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pinkjunepeanut · 2 years

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Where’s the Beauty in this Beast?: Chapter 4

It proved to be the easiest thing to do… nothing. Simply sitting on his hunches and waiting passively for the tension to die down between the two canine-like types, and for realization to dawn on the tiny creature that he meant no harm. It seemed to be working, the little male’s brows knitting together in confusion at Sonic’s behavior, before amber eyes widened a second later. Red-violet fur peeked out from behind the stone and cautiously tip-toed closer, visibly ready to sprint if the need would arise.

Although excited at his progress, Sonic steeled himself and resisted any temptation to greet the creature again; that reaction would only be his downfall. Tentatively walking closer, the small creature stopped about a foot away and curiously warbled another line of nothingness. Sonic frowned at the garbling but sensed the meaning through the little one’s tone and voice. Pulling his ears back and smoothing out his fur, Sonic stooped down and rumbled softly, making sure to hide his fearsome fangs from sight. The small creature tilted its head slightly before baring its stubby canines and beaming happily. Enlightened by this accomplishment, Sonic’s tail happily wagged behind him, the whirlwind stirring up swaying grass, and he leaned forward to sniff his new acquaintance. The bubbly little male laughed at the touch and gently shoved Sonic’s muzzle back a few paces, still giggling to itself.

An energizing warmth swelled in Sonic’s chest that trailed down to his speedy tail and he panted excitedly, happy to have changed the little guy’s mind of him. Little guy? He paused from his playfulness and perked up, gazing at the rising sun poking over the horizon and the light encompassing such brilliant beauty. That same warmth seemed to have spread throughout his body and now was basking him in its heat, a sudden new awareness taking place in his mind all the while. By the time the light and warmth dissipated from his body, thousands of questions came tumbling through his mind, more specifically… What just happened? He peered down at his form and was surprised to see his original cobalt fur coating his body, along with peach arms and a tan stomach painting his features. His brows knitted together again. “Wha—” He felt for his throat in alarm. He could talk again. What the heck was going on?

“Um… e-excuse me… Mister Monster Guy?”

Sonic peered down at a much clearer version of the stranger he was just interacting with. Indeed, it did seem to hold certain dog features, a Chihuahua hybrid of some sort, with maroon fur and tufts of white fluff coating its underbelly, tail, and hair. Like he witnessed before, fairy-like wings were jutting out of its back, and on the center of its chest… Was that a green stone? Sonic rubbed his head at the new information and looked back at the awaiting stranger. Clearly it had said something from before and was waiting for a response. Embarrassed at the predicament, Sonic scratched the back of his head and chuckled, “Sorry, little guy. I couldn’t get the last part you said. Mind repeating that?”

The little chihuahua blinked at him, hearing Sonic’s true voice for the first time, but then shrugged it off. “I was wondering how you did that. That was amazing!” It was clearly a he, with the scratchy tone in his voice, and the ball of fluff jumped into the air, beating his wings incessantly and flying around Sonic from all directions, his mouth going at blinding speeds. “First you were with those teeth! And those claws! And then BAM! You’re now a… a…” He halted his chatter, clearly trying to find what to call Sonic.

“Hedgehog.” Sonic scratched under his nose lazily. “Sonic the Hedgehog.”

“Sonic, that’s a cool name! I like that name!” The little guy pumped up a fist in mid-flight and then looked back at Sonic curiously. “But how did you do that changing stuff?”

Sonic suppressed a sigh and placed a hand on his hip, “Honestly, I have no idea.” He off-handedly muttered, “but I hope I don’t go through that again…” His friend cocked his head at that. Sonic turned back towards him, “You got a name?”

The maroon fella frowned in thought till looking down in worry, contemplating over something. “Hmmmm… huh?” He jumped in alarm, “what IS my name?” He dropped to the ground and started running in circles. “AHHH! I don’t know! I can’t remember!”

Sonic was taken back by this news. Can’t remember? Does that mean… He hoped he was wrong, but only one way to test that theory. “You forgot who you are?” He had run into amnesiacs before, Shadow being the most popular, and adding another one to the list was not something he was looking forward to. The Chihuahua’s little nod was all the confirmation he needed.

“Yep. I remember something falling from the sky…” He reenacted the scene, quite clumsily, and continued, “and everything just going all white… and then nothing! I can’t remember a thing past that!” He sulked in defeat, clearly troubled by his dilemma.

Uh oh, did I fall on him? Sonic sweat dropped. It was bad enough when someone lost a sense of who they were, but to be the one to cause it? This couldn’t possibly get any worse. His thoughts were interrupted by the poor amnesiac again.

“Oh, MAN, what am I gonna do?! What CAN I do? Where do I go from here?!” He was flying in every which direction, talking to almost any innate object (or Sonic) around in his panicked state. “What’ll I… Oof, I’m hungry.” He fell from the air like a sack of potatoes, Sonic’s quick reflexes being the sole savior for the little guy. Catching him with ease, Sonic chuckled to himself.

Reminds me of Charmy. He hadn’t spent much time with the Chaotix in a while, but just spending a day at the trio’s HQ can prove how much of a handful Charmy can “bee.” Looking on the bright side, Sonic chose to be the voice of reason. “Hey, don’t worry! I’ll help you get your memory back.”

Amber eyes blinked owlishly at him in awe, and he fainted a smile, “Really? You mean it?” He leapt out of Sonic’s hands and plopped on his head, Sonic not minding at all.

“Absolutely!” He takes a couple steps, beginning his new quest. “I’m sure we’ll find somebody who knows you if we look around.” Though talking-dog-fairies might be harder to find.

A maroon-and-white- face leaned over his head and peered into his eyes with a wide grin, jumping off and resorting to flying side-by-side. “Oh, thank you! You’re the best, Mister Monster Gu—I mean, Sonic the Hedgehog!”

Sonic grinned at lifting his friend’s spirits and slapped five with him before looking out into the distance and spotting the towns from before. He glanced back at his flying buddy and jabbed a thumb in said direction. “Wat’ya say we check out that town then. There’s bound to be something they know, and who knows, good grub too!”

His companion excitedly nodded and seated comfortably on his head, holding onto his quills for support. “That sounds great! Ready when you are!”

And with that, the Blue Blur took off and without knowing, was on the start of a new adventure, one that would be changing him in many ways for the better.

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pinkjunepeanut · 2 years

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Where’s the Beauty in this Beast?: Chapter 3

Freezing winds howled into numb ears as Sonic’s eyes slowly blinked back into reality. When did he fall asleep? He couldn’t remember, nor did he care as the ground came into focus, drawing closer by the second.

He was falling! He glanced every which way to slow his decent but found no objects tall or sturdy enough to do the job. There was a strange tree, with several spinning branches, growing out of a slab of rock… No, focus! Find a way to land.

The only answer he had was to land on all fours, but something was telling him this was gonna hurt. Just as he was about to make a lovely indention into the ground below, a soft green glow circled him, sheltering him in its safety, and slowed his fall to a complete stop in mid-air. All was quiet in his new home and a brilliant warmth graced his thick navy fur as if to pacify his fears swelling in his chest. And it did just that, siphoning the tension from his cumbersome body and swaddling him in this gentle glow surrounding him.

Curiously, he leaned forward and brushed his nose against the translucent walls to sniff, but the moment his black nose pricked the bubble… POP! The glow dissolved into nothingness and sent Sonic tumbling the rest of the way down to the ground. He let out a panicked yelp till smashing headfirst and getting his source of fiber for the day… dirt.

With his head plugged into the earth, he resorted to pushing his massive paws against the mound, using the leverage of his newly acquired weight. After several tugs, he finally managed to yank his head out of the hole, sending himself reeling back thanks to the last push. Shaking his ears clean of dirt, Sonic scooped any dirt out of his mouth with his tongue, the poor muscle getting cut against his new fangs at times.

He stopped his caretaking and frowned at the feeling. This was too weird for him. For the first time, Sonic took a close look at his new appearance; his paws were massive, maybe larger than his head, and were tipped with razor-sharp claws, his once clothed hands now a pale gray for all to see with tufts of snowy white fur sheltering his wrists. His body fur was a dark navy blue, from what he could see, as he could only look at his paws or over his back at his long bushy tail… That was another thing. His short stubby tail had seemed to have mutated and now swept along the ground in a lazy manner. He whimpered at the sight and his tail instinctively tucked between his legs. Like a scared dog. Sonic shook his head at the thought. Not the time to think like that.

He opened his eyes and noticed another additive that was obvious the entire time… He couldn’t stand up. He could support his weight on all fours, but it felt strangely foreign to try and rise on two legs. He tested that theory and pushed back on his forepaws, sending him staggering backwards on his hind legs for a second, before falling backwards and sitting on his hunches in a sloppy fashion. Answering his own question, Sonic let out an indignant huff and scouted his surroundings; might as well see where he’s ended up, anyways.

He was sitting on a hill, dipping into a valley that stretched out into the horizons, breaking into divisions of towns and forests in the far distance, and around Sonic laid the seven emeralds, onyx in color and dead to the world. There were also stones, grass, a purple something on the ground, lavender…

Wait, purple something?

