraveling into something ugly.

Shadow was beginning to miss the times where Metal would beep nervously when she came up—like a schoolgirl with a crush—despite the fact those times hadn’t been too long agp.

Shadow exhaled slowly, keeping his stance firm. “You need to get a grip, Metal. Right now.”

Metal didn’t move, didn’t react right away. His optics flickered again, his inner processors whirring audibly. The silence stretched between them, tense and suffocating.

Then, finally, another beep.

Shadow narrowed his eyes. Shadow didn’t need a translator to understand that beep either.

Metal’s whole frame was taut with tension, his claws twitching, shoulders squared in defiance. For the first time since they had met, Metal was treating Shadow like an enemy.

Shadow hated it, he had just begun to trust Metal Sonic, even growing to see him as something akin to family.

He opened his mouth to speak—to say something —but a sudden voice cut through the suffocating silence.

“Metal?”

Metal froze and Shadow turned his head, already knowing who he would see.

Amy stood a few feet away, concern written all over her face. She had no weapons, no defenses up, because she trusted Metal.

A sharp, high-pitched beep escaped the robot’s vocal processor, a sound like static and shock colliding. His head snapped toward her, eyes wide, frantic. His fingers curled, claws scraping against his own metallic palms as if trying to ground himself.

Amy took a careful step forward, her eyes filled with nothing but soft affection. "Hey!" she hummed, grabbing his hands and holding them in her own despite the sharpness of his fingers. "I was looking for you!”

Shadow felt that this was wrong.

Amy had always been the one person who could make Metal soften. She had been the light in his world of metal and code, the proof that he could be something more than just a tool of destruction.

And yet, Metal wasn’t softening. His whole frame trembled. His optics flickered, the glow erratic, unstable.

Amy didn’t notice. Or if she did, she didn’t let it stop her.

She stepped closer, reaching out. "Metal, you’re shaking! Let’s go outside for a little bit, okay? Let’s go to the garden!"

A sharp beep tore from Metal’s speakers. He hesitated—just for a second—before taking a stiff, mechanical step toward her.

Shadow didn’t let go, causing Metal to give him a glare. "Amy," Shadow tried warned. "I don’t think—"

"It’s fine, Shadow!" she interrupted gently, offering him a small smile before turning back to Metal. “We’ll be safe out there! And if Stone comes back early, we’ll warn you!”

Metal’s glare did nothing to help, it only made Shadow feel so much worse. If he told Amy, he’d be hurting Metal. If he didn’t, he’d inevitably doom her. 

Shadow let go of Metal, because he hoped Amy would find a way to save him.

Amy gently took Metal’s hand, her fingers warm against the cold metal of his own. "Come with me," she whispered.

And Metal followed.

Sonic—who had been raiding Stone’s fridge ever since Amy went to go speak to Metal Sonic—noticed Shadow standing in the middle of the living room. Sonic was a little weirded out that he was just standing there, so he whistled to catch Shadow’s attention.

When Shadow didn’t respond, Sonic walked up to him and nudged him. Shadow looked at him with a curious gaze. “What?” he grumbled.

Sonic raised a brow, unimpressed by the tough guy act. "Dude, you’ve been standing there like a statue for the past five minutes. What’s up?" Sonic resolved to the fact he might need to come up with something that would inspire Shadow, meaning he’d need to start thinking now for the top ten—

"It’s Metal." Shadow confessed in an instant.

Sonic’s brows furrowed. “Huh? Oh, he’s probably just mad at me for being alive, he’ll get over it! I mean, he has Amy now! What more could he want?” Sonic laughed.

The issue was, Metal didn’t know he ‘had’ her.

[espballs]

my siblings pissed me off so Metal and Shadow don’t get to be happy anymore bcz my sister forgot about ‘bros b4 hoes’