Categories > Games > Sonic the Hedgehog > Shadow and Maria
Shadow jolted awake, breathing heavily. He got up and headed for the kitchen for a glass of water.
He saw Maria in the hallway.
“Shadow?” Maria asked. “Did you have another nightmare?”
“Yeah.” Shadow replied. “I got up for some water.”
Maria walked Shadow into the kitchen and got him a glass of water. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Shadow sipped his water. “Let’s just say I had an abusive childhood.”
“I’m so sorry, Shadow.” Maria said, walking him back to his room. “I guess that’s why you ran away?”
“Pretty much.” Shadow replied. “I had nowhere to go and I just wanted a fresh start.”
“You’ll always have a great life and family here, I promise.” Maria said.
Shadow looked at Maria. “What?”
“You’re family now, no matter what.” Maria replied.
Shadow smiled weakly. “I… I don’t know why you’d accept me as family so quickly.”
“Maybe because I know what it’s like to feel rejected and broken.” Maria replied. “You just need a second chance.”
Shadow shook his head. “I don’t deserve it.” He said, setting his glass on the coffee table. “I’m not what you think I am.”
“I think you sell yourself short.” Maria said. “You have a big heart, you just don’t know how to show it.”
Maria yawned. “We can talk about it tomorrow.” She said, hugging Shadow. “Good night. I hope you sleep well.”
“Good night, Maria.” Shadow replied. “You too.”
Maria left the room.
Shadow sighed. “She doesn’t really know me.” He said to himself. He took another sip of water, then laid down on his bed and let his mind drift again.
*
-flashback-
Shadow walked down the streets of downtown Mobotropolis in his hooded trenchcoat.
It was raining a little, but not enough to cause any discomfort. It was dark, with a few dim streetlights softly illuminating the street.
Shadow buttoned his coat as the wind picked up.
A female screamed.
Shadow flinched and headed down the alley.
A female Mobian bat was trying to fight two males, whose species Shadow couldn’t figure out since they had their hoods pulled up.
Shadow ran over and kicked one of them. The taller male collapsed while the shorter one let go of the girl.
The girl cowered behind a dumpster.
Shadow punched the shorter one. He heard a soft click, then pulled out his gun. “Drop it now.” He said, pointing the gun at the taller guy.
The short one pulled his gun out and pointed it at Shadow. “Looks like you’re outmatched.”
Shadow raised an eyebrow. “Last chance.”
“You don’t have the guts.” The taller one sneered. “You just think you’re this big tough hero.”
Shadow fired a shot at the tall one, then the short one. “Never thought I was a hero.”
The bat eased out from behind the dumpster with her hands up. “Thank you.”
Shadow put his gun back into his shoulder holster. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head. “Just shaken up.” She replied. “I’m Rouge.”
Shadow held his hand out. “I’ll walk you home.”
Rouge took Shadow’s hand and walked out of the alley with him. “So what’s your name, handsome?”
“Shadow, but I go by Terios on the street.” Shadow said.
Rouge smiled and wrapped her arm around Shadow’s arm. “You’re trouble, huh?”
“Sort of.” Shadow said. “Where am I taking you?”
“The apartment down the road.” Rouge replied. “You’re welcome to come in.”
Shadow raised his eyebrow. “I don’t know you and vice versa.”
“I didn’t say I was inviting you in for anything more than dinner or a cup of coffee.” Rouge said.
“Could’ve fooled me.” Shadow replied. “You’re good at flirting though. I could use you on my team.”
“Team?” Rouge asked.
Shadow nodded. “We can discuss this at your place.”
*
-present-
Shadow woke up as thunder roared and lightning flashed.
The lights flickered.
Shadow watched the rain fall. He heard footsteps and soft humming, then a door closed. He looked at the clock.
It was now two in the morning.
“I fell asleep?” Shadow whispered. He settled back in his bed.
He remembered his dream about the night he met Rouge. Well, ‘dream’ was probably not accurate; it was more like a replayed memory.
It was self defense as well as defending an innocent girl, but he wasn’t sure anyone would believe his story. He was in a bad neighborhood that night, at least some Mobians would think he was up to something sinister. His crimes wouldn’t help his case.
“Gerald would probably freak out if he knew I killed anyone.” Shadow thought. “Maria probably would too. Why do I even feel sorry for this girl or even care what she thinks?”
Shadow tried to think of a theory on this, but could only think he cared because the poor girl was a saint who didn’t deserve being lonely and bullied for being sick.
He didn’t tell her, but he had figured out who had bullied her after a few late night internet searches and creating an account on Maria’s favorite social media site, then snuck out at night to teach the brats a lesson.
To his knowledge, no one had connected the fights with him. He simply showed up in the kids’ rooms in a dark hoodie and threatened them not to bother her or they’d suffer the consequences. He’d give a Chaos blast to a random item in the room as a warning shot.