Sonic snapped his head back at the sight and his ears perked. Indeed, there was a violet-red blotch on the ground, adorned with white tufts of fur and strange wings on its back. Crawling ever so quietly, Sonic cautiously approached the creature, the scent of life bathing its form as its tiny chest rose and fell into a soft rhythm… It’s asleep. Sonic circled the stranger, curious as to what it was till a nagging thought crept into his head… that he should greet it. Normally he would have eagerly accepted the thought and had welcomed any person or life with open arms, but the WAY his mind said to greet it was what threw him in for a loop. Maybe it was because the creature resembled a dog also, or maybe it was just him and his dog-mind, but Sonic hesitantly leaned over the tiny body and gave a good whiff. No smell of blood or bodily harm on the creature. Good. He cocked his head and sniffed from behind before lightly sneezing. Yep, definitely a male (what happened to saying guy?). The lump of red-violet fur shifted, and Sonic stepped back in alarm. Was he coming to? Lively amber peeked out from under lashes and the creature mumbled something unintelligible.

Sonic rolled his eyes. With impatience to match his normal self, Sonic nudged the tiny body with his nose and rolled it over. Amber eyes opened again, and this time, came face to face with a row of sharp canines and hard emerald eyes. With a frantic squeak, the creature flew straight into the air, up to Sonic’s head-height, dropped back to the ground, and made a bee-line for one of the lone rocks on the hill for cover. It was muttering foreign sounds again, but the scent of fear was all too familiar. Sonic’s eyes softened at the behavior, and he tentatively took a step forward, but that only sent the creature into another panic episode, its entire body quaking as it cowered behind its only safety. Sonic frowned at the creature. Didn’t he know the rock wasn’t as great of a protector as he was? Why not come to him for safety? What was he so afraid of—

The answer came before the question left. The tiny male was hiding from him. It probably only saw what Sonic now felt like… a huge, grizzly beast with no sense of language, or at least a common one at that. The fact that the creature woke up when Sonic was a breath away might have also been the cherry on top to create a terrifying first impression of himself, and now, all Sonic could do was hope there was still a sliver of hope to atone for his mistake. But how? Talking wouldn’t work, and he might end up scaring the poor thing with grunts or growls, approaching it was a no-no, as that was already proven to be a bad idea, and leaving him would solve nothing. So, what now?

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pinkjunepeanut · 2 years

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Where’s the Beauty in this Beast?: Chapter 2

Little to Sonic’s knowledge, given that he was currently held hostage in Eggman’s ship and had sickening violet sparks electrocuting the daylights out of him, the base of the spacecraft twisted out of socket till hissing to a stop, the entire structure still firmly connected; what originally looked like a spinning top with a ridiculously long (and thick) needle was now turning into something far more sinister… a cannon, not much different from the ARK, was slowly hatching out of its exterior shell, metallic plates unfolding at the seams like a cracked chestnut (if said nut held the power to obliterate planets, of course!). Springs inside the tubular cannon unlatched and stretched out of the nozzle, now giving the base a satellite-like feel to it, crackling energy prepping for fire upon the little blue planet below. Inside the madness of this ship, our little blue friend was also in peril, as Eggman smashed down onto a button in manic voice, calling out, “FIRE!!!”

And with that, Eggman’s latest scheme was unleashed. The cannon went into ignition and swirls of raw negative energy, filling the chamber to the brim, were sent blazing down the bore in powerful magenta flames that scorched anything in their path, the metal of the cannon holding strong with no sign of caving in or combusting. As a single flame, this energy was nothing, merely a lick of destruction for the Earth’s atmosphere, but united with an infinite number of the same, a beam of violet light was formed and was sent shooting down the barrel, out the nozzle and into open space… breaking the sound barrier twice… till smashing into the ocean of Earth’s crust and exploding in a ball of light, the energy burning a hole deeper into the core and growing evermore terrifying. A shockwave from the blast sent all unfortunate life blown miles away from the burning source and inevitably shaking the entire Earth, enough for anyone to feel.

In speaking of feel, that’s all Sonic could do at the moment; that and scream in agony of course, but even that was dying down to desperate growls for any meaning of escape. Wait… growls? He didn’t have time to second guess as more pain flared up his spine and sent him crawling on the ground, the bloodthirsty violet sparks that dug into his flesh being his only companion.

Something was emerging, and he couldn’t quite place it, but intriguingly was connected to the brutality the planet below him was facing. The cracking of bones and plates sounded as both shifted in their designated owner, the latter crumbling at the seams and making way for the something to emerge out of the depths. The former was more metaphorical as a new darkness swelled in Sonic’s mind, his fur mutating into thicker, courser, navy blue fur and his eyes shooting open as he faintly eyed his change through the blinding sparks of light and fire consuming pain. The something started stumbling in its everchanging form. The something had claws breaking out of its shell and scratching the hard ground, Sonic’s pale fingertips bursting out of gloves and carving into the metallic floor. The something finished its last transition, Sonic’s short, stubby canines elongating into long fangs and his tail growing ever longer till bristling alongside his body, as the beasts from both ship and planet howled (or screeched) into the open night sky.

Finally, the lightning and suffering ended, followed by clanks of stones around the poor… hedgehog? The beast was breathing unsteadily, most of his weight held by his shaking arms till giving out and collapsing effortlessly, the numbing feeling of pain coursing through his veins. Pain… pain… breathe… It was all he could muster to think through ragged breaths as he slowly (and clumsily) tried to regain focus of his surroundings. A muted rough but scratchy voice sounded in his ears, and they flicked away at the annoying sound. Whatever it was and wherever it came from, he had an unrestrainable urge to attack it.

Wait… what sound was it making? It wasn’t anything simple like his clouded mind could produce or catch on. A bark, a laughter, a growl… when had it gotten so hard to understand words? He tried to formulate a complex sentence in his mind, which was a menial task for him usually, but found none of the sounds could quite fit together as one. No, instead, they separated themselves into simple sounds of little meaning or purpose, refusing to work in any which way. Not like the other sounds he strangely felt natural to falling back on. In frustration and exhaustion, both physically and mentally, the beast yielded and chose instead to open his eyes to see dim blue lights glowing in the shadows.

The disgusting voice was now laughing with no sign of stopping and the beast growled as he swayed his head in said direction. A red blob seated a few paces away, cackling with glee and… was that a sense of dominance under that blob’s skin? The beast snarled at the potent smell and that seemed to silence the laughter. Good. Then there was the sound of talking again, nothing but a muted noise in the beast’s ears.

“… Sonic…”

Sonic? That sounded familiar to him, as if it were something important, and the blob was directly looking at him when saying that, so… Was he… Sonic? The clarity in his mind over the word seemed to confirm such suspicions and he silently agreed to it, that he was Sonic and Sonic was him. But all thoughts froze as an invisible wall slid down in front of the red blob and suddenly, the beast felt a pulling at his fur. It grew stronger, pulling at his very being and he clutched onto the small engravings in the floor with his mighty claws, but all was futile. A final gush of wind blew him back and he was swept away into black nothingness with a startled cry, a broken ball of fire and land waiting for its savior down below.

Then, there was nothing.

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Before I get any flames, NO, Sonic does NOT have amnesia when a werehog, rather he has a different mentality in approaching his surroundings and life itself. It might be mistaken as amnesia because he is contemplating of his name, but let me clarify...

Sonic is not contemplating the name, he is contemplating of the word itself. Remember how words hold no significance in his mind unless it's something truly important (or sentimental), so his name would fit in that alley. The same can be said about dogs (believe me, I know from my own Min-Pin mix) for they can be taught words and phrases but do not grasp on the meaning behind the word other than the expected behavior.

Since Sonic's mind is already complex, I'm not degrading his intelligence, and therefore, he can hold more meaning behind words or phrases if they are truly important to him (especially on a subconscious level). This includes his identity (Sonic as a word), relationships (friends and family), and even commands if they are engrained in his head or are purely instinctual.

Whew!! That was a lot. I hope that clears things up and helps you folks get prepared for what is to come. In the meantime, be on the lookout for Chapter 5 of "Blue Titans (Continued)" coming at the end of September (or something)!

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pinkjunepeanut · 2 years

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Where’s the Beauty in this Beast?: Chapter 1

Sonic the Werehog in Unleashed gets a bad wrap in the games, and I decided to do it justice; inspired by multiple one-shot fanfics, Sonic undergoes a transformation every night, both physically and mentally.

An adaptation to the game storyline but with a Feral Werehog out to save the world! Small tweaks and stuff to keep readers on their toes, so don't expect a story parallel to the games. We're going all out tonight!

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“S-Sonic!” The rotund man with his infamous large mustache and leathery red coat cowered in fear at the sight before him. Floating ten feet off the ground in a strong aura of confidence was none other than Sonic the Hedgehog, hero of Mobius and Earth, wielder of all seven Chaos Emeralds, and currently, in the form of his ultimate trump card, Super Sonic. The hedgehog’s golden quills flowed free like the wind in the Research Facility, the stale air indoors doing little to tamper with the hero’s purity. Had it not been for the vacuum of space lurking outside the metal walls, Dr. Eggman would have devised an emergency escape route to his next base to fight again (and achieve world domination) another day. But currently being inside a spaceship with no other safe passages to seek refuge through, the great scientist was, in no joking manner, scrambling for a way out. Brought to his knees, he resorted to the only alternative he had… beg for mercy.

