[Normal POV]
The room was quiet, tense, and full of emotion. No one had spoken a word after Dr. Prower had given a brief explanation of the situation. Everyone was on edge.
"Are you absolutely sure that this is THE Phantom Ruby and not one of Eggman's old prototypes?" Shadow asked.
He needed to know. He couldn't have a war like with Infinite and Ultimatum happen again.
"This is definitely not one of Eggman's prototypes," Miles reassured, "but this is not THE Phantom Ruby that was used during the war either. That I can assure you, but that is also part of the problem."
"Please, explain." Omega prompted. But with his deep voice, it sounded more like a demand than a prompt.
"Since this a new Phantom Ruby, we know nothing of its strength, weaknesses, stability, or the plausible extent of its use. I've never experimented with the first Phantom Ruby, so I don't have any control factors to compare this ruby with. So, I can't say for sure whether this one is more powerful or weaker compared to the first Phantom Ruby. What I can say is that the new Phantom Ruby's powers are different from the first one."
"In what way, Tails?"
Miles looked up to meet Sonic's eyes. Out of all his friends, Sonic is the only one who still calls him by his childhood nickname. Miles gave a small smile.
He looked about the room to everyone who had quickly assembled for this emergency meeting. Sonic, Silver, Rouge, Metal Sonic, Zonic, Omega, Commander Amanda Tower, and Shadow. They were all seated around the conference table, and all eyes were fixed on him. Some were his friends; others comrades. He only wished this meeting didn't have to happen.
"It holds the ability to alter a single person's reality. A term I like to call a Personal Reality Shifter or PRS."
"A Personal Reality Shifter?" Commander Tower questioned. "So, you're saying it too has the power to affect reality?"
"Yes, but personally."
"What do you mean by that?" Silver asked.
"I mean that this Phantom Ruby has the power to alter the reality of just one person's life, not everyone's. For the sake of clarity, we back at the lab call this new ruby Phantom Ruby 0. Phantom Ruby 0 is a slight downgrade from the one Eggman used, but it could be just as powerful."
"You said that this Phantom Ruby 0 was confiscated by two of your operatives, Commander!?" Zonic questioned. He had directed his question to Shadow.
"Yes. Our hired associates, the Blazers, retrieved the Phantom Ruby during a classy black market event located at one of Dodon Pa's mansions."
I have yet to receive the full report of their mission, but Rouge has informed me that King Dodon Pa was planning to sell it at the party before the Blazers confiscated it."
"Mr. Pa! He's in the black market business now!?" Sonic could hardly believe it. "Man, I knew that jolly mustache man was tricky and a little bit…" Sonic paused and tapped his head, "You know… but I would never have expected this of him."
"I'll expect a copy of the Blazers' full mission report by tomorrow, Shadow." Commander Tower spoke firmly.
Shadow gave a nod.
"As well as Rouge's and Metal Sonic's." Commander Tower continued, "We don't know how deadly this Phantom Ruby 0 can be, so I will expect consistent updates on new developments. I can speak for all of us that the last thing we want is another war."
"I agree." Shadow nodded. "Which is why I'll be working closely with you, Silver" Shadow said pointing to Silver, "as well as you, Prower to get to the bottom of this. There have been new developments in the Star Files case that I believe connect to this issue. As all of you know, Devious, aka Starline is still at large. We had expected him to attend the event at Dodon Pa's mansion, so I had assigned Rouge and Metal Sonic to find and apprehend him. But he never showed. Instead, the infamous Locky the Cat was there with a message from Devious to me. Thanks to the efforts of Rouge, we have discovered that Locky and Devious have been communicating for the past 5 months and have been doing so, purposely to get our attention."
"Really!?" Silver shocked. "Why is this!?"
"Well, sweetie, I think it's because Devious demands an audience." Rouge plainly. "Locky says Devious is working on something 'big'. He claims he doesn't know what it is but has let us know that if we interfere, there'll be trouble."
"Ha! Like we haven't heard that before!" Sonic laughed. "You think a little threatening note is going to stop us!? Pfft! Please! Count me in, Shadow! I've been needing a little bit of action!"
"This isn't a game, Sonic! Our future is at stake!"
"I am serious, Shadow! Which is why I'll be including myself…"
"(Ding!) Julie sent you a message on Match.com."
The room was silent as everyone looked in the direction of the computer voice. The screen on Sonic's phone had lit up and a notification could be seen displayed on the screen.
Sonic swallowed. No one said anything for exactly ten seconds.
"Before anyone starts…" Sonic began, slowly. "This isn't my phone."
"I can detect that you are lying." Metal Sonic countered.
"What!? That's impossible! How do you know that!? Do you have a lie detector!? Tails, you installed a lie detector in him!?"
"N-no, I didn't!"
Sonic's eyes widened and fear flashed on his face, but quickly switched to anger. Slowly, he turned to look at Metal Sonic who held an aloof air.
"Well. I guess I have good instincts, then." Metal spoke nonchalantly.
This caused Silver to cough uncontrollably to cover up his laughs, while Rouge laughed without shame.
Sonic looked shamefully at his phone, hoping to disappear.
"Do not feel too bad, Sonic." Omega consoled. "I commend your efforts; most of the people in this room are single."
