#chameleon arm

[cupofcchino]

finally done omygod(dies) this is the first time i drew everyone other than sonic or shads. Silver was HELL to figure out why tf is hedgehog quills so hard to draw. Also Knux and Shadow is just play fighting dw guys Sorry for the wait !! ^_^ @thesonicever @filletbel @captainsquiddd @throwitinthelake @bakuno2 @inkythe-creator

[creaman]

—BECAUSE KUNG FU PANDA 4 KILLED MY GRANDMA, OKAY?

To preface, I watched this movie and I'm genuinely tweaking right now so I had to write down a very brief (lie) criticism on this film — which you should boycott, by the way.

Starting with the things I liked, before briefing my primary points of criticism:

Po's Character Regression

Po and Zhen's Dynamic

The Chameleon

I'd also yap about Lord Shen and the death of the art style and the entire narrative and pacing and use of the staff of wisdom but my therapist says being such a hater is 'unhealthy' or something. My heart is full of hatred.

SPOILERS for the entirety KFP4 for the 2 people who care.

KFP4 undermines and ignores the previous three movies — Unwriting character developments, outright removing the Furious Five, straying from the character design philosophies and is completely inconsistent with the established lore.

Things I Liked About Kung Fu Panda 4

The Chameleon's character design

Visual gag in the Tavern where Po uses a recently thrown axe as a hat rack (made me laugh)

When Mr. Ping did this:

so cute! the little heart!

Po — Character Writing

Po, as established in the previous movies, is confident in his abilities and identity — he’s learnt inner peace, he’s matured as a character. However, in KFP4, his character has completely regressed. He’s immature again (such as KFP1, possibly worse) and says verbatim, “only knows kicking butt and taking names” — UNLEARNING inner peace and insisting that “…being the Dragon Warrior is all I know.”

It’s childish, and sort of Hotel Transylvania-esque.

Which isn’t helped by the comedy, the dialogue — a large chunk of which are jokes in the style of:

Master Shifu says something philosophical

Po quips off of it / doesn’t get it (i.e. Whoa!! beat I don’t know what that means.)

Oh, it’s great, yeah, very tolerable. Po’s shenanigans are normally reeled in by the presence of the Furious Five who are generally more serious in nature, creating a much needed balance in the dynamic — So without them, it’s just Po becoming increasingly obnoxious and insufferable with every consecutive quip throughout the screenplay.

Po and Zhen — Character Dynamics

[No more graphics sorry I'm too angry]

As if it wasn’t obvious that Zhen was going to be the next Dragon Warrior the second she was introduced.

Zhen, as a character, has no depth besides being a quippy thief. She quips, she steals. This character has no motives — it can be assumed that the writers intended on a ‘change of heart’ thing, but she isn’t established as evil, her working for the Chameleon is written as a (albeit poor) twist reveal.

By which point, her taking either side wouldn’t make sense, given that she has shown no loyalty or attachment to either Po nor the Chameleon.

The movie artificially strengthens their bond by having Zhen start opening up about her backstory out of nowhere for no reason but they have done nothing to grow closer to each other.

Small tangent, her backstory is exactly what you’d expect it to be with no subversions or even emotional weight. Woe is me I was so small and hungry I had to steal to survive. Glossed over in about a minute.

The majority of the dialogue between Zhen and Po is spoken exposition — explaining how powerful and badass the Chameleon is, explaining how ‘we have to go here to do that’ and ‘this place was cool until the Chameleon did such and such’, and the rest of their time together is spent engaging in filler chase sequences and fight scenes.

The Chameleon

Where do I even start…

This is where it becomes apparent that the movie relies heavily on telling rather than showing —

She is the weakest villain by far, not only in universe but as a written character; which is particularly disheartening because I genuinely adore her character design and feel as though a shapeshifting character has great potential.

The movie artificially inflates her power by insisting through exposition that this is the most capable antagonist thus far (lie).

The audience is TOLD by Zhen and various restaurant patrons that the Chameleon is a powerful shapeshifting sorceress and that she 'dominates the city' whilst the film does nothing to showcase this.

'Dominating the city' meaning letting her henchpeople run amock and bully the civilians just like Lord Shen's wolves in KFP2... uninspired.

I just realised they didn't even give her a NAME what the FUCK is going on

She describes HERSELF as ruthless, clever and unsentimental when comparing Zhen to herself.

She says HERSELF that she’s “Stronger than every opponent you’ve ever faced.”

Let’s see what vile reprehensible things she’s done, shall we?

Gently push someone down some stairs

Her first appearance is through Zhen’s exposition, as opposed to the dramatic and memorable entrances of the previous villains. Her motives or character aren’t established until the final third of the film. She doesn’t even FIGHT anybody until the final third of the film; and even then, her fight sequences are uninspired and she never really poses a real threat. (She goes down in two hits.)

That being said, WE CAN STILL SAVE HER GUYS WE CAN STILL GET HER OUTTA THERE I'M COMING FOR YOU CHAMELEON I'M GONNA DRAFT YOU A PROPER BACKSTORY AND MOTIVE AND YOU'RE GONNA BE THE MOST THREATENING VILLAIN THUS FAR

There's a scene after the climax of the film where all the kung fu masters and previous villains from the spirit realm bow to Po. I'm not going to provide my thoughts on this because I fear I may burst a blood vessel. Good day!

Closing Statements

To put it simply, Kung Fu Panda 4 was my Megamind 2.

The film rejects its predecessors in every way. It really feels as though they brought in somebody with no prior knowledge of the franchise to direct the movie.

It's a film that relies heavily on telling rather than showing — banking on the previous three movies to carry it through the box office.

It's just really disheartening to see studio execs turn one of the best franchises into a safe sequel cash grab and regress every character's development.

Nevertheless. I do adore the chameleon's character design so I might do my own take on her character.

As far as I'm concerned, there is no fairy godmother, there is no tooth fairy, and there is no kung fu panda 4.

[michdoodles]

ok, so like two weeks ago I got this idea and it felt so big brained at the time: what if in an alternate dimension the Chao are descended not from the ancients (Sonic Frontiers, not Sonic Boom) but from the Black Arms? I personally am using this concept for the Sol Dimension in my peaceful au but you could use this for Moebius too, they would totally fit in there. And yes, that is Black Doom in the upper righthand corner, but here, she's better known as Mother Doom. Well, she was better known as Mother Doom

I am really tempted to turn these guys into stickers like I did with some old work doodles of mine. You can check those out in my ko-fi. I would have to shrink Mother Doom tho, cuz this is a 10"x10" canvas so she's probably 4"x4" all by herself

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 79: Alien Family

''Please tell me about you, your beautiful face and voice. Every time I learn more, softly and vividly, my heart breaks. What is self-consciousness? Is it something embarrassing? Yes, in this world, everyone hides it, but is that really so? Aren't we showing our true selves? Do I have to discard it before I die? I messed up so many times, but this time, I'll finish a journey I can't return from, from now on! Beyond the six realms of reincarnation, if it's a path where we can laugh, then I'd rather drown with you alone in a beautiful world. Like a flickering mirage, does it seem like a world of human suffering? Who will I cross with to understand, in this world? Fluttering and dancing, petals are blown by the wind! Fluttering and falling, tears gently drop!''

– Shura Nikki by Isekai Shikkaku (No Longer Allowed In Another World)

xXxXxXx

''Eclipse?!''

Touka and Shadow were baffled to see the little alien, with Touka walking up to him and dragging his limp body out of the water, muttering in disbelief, ''How did he even survive?''

''I don't know. Even if Black Doom had just warped him to Cosmo River, I had used the hive mind to find and Chaos Control all of the Black Arms that were still in Neos City to the Black Comet,'' Shadow said. ''I don't understand how I had missed Eclipse.''

''Maybe Black Doom blocked Eclipse from the hive mind, which is why you couldn't detect them?'' Touka suggested. Shadow shrugged, only to lower his head, glaring at Eclipse, his hand crackling with dark energy. He may have missed Eclipse during the initial Chaos Control, but now he had the opportunity to correct that mistake. ''Shadow, please don't.''

''You have asked me to spare Eclipse's life before. Why?'' Shadow asked, his eyes narrowing. ''He had hurt you and he remained loyal to Black Doom even when it was obvious that he would be treated as a sacrificial pawn. He should've died alongside the other Black Arms.''

''I know, but- ouch!'' Touka winced when she felt a sting on her cheek when Shadow touched the cut left by Eclipse. ''I need to get that treated,'' she muttered, turning back to Shadow. ''I know that Eclipse is dangerous, but in his current state, it wouldn't be worth it.''

''I assume that you two had some kind of conversation, because you wouldn't want to keep him alive for no reason,'' Shadow pointed out, arms folded across his chest. ''I have recognized that look you were giving to Eclipse. It's the same one you'd give me whenever I was hurt or in distress.''

''Well, I…'' Touka fell silent, unsure how to explain herself. Instead, she picked Eclipse up. ''I guess we should tell the rest of our team that Eclipse is still alive.''

Shadow was still irked that she left Eclipse alive, but he decided to leave it be. After all, Eclipse was weakened and possibly injured, meaning that he wasn't a threat. Despite his disapproval, he did trust Touka, hoping that she knew what she was doing. Both went back to the group, who were all happy and relieved to see them, only for their expressions to fall when they saw Touka carrying Eclipse.

''Black Arms presence detected!'' Omega announced, immediately turning his arms into machine guns and pointing them Eclipse.

''Hey, Omega, wait! Eclipse is not a threat!'' Touka panicked for a moment, only for a sense of relief to wash over her when he lowered his weapons.

''How is that possible? I thought Black Doom killed him,'' Rouge said, just as baffled as everyone else. However, their bewilderment was more because of the fact that a member of the Black Arms survived, not because of who had survived.

''Wait, did you just call him Eclipse?'' Minami asked, stepping closer. Touka nodded, while Shadow exchanged glances with Rouge, Omega, Sonic and Lucas, realizing that no one here even knew about Eclipse, since the little alien only seemed to have targeted Shadow. However, it seemed that Minami had recognized him. ''Honestly, I almost forgot that he existed.''

''What are you talking about?'' Vector asked her.

''I'm talking about the Sonic video game lore,'' Minami explained. ''Eclipse the Darkling is actually a character that appeared in the short promotional manga for the Shadow the Hedgehog video game, the one that introduced the Black Arms. If I remember correctly, he acted as Black Doom's second-in-command, appearing only in two chapters out of the total five. He is a quite obscure character, so I'm not surprised I haven't recognized him at first.''

''Honestly, I don't think any of us ever heard about Eclipse until you had mentioned him,'' Warren commented.