“I-I’m sorry! R-really!” He held out a hand, latching onto any speck of sympathy from his foe. “L-look, go easy on me!” The golden hedgehog’s decent only hastened Eggman’s pleas, the latter fumbling over his words as he searched for any way to delay his fate. “I’ll turn over a new leaf, I swear! Just give me another chance!” He last words hung in the air, humiliation and defeat underlying his whining voice. Sonic, on the other hand, merely chuckled.

“Well, this is new. Showing remorse, Eggman?” He opened his hands challengingly and then switched to a joking tone, “If you played nice… I wouldn’t have to break all your toys.” He failed to see his nemesis’ sour frown twitch into a twisted grin and the minuscule remote button in his hands, a mistake he would regret in…

Eggman chuckled under his breath. Three… two… one... “Gotcha!”

“What--” Not given a minute’s notice, Sonic turned to see columns rising from the ground around him as the platform below him began humming to life. He looked over his shoulder and confirmed that exactly eight of these metallic floorboards were blocking his path and caving in like a cage of some sort, the hero trapped in this contraption’s metaphorical hand. And just like a hand, the towering digits were spread scarcely around him, making the crevasses stick out like a sore thumb. Sonic lunged forward to make a break for it but was pulled back to the center with equal force.

No! Rings of chaotic energy sprung to life, igniting the outer rim of the cage’s barrier in a circular form, and striking the hedgehog to hold him fast, the pulses of energy coming in wave after wave. The rings of energy danced along his fur as each pulse tightened around his chest and traveled down his spine to his legs, the crackling of electricity from the machinery doing little to aid Sonic’s comfort. The pillars sparked a ghastly white as more waves of electric bindings were made and then shot onto the Super hedgehog… Even with all seven emeralds, Sonic was struggling under his bindings, the pulses of energy sparking pain in every movement he made. A haunting laugh echoed from afar.

“Ehehehehhe… Eher-hehehe… AHAHAHAHAHA!” Sonic balled his fists and ground his teeth through series of grunts as he wrestled for control but inevitably snuck a glance at his arch nemesis. The ingenious villain was gloating over his victory as he rose above dramatically, the platform he stood on taking him to the next level.

To his right and left, twin rays with bulbous tips glowed a neon purple, their aim remaining true on a certain super-powered hedgehog. Sonic only had a second to stare into the face of evil before the rays grew dark and only Eggman was left seen, grinning madly with glee, as the floor glowing below shed enough light on his shadowed form.

Then, it happened.

All Sonic knew was there was a flash of light and suddenly the wrath of Chaos was upon him. Pain wracked his body, his limbs convulsing from each bolt of lightning piercing his side as he faintly heard his screams of agony, the pain only growing worse. No. He was Super right now, how could this little light show be getting through his invincibility? Another blast of purple energy cut off his train of thought, but he refused to give Eggman the benefit of hearing his screams and bit back his cries. The strings of electricity once shocking him were now clawing at him, digging into his nerves, and tweaking them just right for this infliction to skyrocket even more. They were pulling at him, pulling him apart. No… they were pulling his chaos energy apart.

Whatever sort of lightning and negative energy this was, it was stripping the chaos emeralds from his inner being and it had to be stopped. Must… hold… on! He growled and curled in to shield himself, his will being strong as it fastened its grip onto the infinite power that the emeralds held, a mental tug-of-war playing throughout the torture: his willpower versus the machine. A final shockwave proved to be too much, and the chaos emeralds were exploited from his body, his screams filling the air.

What he thought was his most horrendous moment in life had tripled in intensity as the sickening strands of purple lightning struck his vulnerable body, his now prone form seizing under the relentless shocks. His peach chest hitched, struggling to for any breath, and his teeth gnashed together as a final resort to numb the fire running through his veins. And yet, through all the torture and spasms, Sonic caught his eye on the emeralds, the green one specifically, that circled around him like candles around an altar and him being the sole sacrifice. He reached out in aim of calling them back to him but was caught in another fit of screams, his stubbornness failing as the lightning seared his last bit of hope. Through it all, a hooting laughter sounded afar, Sonic’s ears numb and half-working to only catch on a few words of Eggman’s.

“Ho ho ho ho ho! Ohhhh, I’ve waited…” Sonic shrieked at another wave of shocks. “… long time for this!”

Sonic squinted at the madman through series of grunts and growls. Stop… pain… hurts… HURTS!

The faint click of a button echoed from above, followed by the villain’s next words. “FIRE!!!”

And with that, Eggman’s latest scheme was unleashed.

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pinkjunepeanut · 2 years

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@vee-skies made me a bday fic The Sounds of Home and I doodled a ton cuz I loved it so heccin much. Reaaddd Their work is that of gods and makes me so happy that I can and will cry!

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pinkjunepeanut · 2 years

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Blue Titans (Continued): Chapter 4

A last thwack left a minion crumple to the floor and Robin and Starfire were left standing. Starfire dimmed her glowing eyes to a normal green and Robin hooked the staff to his belt. They looked around at the dazed henchmen sprawled out on the ground and glanced at each other with suspicion. It seemed a little peculiar for Slade to strike them at a deserted building.

Almost as if he didn’t want us here, Robin said to himself. He pressed onwards through the ghostly warehouse and Starfire followed behind.

Her gentle voice was touched with worry as she passed over a groaning minion. “Do you think he may be hiding here?” He didn’t answer, but his silence gave her the answer she needed.

The former sidekick of Batman had grown accustomed to matching a villain’s lair with their personality. For Slade, it just showed the rat he was, able to escape the clutches of death numerous times. Robin growled and clenched his fist. Starfire is right, he reminded himself, we still have a chance at stopping him. He searched the oncoming darkness with darting eyes. Something isn’t right.

He slowed his pace and signaled Starfire to stop. The young detective crept to one of the cement walls and felt around it. Before the two got here, Robin took the initiative to study the blueprints of the warehouse and any details about its architecture.

Where did those minions come from? They couldn’t have dropped through the roof, only hide near the ceiling, and they would have been spotted earlier if they used the entrance. He couldn’t answer the nagging question in his mind till he wiped the cold wall with a finger. He inspected his gloved hand and found what he was looking for. No dust.

The rest of the place was layered with dirt and cobwebs, yet this section was recently cleared up. He studied the wall some more and found two notches slightly protruding out. To an on-viewer it would look like part of the wall’s rough texture, but the Titan knew better. He rested his index fingers on the small bumps and pressed. Instantly, a click sounded and the hidden door unlatched as it slid to the side. Starfire’s gasp was heard and Robin’s eyes widened.

There standing before them, was Slade himself.

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Meanwhile…

Tree, tree, tree, rock, tree—wait, rock?

Beast Boy backed up and looked inside the bracken. Indeed, there was a rock hidden underneath, but had a grayish tint to it. The shape-shifter groaned and continued on. How were they supposed to find this emerald? It’s been a three-hour search and still no luck. A constant blue blur raced around him and snaked through the forest. It returned to him and stopped, revealing the cobalt hedgehog. A shake of the speedster’s head had Beast Boy flop on the ground.

“How much longer do we have to search?” He glanced up at Sonic with frustration, “it IS here, right?”

Sonic scratched his head and chuckled. “Yeah, about that… it could have warped anywhere.”

Beast Boy’s eyes widened at this and his head fell back down. He outstretched his hands to the sky in exaggeration, “Then why are we even looking here?!”

Sonic shrugged and stretched out. “I said, ‘it could have warped anywhere.’ But usually one’s around the last spot it was used…” Sonic froze at his words. A confident grin formed on his face and he dashed back the way they came. “Race ya back to Cyborg!”

Beast Boy stared at the cloud of dust left behind and pulled at his ears. “After this is over, I’m playing ‘Mega Monkeys 4.’” He pushed himself up and transformed into a cheetah as he followed the fastest thing alive.

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Cyborg was operating his arm while rotating a miniature satellite embedded in his shoulder. So far, no change in locking on a coordinate; the emerald was popping up all over the place. Before he could tear his arm off, a gush of wind whirled by him and he turned to see Sonic standing next to him. The Titan raised a brow at the hedgehog. “Anything?”

Sonic shook his head with a smirk, “Nope, but I’ve got an idea.”

A rustling of bushes startled them and they turned to see a cheetah with sticks and leaves stuck to his fur. Sonic covered his mouth to hold back a snicker and Cyborg couldn’t help but grin. The large cat turned back into Beast Boy and the teen jabbed a finger at them.

“DON’T. TELL. RAVEN.”

That was the breaking point. Sonic dropped his hand and started laughing his head off. “What…” he managed to say between breaths, “you don’t want a STICKY friendship?” He fell to the ground and rolled in laughter. The two Titans looked on in annoyance.

Cyborg twitched an eyebrow, “Man, that was cheesy, even for you.”