"Not me." Zonic rebutted.
This made matters worse! Silver's "coughing" became heavier, Rouge was crying from laughter, Commander Tower was now softly chuckling to herself, and Shadow…
Was smiling!
"Metal," Sonic turned to his robot copy, anger written all over his face. "You are going to regret this!"
Metal Sonic smiled.
"You, me! After meeting!" Sonic growled.
"Whatever, blue pineapple." Metal said calmly, turning his head to hide his smirk.
Sonic rose from his chair.
"You know, I liked you better when you could just go beep-boop!"
Metal gave Sonic a wicked smile and noised, "Beep boop."
Sonic clenched his fists. Shadow could tell what was about to happen and decided to intervene.
Just as Sonic was about to lunge at Metal, Shadow barked at both of them.
"Sonic, sit down! And Metal, stop acting like a teenager! As a Senior Agent, I expect more from you!"
Sonic felt good that Metal got scolded, but he wasn't satisfied. Sonic did what he was told and sat down. He kept his eyes on Metal Sonic and growled.
"Sonic, please calm down and silence your phone." Commander Tower pleaded.
Her voice was soft, which made Sonic relax a little. He nodded and silenced his phone. Satisfied with the results, Shadow continued the meeting. As the meeting went on, Shadow caught sight of Sonic mouthing to Metal Sonic "You, me! After meeting!" and rolled his eyes.
Their meeting had wrapped up quickly after that and soon everyone was saying their farewells, eager to begin their assigned plan of action. Metal and Sonic had both raced out of the room to who knows where to duke it out.
Shadow suppressed an eye roll.
"I would like to accompany you on your meeting with Dodon Pa." Zonic spoke to Shadow as he rose to leave. "I would love to hear his reasoning for entertaining the notion of illegal warp rings."
Shadow grinned. "So would I! I'll make arrangements to include an additional passenger on the shuttle ride."
"Thanks, but there's no need. I will use my Zone Patrol Vehicle."
"Alright. I'll make sure to send you the coordinates then."
Zonic and Shadow had both walked into the hall. Zonic pulled out a warp ring and threw it down the hall making a portal. Zonic turned to Shadow and shook his hand.
"Thanks! I'll be anticipating them. I'll see you in two days, Commander."
Zonic shared a salute and walked into the warp ring just as it disappeared.
Shadow felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Amanda Tower, looking down at him. A show of kindness was in her eyes. Shadow thought of how many times his former superior, Abraham Tower, had looked at him that way…
None whatsoever.
Shadow looked away with a smile. She was clearly different from her Uncle.
"Commander." Shadow addressed, taking out his hand to shake hers.
"Shadow.." Amanda began taking Shadow's hand. "I want to thank you for everything that you've done. G.U.N. wouldn't have been the same without you."
"Don't thank me yet, Commander. We still need to catch Devious. He has eyes on us, specifically me. I think you should also know that there is a mole within G.U.N. who's been assisting Locky ever since his disappearance."
"What!? Do you know who this perpetrator is!?"
"We have our suspicions. I'll keep you informed for any future updates."
[Shadow's P.O.V.]
I watched as Commander Tower walked through her warp ring and disappeared on the other side.
Rouge had been standing at the conference room entrance as Commander Tower and I were saying our farewells. She walked to my side and smiled at me.
"What a day this has turned out to be, hm!?"
"Yes! What a day..." I agreed, still starting in the direction of the vanished portal. "but it's not over.
I turned to face her.
"Do you still have the recording of that scrambled voice?"
"Yes. Why?"
"I want you to get on it right away. I meet Dodon Pa in 2 days and I expect that to be finished before then."
"Sure thing, handsome! I'll get on it tonight!"
"No, I want you on it now."
"But Shadow, tonight is the girl's meet-up! We have a no-exceptions rule. I have to go!"
"Rouge, this is more important! I'm sure they'll understand."
"Try explaining that to them!"
"Since when do you go hang out with the other girls, anyway!?"
"Since after the Ultimatum War."
"Tsk!"
"I can't just leave them high and dry, Shadow! We only meet twice a month and today is the last day!"
"Well, you'll have to make an exception!"
"But Shadow!.."
"No, Rouge! You are going to handle this assignment now, and that's an order!"
Rouge was taken aback. I could tell that she was hurt. In all our years together, I never spoke to her like that. I sighed to calm myself down.
"There's a lot of uncertainty right now, Rouge, and there are only a few people I can trust. You are one of them. With this mole and Devious... I-I can't trust anyone else with this but you... Please."
[Rouge's POV]
Shadow looked into my eyes and I could see the pain and plea within them. I was originally hurt by Shadow's seemingly unreasonable behavior, but now I understood.
He was vulnerable and frightened.
The man who had hurt him in the past had come back to haunt him. There was nothing he could do, but follow the cookie crumbs laid out to trap him. Devious had the upper hand and Shadow knew it.
There was only one other time when I saw Shadow like this and that was when he fought with his alien kind: the Black Arms.
I can't leave him like this! Shadow is my friend and he needs me!
I nodded my head and replied softly,
"Of course, Commander. Rest assured, Shadow, I'll be by your side."