''If someone has insanely detailed knowledge about the Sonic video game lore, it would be Minami,'' Amy said in a praising tone, with Minami just smiling proudly.

''So, what should we do with him?'' Silver asked.

''I suggest we follow Omega's example,'' Knuckles said, punching his fists, only to be met with a glare from Touka, which left him confused. ''Or… not?''

''Touka, you know that Eclipse almost killed you,'' Lucas spoke up, having quietly observed his teammate. He saw how Touka acted at the Black Comet, suspecting she knew more than she let on.

''I know that, but…'' Touka lowered her head, unsure how to express herself. She then gave Lucas a determined look. ''I want to talk to Eclipse. As I said before, he is not a threat, especially not in this state, and I want to see his response to this whole situation.''

''I'm not sure if that's a good idea, to just keep him around…'' Lucas said.

''If you guys insist on bringing up the fact that he almost killed me by absorbing my BioEnergy, then I think it would be only right if I take responsibility for Eclipse,'' Touka suddenly said in a firm tone, surprising Lucas.

''Hey, Shads, what do you think?'' Sonic asked, turning to the dark hedgehog. ''That would mean that Eclipse would be staying with you.''

''I don't approve of Touka's idea, but I also know that I can't stop her. I suppose the best option now would be to keep a close eye on Eclipse. If he decides to cause trouble, I will stop him,'' Shadow answered.

''Heh, that sounds reasonable,'' Sonic replied with a small grin, only for his eyes to widen as he heard his stomach growl, his fawn muzzle turning red in embarrassment. He laughed, rubbing the back of his head. ''I guess that's a sign to get something to eat, kick back and relax.''

xXx

While Shadow kept in mind Sonic's words to relax, he couldn't. Instead, he was sitting on the other end of the couch at the Kageura residence, legs crossed as he stared at Eclipse, who was still unconscious. Touka, who was leaning over the couch from behind, had bandaged him up after spotting some cuts on his skin. She herself put a plaster across the cut on her cheek, insisting that she was fine otherwise.

Both of them were silent, with the only sound that could be heard being the sudden downpour outside, with the three managing to get home just in time before they got caught by the rain. They had also made sure to message Kisaki about being safe, with the response being that she would stay at the hospital overnight due to what had happened and that she was relieved that they were okay. However, they neglected to tell Kisaki that they had a guest, deciding to tell her once they figured out what to do with Eclipse.

''You know, Shads, Eclipse didn't hurt me because Black Doom ordered him to do so. Instead, he lashed out because he hated me because you care about me as your sibling,'' Touka said, tracing with her finger across the plaster on her cheek. ''I know it sounds weird, but that's why I can forgive him for hurting me.''

''Maybe you can, but I can't,'' Shadow told her in a stern tone. Touka couldn't help, but smile a little at the response.

''Of course not,'' she said, her gaze turning back to Eclipse. ''I wonder how he'll react to the news about Black Doom's defeat.''

''I assume that he would be devastated and furious,'' Shadow said. ''After all, he remained loyal to Black Doom until the bitter end.''

''That's the expected response, but I'm also certain that he might have some mixed feelings over the fact that Black Doom abandoned him, hoping that he would die during his attempt to stop you. That's a lot to process,'' Touka pointed out.

''It would be easier to process if you just stopped pitying me.''

Touka and Shadow were startled by the sudden grumble coming from below the blanket, noting a pair of golden eyes staring back at them.

''Have you been awake this whole time?'' Shadow asked Eclipse as he tried to sit up.

''I've been awake since you got me out of that river,'' Eclipse said bitterly, reaching for the bandages on his head in an attempt to remove them. ''I have witnessed Black Doom's defeat and the destruction of the Black Comet, only to fall into that river. Instead of saving me, you should've finished me off.''

''If you have a death wish, I can fulfill it now,'' Shadow told him in a cold tone, glaring at his supposed ''brother''. ''If you heard everything, then you know why I didn't do it earlier. The only reason you're still alive is because Touka showed you mercy on multiple occassions. If it were for me, you would've joined Black Doom the moment we found you.''

The look Eclipse gave to Shadow was filled with pure hate, silently glaring at the dark hedgehog, only to turn into a look of intense rage when he turned his attention to Touka.

''Why did you spare me?!'' he growled as he stood up, despite the sense of weakness he felt in his legs. ''I told you I don't want any of your pity! I would've been better off dead than defeated but alive!''

''Eclipse…'' Touka was silent, clearly still reluctant to express herself. Eclipse gritted his teeth, growling as he glared at Touka for the lack of response. He then leapt down from the couch, running towards the door. ''E-Eclipse, wait!''

Touka and Shadow ran after him, spotting Eclipse using Chaos Snap after he couldn't figure out how to work the door knob. The two opened the door, seeing Eclipse running down the street in the rain. Touka grabbed her hoverboard, dashing towards the little alien. ''Eclipse, wait!''

Eclipse didn't respond, simply keeping on running down the street. He didn't care where he was going, he just wanted to get away from Touka and Shadow as far away as possible. He knew that he was on his own now, the only survivor of the Black Arms. Even if Black Doom abandoned him because he was useless, he still refused to give up. He still had his pride as a Black Arms soldier and he wasn't going to throw it away now. Instead he would avenge his kind and…

''Eclipse, watch out!''

Eclipse froze when he saw a speeding car coming towards him as he attempted to cross the street, its headlights blinding him and its siren piercing his head like a drill. He simply couldn't move, his legs refusing to listen to him. It was as if everything slowed down, with Eclipse's senses completely failing him. He couldn't run away. He couldn't do anything to save his life.

He was completely useless.

''Eclipse!''

''Touka!'' Shadow screamed in horror as he saw Touka throwing herself at Eclipse just as the car passed. His heart almost stopped, his crimson eyes wide as for a moment he thought that the car had hit them. But then, he saw them lying on the ground on the other side, both of them still alive, with Touka's hoverboard lying next to them.

Touka herself was breathing heavily, dirty and wet due to the rain and mud, but seemingly unharmed, having used the accelerator to grab Eclipse and pull him to safety, with both falling onto the ground. She could feel her heart racing, but otherwise, nothing was broken. Instead, she turned to the little alien, whom she was still holding in her arms. Eclipse, in turn, looked up in disbelief, unable to comprehend that he was saved again. Suddenly, Touka grabbed him by his shoulders, anger showing in her eyes.

''Are you crazy?! Don't ever run into a street like that! You could've been ran over by that car!'' Touka yelled at Eclipse, who was taken aback by her sudden outburst of anger. He was shaking, his eyes wide as a different emotion had formed. Fear. Touka's gaze softened, realizing that she was the cause of it, and despite his earlier contempt, Eclipse was now afraid of her, even closing his eyes as if he expected some kind of punishment. Instead, he was startled when Touka suddenly pushed his head into her chest, hugging him tightly, her voice now a soft whisper. ''I'm sorry, I was just worried. I shouldn't have shouted at you like that.''

Why? Why are you like that? Eclipse wanted to say, but he couldn't voice any word. He was exhausted, not knowing anymore what to do or what to think. He was done with life itself.

''Touka, are you okay?'' Shadow joined the two, with Touka giving him a relieved smiled.

''Yeah, I am-'' she said, only for Shadow to interrupt her.

''That's great- because doing that was the most idiotic thing I've seen you do so far!'' Shadow suddenly yelled at Touka, causing her to flinch when she realized he was furious. ''You could've gotten yourself killed by your stunt!''

''I-I'm sure I've done things worse than that…'' Touka replied, giving him a nervous smile. Shadow just sighed, pressing his hand against his forehead.

''I should've expected something like this to happen…'' he muttered, putting his hand on Touka's shoulder. ''We're going home now to treat your injuries.'' Touka lowered her gaze, having not realized that her skin on her legs and elbows was scraped and that she was bleeding due to how she fell when she saved Eclipse. Shadow then shot Eclipse a glare. ''All of us. No more running away. Have you understood me?''

Eclipse narrowed his eyes, not answering, but also not fighting back. Shadow took this as his answer, using Chaos Snap to warp them all back to the Kageura residence.

''You two are so reckless. No wonder I have to be the responsible one,'' Shadow grumbled as he shook out the water droplets from his quills. He walked towards one fo the cupboards in the kitchen, which was holding a spare first aid kit. ''Touka, you should clean yourself up. I'll take care of Eclipse.''

''Okay,'' Touka said, noting how she was drenched from the rain. Not to mention, now that the adrenaline wore off, she quickly feel the stinging pain from her injuries. She went upstairs, while Shadow turned to Eclipse.

''I'll have to change your bandages,'' he said.

''I don't remember asking for your help,'' Eclipse replied, glaring at Shadow.

''Then, what was that about calling me your brother?'' Shadow responded in a snarky tone, his answer irritating Eclipse.

''You killed all of the Black Arms! I don't have any reason to call you my brother anymore!'' Eclipse yelled at him. However, that response didn't seem to bother Shadow.

''You know, if Black Doom hadn't kicked you out when he did, you would've been dead as well. It is quite ironic that the person he deemed useless is the one who survived the whole ordeal,'' Shadow said. The little alien lowered his gaze, his eyes narrowing. ''I also need to clear up something. That look Touka always gives you? The one you said that you hate? It's not pity.''

''What?'' Eclipse gave him a look of confusion.

''That look means that Touka genuinely cares about you. It's the same I had experienced while being with her. I would always see it whenever I was hurt or in distress. I think the reason she won't admit it is because she is worried about your reaction to the truth – or rather, she knows what your reaction will be and fears it,'' Shadow said, turning his back to a shocked Eclipse. ''It seems that she is the only person in existence willing to put her own life on line for you. Not even Black Doom would go that far. Perhaps, you should reflect on that.'' Shadow turned his head back, his eye flicking towards Eclipse as he furrowed a brow. ''If you decide to cause trouble for her, I will make sure that you will regret ever existing.''

Eclipse lowered his head, his tail curling around him as he watched Shadow walk into the living room. He was shaking, the coldness of Shadow's words seeping into his skin. Even though he hated Touka with all of his being, he knew that Shadow was right. Time and time again, she showed concern for his own wellbeing, even when he tried to end her life. No one else ever went so far for him as she did. But, still, he couldn't understand why. Why was she acting like that?

Eclipse remained sitting in the hallway, even when Touka returned from upstairs, now in just plain black shorts and a red T-shirt, a towel around her neck and her hair damp. She sat on the couch, her scraped skin now looking red and raw, wincing when when Shadow started the treatment, wiping the skin with a disinfectant.

