“…” For a moment, regret sunk deep into his heart. “Shadow, you’ve always been my best rival. Heck— The best opponent! Saying we can’t race is like…..” He didn’t even want to finish that sentence.
Sonic’s voice sharpened in a sudden anger. “..Why does GUN think that your life is some stupid toy to play with over and over again?! You live, breathe, and feel like the rest of us!”
He folded his arms and glanced away. “..Don’t want to race you, bud. Hanging out is perfectly fine.” The hero turned back and tried to smile.. but he was never good at faking those.
“Actually,” Shadow corrected him in what wouldn’t comfort the blue hedgehog at all, “they didn’t think I was a toy; they blamed me for the apocalypse. I was a scapegoat.” He lagged a bit, then, “Am a scapegoat. I just managed to escape from them… twice.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter if they capture me now.” He glanced out into the distance, his gaze unfocused. “It’s just a matter of whether they do or whether I die of what they’ve already done to me first.”
Suddenly, the ebony hedgehog glanced back at the other with a smile, but one that wasn’t in the least bit settling. “If I spontaneously combust while talking to you, tell Silver that I got him a post card.”