Maria probably wouldn’t like it, but Shadow was going to defend someone he deemed worthy of saving regardless.
He saw Maria in the hallway.
“Shadow?” Maria asked. “Did you have another nightmare?”
“Yeah.” Shadow replied. “I got up for some water.”
Maria walked Shadow into the kitchen and got him a glass of water. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Shadow sipped his water. “Let’s just say I had an abusive childhood.”
“I’m so sorry, Shadow.” Maria said, walking him back to his room. “I guess that’s why you ran away?”
“Pretty much.” Shadow replied. “I had nowhere to go and I just wanted a fresh start.”
“You’ll always have a great life and family here, I promise.” Maria said.
Shadow looked at Maria. “What?”
“You’re family now, no matter what.” Maria replied.
Shadow smiled weakly. “I… I don’t know why you’d accept me as family so quickly.”
“Maybe because I know what it’s like to feel rejected and broken.” Maria replied. “You just need a second chance.”
Shadow shook his head. “I don’t deserve it.” He said, setting his glass on the coffee table. “I’m not what you think I am.”
“I think you sell yourself short.” Maria said. “You have a big heart, you just don’t know how to show it.”
Maria yawned. “We can talk about it tomorrow.” She said, hugging Shadow. “Good night. I hope you sleep well.”
“Good night, Maria.” Shadow replied. “You too.”
Maria left the room.
Shadow sighed. “She doesn’t really know me.” He said to himself. He took another sip of water, then laid down on his bed and let his mind drift again.
*
-flashback-
Shadow walked down the streets of downtown Mobotropolis in his hooded trenchcoat.
It was raining a little, but not enough to cause any discomfort. It was dark, with a few dim streetlights softly illuminating the street.
Shadow buttoned his coat as the wind picked up.
A female screamed.
Shadow flinched and headed down the alley.
A female Mobian bat was trying to fight two males, whose species Shadow couldn’t figure out since they had their hoods pulled up.
Shadow ran over and kicked one of them. The taller male collapsed while the shorter one let go of the girl.
The girl cowered behind a dumpster.
Shadow punched the shorter one. He heard a soft click, then pulled out his gun. “Drop it now.” He said, pointing the gun at the taller guy.
The short one pulled his gun out and pointed it at Shadow. “Looks like you’re outmatched.”
Shadow raised an eyebrow. “Last chance.”
“You don’t have the guts.” The taller one sneered. “You just think you’re this big tough hero.”
Shadow fired a shot at the tall one, then the short one. “Never thought I was a hero.”
The bat eased out from behind the dumpster with her hands up. “Thank you.”
Shadow put his gun back into his shoulder holster. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head. “Just shaken up.” She replied. “I’m Rouge.”
Shadow held his hand out. “I’ll walk you home.”
Rouge took Shadow’s hand and walked out of the alley with him. “So what’s your name, handsome?”
“Shadow, but I go by Terios on the street.” Shadow said.
Rouge smiled and wrapped her arm around Shadow’s arm. “You’re trouble, huh?”
“Sort of.” Shadow said. “Where am I taking you?”
“The apartment down the road.” Rouge replied. “You’re welcome to come in.”
Shadow raised his eyebrow. “I don’t know you and vice versa.”
“I didn’t say I was inviting you in for anything more than dinner or a cup of coffee.” Rouge said.
“Could’ve fooled me.” Shadow replied. “You’re good at flirting though. I could use you on my team.”
“Team?” Rouge asked.
Shadow nodded. “We can discuss this at your place.”
*
-present-
Shadow woke up as thunder roared and lightning flashed.
The lights flickered.
Shadow watched the rain fall. He heard footsteps and soft humming, then a door closed. He looked at the clock.
It was now two in the morning.
“I fell asleep?” Shadow whispered. He settled back in his bed.
He remembered his dream about the night he met Rouge. Well, ‘dream’ was probably not accurate; it was more like a replayed memory.
It was self defense as well as defending an innocent girl, but he wasn’t sure anyone would believe his story. He was in a bad neighborhood that night, at least some Mobians would think he was up to something sinister. His crimes wouldn’t help his case.
“Gerald would probably freak out if he knew I killed anyone.” Shadow thought. “Maria probably would too. Why do I even feel sorry for this girl or even care what she thinks?”
Shadow tried to think of a theory on this, but could only think he cared because the poor girl was a saint who didn’t deserve being lonely and bullied for being sick.
He didn’t tell her, but he had figured out who had bullied her after a few late night internet searches and creating an account on Maria’s favorite social media site, then snuck out at night to teach the brats a lesson.
To his knowledge, no one had connected the fights with him. He simply showed up in the kids’ rooms in a dark hoodie and threatened them not to bother her or they’d suffer the consequences. He’d give a Chaos blast to a random item in the room as a warning shot.
Maria probably wouldn’t like it, but Shadow was going to defend someone he deemed worthy of saving regardless.
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