''I don't think it looks that bad,'' Touka started, her tone casual, only to immediately shut up when Shadow shot her a glare. Clearly, he was still angry at her for being so reckless. Touka remained silent, looking instead at the hallway and noting how Eclipse was still sitting there, silent as a statue. She sighed, turning her attention back to Shadow, a dejected smile on her lips. ''You know, I don't mind Eclipse lashing out like this.''

Shadow didn't react, but Eclipse did, raising his head and looking into Touka's direction.

''I understand how furious and hurt he is, especially given how all of his kind had been eradicated. Sure, the Black Arms invaded Neos City to enslave all of humanity, but they were still his family, and that's something he'd hardly get over. Hell, it would be cruel to expect him to feel anything but hatred towards me considering how the only surviving family member cares more about me than him,'' Touka continued, only to grimace, squeezing one eye shut when she felt a sensation of needles prickling her skin. ''Not to mention, to be acknowledged by the person you considered your parental figure, only to get abused and abandoned by them… I guess Eclipse and I aren't that different in that matter.''

''What are you talking about?!''

Touka couldn't help but smile when she finally heard Eclipse responding to her speech. Shadow, on the other hand, sighed, as he knew that meant listening to more arguments, and he was slowly getting a headache from all of this nonsense.

''You and I are nothing alike!'' Eclipse stormed into the living room, glaring at Touka as he pointed his finger accusingly. Touka, on the other hand, gave him a confused look.

''Eh, what do you mean?'' she asked innocently, her reaction leaving the little alien puzzled. ''Since you claimed that Shadow's your brother, and Shadow is my brother, wouldn't that make me your older sister by default?''

Eclipse dropped his jaw, remaining completely flabbergasted by this logic. Shadow just groaned, wrapping the bandage a bit too roughly and causing Touka to wince due to the jolt of pain, with her understanding that he was voicing his disagreement on the matter.

''That's not true at all! Shadow and I share the same blood, but I have nothing to do with you!'' Eclipse protested.

''Something I had learned is that family doesn't mean being related by blood. Because the people who were related to me wanted nothing more but to harm me. But the family I had chosen were the ones who loved and cared about me,'' Touka responded, a sly smile forming on her lips.

''That doesn't mean anything! You can't just pick and choose who'll be your family!'' Eclipse responded, clearly worked up over the whole argument.

''Oh, really? Because I just did,'' Touka replied, sticking the tip of her tongue out in a playful manner.

''I refuse to accept that! Shadow, you-'' Eclipse turned to the dark hedgehog, only for the words to die in his throat as he and Touka saw the irritated look he was giving both of them. Having finished treating Touka's injuries, he slammed the lid of the first aid kit down, glaring at both of them.

''Would you two stop involving me into this argument?! I don't want to have anything to do with this!'' he growled, with both Touka and Eclipse cowering. ''If you want to argue, do it without me!''

He then walked away, practically stomping as he went upstairs to get some peace and quiet, and a shower.

''I… I think we went a bit overboard with that…'' Touka muttered anxiously. Eclipse couldn't help but agree, even nodding in response. ''Don't worry, he'll calm down eventually. This was just a really stressful day for everyone.''

''I blame you for that,'' Eclipse told her in a deadpan tone, arms folded across his chest and tail flicking.

''I know,'' Touka said, not bothered by his words, and opening up the first aid kit. ''Anyways, I still need to change your bandages, since Shadow didn't do it, and I can't let you wear dirty ones.''

Eclipse glared at her for a moment, then relented, sitting on the couch and allowing Touka to change the bandages. Despite his reservations, he knew that he didn't have much of a choice if he actually wanted to heal properly, and Touka seemed to know how to patch him up. It also helped that she remained silent instead of pestering him with unnecessary questions, but even then, Eclipse disliked the silence. His head had always been filled with many voices, thanks to the hive mind, but now there was nothing. The silence was eerie.

''I can't hear them anymore,'' Eclipse muttered, just to break that silence. ''They really are gone…''

''It couldn't be helped. Shadow and the rest were trying to save me and the city,'' Touka said in a quiet tone, wrapping the bandages around Eclipse's hand. ''You know, I wouldn't mind you staying here, if you're fine with that.''

''Shadow hates me,'' Eclipse pointed out, his eyes narrowing.

''He hates you because you hate me. Otherwise, he couldn't care less.''

''That's fair.'' Eclipse looked at his bandaged hand, while Touka focused on removing the bandages around his head. ''Your friends hate me too.''

''I think they hate you less than Shadow does.''

Eclipse snorted, despite finding no amusement in the answer. ''I don't know anymore if I want to make Shadow like me.''

''You were given another chance. You can try.''

''Why are you so annoying?''

Touka snorted at this question. ''I told Shadow once that, as his older sibling, I'm responsible for him. Since the same goes for you, it makes sense that I'll be a bit annoying.''

''I have never agreed to you being my sibling,'' Eclipse replied, folding his hands across his chest in protest.

''You do want to belong to somewhere, right?'' Touka asked, with Eclipse falling silent.

''You're creepy, you know that?'' Eclipse grumbled, much to Touka's surprise. ''Even though you're not part of the hive mind, you always know what I'm thinking. That's creepy.''

Touka giggled. ''I think that's because I had so much practice with Shadow. Since he's not exactly an expressive person, I just had to learn how to read his mood. You, on the other hand, wear your emotions on your sleeve.''

''What?'' Eclipse gave her a confused look.

''I meant that you're more open with showing your emotions. That's why I don't need a hive mind to understand how you feel,'' Touka explained, finishing the treatment and putting the remaining bandages into the first aid kit, then turning the TV on. ''Here. At least now it won't be so quiet.''

Eclipse curled up on the couch, staring at Touka as she got up to put away the first aid kit, listening to the murmurs of the people on the TV. He wanted to hate her, he really wanted to, but whenever he tried to imagine harming her, his mind went blank. Was his resolve so weak just because she treated him with kindness and compassion? He didn't want to even think about it. He just wanted to curl up somewhere and forget what had happened.

He heard steps, only to see Shadow coming down, having calmed down from his earlier outburst. He observed the dark hedgehog, who now ignored him, and instead joined Touka in the kitchen. He could hear him and Touka talking about getting something to eat, with Shadow grabbing a bag of coffee beans and placing one in his mouth. It seemed that he was now much more at ease, even smiling when Touka commented on him just eating coffee beans instead of having a proper meal. They were so happy, while Eclipse felt miserable.

Why couldn't he have what they had? Why couldn't he have a family who genuinely cared about him? Why couldn't he have someone who loved him?

Eclipse choked back a sob, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. He pushed his injured hand into his mouth, not wanting Touka nor Shadow to hear him, let alone see him like this, but he couldn't hold back the emotional anguish he felt. He cried, his sobs growing louder and louder, drawing Touka and Shadow's attention. Both were surprised to see him cry, with Touka dropping everything and walking over to Eclipse, who now stopped trying to keep quiet and finally broke down completely. He didn't care when Touka sat next to him and pulled him into an embrace. He didn't care what Shadow thought of him. He didn't care anymore about hating either of them. He just wanted for his misery to end.

Touka hugged him tightly, briefly raising her head to glance at Shadow, who was just staring at Eclipse in silence, his ears pinned back. He was completely stunned to see the little alien breaking down like this, being so openly vulnerable. He had always seen him as this pathetic creature who only cared about Black Doom and his orders, someone who was easy to hate and an obstacle standing between him and Touka. Even though Shadow still disliked him for what he had done, he understood Eclipse's pain. The idea of having your own family being torn away from you was all too familiar to him, to the point where he wanted to destroy everything in his path just to stop feeling this pain.

Shadow then noted Touka motioning to him to come closer, with Shadow understanding her intention. He was a little reluctant at first, but eventually relented, sitting next to Touka as she wrapped her free arm around him and pulled him into a tight hug. He closed his eyes, finally allowing himself to relax.

xXx

It was the middle of the night, or at least that's what Eclipse assumed it to be when he woke up with a start. He felt a little dizzy, squinting as he tried to figure out where he was. The environment was unfamiliar and certainly not his pod in the Black Comet. Instead, he was in a living room, the TV playing some late night show, and he saw the blanket pulled over him. Only when he looked up did he finally remember what had happened.

He was held by Touka, who was leaned against a pillow, still fast asleep, with her other arm being wrapped around Shadow, who was snuggled up to her. Eclipse recalled how he suddenly started crying and fell asleep due to exhaustion, feeling a little embarrassed by his show of vulnerability, but at the same time, he felt content, if not even relieved. Sure, the sense of bitterness was still there, but the hatred faded, or at least it wasn't as strong as before. He didn't understand why, but at this point, he didn't care. Touka nor Shadow were going to judge him for that and that was all that mattered. He yawned, his golden eyes almost glowing in the darkness, and he felt a sense of dryness in his throat.

I haven't eaten anything. Eclipse reminded himself, rubbing his eyes. Unfortunately, he had no clue where to get any food. Normally, the Black Arms would consume the flesh of their victims, but they could also live of a red fruit they'd grow inside the Black Comet. Eclipse wished he had brought along some of that fruit, realizing that he had no idea whether human food could sustain him. He knew where the food was, having observed Touka and Shadow at the kitchen when they talked about eating something, and he figured that he might find something.

He pushed himself away, carefully removing Touka's arm, making sure he wouldn't wake up either her nor Shadow. He got down on the floor, walking towards the kitchen, but just as he attempted to open the door, he suddenly sensed a presence behind him. He turned around, being met with a pair of crimson eyes.

''What are you up to now?'' Shadow asked, his voice not louder than a whisper.

''Nothing,'' Eclipse responded with the first thing that came to his mind, being startled by Shadow's appearance. Shadow frowned, clearly not buying it. Eclipse lowered his gaze. ''I'm hungry.''

Shadow's stern expression faded, and he sighed, opening the fridge. ''We have some leftover yakitori.''

Eclipse watched him as the dark hedgehog took out a plate with skewered chicken and vegetables, then placed it in the microwave on the counter. Both watched it as it warmed up the food, worried that the noise would wake Touka up. Fortunately, it didn't, with Shadow turning the microwave off before it could signal that it was done. He then gave one skewer to Eclipse, who gave it a questioning look. The smell of the chicken meat was pleasant, albeit mixed with something Eclipse disliked. Still, he was hungry enough to give it a try, biting into it, only to cough and sputter.

''That tastes awful,'' he hissed. Shadow snorted, holding up his own skewer.