Sonic snickered as the humorous moment passed and he got to his feet. “Sometimes they’re the best.” Beast Boy pulled the debris off his suit as Sonic continued where he left off. “Before I warped here, I was fighting Eggman at his base.” His iconic grin showed, “I think the emerald warped to those coordinates on this world.”

Beast Boy was stumped. “Why didn’t you and the emerald warp together?”

The hedgehog shook his head, “At the speed I was traveling, I probably got teleported to a random place. But the Chaos Emerald…” He tapped his foot in thought, “it was last used on the base and it would have been sent to the same spot here.”

Cyborg pondered on this and nodded. It seemed logical the emerald would stay rooted to its spot whereas Sonic’s velocity would have carried him miles away; he could break the sound barrier after all, so who’s to say warp-speed wouldn’t further stretch the distance? He opened a plate of armor on his other arm and started up his navigation system. “Do you have the coordinates?”

Sonic gave a thumbs-up and chanted, “40.8655 Degrees North, and 73.8092 Degrees West.” Cyborg and Beast Boy stared at him dumbfounded, but Sonic shrugged it off. “I watched Tails punch it in a hundred times on the Tornado.”

Cyborg, still in a state of shock, slowly nodded and typed in the coordinates. Instantly, his hardware picked it up and tracked it from halfway across the city in another woodlands area. “I’ve got a match,” he pointed diagonally to his right, “Northwest. I’ll send the T-car here while you go ahead.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Sonic did some final stretching before turning to Beast Boy. “You coming?”

Beast Boy looked back at Cyborg, then to Sonic. He groaned and dragged his feet to the hedgehog. “Fine, but I’m not dashing off again.”

Sonic chuckled and bolted into the woods while Beast Boy tailed behind as a peregrine falcon. Cyborg watched them disappear and homed in on his car.

“Hope the others are in better luck.”

___________________________________________________________________________________

The city cameras were still up as Raven continued her investigation; her short, lilac hair hung above her shoulders with her hood down as her eyes focused on every detail displayed. A soft groan sounded behind her but she didn’t bother looking. “You’re up.” Her comment was left unanswered and the footsteps from behind grew louder.

She spotted Shadow through her peripheral vision leaning on the door. He scoffed and Raven braced herself for his prideful lecture. “I am the Ultimate Lifeform,” he huffed, “I don’t go down so easily.”

And there it is. She rolled her eyes and kept typing.

Shadow walked up and stood beside her in front of the screens. “What are you looking for?”

Raven kept her eyes on the monitors. “Not what,” she corrected. “Who.” She enlarged one camera view, saw no one was there, and carried on. “And as for your answer, Slade.”

She noticed Shadow fold his arms and study the screens. “Is he the foe of your world?” She gave a small nod and Shadow closed his eyes and sighed. “Some things never change.”

Raven’s curiosity got the best of her and she paused to look at the hedgehog. “Do you have a lot of enemies on your world?” Shadow turned his head away with arms locked.

“Tsk. That’s none of your business.”

Raven glared at him, but before she could say anything, a yellow blur whizzed past them. The two stopped to look and watched the colored streak circle around and stop on the dime before them; the newcomer was grinning from ear-to-ear and Raven instantly recognized him. She turned back to her work while calling over her shoulder. “Hello, Kid Flash.”

The native speedster’s voice echoed in the room. “Hey, Raven.” A long silence followed before he quipped, “who’s the black Sonic clone?” Raven’s eyes widened and she twirled around to shut him up, but it was too late.

The hedgehog didn’t take this lightly. He marched up to the yellow-and-red clothed teen and sneered, “WHAT did you call me?”

Kid Flash backed away with hands in defense, “Easy fella,” he stuttered while keeping his distance. “It wasn’t personal.”

Shadow’s eyes narrowed on the superhero before he huffed, “He’s the faker, not me.”

Kid Flash looked back at Raven wearily, but she gave him the hint to drop it. She started with introductions, “Kid Flash, meet Shadow.” She glanced at the ebony hedgehog and pointed at the spandex-wearing teen. “Kid Flash visits Jump City once in a while and helps us sometimes.”

Looking back at Kid Flash, she dawned on their last encounter, the robbery fight against Plasmas and some others, not long ago. She remembered Kid Flash sweeping Jinx off her feet and wordlessly taking her to get cleaned up, and honestly, Raven couldn’t blame her; both girls were drenched in Plasmas’ slime after the heroines worked together to bring the monster down. Raven for one, could attest to how gross that moment was, and given that Jinx took pride in her beauty, there was no telling of her reaction if she stayed.

In speaking of Jinx, she wasn’t with Kid Flash right now as usual. Raven’s brow quirked. “Where’s Jinx?”

The speedster pointed out to the city. “She’s hanging with the Titans East. Bumblebee is still getting that stuff out of her hair. I wasn’t staying there for long… There’s no telling if she’d bring down the house.”

Literally, Raven mentally added.

A fond smile drew over the speedster’s face. I actually came to check on Sonic; he’s got a long road to recovery after that fight. He looked around the room, lost to recent events. “Where is everyone?”

Raven’s passive eyes hardened and her monotone picked up. “Slade’s back, and the others are on separate missions. We’re trying to find him before he gets his hands on something beyond his control.”

Sky-blue eyes quirked in confusion to that. “Sonic’s with them too?”

Raven shrugged. “He got his rest. There’s no sense in keeping a hyperactive hedgehog here.”

Kid Flash took this in and nodded. He turned to Shadow, who apparently was giving him a death stare. “What?”

The Ultimate Lifeform glared at him. “So you’re a speedster too.” He scoffed, “and here I thought Sonic was my only rival.”

The teen held up his hands again, “Woah, I wouldn’t say rivals. I’m more--” He stopped mid-sentence and gaped at the hedgehog. “Wait… you’ve matched Sonic’s speeds??” His sudden threw Shadow off, the emo having little time to register the kid invading his space. “How fast were you going?!”

Shadow, for once, stammered and tried to find the words to say. “I-- uh-- it’s—uh…” It took all of Raven’s strength to not chuckle and anger the dark being more. Shadow shook off the shock and answered, “he may have tied you, but I have won several times.” He threw another menacing glare and warned, “and my top speeds are none of your concern.”

Kid Flash leaned closer and grinned, “Think you can beat me?”

Shadow scoffed. “Don’t patronize me.”

That’s it. Raven stood up and faced the boys. “Shadow, you’re in no condition to run. Go back to your room or I will make you.” Before Shadow could object, she faced Kid Flash, “and if you’re staying, could you order some pizza for us? I’ll pay for it.”

The speedster grinned and did a quick stretch. “It’s fine. Sonic already treated me when I was saving you guys, so it’s my turn. I’ll be back in a flash.”* A yellow blur followed his words as he left the Tower out to the city.

Raven turned back to Shadow and the two did another ‘glaring contest.’ Shadow eventually yielded and muttered as he left to his room. Raven seated herself and caught up with what she missed on the cameras. Great, she ran a hand along her face, now I have two to babysit.

*Easter Egg: Flash’s slogan

#sonic the hedgehog #shadow the hedgehog #robin dick grayson #starfire dc #raven dc #beast boy dc #cyborg dc #slade wilson #crossover #action/adventure #fluff and humor #angst and humor #canon related #continuation #Squidkid11 #do not copy

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pinkjunepeanut · 2 years

Text

Blue Titans (Continued): Chapter 3

Savage waves crashed against one another as the T-car zipped away over the tower's moat. The car's front end was occupied with Cyborg steering 'his baby' while Beast Boy lounged back on his seat, his feet lazily propped on the dashboard. A smack of a metallic hand made him reconsider however and he turned to the driver to see one of Cyborg's 'You so much as scratch it, YOU'RE DEAD,' looks. He grumbled under his breath and poked his head out the window; on the roof, a familiar blue hedgehog stood with the wind running through his quills.

"So where're we going?!" The green Titan barely heard himself over the engine and howling wind. Sonic just kept his eyes ahead and the shout-and-talk going.

"Metal Sonic and I first warped in that woods area with the emeralds. We should check there." He closed his eyes and sighed, "but somethin' tells me they scattered."

The words failed to reach Beast Boy, but lip-reading helped him catch on. "Because of the dimension hopping?"

Sonic shook his head and hollered back. "Nah, it's somethin' they do after being used. That's why Eggman gets a hold of them; usually at least one doesn't fly off."

A loud beeping sounded and Cyborg glanced at the car's built-in monitor. He rolled down the window and yelled over the oncoming wind. "We're near the spot!"

Sonic gave a thumbs-up, "Sweet."

Beast Boy watched Sonic turn away and... walk off the roof?

Towards the trunk???

The Blue Blur was out of sight now; Beast Boy leaned out his window to get a better view. If Cyborg forgot to lock the doors, he's so gonna... He never finished that thought and his mouth dropped. Sonic was standing on the trunk, but also looking down at the blurred ground below. Is he gonna-- Beast Boy stiffened at the idea. No way he's gonna--

Sonic wound his arms and rolled his neck... er... head.

Beast Boy watched with eyes round as saucers. Yep. He is. "Dude!" Sonic looked back; Beast Boy was practically dangling from the window, "What are you DOING?!"

Sonic gave a wink and his iconic smirk. "Takin' a shortcut." A two-finger salute followed. "Later!"

