Author’s P.O.V.
“You have to find them and bring them to us, they are a threat to this world and they must be locked in immediately am I clear?” The commander said strictly as he glared at Shadow the Hedgehog, who was standing beside Rouge the Bat. 

These two were the top agents at G.U.N., a secret organization who worked for the government, but everyone knew that they had more power than they pretended they had.

“Very.” Shadow glared back at his ‘boss’, who he hated more than anyone in the world, and he hated everyone. He looked at his partner and left the office. “We’re starting from the forest, I have a feeling they’re hiding there.”

"I'll take north, you take south." Agent Rouge said sternly but once they were outside of GUN headquarters, she looked at Shadow. "Listen, we aren't going to turn them in. They are our friends Shadow, and we both know they didn't do anything wrong." 

She looked ahead of them. "We have to help them, not betray them like everyone else did. I know you'll do the right thing and listen to me." She flew off, making Shadow scoff, he didn’t care if they were in trouble or not, he just wanted to do his job and go home, where he can be in peace.

He knew deep inside that he cared for his friends, even though he didn’t call them that out loud, he still thought of them as a place where he belonged. But all these feelings made him angry and mad at himself, thinking that his feelings only made him weak.

The dark hedgehog let out a long sigh and dashed to the forest, fighting with his inner voice that told him to listen to his friend and protect his friends. His only friends.

~~~
Sonic looked around knowing he wasn't imagining what he heard. He recognized the voice, he knew this meant trouble. He kept looking around trying to find where the voice came from. 

"Shadow…" He growled knowing GUN must have sent him. He was ready to fight him. "Come out…" He tried not to be as loud since he wasn't far from his friends. He didn't want Shadow to find them. 

“Why are you so mad? I thought you couldn’t get mad at your friends.” The Ultimate Lifeform chuckled quietly at his rival’s stance as he hid in the shadows. “I don’t feel welcomed when you’re acting like this.” 

His voice was as cold and lifeless as always, but he meant when he said the last part, seeing Sonic like this made him worry about him.

"I know you're just here to take us." He had his ears lowered without him realizing it. "I'm not going to let you, even if I have to fight you for that." He growled very lowly, clear he wasn't okay with everything going on. 

He kept looking around. "Where are you? If you're going to try to take us then you'll have to kill me first, Shadow." 

“Unfortunately, I can’t.” Shadow raised a brow at the hero’s actions and chaos controlled a few feet away from him. “We’re here to help you, whether you like it or not.” 

Sonic growled at him and glared at the ebony hedgehog in front of him. "Why should I trust you?" He chuckled. "If you want me to believe you then give me your gun, cuffs and your chaos emerald while you're around us. That's if you're really trying to help us." He said sternly and coldly.

He hated acting this way but after everything that had happened to him and his friends, he didn't see a reason to act the way he used to any longer. He was cold to everyone now, except for Tails and Amy. 

“In your dreams, hedgehogs, I’m not giving you anything, you just have to trust me on this one. You used to trust everyone, even Doctor, what’s changed you so much that you can’t trust me? Also, if I was going to capture you, you’d already be at G.U.N.” Shadow rolled his eyes. “It’s your problem if you believe me or not.” 

Sonic crossed his arms. "Everyone betrayed us, suddenly we are being attacked and chased to be killed by everyone we once saved and you want me to simply trust you won't betray us too?" He scoffed. "That's not possible. Not anymore, Shadow." He let his guard down. 

"Didn't find anything, tell me you have something." Rouge was heard from Shadow's communicator. 

Shadow’s ear flickered from annoyance at the way Sonic was acting and looked at his communicator then answered. “I found him, he thinks we want to kill him.” He said, annoyed and frustrated. “Can I? He wants to die by the looks of it.” 

Rouge rolled her eyes. "Send me your coordinates and don't touch him or I will kill you, Shadow." She said seriously. "We are here to help them, not hurt them even more." 

Sonic's ear flickered at their conversation and started walking the opposite way from where the others were camping. He looked up at the sky, knowing the others were awake by now and tried not to worry so much about it. He wanted to guide Shadow and Rouge away from them. 

"Kill me if that's what you want but you're not getting near the others." He growled at Shadow. It was clear he was forcing himself to act this way. It was clear he wanted to break down but he wouldn't allow himself to do so.  

Shadow groaned at Sonic’s behavior and set the coordinates at Rouge as he followed Sonic. “They’re in the opposite way as you, I know. I saw them before I found you.” He crossed his arms. “And you better stop acting this way before I hurt you.” He growled lowly as well, it hurt him a little to see Sonic this way. “We. Are. Trying. To help you.”

“Sonic!!” Amy’s voice cut their conversation short, she was trying to find her ‘lover’, she was dead worried about him. “Sonic, where are you?!”

Sonic's ears perked up at hearing Amy. He looked around. "Fine. I'll trust you but any single thing you do wrong, we are leaving." 

Rouge flew past Amy and landed beside Shadow and in front of Sonic. "Blue. I'm so glad you're okay." She smiled at him. "Shadow didn't hurt you, did he?"

“No, but I’d love to.” He said lowly and grabbed Rouge’s wrist then teleported on a thick branch on the tree above Sonic when he heard footsteps. 

“Sonic! Sonic, thank Chaos you’re safe!” Amy quickly ran to Sonic and hugged him tightly. “I was so worried Sonikku~”

Sonic hugged back and shook his head then pulled away. "I'm fine Ames. Did you do what I asked you to before I left?" He asked after he pulled away. He looked around and spotted Rouge and Shadow then back at Amy.

Amy nodded, she was used to Sonic looking around a lot since he was always doing that at the smallest of sounds. 

“I did, we have enough food for today, but only today, someone has to go and get us food.” She gasped when she remembered. “Right! I was thinking earlier, that we could ask Rouge for help. She’s a friend, there’s no way she’ll hurt us or give our location away.”

Sonic's ear flickered when she mentioned Rouge. "Do you really trust her?" He sighed knowing Rouge and Shadow were listening. "I trust you Ames, if you think we can trust her then I'll trust her." He said calmly. He acted calm around his friends but towards Shadow and the others, he would put up an act. He was hurt that everyone else betrayed them. 

Amy smiled brightly and nodded then kissed her boyfriend’s cheek. “Thank you! Are you coming, everyone is worried.”

Shadow and Rouge were sitting quietly as they listened, even though the Shadow wanted to leave, since he didn’t like the pink hedgehog one bit, but when she kissed his rival, he felt like he wanted to snap right then and there.