''That's because you bit into the bell pepper, not the chicken,'' he said in amusement. Eclipse shot him a glare, removing the grilled vegetable and then biting into what he assumed to be the chicken. To his surprise, it actually tasted good. It was meat, so he had no issue with that, but it appeared to be glazed with some kind of sauce that made it taste very sweet. He then sat down on the kitchen floor, nibbling on the meat, with Shadow sitting next to him, placing the plate between them. At least there wasn't any sense of tension between them, which Eclipse was thankful for. Frankly, he never expected that Shadow would be actually able to talk to him without any show of contempt.

''I'm surprised you didn't leave,'' Shadow said. Eclipse frowned.

''Do you want me to leave?''

''Do you want to leave?''

Eclipse didn't like how easily Shadow turned this question against him. He didn't want to answer it, being grateful for Shadow not being able to read his mind. Even if he did use the hive mind to locate all the Black Arms, it was clear that he still had little experience with it.

''Would you be mad if I stayed?''

''That depends on how you're going to treat Touka.''

''I should've known that would be your response,'' Eclipse grumbled, taking a bite out of the yakitori.

''I won't change my mind. You can either work with those conditions, or leave,'' Shadow responded in a sharp tone. Eclipse paused.

''What if I agreed to those conditions?'' he asked.

''I'd be shocked if you did,'' Shadow said in a deadpan tone. Eclipse shot him a glare.

''I am capable of adapting,'' he said, cheeks puffing up in indignation.

''You don't strike me as that kind of person, considering how stubbornly you followed Black Doom's orders despite them causing you only more harm,'' Shadow pointed out.

''Black Doom is gone…'' Eclipse muttered.

''You mean, our Father is gone,'' Shadow interrupted, knowing well that provoking Eclipse like this might lead to dire consequences. He was immediately met with a look of anger and hurt, his so-called brother clearly wishing to punch him, but surprisingly, he was holding back from having another outburst. Instead, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

''I understand what you two want to tell me. I know I was stupid for following Black Doom's orders to the point of endangering my own life, but I had no other choice,'' Eclipse said, giving Shadow a firm look. ''Even if I had turned against him, would you have trusted me?''

''No, I wouldn't have,'' Shadow said, lowering his gaze.

''That's what I thought,'' Eclipse muttered, staring down at his meal.

''Let me ask you this,'' Shadow suddenly rose his voice, drawing Eclipse's attention. ''If Black Doom returned, would you join him?''

Eclipse gave him a shocked look, only to frown. ''Black Doom won't return. He's gone.'' Despite his point, Shadow's gaze remained firm, waiting for Eclipse's answer. The little alien sighed, remaining silent for a moment. ''If Black Doom ever returns, he will either take control over me or kill me.''

''You fear Black Doom, don't you?'' Shadow asked. Eclipse averted his gaze, his answer clear. ''If you just want to survive, staying with Touka and me is your best choice. Touka obviously wants you to stay and I'm willing to tolerate your presence. Otherwise, you'll be on your own in an unfamiliar world.''

Eclipse perked up. ''Wait, did you say you're willing to tolerate me?''

''Don't push it,'' Shadow hissed.

''At least it's a step up from hating me. You're actually warming up to me,'' Eclipse teased him, while Shadow responded with a glare. ''I'll take what I can get.''

Shadow rolled his eyes, but Eclipse didn't care, instead focusing again on his meal, now looking a bit more lively. It seemed that the idea of Shadow accepting him cheered him up, along with the food he got. As for the dark hedgehog, he figured that this was better than dealing with an agitated Eclipse, especially now that he knew that his motives have slightly changed to just surviving in this new environment. Nevertheless, that didn't mean that he trusted Eclipse, knowing that his so-called brother won't stay out of trouble.

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#Sonic Cyber Revolution (Masterlist)

[montydrawsstuff]

New art challenge, draw espio with freckles in honour of my arm lol

[internetdruid]

One of my favorite guys! The Jackson's chameleon (Trioceros jacksonii)

[i-do-not-know2]

Alteans and humans are different

Okay so like

something I don't think is talked about enough is how similar Altean and Human physiology is? like how could two different planets create such similar life? I mean yeah like elf-ears and powers, but nothing else is really brought to sight. in fact, we never see like... anything about how different planets evolve physically or culturally or anything. It would have been soooo interesting to see these different species of aliens and how they came to be.

I think, if anything, we should have seen more about the differences between humans and alteans. Yeah they have... upside-down pools? but why do they have upside down pools? nothing else is upside down? how do they get the water to stay up there, how do they get up there?

I wish we got to see the humans being like.. uncanny valley because these aliens are juuust close enough to them but oh my got their eyes are just a little too big and far-apart and their mouths are a bit smaller and their noses a little closer to their face. I wish we got more info about Altean culture or history. even just little breadcrumbs, like 'Oh yeah men and women have really similar fashion on Altea, due to yada yada yada' or something.

'humans... stick needles in their ears and put jewlery inside? that sounds horrific! We did something similar, just less terrible. Alteans utilized magnets to create similar jewlery in some cultures, without causing open wounds, which actually led to the creation of the paladin armor.'

I wouldnt even mind if we got alien cultures shocked over some earth stuff. Maybe some planet absolutely nonplussed by the idea of a tarantula or something. anything but the weird casualty over actual aliens? Yeah its a key point of the series and they see them all the time, but like... the Paladins first time even knowing that aliens do exist was the alteans, and Shiro's was the galra and all that trauma. and they just, like.. shrug and go to find these weird mechanical space lions so they can go to war like proper child soldiers.

We never even really talk to side characters affected by the war. yeah we get Shay and her family but.. this is an intergalactic dictatorship? The paladins do all these shows and stuff in that one episode, but never actually really talk to anyone.

this was just a rant lmao but I wish the culture stuff was explored more.

[cucumber-icepop]

Born in the darknesss to live in the darknesssssss

[gryph-the-condor]

I was looking at chameleons for raining pose references and

I find it kinda goofy that their arms are like "wah"

like Dino Arms

Its really cute actually

[2gecsart]

art fight revenge for candiedreptile in return for this 💚💚💚

[true-blue-sonic]

we already know espio has quite the impressive collection of weaponry (and the mastery and experience necessary to use them) but do you think he’d be good at fighting with full-size swords if he had to? since his arsenal seems to have more ranged stuff than melee under normal circumstances, it might be considered new territory to some degree

I think he would be, yes! The katana is noted to be one of the main weapons used by ninja, and since Espio is so well-versed on many ninja things, I would not be surprised if he's decent enough at handling one. Maybe he just doesn't carry one around in public because it's a weapon you need to have strapped onto your body to quickly make use of it, and walking around with a sword right in the open might cause people to panic or simply draws too much attention? His shuriken and kunai can be hidden more discreetly in that regard, haha. And maybe he really is just more specialised in ranged attacks than melee fighting! While I do not think handling a katana or other sword is entirely new territory to him, it would perhaps cause him more trouble than the ranged attacks he is good at. And considering he usually is doing detective work or on missions, I can imagine the required success of that outweighs his desire to train such a new skill, so he's not going to practice his katana prowess when there is work to do. But that aside, I can see him train with handling a katana on occasion!

[ouroborius]

Part of me is like 'I haven't been able to keep up with FGO in a LOOONG time I don't know if I can have the time to sit down and read through everything thats happened so far'

Another part of me goes 'but what if I DO pick up Marie Alter....'

[not-neverland06]

Hey I’m just begging for a fic of Logan with a shy reader that she has a crush on him but thinks he’s never going to fix on her since Jean exists (maybe the reader can make her hair color change depending on the emotion or something

a/n: sorry I haven’t been responding to asks. The new job has officially killed my spirit. But I got to work out finally and do some yoga so hopefully I’ll start feeling more motivated 🤞🤞this one will be shorter

Logan Howlett x X-men!reader (Chameleon)

“Chameleon!” You jump, shoulders flying up to your ears. Almost immediately you can feel the tips of your fingers tingling. Sure enough, when you look down they’re already disappearing. Sighing, you turn around and glare at Scott. 

“What have I told you about scaring me?” 

He grimaces, raising his hands in surrender. “Sorry, I forgot.”

You roll your eyes and turn back toward your project. “Every time,” you mutter bitterly. You’re not an idiot. You know he thinks scaring you is funny. The whole school does. They all like to see you yelp and blend in with the nearest surface, the only thing visible is your stupid hair. 

“You’re, um, turning red.” Scott points to your head and you don’t have to look to know your hair is shifting colors.

You reach over and swat harshly at his arm, “Because you pissed me off! I know you scare me on purpose,” you accuse, jabbing your finger into his chest. He laughs and stumbles away from you. 

“Alright, alright, calm down. I was just messing around a little. Look,” he glances down at the lesson plans before you and sighs. “All this will have to wait. Charles needs us all for a mission.”

You huff and shove the papers into your desk drawer. “Alright, lead the way.” You feel Scott’s eyes still lingering on your hair and glare at him. “Move it, Summers,” you demand. 

You were already in a bad mood, you didn’t need him making it worse. It honestly shouldn’t be such a big deal for you. You get scared by everyone all the time. You used to enjoy it, enjoyed the way it felt like you all had your own joke. But, eventually, it started to feel less like an inside joke and more like you’re the unwitting butt of one. 

Some mutants get amazing powers, like Jean or Charles. Logan’s abilities are incredible, even if he doesn’t believe you when you tell him that. But yours, well, you're better suited as the cheap gimmick of a children’s birthday party than an X-Men. You’re just a walking mood ring that blends in with her environment. 

The only thing you’re good for is reconnaissance missions and embarrassing yourself. You don’t know what Charles sees in you. You’ve never understood why he insists you’re such a good asset to the team. Yes, you are good at spying on people, but you don’t need to when Charles has such strong telepathic abilities. You’re essentially useless in a fight due to a lack of regenerative or strength abilities. 

More often than not you feel like a child playing dress up, chasing after the big kids. You know the others don’t mean anything bad by it when they tease you into going invisible or laugh when your hair changes. It’s all in good fun. But it doesn’t make you feel any less like easy entertainment rather than a teammate. 

It doesn’t help that you’ve got little to no control over your abilities when it comes to Logan. You’ve never had such a horrifically bad crush like this. Anytime he opens his mouth around you, you're fighting off the urge to just go invisible and run away. You feel like you go feral around him. You don’t know how he hasn’t caught onto what the colors of your hair mean when you’re near him. 

It’s constantly switching between some odd mix of red and pink when you talk. Which, you know what it means, but you’re praying no one else does. Red can mean angry, depending on whether you’re talking to Scott or not. You know, though, that with Logan it just means you want to jump his bones and you’re hopelessly in love with him. 