And with that... he jumped.

All Beast Boy could do was stutter as the 'Fastest Thing Alive' plummeted to his death. He snapped his head at Cyborg and tried shaking the driver. "Cyborg! We gotta go after him!"

Cyborg merely shrugged the kid off and kept his eyes forward. "I'm sure he's fine." There wasn't a hint of concern. "He seems to know what he's doing."

Beast Boy recoiled at Cyborg's words. "I'm not joking! He just jumped off--"

"See ya on the flip side!"

The shape-shifter shot his head out the window; a certain blue hedgehog in the distance was still free falling. Closer... Closer... Beast Boy turned away and clamped his eyes shut. He knew from experience no flightless being, let alone Sonic, could survive a fall like that. Still, he snuck a peak and watched.

Just inches from going 'splat,' Sonic tucked into a ball-form and spun at rapid speeds. He was nothing but a blur as he thrusted himself into the soft earth. A hollow hole was left as a souvenir and the blue ball sprung out of the dirt some feet away; the hedgehog ("Noun. A burrowing animal.") uncurled himself, landed neatly on ground, and sped up to the car. Glancing up at Beast Boy, Sonic stifled a snicker and bolted ahead.

Beast Boy blinked, dumbfounded by what he saw. How'd he do that?

Wait... why was he laughing?

It was then the Titan felt his jaw still hanging. He snapped it shut and watched the blue streak disappear in the woods. We'll be like snails if he keeps this up. Beast Boy turned back to Cyborg. "I'm going ahead too."

The driver shrugged. "Go ahead," he patted the dashboard, "my baby and I will take things slow."

Green eyes twitched slightly. Sure, Cyborg took pride in his work but giving it a name? That seemed weirder than himself. Shaking his head, the shape-shifter morphed into a peregrine falcon and took to the skies. He followed the long set of shoe tracks into the forest. He better not have found that rock already. And with that, the bird gave chase to the speedy hedgehog.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile...

Starfire trailed behind Robin in silence; it wasn't long ago since they found a lead after the T-car left. The two crept through the abandoned warehouse without a word. The Titan leader came to an abrupt halt and knelt to the ground. Starfire watched her friend log data into his communicator and after several long, painful minutes, she broke the haunted silence.

"Robin?" She glided to Robin hesitantly while he scanned for more evidence. He did not perk up, completely immersed in his work. "Robin." She gently rested a hand on his shoulder. It was not hidden from the team that Robin had unfinished business with Slade... Perhaps this form of comfort was what he needed now.

"He's not doing it again."

Starfire withdrew her hand; the leader continued studying the loose debris. "I won't let him."

Old memories of Slade's doing came flooding back. Raven's prophecy... Terra's fate... Robin's rage...* The last memory was hard to let go. It was the one time her closest friend bruised her... Starfire rubbed the numb feeling out of her arm. There hadn't been much activity from Slade since. All the while, Robin burdened himself with not stopping the madman sooner.

Starfire's voice shook softly. "The fault is not yours." She drew closer to his side, "you are not the blamed." Neither Titan moved from their spot for what seemed eternity; the moment ended as Robin closed his communicator and walked ahead, keeping his guard up.

"This way."

The Tameranian lagged a few feet behind, a longing to help Robin tugging at her heart. She opened her mouth, not sure what to say.

"He got in my head, Star."

Her mouth snapped shut and she quietly listened.

"He tricked Terra and attacked Raven. Now he's after Sonic." He glanced behind and Starfire saw something she never saw before: doubt. It lingered in his white eyes, the mask failing to hide his inner turmoil. The shadows under his eyes hinted exhaustion weighing him down. He turned away and walked on. "He'll never stop."

The heroine froze in midair at these words; he does not believe we will succeed. "Slade has shown... the persistence." Her eyes shined with hope. "But we have faced him before."

Robin growled under his breath, "And each time, he gets away."

Starfire flew closer to Robin. "We can stop him this time..."

"HOW?!" He turned back so sudden, she nearly plowed into him. Every time we go after him, he's one step ahead!" He was seething through his teeth with fists curled and loathing eyes. Starfire flinched at this; the only time she had seen him this angry was... when Slade got into his mind.

She tried steering from the matter, "Sonic was the 'one step ahead' too." Robin's posture relaxed and he listened on. "He fought Slade and was victorious. He saved us when we were the captive." Starfire pondered over her words, that 'showdown,' as Cyborg would say, playing in her mind.** She smiled in realization, "he was the closest to stopping Slade." She rested a hand on Robin's shoulder. "Fear not, Robin, we WILL stop him. Do not dwell on the past."

The Boy Wonder sighed, placing his hand on hers. A light smile revealed itself. "Thanks, Star."

Starfire beamed with joy and pulled him into a hug, lifting them both in the air, "It is good to see your smile again!"

Robin squirmed in her arms. "Ow! Star... Air... Breathe!"

The overpowered alien dropped him immediately and her eyes doubled as he hit the floor. "Apologies!"

Robin massaged feeling into his throat and sides again. "It's okay." He looked back at the empty building. "Let's keep--"

Dark shadows dropped from the ceiling and circled the heroes; all of them had an orange and black design. Slade's minions.

Robin's groan echoed and a facepalm followed, "--moving." He readied his staff and Starfire emitted star-bolts from her hands. The minions got into fighting stance, their narrowed eyes matching Robin's. "He knows we're here." He twirled his staff and prepped for battle with a growl. "Take them down."

___________________________________________________________________________________

Sonic came to a clearing and screeched to a halt. Trees surrounded the area and a large dent was carved into the ground; bits of weeds layered the crater and created an aged look. Sonic smirked and took in the scenery, "Well, this is it."

It seemed like yesterday when he was thrown into this world with Metal. The hedgehog rubbed the back of his head at the memory of the robot's 'parting gift.'

Not the most pleasant thing I went through, he scoffed to himself. His thoughts were stopped by a bird's screech as he glanced behind to see a green falcon swoop down. It fumbled as it landed and transformed back to the Titan's former self with hands on knees and gasping for breaths.

"Dude..." he sucked in more air, "do you have to go THAT FAST?"

Sonic chuckled and scratched under his nose, "Sorry, I'm not used to going slow." He turned back to the clearing and tapped his foot while thinking. "We should start looking."

Beast Boy pointed back at the approaching T-car. "Shouldn't we wait for Cyborg?"

Sonic scratched the back of his head, "Oh, yeah."

For what seemed like an eternity to the speedster, the flying car finally landed and Cyborg stepped out. He was tapping away at his robotic arm as he greeted the others, "My sensors can track the emerald if I have an energy signature or image of it."

Sonic chuckled nervously at that, "Right, you never seen one before." He reached for a random stick and started carving into the dirt. "It basically looks like this..." A rough sketch of the Chaos Emerald was made and he continued, "but they come in many colors; Metal and I warped here with the green and red one." He looked to the listening Titans. "Slade has the red, so we're looking for the green."

Beast Boy looked around at his surroundings, "A green rock in a green jungle? Can it get any harder?"

Sonic shrugged, "It's easier than it sounds." He turned to the half-robot-half-man, "Cyborg, if you come across any energy readings off the charts, that's it."

Cyborg nodded and glanced down at his arm. "I'm picking up something." He pointed ahead with his free hand. "It's coming North from here."

Sonic smirked and prepped himself for another run. "Cool. Let's move it." And like that, he took off as a blue blur.

"Dude, wait up!"

Sonic chuckled at Beast Boy's whining and slowed just a tad. Deep down, a gut feeling was telling him to make this errand quick; more was at stake than his and Shadow's lack of chaos energy. Slade better not be pulling any stunts with that emerald.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Elsewhere...

It was quiet in the T-tower. The only sound was the pounding of keys through the halls. Raven was seated at the center monitors, her fingers flying over the flat-checkered keyboard. Even if she was on babysitting duty, she wouldn't abandon her team so easily. Amethyst eyes darted across the screens, all the city cameras pulled up.

Where is he? One of her hands strayed from the computer and sheltered her cloaked arm; the markings of the prophecy were long gone, but a shiver ran up her spine just thinking about it. Sure, her demon dad was pulling the strings, but Slade was nevertheless enthralled in his role of marking her.

With steady breaths, she struggled keeping her emotions in check. If there was one thing she learned from switching bodies with Starfire, she HAD to maintain control.

"Ughh..."

Raven perked up at the hoarse voice; no one else was in the central room.

"No..." There it was again. Strangely, it was coming from down the halls. Powering off the screens, Raven made her way out the room towards the noise. "No... d-don't..." The groans grew louder as she drew near. Peeking into the infirmary, she layed eyes on the voice's owner.

Shadow was still resting on his designated bed, but something seemed... off with him. He kept tossing and turning in his sleep with ragged breaths and furrowed brows.

Much like Sonic. Raven's eyes widened at this. She stepped forward to help, but faltered her actions and watched from afar. It's better if I get a broader understanding of this. Changing tactics, she circled the bed to Shadow's side and trained her eyes on the hedgehog.

His entire body was trembling and curling in on itself; scrunched eyes twitched ever so slightly as he murmured in his sleep. "Ma... Mar..."

