Feint

Shadow's eyes roll languidly back into his skull. Remarkably, he's unconscious yet still standing, seemingly held upright by Rouge's well-placed boot.

Appalled by her actions, she yanks hard, extracting her heel from his flesh with a sound that brings up bile in her throat.

Released, his knees buckle and he tips forward, freefalling in a display of flaccid elegance.

Topaz shrieks as the hedgehog collapses on top of her, his head hitting her stomach.

"No."

Omega fizzles.

"No, no, no!"

Shadow is unresponsive.

Rouge sinks her fingernails into her scalp, trying to stay calm, trying to think.

Topaz darts from body to body, crouching to check their vital signs, personally attending to the dozen or so human soldiers under her command that litter the ground like dropped toys. To her, the answer becomes increasingly clear.

"It wasn't his fault. He wasn't in control."

"How do you know that?"

"When he looked at me, he wasn't 'there' anymore."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"It isn't his fault, honey. It's mine."

"What do you mean?"

"He confided in me. We talked about the sensations in his head. Like echoes, he said."

"What?"

"He isn't crazy. I think he was trying to describe some sort of lingering influence from the Black Arms invasion."

"So, he's been compromised?"

"Maybe."

"He's dangerous."

"He needs help."

"We can't trust him anymore."

"And we can't put him down like one of your sickly pets."

"He's a weapon. Unpredictable. He's not like–"

"He's my friend! Who are you to assess his personhood?"

"Enough." Topaz gestures with the gun, as if able to somehow shoo Rouge away. "Step aside."

The bat lowers her head, cradling Shadow's unconscious body against hers, shielding him from harm.

"I told you to move."

"No," she says, suddenly eerily quiet.

"Get out of my way, Rouge. That's an order."

"Look at me, honey. Do I look dangerous, to you?"

The human deflates, her aim wavering.

"I could rip you apart if I wanted to. You and that little gun of yours."

"Is that a threat?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Rouge, for the last time, I order you to stand down."

"I won't hurt you. How could I?"

Someone groans.

"But I won't stand aside and let you hurt him, either. So, if you pull that trigger, you'll have to shoot us both."

"Rouge…"

"But I know you won't."

"Don't."

"Because I trust you."

"Are your men okay?"

"They're alive."

Rouge shakily wipes her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

Topaz nods slowly.

"This… It won't ruin us, right?"

"I've called for an evac," says the human, ignoring the bat's question.

"Oh."

For a while, there is silence.

"I'm not letting GUN take him. They'll consider him a traitor. They'll have little reason to be kind."

"If you aid his escape, you'll be seen as a traitor, too."

"Or his hostage."

"This is madness."

"Maybe."

"What, are you gonna run away with him?"

"I'm gonna try."

"Madness."

Rouge suddenly seizes Topaz by the hand.

"Don't say it."

"Come with me."

"You're asking me to uproot my life."

"Yes."

"To end my career."

"Yes."

"To rub shoulders with the monster that tried to kill me."

"I know I'm being greedy and repugnant."

The human craves a cigarette.

"Someone has to take care of him. After what he did to Omega, I guess that duty is mine alone, now. But who will take care of me?"

"You're right. This is greedy and repugnant."

The bat averts her cold eyes.

"But I don't want to lose you, again."

Topaz tosses Shadow into the back of the car like a sack of potatoes, then wipes the sweat from her brow.

"Would you buckle him in, please?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Thanks, honey."

"Uh-huh."

The hedgehog's slumped head is impatiently pushed aside to afford the winding seatbelt greater room, grazing his cheek in passing.

Eyes closed, Rouge listens to the click of the buckle, then the slam of the door, followed by the trudging of heavy boots that approach the driver's side. "Can I say something, before we get going?"

Topaz slides behind the wheel, slamming her door shut, too.

"I'm not very nice to you. I know that."

"You aren't, most of the time."

"You deserve better. When this is all over, I'd like to change for you, for the better."

"I think I'd like that."

The bat smiles. "You've kept that ring I gave you, all those years ago. You're wearing it now."

"I haven't broken it."

"The battlefield is no place for such fine jewellery."

They're silent for a few seconds.

"You never did explain to me why you gave me this ring, of all your little trinkets."

"You're considering the implications."

"Am I wrong?"

"Oh, my darling," Rouge murmurs, then yawns.

"You should get some sleep."

"You're right. But I'm wide awake, thinking of various ways to somehow make this up to you."

"Oh, yeah?"

"The prospects thus far are depressing."

"We might figure something out. You might change."

"Maybe. You're really very special, you know?"

"I know."

"I'm glad. I don't want you to forget that, even when I do treat you badly, sometimes. Even if I don't change."

"Alright."

"I mean it. And… thank you. For tagging along for the ride. For helping Shadow."

"I'm not doing this for Shadow. I'm here to take care of you, remember?"

"I'll try not to forget it, even when I'm treating you badly."

"Right." Topaz jabs the key into the ignition and turns it.

"You do realise that we haven't planned beyond this point." The bat tucks her wings more snugly around herself in response to the rumbling of the engine.

"Yeah. Mind if I hum?"

"You normally do that when you're nervous."

"I'm a bit nervous."

"Hum as much as you need to, honey. I like the sound of your voice."

"Thanks." The human unexpectedly sniggers.

"What's so funny?"

"I just realised, I can try humming along to that song you like."

"The one about butts?"

"Exactly."

"It really is a terrible song."

For now, perhaps the moonlight is enough.