Resurgence (Shadow x Reader)

The more Shadow and Sonic read, the clearer everything became.

Y/n's final mission wasn't just dangerous—it was a nightmare.

According to the records, she had been sent on a routine diplomatic mission to the Xyrrathians, the very species that AEGIS was now scrambling to defend Mobius from. The mission had been about maintaining peace and strengthening alliances. Mobius had been supplying the Xyrrathians with organic materials—things they couldn't produce themselves, given their crystalline-based physiology. The XTA was there to oversee the exchange, mediate negotiations, and ensure that everything went smoothly.

And at first, it had.

The initial reports detailed how Y/n and the commander met with the Xyrrathian leadership, discussing long-term agreements, supply chains, and peaceful cooperation. Everything had been moving in the right direction.

Until the attack.

The reports took a dark turn as they described the Xyrrathians' sudden shift. That night, they declared that the current supply arrangements weren't enough. They demanded more organic resources—far more than AEGIS could ever provide. And if their demands weren't met?

They would turn their attention to Mobius.

Y/n, her commander, and the rest of the XTA operatives stationed there had been caught in the ambush. The space station they were stationed at was stormed by Xyrrathian forces, who made it clear that negotiations were over.

A battle broke out. The XTA sent out its defense teams, Y/n among them. And that's when they learned firsthand the terrifying power the Xyrrathians wielded.

The report described it in cold, clinical detail. The Singularity Spikes.

Small, crystalline projectiles that collapsed local space upon impact. Miniature black holes which pulled everything into nothingness, creating gravitational implosions that crushed everything in their radius.

One had nearly taken Y/n's life.

Had it not been for a soldier pulling her away at the last second, she would have been caught in its pull and ripped apart by forces no living being could survive.

Shadow's grip on the report tightened.

The worst part wasn't even the battle itself.

It was what came after.

Y/n, the commander, and a small group of survivors had been forced to go into hiding on the Xyrrathian homeworld. They had spent three months there, cut off from AEGIS, evading capture, struggling to survive.

Three months of fear. Three months of wondering if they'd ever be found. Three months of trying to stay alive in an environment that was hostile in every possible way.

They were eventually rescued, but that was the breaking point for her.

She had passed her medical evaluations, had been cleared physically. But the moment she was able to, she walked away.

Shadow exhaled sharply, barely hearing as the commander spoke.

"As you can see," the man said, "she is one of the only experts we have on the Xyrrathians. She knows their leadership, their tactics, their weaknesses. And given that they are finally making good on their threat to attack Mobius, we need her back."

Sonic let out a low whistle, rubbing the back of his head. "Man... I get why she left, but no wonder you guys are trying so hard to pull her back in."

The commander's expression was unreadable. "That is why I am telling you this. If you know where she is, you need to convince her to return."

Shadow's gaze flicked up. "And if she refuses?"

A beat of silence.

The commander's voice remained calm, but the weight behind it was clear. "Then we will come for her."

Shadow and Sonic exchanged a look.

And just like that, they were dismissed. The commander slid a small card across the desk—his direct contact information.

"In case she changes her mind," he said.

Neither of them spoke as they made their way back down to their own department. The halls of AEGIS felt colder now, the weight of what they had just learned pressing down on them.

Sonic was the first to break the silence.

"Dude," he said, shaking his head. "I don't even know what to say. I mean, I knew she was hiding something, but this? This is huge."

Shadow didn't respond.

Sonic glanced at him. "You okay, man? You've been quiet."

Shadow's fists clenched at his sides.

"I don't know whether to be angry," he muttered, "hurt, or worried."

Sonic gave a small nod. "Yeah, I feel that." He hesitated before adding, "She didn't lie, though. Not really. Just... didn't tell us everything."

Shadow exhaled sharply. "She's been carrying this alone. She's been seeing things. She knew something was coming. She just didn't tell us."

He knew why. He understood why.

But that didn't change the fact that it hurt.

"...So," Sonic said after a moment, "what now?"

Shadow was silent for a long time.

Then, finally, his crimson eyes narrowed.

"Now," he said, his voice low, determined, "I confront her."