Raven leaned closer to hear. Shadow breathed out he last word in a shallow whisper.

"Maria..." The hedgehog's head lolled to the side and breathing ceased. Blaring alarms sounded and scarlet lights flashed in the room. Raven glanced at the HR monitor and watched the healthy wavelengths drop to a flat line.

His vitals are dropping. She turned back to Shadow in horror; now was time to act, or the Ultimate Lifeform would surely die. Not wasting these precious seconds, Raven pressed her hand against the latter's forehead. This was the first she'd be healing the mind... rather stepping into it. With no time to fret, she closed her eyes and said the three magic words once more. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthus!"

A black aurora embodied her cloak and trailed down her hands to her fingertips, a linkage between Shadow's soul and hers. Focus... One slipup, and she'd do more harm than good, if cardiac arrest wasn't bad already. Soon the aurora engulfed the hedgehog, the waves of energy rippling over his body.

A faint light glowed from this black sea, manifesting into a brilliant white. Even with eyes closed, Raven could visibly see the light stretch across the room, the warm radiance gracing her skin. In a matter of seconds, the white glow vanished, the dim fluorescent lights above in its place. The first sound was the steady rhythm of a mechanical beep returning in the room. Violet eyes peeked from under their lashes and took in the scene.

Small, shallow breaths rose and fell from the dark hedgehog, incoherent mumbles proving him somewhat conscious. A foreign exhaustion washed over Raven that moment. Her eyes scrunched as she pushed the feeling aside; a normal side effect to any new spell. Opening her eyes again, she watched Shadow stir in his sleep and slowly come to.

The second he cracked his scarlet eyes open, they zeroed in on her hand, still pressed against his head, and then glared in her direction.

Raven restrained from showing any fear, locking eyes with the emo hedgehog... still, Shadow's murderous stare sent chills up her spine. Note to self: Don't leave your hand on a hedgehog's face, ESPECIALLY one with issues.

He smacked her hand away, enough force to match Cyborg's strength, and backed away, his eyes not leaving hers. His scowl said enough, but he made sure it was clear. "Keep your hands off me."

Raven stood her ground and out came the typical reply: a dry, subtle remark. "Your welcome."

The hedgehog's eyes darkened at her sarcasm. "If you know what's good for you... STAY OUT OF MY HEAD."

The dark heroine didn't flinch but beneath her hood, two violet eyes were practically fuming. How did Sonic meet this guy? He acts worse than me. Despite the dark vibes Shadow was giving her, she challenged his authority with a brooding nature of her own. "Sure, babysitting you is such a HUGE joyride. Like I want anywhere near your brain."

When it came to Raven she was the master of passive-aggressive; sarcasm rolled off her tongue like nothing. Still, she had to kick it up a notch if she were to trump this black pincushion. Shadow's expression clearly showed he did not take her words kindly.

Raven continued and made her own point clear, "I was healing you. Your body was going into shock and I stabilized it." Beneath the shadows of her hood, her seething teeth could be pictured through her voice. "I did NOT. READ. YOUR. MIND."

Shadow and Raven exchanged a death glare in still silence; the HR monitors' incessant beeps was the only reminder time hadn't stopped. Eventually, Raven's actions proved worthwhile as Shadow looked away with a scoff. "Hmph."

The Titan's hands curled into fists under her cloak. Bickering with this guy was a waste of time; it was like talking to her shadow. (Ya guessed it: pun intended!) Raven, with steady breaths, silently turned to leave and continue her investigations.

A rough voice sounded from behind. "Thanks."

She glanced back and saw Shadow glaring at her, but not because of her sarcasm... His rage seemed to be fixated on something else entirely. Layers of an old pain filled his blood-red eyes and his gaze softened in respect. Whatever he saw in his sleep... It had to be serious to shake him to the core, and something was telling Raven it'd take a lot to do that.

The heroine gave a silent nod and turned away exiting the room. A soft smile was concealed under the shadows of her hood. "Get some rest."

___________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile...

"Did he really blow up the moon?" Cyborg was asking nonstop questions as the trio ventured deeper into the forest.

Sonic scratched the back of his head, "Sorta. He took half the moon with the emeralds. That was around the time I first met Shadow."

The green fox trotting next to them transformed back to human and frowned at the mentioned name. "Was he always a jerk?" He continued walking... till a metallic hand smacked him upside the head. He glared at Cyborg over his shoulder, "ow! Dude?!" The half-human-half-robot scowled and jabbed a thumb behind him. Beast Boy glanced said way and froze, lost for words.

Sonic had stopped a while back, considering the distance between them, and stood in silence, furrowed brows knitting together in dismay. His cold, green eyes and firm tone matched every word, "He can be a lotta things, but he's not that." There was a long silence; only the rustling trees and hedgehog's sigh were heard. He frowned with hands on hips. "He dealt with a lot in the past. He's not very good at opening up." A small smirk slipped on his face as he chuckled, "but it's easy to get on his nerves."

He walked on, leaving Cyborg and Beast Boy speechless. Beast Boy, for the 206th time... couldn't find the words for a comeback. How's he get along with Shadow so well? Beast Boy frowned and thought back to a time with him and Raven... he had been standing outside her room, the door blocking him out.**

"And don't tell me I'm not creepy."

"Okay, you're way creepy. But that doesn't mean you have to hide in your room. You think you're alone... but you're not."

He and Raven were polar opposites. Even after their setbacks, and he meant MANY setbacks, they still found some common ground and got along. The only thing he could assume was the hedgehogs were the same. He caught up to Sonic and tried a new subject. "So... What was the black hole?"

Sonic just shrugged. "Something to do with an energy leakage from Eggman's mind control ray. I nearly outran it--"

"WHAT?!" Beast Boy and Cyborg stood with jaws dropped. Sonic held up a finger for correction.

"NEARLY," he emphasized. "Didn't say I did. But the wisps saved my skin before I became a shish kebab."

Cyborg raised a brow, "Wisps?"

The Blue Blur glanced at him, "Natives of Planet Wisp. Eggman tried to harvest hyper-go-on energy from their world."

Planet? Wait, did he mean... Beast Boy flailed his arms. "You went into space?! Why didn't you tell us before?"

Sonic chuckled nervously, "'Guess I forgot? If you thought that was crazy, wait till you hear about me trapped in a book." Before Sonic could delight Beast Boy in another hour of storytelling, Cyborg cut them off with a loud beeping from his arm.

"That'll have to wait." He started tapping at the built-in screen, "we've arrived at the coordinates." He looked up from the technology at Sonic. "You weren't kidding; my sensors are going berserk about the emerald."

The hedgehog winked. "Told ya so."

Beast Boy searched the area; trees bordered the depths of the forest with scraggly bushes clumped together on the ground. He squinted to pinpoint the rock, but to no avail. "Where is it? All I see are trees."

Cyborg punched his finger on the screen. The Titan looked as if he were about to murder his arm. "That's just it; the energy is everywhere."

Green eyes widened and Beast Boy shot a disbelieving look at Cyborg. "When does that happen?!"

The tech fanatic growled, "I'm trying to narrow the search, but it's popping all over the place."

Beast Boy was ready to pull Cyborg's arm to his level and take a look, but a blue blur zipped by and weaved through the trees around them. Sonic screeched to a halt next to the Titans and shook his head.

"No sign of the emerald here. Must be a blip from the energy spike." He hung his hands loosely behind his head and smirked, "Chaos Emeralds will do that sometimes. Ask my friend, Tails."

What was a simple joke stirred something in the hedgehog, his eyes flashing with fear to those last words. It was a subtle reaction, one Beast Boy barely noticed. Sonic's eyes trailed to the ground and his drooped ears followed suit. Beast Boy hadn't thought much about it since the hedgehog had been living her for so long; it'd been over 2 years since Sonic was stranded on the Teen Titans' world, and although the Blue Blur didn't show it much... he still missed home. The Titan recalled a 'Tails' mentioned before: the flying fox from what he remembered.

They must have been close.

But just like his name, Sonic shook off the weary look in seconds and plastered on one of his cocky smirks. He dashed ahead and called back, "Com'on, we'll look around while Cyborg fixes his gizmo."

Cyborg looked up, annoyed. "Did he just say that?"

Beast Boy grinned. "Now he's talking my language!"

He morphed into a green cheetah and sped on, watching the Blue Blur fade in the distance. Don't worry, Sonic... Beast Boy picked up the pace with a new mission in mind. We're gonna get you and Shadow home.

* Teen Titans: Season 3 Episode 5 (Haunted)

** Teen Titans: Season 3 Episode 6 (Spellbound)

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pinkjunepeanut · 2 years

Text

Blue Titans (Continued): Chapter 2

Why has Robin not returned? Worry troubled Starfire as she paced back and forth in the hallway. She and her had taken the hedgehogs back to the T-tower for recovery, but that was two hours ago. She looked back at the locked door Robin and Raven were behind; they left her and the other two Titans outside while Sonic and his 'rude friend' were being treated.

Cyborg stood by the door patiently and Beast Boy was telling his 120th joke of the day.

"Okay, why did the elephant wear a tire on his face?"