Thankfully, like the others, he associates red with anger. Which isn’t great for you because that just means he thinks every time he opens his mouth you’re pissed off. At yourself, maybe, but at him, never. It just means when he wears those stupid tanktops you want to dig your teeth into his biceps and never let go. 

Scott opens the door to the meeting room and you slide in past him. Charles gives you a brief smile as a greeting. You take the chair at the end of the table, which just happens to be next to Logan - completely coincidental. He gives you a tense smile and you return it stiffly. You tug your hood over your hair, praying he doesn’t notice the red in your strands yet. You don’t want him to think you hate him. You completely prefer that over him knowing how feral you are for him, but it’s not conducive to your slow plan to finally get him to acknowledge you as a sexual partner. 

You swear, if your name isn’t Jean Grey, you might as well just be a shapeless blob of nothing. He glances over at her, that smoldering look in his eyes, and you try not to throw up in your mouth. Scott wraps an arm around Jean’s shoulders and they break their lingering stares. 

Logan glances over at you and catches the glare on your face before you can get rid of it. He huffs and turns towards Charles. With a sigh, you sink back into your chair and focus on not just going invisible. 

“Chameleon,” Charles says your name and your eyes widen. You wonder how much you’ve missed while you’ve been glaring at the back of Jean’s head. “Does that sound alright with you?”

You look around the table for help but they’re all staring expectantly at you. “Sure,” you stumble over the word, racking your brain for any answers. It seems not even your subconscious was paying attention to Charles droning on. “Sounds great.” He gives you a satisfied nod. 

“Good. Off to the jet, all of you.” he rolls out of the room and you wait until he’s out of earshot to kick Logan under the table. 

He glances back at you, smirking. “Don’t know what you agreed to?”

You purse your lips and shake your head. “Nope,” he gives you a look like he knew you’d say that. You hate how well he can read you when it feels like you’re constantly hitting walls trying to understand him. 

“You’re scoping a place out for us. Making sure it’s safe so we can retrieve some information.” You give him a thankful look and he chuckles. “You need to start paying attention, kid.”

You groan and get up from your chair, brushing past him. “I told you to quit calling me that.” It makes you feel like that’s all he’ll ever see you as, some kid invited onto the team. You want him to see you as someone he could have sex with, hopefully, love one day. 

He glances past you at Jean. She smiles at him and you fight everything inside you to not roll your eyes and gag at them. She’s holding onto Scott and making fuck me eyes at Logan, which he’s happily returning. This is just too disgusting for you. 

You shove past him and ignore how he calls out your name. Your real name. He’s the only one that uses it. For some reason, most people just refer to you by Chameleon. You don’t understand why. They just don’t seem to think of you outside your abilities as a mutant. 

You make it to the jet before the others, taking the private time to change into your X-Men suit. If there’s one useful thing about your ability, it’s that it affects whatever’s touching you. Which means, you don’t have to strip naked to go completely invisible. And if anyone is around you, all you have to do is hold onto them and they’ll blend in too. 

You’re tugging up the zipper of your top as Logan walks in. He gives you an odd look, sitting on the bench in front of you. “Angry about something?” He asks, gaze darting up to your head. 

You drag your fingers over the ends of your hair and sigh. “No,” you tell him bluntly, taking the seat beside him. 

His brows furrow in confusion. “It’s red, though,” he points out, his tone colored in suspicion. 

You laugh a little, “Red doesn’t always mean angry.” It’s the most you’ve ever confided about your hair colors to him. The largest hint you’ve ever given him that you don’t hate him. You’re worried if he knew how you really felt about him, he’d think you were a little creep. 

He slides his arm behind you on the bench, leaning in until you’re practically sharing the same air. You know your eyes are comically large, you don’t even want to know what color your hair is turning right now. “What else does it mean, kid?” He whispers and you don’t even pay attention to the nickname. All you can see and hear right now is him. How close he is, how close your lips are. 

You could lean forward an inch or two and you’d be kissing. “Um,” you swallow harshly around the lump in your throat. You don’t even know what he asked you, all you can think about now is kissing him. 

“Logan!” Ororo’s voice echoes through the jet and you leap away from him, trying to calm your racing heart. Logan sighs and leans back in his seat, giving Storm a tense smile. She glances at you and laughs, “She’s nearly see-through, what are you doing to her?”

You frown and look down at your hands. Sure enough, you’re going translucent. You let out a silent groan, and tuck your knees into your chest. You take a few deep breaths until you’re one solid form again. It’s so embarrassing when that happens, when you lose control over yourself like that. 

But it’s even worse when Logan does it to you. He gives you hope, stupid, hateful hope, for one minute that he might feel something deeper. Only for it to be another joke. You’re a walking mood ring, nothing more than a quick laugh to all of them. 

Jean walks up the ramp, her gaze going to Logan first before drifting towards you. “Are you alright?” She mutters, trying not to let the others hear. Of course, Logan can, with his stupid enhanced abilities. “You’re turning blue,” she points out and you roll your eyes. 

You can feel Logan’s stare burning holes into the side of your head and it only makes you feel worse. You hate being a joke, but you also hate showing them just how much it affects you. You don’t want to seem like a crybaby that can’t handle a little teasing. But you’d thought coming to Charles’ school meant people would stop poking fun at you. It feels like being dragged right back into high school. 

“I’m fine,” you tell her. She doesn’t look like she believes you but she takes a seat anyway. Of course, placing herself right next to Logan, even though her fiancee is a few feet away from her, looking just as hurt as you. They lean into each other and whisper. They’re not even trying to hide it anymore. You let your glare bore into the floor, ignoring how much seeing them together hurts. 

The mission had gone well, Logan had been hoping to go to the bar and grab a drink with you. But the second his back is towards you, you’re running off the jet. Logan calls out your name, trying to catch up. You glance back at him, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. He smiles at you and your eyes widen. You go invisible and Logan glances around, baffled. 

He calls out your name again but the door ahead of him opens and closes quickly. He can only assume you’ve run away again. You always run away from him. You’re always pissed off at him. He doesn’t know what Jean’s talking about when she says you like him. 

Logan’s never met anyone more repulsed by him. 

“Would you just trust me?” Jean tells him lowly, creeping up behind him. 

His face falls and he turns to her, glaring at her knowing smirk. “She just fuckin’ ran away from me. Pretty sure that’s about as good a hint as I’m gonna get, Jean.”

She glances over her shoulder, waving Scott away and looping her arm through Logan’s. “You’re an idiot, Howlett.” He scoffs and she swats at his shoulder. “Trust me, I can read minds, remember?”

Of course, he knows she’s got some pretty decent telepathic abilities. But he didn’t think she would so brazenly breach your boundaries. There’s an unspoken rule that the mind readers of the school don’t delve into your brain without permission. 

She sees the look on his face and sighs. “I didn’t read her mind. She got drunk a little while ago and told me about her raging crush on you,” she laughs a little at your expense and Logan lets out a short chuckle. You can be a pretty sloppy drunk if they let you go too far. He figures it was one of those girl’s nights he wants nothing to do with. You’d probably let the tight reigns you keep on yourself slip for once. 

“She goes red every time she sees me. I don’t know what else that could mean other than she hates me.” Logan isn’t surprised that you’re not taken with him like he is with you. He’s used to the rejection, but it hurts just a bit more coming from you. You’re so welcoming to the others. 

You embrace every new member of the school with open arms. Yet, with him, you get angry whenever you see him. You see through his walls, see the rot lurking underneath them. And, rightfully, want nothing to do with him. He understands your reasoning. 

Most days he barely wants anything to do with himself. He’s made a lot of bad choices in his life, half of which he can’t remember. But he’d hoped, for one minute, that you might give him a second chance. As much as Jean insists otherwise, he can see the truth of how you feel about him every time you run away. 

“Red doesn’t always mean anger,” Jean tells him elusively. It’s the same thing you’d said to him on the jet. It makes his brows furrow in confusion and he glares at her. 

“What else could it mean?” He demands sharply, sick of her teasing him with the possibility you might feel the same way. 

She bites her lip, looking suddenly sheepish. “I can’t say-”

“Jean,” Logan snaps. He stops her from walking any further, keeping her planted in one spot with him. “Tell me,” he’s sick of the games you’re both playing with him. He just wants some straight fucking answers. How hard is that?

She sighs and looks away from him. “I promised her I wouldn’t tell.”

“And I’m sure you promised you also wouldn’t tell me how she feels about me,” he points out. There’s a sharp tone to his voice, it’s rude but he can’t bother feeling guilty about it. 

She can’t meet his eye, a smirk fighting at the corner of her lips. He waits impatiently for her answer, irritation broiling quickly in his gut. He’s about to snap at her again when she finally meets his eyes. 

She speaks through a laugh, like what she’s about to say is so ridiculous she can’t hold it in. “She wants,” she cuts herself off with another laugh and Logan groans in frustration. He begins to walk away from her when she yells, “She wants to fuck you!” At his back. 

His eyes widen in surprise before he turns back to her with a displeased look. “Are you fuckin’ with me?” He demands, narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously. 

She shakes her head and brushes past him. “You didn’t hear it from me,” she warns, tone grave as she leaves the room. 

Logan is left standing in the same spot, stunned at the revelation. He’s not sure how much of that he believes. But he doesn’t understand why Jean would possibly lie to him about this. She gains nothing by setting him up for failure. As much as he doubts the honesty behind her words, he’s got no other choice but to trust them. 

He heads to the most likely place you’re hiding out. Charles has a private library that’s blocked off from the kids. There are too many first editions in there, he can’t risk any of them accidentally blowing them up. You like to head there when you’re trying to avoid people. 

He tries to stay quiet as he walks in, not wanting you to run off again. It’s hard to confront someone who goes invisible whenever she feels like it. He sees light blue hair draped over the back of an armchair. He feels like a creep as he stalks towards you, sneaking and pouncing on you so you can’t run away. 

He can’t imagine how Jean ever thought him approaching you would be a good idea. He whispers your name, trying not to startle you. It doesn’t take a genius to see how much you hate when the others scare you. They might not mean anything bad by it, but they have to be blind not to see how much it pisses you off. 

You still jump, glancing up at him with a surprised look. He looks to your hair for any tells of how you feel. Some pink weaves its way through the stands but it otherwise stays relatively blue. His brows furrow in confusion, he can’t tell if it’s a good or bad sign that there’s no red. 

“How are ya, kid? Ran off pretty quick earlier.” 

“Don’t call me that,” you mutter, giving him a brief glare before staring absently down at the book in your hands. Logan kneels beside your armchair, covering the pages with his hand. You huff, giving him an expectant look. “Yes, Logan?” You demand, tone short.

