Wheres The Beauty In This Beast?: Chapter 1

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!

_____________________________________________________________

“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.

I like in Teen Titans that Robin’s mask is just as expressive as like cartoon spidey masks. Especially when they do this thing:

OR WHEN HE DOES THIS:

he’s so silly I love him lmao

🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️

Very late but happy pride everyone!!!

masterpost / patreon

Blue Titans (Continued): Chapter 1

Continuation of "Blue Titans." Sonic warped into Jump City and met up with the Teen Titans. Now that he's settled in, things can't possibly go south... Can they? Shadow's now with the gang and Slade is ready to strike again. This will be out of this world... or dimension. Credit to Squidkid11.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVjtm116ShA&list=PLTiXGyUnW7a6pYRV1MVLRtmY7vQaBF4i2

A devastating fear hung in the air as Sonic stared in the sky where Shadow appeared from the now vanished portal. His one ticket home slipped through his fingers and now he was stuck for good in Jump City with 'Mr. Sunshine.' Starfire broke the silence.

"Sonic, who is this with you?"

The Blue Blur rolled his head, more out of exhaustion with fighting his rival, in her direction. His glossy stare met her bright eyes. He could barely stand, let alone breath, and his dead weight was supported on Shadow. All he wanted was a nice long nap to get his speed going, but his ego got the best of him and he straightened up a little to appear his normal self. His cocky grin showed and he looked to Shadow.

"Right, introductions. Shadow, meet the Teen Titans," he gestured to the group. "They're the heroes of the city." Then vice versa. "Titans, meet Shadow, the 'Ultimate Moody Life Form.'"

Beast Boy held back a snicker.

"That's Ultimate Life Form to you, Faker," the ebony hedgehog's snarl was heard. Shadow took a moment to observe the scenery around him. "So this is where you've been the entire time?"

Sonic gave a small shrug. "Yeah, tried finding the Chaos Emeralds to get back... but no such luck."

His dark rival sighed under his breath. "I can see how you FAILED," pointedly jabbing at Sonic's pride, "you in this condition."

Sonic leaned back on Shadow and chuckled, "Says the hedgehog who came without an emerald."

Wrong move.

Shadow stepped back and took Sonic's platform with him; the speedster ultimately (no pun intended) fell on his face with a thud.

"Ow!"

"Dude!" The green kid with elf-like ears stepped forward, "why'd you do that?!"

Shadow crossed his arms and looked down on the blue rodent. "Tsk. He deserved it."

Robin gave a long stare at the newcomer but finally softened his gaze; Sonic figured he connected the dots of this being an ongoing thing. The Boy Wonder packed his gear and faced the team. "We better head back to the tower." He turned back to Shadow and his tone was firm, "you'll have to come for questioning."

Shadow scoffed. "Like I'd go with you freaks."

Sonic tensed at his words; this wasn't going to end well. He pushed himself up on his knees and glared at his doppelganger. "Shadow..."

Cyborg marched up to the black hedgehog; his torso met Shadow's head as he towered over him. "Wanna say that again?" To Cyborg's surprise, Shadow turned away and walked on.

"I'm better off on my own."

Sonic shakily rose to his feet. "Uh, Shadow?" He'd seen this way too many times and knew it wouldn't end in Shadow's favor.

Shadow glared behind at Sonic, "I'll find those emeralds you've failed to recover." He crossed his arms and shouted, "Chaos... Control!"

A bright flash lit the streets and the Titans shielded their eyes. Sonic squinted through the white haze in hopes he was wrong; but sure enough, Shadow was still standing there. The explosion of light already dissipated and Shadow staggered around, holding his head.

"Ugh..." His swaying turned into a fall and Sonic lunged out to him.

"Shads!"

Somehow, the Blue Blur gathered enough energy to reach Shadow and stop his fall. He settled the dazed one down and tried catching his breath; this was taking too much out of him. Even with his hyper nature, his eyelids were practically pulling him to sleep. He heard Shadow's groans of fighting unconsciousness and approaching footsteps.

Raven's voice followed after. "What happened?"

Sonic glanced up at her; although her tone was dry, her eyes told another story. He turned back to help Shadow up but said hedgehog smacked the lending hand away and growled weakly, "I don't need your sympathy. I can get up myself." He stood up abruptly but immediately collapsed again.

This time, Sonic didn't have the strength to catch him and the air was sucked out of his rival as Shadow landed on his back. Sonic drew in a breath and sighed. "He's lost a lot of chaos energy." He stared at the Ultimate Lifeform with weary eyes, "unlike me, he lives off it."

Beast Boy piped in, "But didn't you say there's no chaos energy here?"

Sonic's blood froze over and he didn't move. He hadn't thought of it before, but Shadow wouldn't be able to recover like he could. No chaos energy meant no life source and no life source meant... Sonic looked up with cold, green eyes and answered Beast Boy. "Bingo."

The Titans took a moment to process this and Robin was the first to speak. "Then we better get him to the tower. We'll figure it out from there." He turned to the girls, "Starfire and Raven, help them out to the T-car." Starfire nodded and flew to Sonic.

She softly landed and propped him on her shoulder. "Come, Sonic," she slowly led him to the backseat, "we will heal your friend."

He didn't lift his head but a soft chuckle proved he was awake. "If that's what you call him."

Coincidentally, he heard Shadow's warning growl behind. "Don't even try it... I don't need your sympathy." Sonic didn't need to look to know who he was talking to. He heard Raven's voice afterwards.

"I can carry or levitate you." Her tone hardened, "you're coming with us."

There was a long silence as Starfire helped Sonic into the car and his head fell facing away and his eyes growing heavy. He could imagine Shadow's grumbling about being carried behind him; he was proven right when his rival's muttering about self dignity was heard.

Shadow's growls grew more and more distant as the sounds lulled him into a deep, deep sleep.

Introducing... Dice the Cat! To be introduced in the second Arc of "Blue Titans (Continued)"

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)