*Sonic's POV*
We were speeding across the wastelands outside the city, quickly making our way towards Eggmans secret base. It had been days since I started hiding at Shadows place. We finally gathered enough intel to make the first move, afraid that we were giving Eggman too much time to work on his plan. I kept my hoodie on, hoping to stay out of sight from anyone until the last possible moment. As much as I wanted to keep joking, the truth was starting to sink in. Today wasn't just another mission with my crew. This time, it was just me and Shadow. Fighting to keep the world safe and to keep him safe, too. We either stop Egghead for good or watch everything we love burn.

My friends, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, even Rouge, and my family. They all thought I was dead. I could still picture the sadness, the grief in their faces, the day of my funeral. It was for their own good. I couldn't risk them getting caught in the crossfire of Eggmans newest invention. But a part of me wondered how long I could keep this up.

What if this doesn't work?

What if we don't stop him on time?

What if this was too big, even for us?

I clenched my fists, feeling the familiar tension in my chest and the weight I carry in my shoulders.

Shadow and I made a great team. We are strong together. But were we strong enough to beat this? I didn't doubt Shadows determination. He made a promise to save humanity. To save this planet. I knew he'd do anything to keep it. But there was still that nagging fear in the back of my mind. What if this is too much for us to handle?

But there isn't any point on thinking or even talking about what-ifs situations. Not when there was a job to be done. Not when the sake of our planet depends on this fight. Even my life. And Shadows.

"Let's go wreck Eggmans plans." I grinned, looking over a hill down at his base.

"For once. I agree." Shadow nodded. "Keep your guard up. The doctor won't let us close without a fight. Make sure he doesn't see you." I gave a slight nod. His gaze was fixed ahead, looking for a way in.

"There." I pointed to the side to a small entrance. "That's our way in."

"Minimal security to the doctors standards. Something is wrong." Shadow stretched one arm in front of me, stopping me from dashing off. "This seems too easy. I have a bad feeling about this."

My heart was pounding against my chest rapidly. Shadow was right. As we scanned the area, there didn't seem to be any traps set out. Did Eggman know? Did he know this whole time that I was alive?

"What do we do, then? Follow the plan? Or retreat?" I asked. He had asked me to take this seriously before.

All my life, I have made mistakes, I have played a solo hero even though I had my friends. I messed up time and time again, and I was aware of that, so when Shadow asked me to follow his lead this time, I wanted to change. I wanted to listen. But chaos was this hard when all I wanted to do was bust in there and destroy the source of energy we traced here.

Shadow remained quiet for a few seconds, his eyes scanning the area and then glancing at me every once in a while. He grabbed my arm and pulled it close to me, putting a communicator on my wrist.

"Direct line to me, Hedgehog. No one else can hear you. I'm going through the side entrance, distract the doctor while you go in through the front after I call you. Stay hidden. Understood?" Shadow narrowed his eyes at me, squeezing my arm a little too tight as if giving me a warning.

"Yeah. Yeah." I chuckled as I looked down at the communicator.  "Whatever you say, boss." I saluted him as a joke, trying to lighten the mood, but it just made Shadow angry.

He quickly let go of my arm abruptly, slightly shoving me back as he did so. He looked down, and just after we saw badniks pass by, he skated off into the entrance.

It took a while before I saw all of Eggmans robots start running inside his lab, Shadow soon calling me through the communicator. His way of telling me it was time to go in. I dashed off after I made sure there was no more security I needed to evade. My hoodie tight around my face to cover my identity. I didn't want Eggman to be aware I was alive. All we came here for was for the energy source that was found somewhere in this lab.

"Well. Well. Well." I quickly hid around the corner when I saw Shadow and Eggman coming into view farther away down the hall. "I was wondering when you'd show up, Shadow." My blood ran cold. My heart felt like it was about to explode, I could hear my pulse from how nerv wrecking this was. One slip up, and this was it.

This wasn't going to be easy.

"I know what you're working on, Eggman. I won't let you go through with it." Shadow spoke with his sharp tone as usual. I looked around trying to find a way to go around the base without being seen.

All my senses told me to go help Shadow, to get him out of there, to not leave him behind. But I held back, I knew Shadow was strong enough to defend himself. For now, I must stick to the plan and find a way to get to the energy source and destroy it.

Eggmans laugh echoed through the walls, causing me to force myself to stay focused. Follow the plan, Sonic.

Follow.

The.

Plan.

"Let's end this." Shadow growled, ready to battle.

"Together." I mumbled as I made my way through a vent. I need to stick with the plan.