Logan tilts his head, examining you and your body language. You seem relatively closed off, irritated at him or something else. He doesn’t know what to say. He’s never been good with words or trying to express how he feels. He’s more comfortable showing how much he cares for those around him. 

Throwing caution to the wind, he lets his hand drift to your wrist and tugs you forward. Your eyes widen as he drags you toward him. The kiss is short, he doesn’t want to push you too much. But it takes everything in him to stop himself from deepening it. All he wants is to pull you into his arms and devour you. 

He holds back, parting from you with a low exhale. Your eyes flutter open and he grins when he sees the bright red your hair has turned. “What,” you sputter and stumble over your words. You shove him back and leap to your feet. “What the hell was that?” You demand, voice higher than he’s ever heard of it. “What was that?” You ask him shrilly, again. 

You almost seem to be stuck in a loop, blinking rapidly and asking the same thing. Logan chuckles and gets to his feet, he gives you a knowing look and you narrow your eyes at him in disbelief. 

“Jean told me.”

Your brows furrow and you shake your head. Realization dawns on your face and you gasp, looking up at him with something like horror on your expression. “No,” you tell him lowly. “She didn’t,” it almost sounds like you’re begging him to tell you otherwise. 

He laughs again and your face falls. You start going clear, he can see the bookshelf through your stomach and he sighs. He grabs your hand, holding onto you before you can run again. You don’t even seem to be aware that you’re slowly disappearing from view. 

“She’s, uh,” he struggles to figure out what to say to make you feel better. “She’s been coaching me,” he admits shamefully. “Trying to help me talk to you.”

You glance up at him but he can barely see your expression. The only thing reassuring him you’re here is his grip on you and your voice. “What? But I thought that-” You cut yourself off quickly and Logan glares down at where he thinks your face is. 

“Thought what?”

You take a long pause and exhale deeply. “I thought,” you mutter, “you liked her.”

“She’s with Scott,” he points out bluntly. He can practically hear you roll your eyes, even if he can’t see it. 

“Yeah, I know. But you guys are always whispering to each other and making googly eyes.”

“Googly eyes?” He interrupts, disgust clear in his tone. 

“I was wrong,” you continue, ignoring him. “I see that now, but I thought you didn’t care about me.”

Logan huffs, he hates that you thought that. He should have just been open with you from the start. He’s faced rejection his whole life, he shouldn’t have been so petrified of it just because it could come from you. If he’d just manned up and told you earlier, it would have saved you both a lot of time and hurt. 

“Kid,” he hopes he’s making eye contact with you and not just staring at some random book. It’s really hard to tell when you go invisible like this. “You’re the only person I care about in here.”

You’re quiet for a long while and he worries you’ve somehow slipped away without him realizing. But, ever so slowly, you start coming back into view. Logan awkwardly averts his eyes from your breasts, he’d been hoping he was making eye contact with you, clearly, he was wrong. 

“You mean that?” You ask, and he hates the trepidation in your voice. He’s never been good with words, he doesn’t know how to tell you how much you mean to him. But he can show you. 

His hand drifts up your arm, wrapping around the back of your neck and tugging you towards him. You trip over your feet, hands landing on his chest to stabilize yourself. He leans down, hovering over your lips for a moment. He waits until your eyes drift shut and your lips purse impatiently before he finally kisses you again. 

He doesn’t hold himself back this time. He pours every racing thought he’s ever had about you, every one of his wanted-to-tell-you-how-he-feels-and-hasn’t moments into the kiss. Your hands slowly curl up into his shirt, wrinkling it and tugging him further into you. 

To his surprise, you deepen the kiss, mouth moving over his like you want to devour him whole. He’s sure if he opened his eyes your hair would be a bright roaring red. He smirks against your lips, happy that, for once, he actually listened to Jean. If it gets him results like this, he might have to do it more often. 

end. — I do not own the characters or the comics/movies Wolverine/X-Men, but this writing is my own all rights reserved © not-neverland06 2024. do not copy, repost, translate & recommend elsewhere.

General Taglist: @evasmlp ♡ 

Logan Taglist:  @nonamevenus @smexy-bucky-waifu @wh1sp @peony-always @corvusmorte  

@mrs-ephemeral @wolviesgirl @allllium @insomniachox @izbelross  ♡ 

[sapphanimates]

Sasha was a hybrid created by Eggman using the DNA of Sonic and Black Doom. So you could say she has 3 dads. Albeit she has only met one of them, so....

Sonic is somewhat awkward with her, and she's got similar feelings towards him. He didn't know he even had a kid before this point, so that's understandable. Her alien tendencies are a bit out of his control, and he's struggling with personal things on top of that. Tails is usually there to provide support. Sasha sees Tails as her big brother.

Shadow is essentially her other father figure, acting as a mentor and sharing custody. He's here to make sure her Black Arms side doesn't get out of control. Sasha is really close to him, and feels more natural and understood around him.

And Sonic and Shadow, they've got some... unresolved past business. It makes taking care of Sasha even more of an emotional rollercoaster for the both of them.

And here's some other rapid fire relationship notes for good measure:

-Rouge is like a cool aunt, and Omega is her best friend when she's at their apartment

-Amy is nice to her, asking her questions, and babysitting from time to time. She's the one who actually named her.

-The Chaotix are fun, they've taken in a few members over the years, so it's a bigger operation. Espio also is in charge of their finances now. Out of all their members, Sasha seemingly likes hanging around Barry the most, if only to mess with him.

-Charmy left and started a band with Cream. They aren't the best, but Sasha doesn't know what music is, so it's all good.

-And Sage is also kind of like an aunt. She doesn't know her super well, but she helped her meet Sonic, so she seems pretty cool.

-Sapph

who are the kids’ parents + give some details about their family (Are they adopted? Do they have siblings? Do they know their parents? What are some things they like to do with their family?)

ฅ⁠^⁠•⁠ﻌ⁠•⁠^⁠ฅ

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 74: Forging My Own Path

''I will forge through smoke and steel, breaking free, but can I heal? The answer waits beyond the fire, a pyre built from my desire. What's the price for what I seek? A future grim, a heart too weak? The line I walk is burning clear, yet I press on, despite the fear.''

– Embers of the Abyss by ABOKAI Release (Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings)

xXxXxXx

''Can you hold it up?'' Makoto asked, with Silver having put up a cyan barrier around Eden to keep the Black Arms out.

''I can, but you'll have to hurry!'' Silver replied, gritting his teeth as he focused all of his energy on keeping the barrier up and sealing any cracks that have formed due to the aliens' relentless attacks.

''Give me a moment,'' Makoto replied, his own eyes glowing cyan as he held up all of the sharp gardening tools Eden had to offer, directing them towards the Black Arms and focusing. ''Drop it, now!''

Silver did as told, with Makoto launching all of the tools at high speeds, ranging from sharp prunes to pick-axes to saws to pitchforks, the aliens who got hit either writhing due to the pain or bleeding out on the ground. Silver then quickly found himself at Makoto's side. ''Let's go!''

Makoto nodded, with the two using the psychokinesis to get out of Eden, being the last ones to make it out. They had been busy with the evacuation at Eden, making sure that everyone in the area made it out before they left, but not before they caused some casualties on the Black Arms side. Currently, they were moving through Westoru, searching for anyone they could help, with Silver sporting a grim expression.

''This isn't any different from what happens to Neos City in my future,'' he said. Makoto gave him a look of concern.

''Don't worry, we will defeat the Black Arms,'' he said in an assuring tone, but that didn't seem to lift Silver's spirits.

''Even if we defeat the Black Arms, there is still Mephiles, and we know how that one turns out,'' Silver said, narrowing his eyes. ''I won't let him win!''

Makoto's eyes narrowed, as he could sense Silver's worry and rage, as the grey hedgehog felt quite strongly about the whole situation. He was desperate to protect the future, but he would instead find himself facing dangers at every turn that could lead to that future being completely ruined. Makoto then gazed down at their surroundings, noting how the urban landscape had changed, being covered in a strange mass, with Eden being overrun by the red fruit trees that were the mark of Black Arms territory. He did recognize this kind of environment from his own experience with the video game lore, but seeing it in person was rather horrifying.

They eventually landed at a narrow alleyway when Silver suddenly got a call on his AR Visor, both wondering at first if it was Lucas, only to be surprised by the caller.

''Silver, are you okay? What is going on?!''

''Blaze?!''

Both Silver and Makoto stared at the holographic screen, stunned that they got called by Blaze out of all people, with Sana and Marine standing beside her.

''We have been trying to reach you for the past hour, but our call just couldn't get through. We saw conversations online about Neos City being almost completely blocked off from any communication from the outside, getting practically cut off from the rest of Starpoint Area,'' Blaze explained. ''They claimed that the AR Field had gone out of control, to the point of fully blocking access to the city.''

''Well, they're not wrong. We've been attacked by an alien race called Black Arms and they're currently in control of the AR Fields,'' Silver replied, turning the holographic screen in such manner that it allowed Blaze, Sana and Marine see what was going on with their own eyes. Silver and Makoto could hear them gasp in shock, staring at disbelief at what happened.

''The Black Arms are Irregulars, though, and part of the Sonic video game lore,'' Makoto quickly added. ''We already have an idea why they might be here, but so far, all we can do is fight back.''

''I wish I could help you,'' Blaze said, a sudden burst of flame revealing the red Sol Emerald in her hands. ''I can feel the Sol Emeralds calling me to be used, but unfortunately, we haven't managed to gather all of them so I can fully harness their power.''

''Don't worry, we can manage the situation here,'' Silver assured her, with Blaze giving Silver a determined gaze. Despite her duty towards the Surya Empire, Blaze was hellbent to aid her friends in defeating the Black Arms. Sana and Marine clearly shared these thoughts, but they knew it wasn't possible for them to get to a city that was isolated in such manner.

''Do you have any plans?'' Sana asked.

''Lucas seems to have a plan, or is at least in the process of coming up with one. The most we can do is to fight against the Black Arms,'' Makoto replied.

''Why would those aliens even attack Neos City?'' Marine asked, raising an eyebrow.

''It's a long story, but I'm sure you can check the lore online,'' Makoto replied, sighing. Both suddenly heard someone shouting, him and Silver exchanging glances. They knew that they needed to leave, and it appeared that their callers understood that as well.

