Jayde the Hedgehog • By Your Side [3]

3: Stay✔️

Music: Frontier - Doctor Vox

Jayde silently followed Shadow back to his office, not knowing what to say. She knew that Shadow only wanted to protect her, but she also knew that the Seven Shards could possibly be the answer GUN was looking for. The Riots Crystal ranged from a variety of powers, one of which was included that could erase the effects of illusions on a Protector. Jayde knew this because she possessed Physic Shield. Whatever way the Dark Creature used the Phantom cube, she wouldn't be effected – shouldn't anyway.

Shadow heavily sighed, slumping down on his chair- Jayde decided to sit cross legged on his desk, facing the ebony male who raised an eye rig towards her, "What?"

"There's a chair right there, Renee." He muttered, searching for a pen. Jayde shrugged, looking at the forms he had to fill in.

Mission: 0246

Personnel Included: Agent Shadow the Hedgehog. Agent Rouge the Bat.
Details: Retrieve specified device. Capture hostile enemy. Little to no casualties.
Location: South Metropolis, Alley Street
Mission duration: 24 hours

Assignment outcome: Incomplete

"So, what happened out there?" she asked. Jayde still had yet to actually hand in her slip as a GUN agent. The form was safely tucked within her quills, already filled in – why she hadn't actually given it to the commander yet was beyond her.

"He flew off." Shadow muttered, anger evident in his voice as he began filling in the forms.

"What?" Jayde replied, confused, "245 complete missions – each full of death anticipating experiences and he just flies off?"

Shadow growled lowly, "Look, I screwed up, I know I did! If you're not going to do something helpful, then go home. I don't need you here right now telling me what I already know." He snapped, ears pinned back against his head.

The female flinched slightly but didn't blame him. Her mind was telling her to move and speak to him later but her heart told her to stay. Shadow was angry – maybe having her around would calm him a bit? Jayde got up from the desk. Shadow clenched his fist around the pen, now angry at himself for yelling at her that way. Although what she said irritated him, he knew she didn't mean for it to hurt him. He thought she would leave him but she walked to the side of the room and sat in the armed chair, picking her legs up to her chest.

The Ultimate Lifeform glanced at her and to her inhibitor rings. He knew that the Shards were still a mystery, filled with unexplainable powers and energy that they had yet to find out – and maybe it could help them to stop the Phantom cube. But Shadow couldn't but Jayde at risk again. She had only been with the Sonic team for less than ten months. Ten months and she had already been in three near death experiences!

First Mephiles unleashed her Negative form and almost annihilated her from the inside. Then they had to battle against the Black Shard that unleashed the Interficio Quattuor – almost all of their power drained after coming out of the Riots form for the first time. And then Adversity came along; she broke Jayde the most. Although Shadow didn't know it, Jayde mainly broke because he had been turned against them. It crushed her to see him like that, nowhere to ride and nowhere to hide.

Shadow didn't know why he had such protectiveness for the cobalt striped female. It was something he hadn't felt for a while. Even if she yelled at him, maybe said something she didn't mean – he would always be there to save and protect her. Maybe the anti-hero side of him was being softened. Shadow chuckled slightly at this. In ways, Jayde may not have been so different to him. They both had their dark sides, both had secrets, both had a past they wish they could forget. Except Jayde knew that her past is what made her stronger.

The ebony male shook his head, another sigh leaving his lips and he continued to fill in reports – the sooner it's done, the sooner I get to go home.

01:23am

Yeah... soon.

Shadow dragged a hand down his face, a small yawn leaving his lips. A quiet knock on the door was heard and Rouge poked her head through, "You're still up?"

"I don't need sleep, remember?"

Rouge crossed her arms and smirked, "Everyone needs sleep, you're just too macho to admit it." her ear twitched as she picked up the quiet snores of the grey hedgehog and glances to where she was sat. Her body was curled up in the seat, with her spines pressed up against the back of the chair and her head rested on her arms on the arms of the chair.

"Looks like someone's tired – has she been with you this whole time?"

Shadow nodded to Rouge question, finishing the last of the paperwork before throwing his pen on the desk, "She fell asleep a couple of hours ago." He spoke, rubbing his eyes.

"Why don't you take her home? She can't very well stay at her house with that hole in her roof. I know you wouldn't let her anyway," Rouge winked at him.

Shadow glanced at the sleeping female. Jayde looked so peaceful he almost wished he could join her. She turned, curling up in a ball, one of her feet up close to her muzzle. Rouge raised a nonexistent eye rig, "How hedgehogs can sleep like that, I will never understand."

The ebony hedgehog chuckled slightly, "It's genetics – plus she's also part cat, don't forget."

Rouge smiled at the young, peaceful hedgehog, "I wonder if she ever thought of returning home." Shadow looked at Jayde, I wonder if she did too. He stood from his desk and stretched, wincing slightly as his back clicked in multiple places. Rouge looked at his tired eyes, "You two better get home." She began to walk out and looked back, "And go to sleep, macho man."

Shadow rolled his orbs at Rouge before walking to Jayde. He knelt down in front of her, brushing her front bangs out of her face, "Jayde?" he whispered. The female stirred but didn't fully wake.

"Mm, Shadow?" she mumbled, frowning slightly. The Ultimate Lifeform chuckled slightly before gently picking her up in his arms and chaos controlling them out of GUN.