This distracted Starfire for the moment. She stopped and glanced at Beast boy, puzzled. "I don't know. Is the tire an accessory for the fashion?"

Beast Boy snickered at his own joke, "Because he hooked it to the trunk. Get it? TRUNK!" He rolled on the ground in laughter leaving a stumped Starfire. As she thought it over, her eyes brightened and she held up a finger.

"Ah, I understand. The tire attached to the nose is why the elephant wears it." She frowned at what Beast Boy said. "But what is the purpose of the joke?"

The green prankster opened his mouth but Cyborg spoke first. "BB's trying to make a pun." He shot Beast Boy annoyed look, "but you messed it up. It's SUPPOSED to be, 'he couldn't put it in the trunk.' NOT 'hooked to it.'"

The shapeshifter folded his arms and pouted, "I liked it better my way." He eagerly turned back to Starfire, "this one's gonna be good. Why did--"

He never did finish.

The door slid open and Robin quietly stepped out, Raven following after. Starfire zipped to Robin and squeezed him tightly in mid-flight. "Robin! You have healed them!" Her over-excitement took over and she hugged him ever tighter. She didn't hear the cracking of bones as the masked boy squirmed in her grip.

"Star... Grip... HURTS!"

His words were barely audible and she spun him in the air joyously. "Sonic will be back on the feet and his friend is safe! You have much of my thanks!"

Raven cleared her throat, catching Starfire's attention, and she spoke in a monotone. "We'll be having more patients if you don't let go."

The Tamaranean stared blankly at Raven, oblivious to the victim she was strangling. A strangled rasp from Robin brought her to realization and she released him in shock. "I am the sorry!"

After a small coughing fit, Robin chuckled weakly and rubbed his sore sides. "It's fine." His light smile faded and silence followed. Starfire's concern returned and she looked to Raven for help but even she was not saying a word.

Cyborg stepped up and stared down at Robin. "How bad is it?" His voice was shaking, like Robin was the giant, not him.

Robin looked away and sighed. "Sonic has fully recovered, but Shadow..."

"His health is declining," Raven finished with no hesitation.

Starfire sucked in her breath. Shadow is still sick? The words were worse than 'the pudding of sadness' and even that was a nightmare; she cringed at the thought. Her joy dwindled and was replaced by sorrow, an emotion she rarely encountered. The burden took its toll and she gradually descended to the floor. She searched the room for any signs of hope but her friends' expressions only let the feeling sink in more. A long silence hung in the tower, only pain and worry making themselves known.

Beast Boy hung his head, "Must be the Chaos stuff." His voice had no humor, no energy, nothing. It was as if he were an empty shell (pun intended!).

Starfire balled her fists and looked to each of her friends with a new confidence. "We can not give up now." Her rebounding joy lifted her back in the air. "Shadow needs our help!" If anyone could find hope in the bleakest moment, it was her. She flew up to Robin, nose to nose with him, with pleading hands. "Please, is there not anything we can do?"

Robin stepped back in shock; 'personal space' was not something Starfire was familiar with. He shook his head, "Sorry, Star. We'll have to wait till Sonic wakes up." The team looked back, past Raven, into the open room.

Two motionless hedgehogs were visible, lying on separate beds. IV's were strapped to them and only their vitals and faint breathing proved they were still alive. Robin sighed as his mind wandered to the Blue Blur.

"He knows more about this Chaos... energy."

___________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile...

Sonic slowly opened his eyes to complete darkness. His eyelids fluttered as he groggily rolled onto his side and pushed himself up. The world, if there was one in the shadows, seemed to spin and he massaged his throbbing forehead.

"Talk about a headache." It was like his skull was spin dashing non-stop.

Finally the pain lessened and he looked up at the empty room; infinite darkness covered the area and stretched for miles. Oddly, he could see his body, but that was it. Even the sturdy floor he stood on matched the black air. The hedgehog squinted with focused pupils to make out something... Anything...

"Where..." His aimless question was cut off a familiar voice.

"My, my. What a surprise."

Sonic tensed and whipped around but only shadows met him. His quills relaxed and he did his iconic stance: a hand on hip, a cocky smirk, and a finger rubbing under his nose. Even if he was stuck with who-he-thought-it-was, it'd take more than that to bring down his ego. "'Sup, Slade?" He grinned at the nothingness. "Ready to come out of that hidey hole of yours?"

The villain's voice was smooth as silk but still had that 'bad guy' vibe to it. "On the contrary. Perhaps you should join me."

"What-- WHOA!" Sonic's floor gave away under him and he immediately dropped. He flailed his arms in free-fall until he slammed into another invisible surface. "Oof!" The air was knocked out of him and he quickly shielded his head, then grabbed a breath; he wasn't gonna let someone pull off the same stunt Metal did when they warped dimensions. As he got his bearings, he heard Slade's voice again.

"Welcome, Sonic. I've been expecting you."

Sonic strained to look up. The black-and-orange man stood a few feet from him at full attention with hands behind his back. The down hedgehog scoffed as he got to his feet and dusted himself off, "Eggman's thrown a lot'a stuff at me, and so far, you're not a change of pace." He raised an eyebrow at Slade. "How'd you get in my head?"

The foe removed a hand from behind his back... and revealed a large, brilliant-red jewel in his palm. "With one of your relics, of course."

Sonic stepped back in shock. He couldn't find any of his witty comebacks as the Chaos Emerald glistened in the dark. 'Horror' didn't come close to his reaction. "How'd you--"

Slade simply waved the emerald at the hero. "Impressed? That copy of yours, 'Metal Sonic' was it?" He twirled the jewel tauntingly, "he gave it to me a while ago." He held the trinket in front and studied it. "I wondered what use this was to you, then I tested it myself." He turned back to Sonic and seemed to smile behind the mask, "and my, what power it holds."

Sonic tapped his foot impatiently as he put two and two together. "So that's how you intercepted Raven's telepathy. And the goons at the store..."*

"Yes, Sonic, all decoys to find the second one." His sleek voice sparked with enthusiasm, "you are quite perceptive for a speedster."

The Blue Blur gave a playful wink. "Sometimes, you gotta take it slow." He stretched his legs and got the blood flowing; his body was practically begging for another run. "And thanks for the heads-up; I'll let the Titans know you said 'hi.'" He sped off into the shadows... Only to slam into an unseen force. "Grgh!" He was flung backwards and tumbled head over heels for a few seconds. When he finally stopped, he was back where he started: on his stomach, in front of the patiently waiting Slade. "Note to self," the speedster growled, "don't run into invisible walls."

The villain's voice echoed in the air, "You believed I'd let you go that easily?"

Sonic slowly got up and rubbed his aching head. "Okay, maybe you're more annoying than Egg-head."

Slade wasn't the least fazed by this. He neatly tucked the emerald away and continued. "I am aware there are more emeralds like this, and if there are only two on this world..." His hidden grin was expressed in a sly voice. "There's more on yours?"

Green eyes widened at this. How did he know about the others... Unless if he didn't. Slade was gambling on Sonic's reaction, and the hedgehog's expression proved the suspicions were right. He mentally slapped himself for not thinking of it sooner.

The villain reached out an offering hand to Sonic, "You have the knowledge of that world. You know where the emeralds are and how to harness them." His open hand turned into a pointing finger. "All I need is you."

This ain't good. "Sorry, Two-Face," Sonic quipped with a low growl. His quills bristled and he cautiously looked around; he had to get out of here before things turned for the worse. "Not gonna happen."

For the first time in the black limbo, Slade gave off a bone-chilling cackle. "You can run all you want. But in the end, I will find you and the emeral--"

A bright flash silenced the villain in mid-sentence. Through the blinding light, Sonic swore he saw the silhouette of a black raven. Then, he woke up.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, a few minutes ago...

"Robin!"

The masked leader looked up from the center monitors after hearing his name. Starfire soared into the tower's center room and came to an abrupt stop next to him.

"Robin, you must come quickly!"

He arched an eyebrow. "Can it wait? He shifted back to the large screens and typed away. Despite what Sonic said earlier,* catching Slade was his top priority while the hedgehogs rested. He noticed Starfire with pleading hands as she begged him further.

"It is of Sonic." Her eyes hurt with worry, "I fear something is very wrong."

Robin perked up at Starfire's change of tone. His eyes hardened and studied her expression; she was on the verge of tears as her green eyes glistened like diamonds. The Boy Wonder knew the Tamaranean all too well to see it was serious. His voice darkened at his next words. "Get the others." Starfire nodded and left to carry out his order. Robin turned back to the monitors; a familiar black-and-orange dressed man was staring back at him through the screen. Soon we'll catch him. He powered off the screen. Soon...

The team met in the infirmary a few seconds later. Shadow was on his cot and out like a light, but that wasn't what caught Robin's attention. It was the cobalt hedgehog to the left of Shadow that made things strange. He was tossing and turning in his sleep with legs sprawled out, a grimace reaching his face ever so often. The team stood there in silence as the scene unfolded. Finally, Beast Boy broke the awkwardness.

"Uh... How is dancing in his sleep wrong?"

Robin sighed and looked tiredly at Starfire. "Star, he's just dreaming. It's normal for this to happen."