''Stay safe,'' Blaze said, with Silver and Makoto nodding and the call ending. The two then exited their hiding spot, only to find several Black Arms emerging from the red and black mass, attacking a an unit of Irregular Hunters as they were attempting to clear the street. They attempted to help them, only to get blocked by another group of aliens emerging right in their path. Makoto and Silver frowned, ready to destroy the aliens, only see them getting blasted by Egg Pawns, much to their shock.

''What are Badniks doing here?'' Makoto asked, his eyes wide. Surprisingly, the Egg Pawns ignored them completely, focusing instead solely on the Black Arms.

''Do you think Eggman sent them to help us fight against the Black Arms?'' Silver asked. Makoto shrugged.

''I don't know, but I doubt that Eggman would want to help us without having some ulterior motive. Nevertheless, they aren't unwelcome,'' he replied.

xXx

''The Badniks are making good progress,'' Neo Metal Sonic commented, him and Ferra observing the streets below from a building. Having realized that they would need more firepower to defeat the Black Arms, Metal Sonic transformed into Neo Metal Sonic, aiding Ferra in leading the Badniks against the aliens. So far, the army of robots were doing well against the aliens, who appeared to be inexperienced with battling the Badniks, attacking spots that would probably incapacitate a living being, but do minimum damage to a robot.

''They are, but we're dealing here with cannon fodder. Our actual target is Black Doom,'' Ferra replied.

''That coward won't show himself,'' Neo Metal Sonic growled.

''Honestly, I believe that he is around, keeping an eye on one particular person. If we want to find Black Doom, we will have to find Shadow,'' Ferra told him, furrowing a brow. ''However, I doubt that that will be easy.''

''Then, what are you planning on doing?'' Neo Metal Sonic asked.

''I believe that we should keep track of Team Neos,'' Ferra responded. ''We'll be able to track down Black Doom's whereabouts and inform Dr. Eggman about whatever plans both sides have.'' She got on her hoverboard, beckoning Neo Metal Sonic to follow her. ''Let's go!''

xXx

''Keep all the entrances blocked!'' Honey exclaimed, checking on her employees as she ran through the building. ''We can't let any of those things get inside!''

Honey was completely caught off guard when the Black Arms invasion had started, but even then, she was level-headed enough to order an immediate lockdown of her company, making sure all of her employees were safe. Even though she knew how to fight, she was a fashionista and the CEO first and foremost, and the safety of everyone at HC was her priority. Fortunately, she made sure that the building had proper security, so they wouldn't have to worry about the aliens breaking inside, but Honey knew that the same couldn't be said for everyone else in Neos City.

She placed her hand on her head, feeling an oncoming headache, but she knew she had to keep a cool head. As she lifted her head, suddenly saw something black and red flying past the window she was standing next to, with Honey running up to it, wondering what it was.

xXx

Shadow boosted through the Corruption-infused surfaces in his Doom Morph form, getting through Sentoraru with no issues, as there was no reason for him to fight through the Black Arms-infested streets. He couldn't see any civilians, wondering if they had been kidnapped by the aliens or if they had managed to get to a safe spot and hide until all of this was over. He knew that he couldn't help them and that his presence would only bring destruction, so he focused on his own mission and nothing else.

Find the Chaos Emeralds. Save Touka. Defeat Black Doom.

Doom Morph Shadow repeated those three sentences constantly in his mind like a mantra. He could sense another Chaos Emerald in Eas, knowing that he would be one step closer to his goal. He eventually landed on the ground, his Doom Morph form dispersing in bursts of darkness as he took a look around his surroundings, only to be surprised by a Black Flash, which suddenly teleported and produced holographic clones to attack Shadow. Shadow easily destroyed the clones with Doom Spears, before using Doom Blast to knock the alien into the air, then teleported and delivered a powerful kick that destroyed it. Shadow only took a moment to orient himself, his ears twitching when he heard someone shouting.

''Shadow! Hey, Shadow!''

Quills bristling and eyes glowing red, Shadow suddenly turned around, ready to fight against whoever decided to interrupt him. His anger was quickly replaced with surprise when he realized that the ones calling him were the Chaotix Detectives. This was the first time he encountered someone familiar during this whole invasion, not counting Eggman considering how he is an enemy. He still remained on guard, aware that, even if the Chaotix were his allies, they might've learned about his true origins and deemed him an enemy. It was incredibly difficult for him to trust anyone, especially in these circumstances, even if it were people he knew. So, he kept his distance. However, it appeared that the Chaotix misunderstood his caution for his usual reserved demeanor, because Vector approached him unabashedly.

''It's good to see you, Shadow! We've been searching for someone from Team Neos to deliver this,'' Vector said, showing Shadow the purple Chaos Emerald. The dark hedgehog's eyes widened in surprise, as he was a bit stunned that he had managed to find the fourth Chaos Emerald so easily, having expected that he'd spend some time searching for it, if not even fighting over it. Instead, Vector just walked over to him, giving him the Chaos Emerald. ''Here. You and Team Neos know what to do with the Chaos Emerald better than us.''

Shadow remained quiet, just staring at the Chaos Emerald as the purple gem reflected the red glow from his eyes. It was only then that the Chaotix realized that something was wrong.

''Uh, hey, where is Touka?'' Charmy asked, looking concerned when he saw Shadow's reaction. The dark hedgehog's eyes widened, his quills bristling once again. Espio was suddenly on his guard, realizing that something was wrong. Vector, on the other hand, took a different approach.

''Shadow, are you okay?'' he asked carefully. Shadow suddenly stepped back, turning to the side as if he was about to leave. ''You know that we can help you.''

''I don't need your help,'' Shadow growled, shooting a glare at them, his eyes once again glowing red as he heard a voice in his head, whispering to him. What do they know? What can they do about your loss? They're only wasting your time. Perhaps, you should destroy them so they wouldn't get in your way again.

Shadow groaned in anguish, feeling as if the darkness was enveloping him. He could hear his call, he could hear him trying to take control over his body, to force Shadow to hurt his allies. He fought against the voice, trying to regain control over his mind. He could see the Chaotix trying to approach him, realizing something was wrong, but he couldn't let them. He couldn't let them anywhere close to him, else they would get into danger. However, Black Doom was quite persistent, with Doom's Eye appearing above them, displaying the holographic projection of the leader of the Black Arms.

''Heheh… You are still trying to resist my influence, but I can feel your strength of will diminishing. This is the proof of your connection to the Black Arms, the bond with your kin. Soon, we will take over this city and crush this pathetic resistance. Don't keep me waiting, Shadow. Bring me the Chaos Emeralds!'' Black Doom said, the holographic projection vanishing as Doom's Eye flew away.

Shadow suddenly felt incredibly cold, as if someone poured a bucket filled with ice over him. He glanced at the Chaotix, Charmy and Vector looking quite disturbed by what they saw and heard, while Espio was holding a kunai in his hand, glaring at the dark hedgehog and ready to fight him if necessary. Shadow knew that they didn't trust him, especially not after seeing his interaction with Black Doom.

''Shadow, who was that?'' Vector asked, trying to keep a cool head. He could feel the tension in the air and he knew that the last thing he needed was to aggravate Shadow even more, especially since the dark hedgehog was looking quite agitated. He was well aware that Shadow could easily take down all three of them and he wanted to believe that Shadow wasn't an ally of the Black Arms. He just couldn't be, but still, his detective instincts told him to remain careful.

However, Shadow refused to respond to Vector's question, instead rushing away with the purple Chaos Emerald, and to the detectives' shock, turned into a black and red squid-like being, using the purple and black mass to travel across the city.

''What was that?!'' Charmy asked suddenly, snapping Vector and Espio out of their stunned state.

''I don't know, but I don't believe we should've given Shadow the Chaos Emerald,'' Espio said, frowning. ''He may have betrayed us.''

''What do you think, Vector?'' Charmy asked, turning to the crocodile.

''I wouldn't be so sure about the betrayal theory,'' Vector replied. ''First, we got no evidence that Shadow is a bad guy, and second, he didn't look too happy to see that alien guy.''

''I believe that was the leader of the Black Arms,'' Espio said.

Before they could continue, they were surprised by a sudden flash of blue, with Sonic stopping right in front of them.

''Hey, guys, have you seen Shadow?'' Sonic asked. ''I've been following him since Sentoraru.''

''Yeah, he was just here, leaving after we gave him the Chaos Emerald we had found,'' Vector explained, pointing into the direction Shadow went.

''Did you know that he is working with the Black Arms?'' Espio asked, giving Sonic a scrutinizing gaze.

''Dude, he's not working with the Black Arms…'' Sonic started, only for Espio to interrupt him.

''But he is a Black Arms alien,'' Espio stated. Sonic realized that they knew about Shadow's connection to the Black Arms, deciding not to fight it.

''Yeah, from what I know, he's a hybrid… But, he's not helping them,'' Sonic said in a firm tone. ''I've been trying to track him down to check on him.''

''Do you have a plan how to stop this invasion?'' Vector asked.

''We do, sort of…'' Sonic rubbed the back of his head. ''All I know is that we need Shadow for this.'' He then lifted his head as he turned towards where Vector had pointed him to. ''Stay safe, guys.''

Sonic then dashed off, determined to catch up to Shadow as soon as possible.

xXx

Doom Morph Shadow had been travelling towards Souto, feeling a sense of numbness spreading through his body. Both Eggman and the Chaotix now knew that he was a Black Arms hybrid, and he was sure this information would spread, with his teammates becoming aware of it, if they weren't already. He couldn't face them, not like this. He knew that he was nothing but a monster, a horrifying alien and this power, the Doom Morph, only affirmed this reality and strengthened his connection to the hive mind.

Even though he still had the willpower to fight off Black Doom, he knew that, as his anger and despair kept growing, so would his influence. Shadow feared that, at some point, he wouldn't be able to control himself anymore and lose his body, mind and soul to Black Doom. If that happened, he didn't want any of his teammates to be near him. He didn't want to hurt anyone.

Shadow was lost in his thoughts, not noticing the sudden flash of blue pinballing upwards and forcing the black and red squid to stop and land on the Corruption-infused street between two buildings. Shadow remained in his Doom Morph form, standing on the mass as he stared in shock as he realized who had stopped him.

''I finally found you, Faker!'' Sonic grinned, standing on the part of the street that was devoid of Corruption, having finally cornered the hybrid. Shadow didn't answer, with Sonic wondering whether his rival wasn't answering because he couldn't talk in this form or because he was being stubborn. ''Shadow, I know it's you. You don't have to pretend to be one of them.''

''Stay away!''

Sonic was startled when Shadow suddenly shouted at him. The hybrid looked as if he was ready to attack him, with Sonic holding his hands up in defense, realizing that Shadow was in extreme distress. He felt sorry for him, his resolve to help him only getting stronger.

