THE KING IS DEAD

10

III. Long Gone
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❝WAKE UP.❞
*ృ༅*. 𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖈❜𝖘 voice is the very last thing Shadow wishes to hear, but alas, it is there, demanding and trembling in his ear.

"Wake up. I'm tired of waiting."

Shadow does not move. He does not open his eyes or budge an inch. Absolute refusal.

Eventually, Sonic sighs and gives up. The slam of a door and heavy clunk of several locks brings Shadow peace.

He is alone.

He rolls over to lie on his side, where he slowly opens his eyes and takes in a deep breath. His skull is throbbing and the world is blurry beyond words. Eyes squeeze shut, there is a mental counting to thirty, and eyes open again. His vision has not improved, so he shuts his eyes once more and shut they stay.

Shadow wonders how long it has been. Not that it matters; days and nights blend together. Faker made certain of that. But he is still curious. He attempts to recall what happened, but his mind is as blurry as his eyesight. Slowly, the memories return. The map and its highlighted routes. Faker's question, his own answer. Knuckles and his temper.

What a temper, he thinks. Big angry idiot.

At some point, he is asleep again (somehow) because he hears Faker whispering once more.

"Hey, butthead."

Damn him. Shadow cannot even rest.

He deflates against the mattress with the biggest sigh. "Go . . . away."

"Make me." Childish. Pitiful.

So Shadow kicks him so hard, he screams as he falls to the floor.

"Oops. I'm sorry." A lie, spoken without feeling.

"Ass!" is Sonic's hiss from the floor.

Shadow repositions himself to be more comfortable in bed. He has yet to open his eyes, knowing he would see a blurry mess—and, worse, the dumb face of Faker.

"Wake up, asshole." The friendly, childish butthead is long forgotten. Sonic has the audacity to rip the blanket right off.

Shadow just sighs again. But he does sit up, cross-legged, squinting at Sonic through the haze. Squinting himself into a scowl. "And why, pray tell?"

"It's time for dinner."

"Dinner? What's that?" More sarcasm.

"Well, Amy insisted. She's gotta thing for buffets."

Shadow blinks. This is a name he is not familiar with. "Who?"

"Amy," Sonic says, as if it is the obvious thing ever. All he needs is to add duh. "My wife."

The expression on Shadow's face cannot be described. Is it awe? Confusion? Absolute disgust? It is honestly unknown; let's just say it is a delicious blend of all three.