Starfire balled her fists and righteous fury consumed her. "But he is not the normal!" Her eyes glowed a dangerous green and her star-bolts ignited. "He is the hurting and needs our help!"

Robin ran a hand down his face. This is the same girl that mistook an alarm clock as a bomb last week. He was about to protest but was cut off by shaky gasps from behind him. Indeed, something was wrong with the Blue Blur.

The hedgehog's chest hitched with erratic breaths and a soft groan escaped his mouth. For some reason, it seemed he was wincing from an unseen pain. Blaring alarms sounded as the HR monitors spiked, speeding up to 10 times faster now.

Cyborg approached Sonic slowly. "Star has a point." He held his robotic arm over the squirming hedgehog and took some readings. "I'm picking up irregular brain waves; they're increasing in amplitude and intensity."

Beast Boy scratched his head. "English?" It was well established science was not his forte.

Cyborg groaned and tried 'dumbing' it down. "Sonic's brain is dealing with too much stress."

Raven stood alongside him. "It is true. I can sense an inner struggle within him." She walked up to Sonic's bedside and closed her eyes, "I will find out what is wrong." She slowly drifted into the air in a hover, her legs crossed into a meditating stance with fingers locked into Gyan Mudra.** As the team watched, she said the three magic words. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos..."

A bright flash emitted from her cloak and covered the room in a white haze; at the same time, a jet-black raven flew out of Raven's soul and into Sonic's head. His muscles immediately relaxed and his body sank into the firm cot more... Even his breathing was shallow.

Robin shot a glance at the monitors again; the hedgehog's heartbeat was still being tracked, but it seemed weaker. Robin's gut churned as he looked back at Sonic. What's taking Raven so long? The team waited on in worry and silence. Unfortunately, this proved impossible for Beast Boy as his patience wore out... Fast.

"Is he dead?" His finger prodded at Sonic's peach-furred arm. No reaction whatsoever.

But then... He woke up.

The Blue Blur sprung to life and shot out of the covers in less than a millisecond. When he halted at the edge of the bed, the Titans were taken back by what they saw. Sonic was anything but his normal self; his body was shaking like crazy and he was panting with sweat running down his face. His eyes were completely glazed over as they darted in every direction. The wild look in the hedgehog's eyes made Robin's spine crawl.

It seemed too unreal.

Starfire placed a hand on his shoulder; he flinched away with quills bristled. Starfire squeezed tighter being careful not to use her Tamaranean strength; she had to snap him out of it. "Remain calm, Sonic." Worry and fear were written on her face as she held a firm grip on the speedster. Robin, on the other hand, studied the mobian, detail by detail.

Something didn't seem right. He'd seen the hedgehog in action, always cocky, upbeat, and carefree. It didn't matter how many hits he'd take; Sonic's joking side never subsided. But to see him like this, in a paranoia-like-broken state, it had to be serious.

Starfire's voice sounded again, "You were having the nightmare."

The feral look in Sonic's eyes slowly faded. Groaning, he fully sat up and massaged his forehead. "There's that headache again."

Beast Boy was left speechless. "Dude, you know how long you were out?"

Sonic rubbed at his eyes. "Ugh... what happened?"

Raven made her appearance by descending to the floor. She pulled her hood down and her stone face greeted everyone. Her eyes zeroed in on the blue member. "You were in a trance. I had to reach into your mind to break you free."

Sonic tilted his head. "Trance?"

This was something Robin was not expecting. "You mean it wasn't a dream he was having?"

Raven opened her mouth but Sonic beat her to it. "Nope, Slade knocked on the door." To make his point, he knocked on his skull.

Robin's eyes narrowed; Slade was at it again and now with new motives. His jaw tightened as he struggled to keep his composure. "You sure it was him?"

Sonic nodded. "Positive. And I know how he got in." For the first time in a while, Sonic's emerald eyes hardened and his gloved hands curled into fists.

He's not playing around anymore, Robin realized.

Sonic continued. "He found a Chaos Emerald." He glanced up at Raven. "That's how he slipped into our conversations."

Raven nodded slowly, pondering on Sonic's words. Robin turned away from Sonic and faced his team. He knew Sonic said something about the emeralds before, two years ago actually, but that wasn't important right now. Slade has to be dealt with. Robin's tone hardened and he listed the objective. "Then we have to find him." The group nodded in unison.

"No."

Everyone looked back at the voice. Sonic as making his way off the bed, IV's and all removed. His cold expression never left as he steadily stood up.

"He's already found one emerald. If he finds the second, he can make a portal to my world."

Robin and the team stood there, processing the hedgehog's words. Cyborg broke the silence. "That's bad enough, but why would he do that?"

Sonic gritted his teeth and growled, "Because he's after the others."

Raven quirked a brow. "The others?"

The hedgehog didn't face her and answered bluntly. "The other Chaos Emeralds."

Now Robin's interest perked up. What is so important about the emeralds? He frowned as he pondered over Sonic's answer. Why is Slade after them to begin with? "These... Emeralds..." He looked at the Blue Blur quizzically, "are they that powerful?"

Sonic heaved a sigh, his eyes glued to the floor. "Yeah." He looked up with a weak grin. "Here's a little history lesson." The Titans gathered closer as he explained. "The Chaos Emeralds are mystical gems on my world that hold infinite power."

Robin noticed the further Sonic went on with the lecture, the more his cocky attitude returned.

"Collect all seven and you can basically do anything. I've used them several times. Flight, light speed, invincibility... I got all that." His wide grin melted into a frown. "But they can be used for destruction too." Sonic growled under his breath but Robin managed to hear. "Eggman's proven that."

"He's right." Everyone, including Sonic, turned to the deep voice. Shadow was grabbing the rail of his bed and heaving himself off the cot; as he stepped on the ground, his legs buckled and he staggered backwards. The Titans reached out to help but he held a gloved hand up. They waited as he pulled himself up on the bed and leaned his weight against the railing.

Robin noted Shadow's appearance. Besides the brooding hedgehog's exhausted state, he looked completely fine; no scars, bruises, or injuries visible. How long was he awake? Maybe there was a reason he went by the name, 'Ultimate Lifeform.' Still, he's stubborn as me. Robin crossed his arms and the white eyes on his mask narrowed. "You're supposed to be resting."

Shadow returned the glare. "I'm fine."

Robin arched an eyebrow; scratch that. He's WORSE than me.

The dark hedgehog turned back to everyone else with a cold stare, "Robotnik has proven the emeralds can not be in the wrong hands."

Beast Boy stifled a laugh. This got everyone's attention, and unfortunately, Shadow's also. "What'd 'Robutt-nick' do? Scramble the world for breakfast?"

Shadow snapped his head at the green kid and his eyes blazed a crimson red; even though he wasn't looking at Robin, Shadow still made his skin crawl. Before Shadow could make a scene, Sonic jumped in.

"Lemme see..." He started counting off his fingers. "Blew up the moon, ripped the world apart, started a black hole..." He looked up. "Should I go on?"

Silence answered him and Robin couldn't stop his jaw from dropping. Blew up... Black hole... What? He couldn't fathom what he just heard. Shadow just scoffed; no reaction whatsoever.

Sonic brushed off the silent treatment and went on. "Our only way to keep Slade from getting the other emeralds is finding the second one. Without both, Slade can't get to my world."

Robin carefully thought it over. It made sense: Find the emerald = Slade can't make a getaway. But there was still that nagging feeling again. "I still think some of us should go after Slade." He faced the Titans, "Starfire, you're coming with me. Cyborg, pair up with Beast boy and Sonic." He gestured to Starfire and then to the boys, "We'll look for Slade and you scout for the emerald." He turned to the last member, "Raven stay with Shadow."

Shadow's snarl followed. "I said I'm fine."

The Boy Wonder would later question what he did was smart. He marched up to Sonic's 'friend' and stared down at him. Like Beast boy with Sonic in the beginning, he threw a punch at the hedgehog's pride. "You need the rest." His voice was like stones pummeled at the rodent. "Stay. HERE."

The two glared at each other in a still silence and neither turned away. Beast Boy's clambering was heard in the other room, along with clattering of dishes.

Probably grabbing snack foods to watch the show. After several, long, painful seconds for everyone else, Shadow finally relented and scoffed.

"Whatever."

Robin faced Raven. "Keep an eye on him." Raven nodded without a word. The leader turned back to the Titans just as Beast Boy entered. Robin's suspicions were correct; the former Doom Patrol member was carrying a bowl of tofu waffles in one hand and a soda in the other. He glanced around and his large ears wilted.

"Did I miss it already?" The team and hedgehogs gave him unamused looks.

Sonic lightened the mood, "Yeah, you should have seen it." He locked an arm to his chest and reenacted the story. "Robin had Shadow at a headlock, and Shadow was cursing left and right..."

"Continue with what you were saying," Shadow growled menacingly. "I INSIST."

Sonic merely chuckled at the death threat.

Robin cautiously turned back to the team and cleared his throat. "You know the plan." He did his signature pose and shouted the code phrase. "Titans, GO!"

*Blue Titans (Squidkid11): Chapter 17

**Meditating position: Check it out sometime!

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