''Shadow, please…'' Sonic started, his tone soft and gentle, stepping towards the hybrid. ''I know you're upset and I know you won't hurt me unless I get too obnoxious. I just want to talk to you.''

There was a moment of silence, with the hybrid just staring at him as Sonic gazed back into his red eyes. Then, the hybrid moved forward, leaving the purple and black mass and dropping the Doom Morph. Sonic was relieved to see him, but he could see that Shadow was still anxious, keeping a distance. It was obvious that Shadow was going through a lot, to the point that he isolated himself from everyone, including Sonic.

''I know that you're going through a lot, Shads, but I will be always there to support you,'' Sonic continued when Shadow didn't respond, stepping closer. He was glad to see that Shadow let him into his space, his aggression fading into exhaustion.

''Why would you support an ugly, disgusting creature like me?'' Shadow asked. Sonic's ears were pinned back when he heard Shadow's hollow voice. He sounded so defeated, so repulsed with himself.

''Shadow, I…'' Sonic attempted to comfort him, only to trail off when he saw Shadow shaking, hands pressed against his head, his crimson eyes glowing.

''Black Doom has been trying to get into my head to take control over me, and even though I've been trying to fight against him, I can feel that connection growing. I am no different than the Black Arms,'' Shadow replied, hand placed over a glowing eye. His expression was that of someone who was in complete despair, not knowing whether to cry or laugh, whether to be angry or apathetic. He felt so many things, but at the same time, he felt completely empty, his soul on the brink of being shattered. It was as if all that pressure he had been under suddenly came crashing down. A dark mass suddenly started to swirl around the hedgehog as he slowly gave into his despair. ''I shouldn't have been created… Touka has been taken by Black Doom because of me and I don't even know whether she's still alive or not… I keep pressing on, despite the fear, but I just feel so exhausted… I-I just…''

Shadow's eyes suddenly grew wide when he felt Sonic wrapping his hands around him, pulling him into a tight hug. The dark energy that surrounded him dissipated and the glow in his eyes dimmed as he felt the warmth of Sonic's embrace. He froze, not even knowing what to do for a moment, only to feel something wet trail down his cheek. He trembled, his limbs and chest feeling incredibly heavy as he felt as if he was suffocating. He tried to focus on breathing, but the weight he felt grew heavier and heavier as another tear flew down his cheek. He tried to push all those emotions away, refusing to let them overwhelm him, but he couldn't.

He felt broken.

''Shadow, it's okay…'' Sonic whispered as he felt Shadow hugging him back with, keeping a vice-like grip on his back. ''You're not to blame for what has happened…''

''Black Doom is going to kill everyone because of me!'' Shadow snapped, facing Sonic, his eyes now filled with tears. ''I am his soldier and once I lose control, he will use me to destroy all of you!''

''Shadow, none of that will happen. I won't let it happen!'' Sonic responded in a firm tone, giving Shadow a determined look. ''I know you, and I know that you would never let yourself be controlled by anyone. You're too stubborn for that. And even if that does happen, I will make sure to snap you back to reality. I'm not giving up on you, no matter what, and you shouldn't either! If I have to fight you to save you, you can bet that I will kick your ass until you're back to normal, and then we'll beat up Black Doom together!''

''Sonic…'' Shadow trailed off, only to feel a glove on his cheek, wiping away the tears. Sonic gave him an empathetic smile.

''Do you feel a little better now?'' Sonic asked.

''I…'' Shadow wanted to tell him that he was fine, that he didn't have to worry, but he couldn't. He was done with keeping up a front. ''I… don't.''

''Do you want another hug?'' Sonic asked, a small smile appearing on his lips. Shadow nodded, with Sonic pulling him into another embrace and putting all the unsaid reassurance into it, hoping that Shadow would find solace in it. He had no idea how much time had passed, but he didn't care. He knew that Shadow needed this and they were going to stay like this until Sonic made sure that he felt better. Moments later, Shadow pulled back a little, but he still kept his hands on Sonic's waist, having finally calmed down.

''I shouldn't have broken down so easily…'' Shadow muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed by this whole thing, but Sonic shook his head.

''If you didn't break down now, you would've broken down later, and knowing you, half of the city would probably get blown up,'' Sonic said. Shadow snorted, even smiling a little, with the cobalt hedgehog feeling glad to get such reaction. He then gave Shadow a serious expression. ''Also, don't ever call yourself an 'ugly, disgusting creature'. First, it doesn't suit you, and second, I can confirm that you're way more handsome than you think. Well, not as handsome as me, but I think you already know that.''

Shadow rolled his eyes in response to the comment, while Sonic just laughed softly at his reaction. He could sense Shadow relax a little, having finally managed to drag him out of his dark thoughts and thrown into more familiar territory. However, Shadow did lower his gaze, muttering, ''You saw me in that form…''

''Yeah, so? I mean I still think you look hot, even as a squid.''

''…the Doom Morph- Wait, what did you say?''

Shadow rose an eyebrow, giving Sonic a questioning look, only to be met with a slightly panicked look from Sonic, who once again said something without thinking about it, only registering now the meaning of his words.

''W-Wait, I meant- I still like you the way you are! I don't care whether you're Black Arms or not-'' Sonic quickly added, his fawn muzzle now red as a tomato from embarressement. Truth to be told, he just wanted to assure Shadow, only to end up saying too much. His moment of panic only lasted so long, though, replaced with surprise when he suddenly heard Shadow laughing. The dark hedgehog placed his fist over his mouth, trying to stifle the laughter, but it was obviously not working.

''I should've expected you would say something like that. You really don't think things through,'' Shadow commented.

''Yeah, that's true…'' Sonic grumbled, only to perk up. ''But, hey, I got you to laugh. That has to count for something.''

''Indeed, you did,'' Shadow agreed, placing his hand on Sonic's muzzle and caressing it with his thumb, before pulling him into a comforting kiss. God, he loved his idiot boyfriend.

''I'm really happy to see that you feel better now,'' Sonic said, his tail wagging. He then gave him a determined look. ''So, what's the next move? I know you've been gathering Chaos Emeralds, and I want to help you in any way possible.''

''I wanted to do this on my own. I wanted to save Touka by myself and defeat Black Doom with my own hands,'' he said in a firm tone.

''That's understandable,'' Sonic said. ''He hurt you, so it's no surprise you'd want to defeat him on your own. However, don't forget that you're not alone. Everyone in Team Neos is fighting against the Black Arms, and we all believe that you're also doing your best to fight against Black Doom. We trust you more than you think and we will help you the best we can.''

''Thank you,'' Shadow replied, smiling as he felt the burden on his shoulders crumbling and leaving him with a sense of ease. ''You can help me by finding another Chaos Emerald. The faster we gather them, the sooner we can defeat the Black Arms and Black Doom.''

''I'm already on it,'' Sonic said, smirking as he tapped on his AR Visor, showing the holographic screen of the map with the dots showcasing the location of the remaining Chaos Emeralds. ''Tails and Warren made this for me and Lucas so we could track you down by finding the Chaos Emeralds.''

''I see… I guess I also need to apologize to Tails,'' Shadow muttered. He then took a deep breath, giving Sonic a determined look, clenching his fist. ''I've sensed a Chaos Emerald somewhere near Cosmo River.''

Sonic nodded. ''If you're going there, I should check the other two locations and see what I can find. We'll then meet up again and search for the location of the last Chaos Emerald.''

''Right,'' Shadow nodded, only to get a peck on the cheek from Sonic.

''If you ever feel like Black Doom tries to control you, give me a call and I'll be there in no time to stop him,'' Sonic assured him.

''Since when did you get so protective?'' Shadow asked.

''Of course I'll get protective, since you got threatened,'' Sonic pointed out. He then slowly turned, about to leave. ''I'll see you soon!''

Shadow observed as Sonic left, dashing off into the distance. Shadow placed his hand over his chest, feeling his heart pounding. Despite everything, he felt relief after this conversation with Sonic. He had realized that he put himself under so much pressure, believing that this was something he had to do alone and forgetting in his fear and worry that there were people who genuinely cared about him and who'd help him. He felt incredibly foolish for dismissing them, for giving into his negative emotions. But now, he was filled with new determination to make things right.

xXx

''You called me, Father,'' Eclipse said, feeling anxious as he walked up to Black Doom. He had wondered whether the leader of the Black Arms was aware of what he had done and feared what he would do.

''I did. I have a task for you,'' Black Doom said, surprising Eclipse. The little alien was relieved to hear that he would go on a mission, wondering what it was. ''Shadow had managed to find four Chaos Emerald and has also been using his gifted powers more and more, yet he still eludes me. His rebellious nature, while challenging, is getting tedious. Therefore, you will once again confront him and make sure that he follows the path I had prepared for him.''

''I will make sure to fulfill my mission. Shadow is my brother, and it is only right that he joins his family,'' Eclipse said, grinning. He felt happy that he was given a new mission, believing that this time, he would be able to convince Shadow to join the Black Arms. He would bring Shadow to the Black Comet and get praised by Black Doom for his effort, feeling excited about that scenario.

''Fulfill your mission, or don't come back at all.''

Eclipse froze when Black Doom floated past him, leaving the room.

''You still have to atone for your disobedience.''

Eclipse fell on his knees, the threat filling his mind. He realized that Black Doom knew. His father always knew, having used the hive mind to stay in control of everything. But, what was worse was that his own position was in danger. If he failed to bring Shadow, he wouldn't just get punished, but he would also be thrown out of the Black Comet. He would lose his only family. Eclipse gritted his teeth, getting up. He knew he couldn't let that happen. He couldn't afford to lose everything he knew. He would make his father proud.

Links:

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#Sonic Cyber Revolution (Masterlist)

[yuukimiyas]

chloee i hope ur seminar goes well !! stealing u from reo to give u a kiss real quick!! im so excited today bc a girl ive wanted to be better friends w invited me to the beach with her (ㅅ´ ˘ `)

darling mai!! ପ૮๑ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ๑ აଓ my seminar went v well!! (my supervisor & i were 2 hrs early on accident ૮₍ ˶• ˔ ต ₎ა lmadjfoiof) but we both learned a lot & we have some really cool new ideas for the dept!! ☆૮꒰ˊᗜˋ* ꒱ა omg i'm giving you twice the kisses when reo's not lookin & doin the same when dazais turned around heehehe ૮꒰ྀི⊃´ ꒳ `⊂ྀི꒱ა omg that sounds like so so so much fun!! i hope you guys have a great time!! make sure to wear sunblock & drink lots of water!! i love you sm sweets <33