Sonic the Hedgehog

Questions

Behind him, Shadow hears the automated door he just walked through slide open. He and whoever it is behind him are in a linear, grey, metal hallway lined with window hatches on its left side. The floor is a dark blue and the entirety of the hallway, like the rest of the Egg Carrier, is lit by the dim, white lights that run along the ceiling of the aircraft.

"Now that I think about it... I didn't hear a blast go off either," Rouge says as she walks after Shadow. "What was that about?"

"Why do you care?" Shadow mutters, stopping in the middle of the hallway. "Don't you have better things to do? Why do you insist on talking to me?"

"Because I can't figure you out," Rouge shrugs. "One minute, you're aiding Eggman in conquering the world for the sake of your vendetta, and the next, you can't bring yourself to attack random strangers."

"Could you?" Shadow asks, turning to face Rouge. "Did you?"

"You mean the fox and hedgehog? I didn't have to. They were two scared kids who gave up the emerald in no time."

"And what if they didn't?"

Rouge eyes Shadow, mentally searching for an answer. Before she can find it, Shadow says:

"You know, you won't be exempt from blame once Eggman gets what he wants. You have just as much to do with this as I, Omega, and that jackal, regardless of your motives."

"What are you getting at?" Rouge asks, folding her arms.

"You're not a killer," Shadow states plainly. "I was trained to be. I was created to be. So refrain from questioning my resolve, Bat."

"Then what stopped you from unleashing that chaos blast, huh, Shadow?" Rouge asks, walking closer. "If you're prepared for the whole world to be under Eggman's destructive rule, then what stopped you from attacking those kids-?

"I only saw three of them!" Shadow snaps, making Rouge take a step back. "I saw the fox, the echidna, and Mobius's war hero. Yes, they were just targets. The other... I looked into her eyes. I didn't see a pink hedgehog. At that moment, I saw Maria."

Shadow turns back around. Rouge, processing this, lowers her head and sighs.

"You're not a killer, either, Shadow," she says. "For your sake, I hope you realize that soon. At least... before it's too late for you to turn back."

After a moment of silence, Shadow raises his head and continues down the hall, not saying another word.

...