Chapter 2 of w/Sonic: This is Some Next Gen Stuff, Man!

## **Summary:**

The chapter opens with Honest and Shadow retiring to their beds after the events of the first chapter. Shadow lies on the top bunk and begins to stare at the ceiling while Honest tries to sleep on the bunk below before promptly giving up and attempting to start up a conversation. She asks Shadow what he thinks Eggman does at night when he's alone. Shadow suggests that he probably spends his time plotting how he's to betray them. Honest asks if he is worried about that, and Shadow says "No. He knows I'm his most valuable resource." Honest asks him to consider the possibility of Eggman betraying them anyway, and he admits that he doesn't know what he would do at all. Honest says that if he continues to stay and work for Eggman, she would stay, too.

The next morning, Shadow is baking pancakes for him, Honest, and the Doctor. When he finishes, him, Honest, and the Doctor sit at the kitchen island and begin eating them. Honest asks Shadow if he slept well, to which he replies that he *did* sleep well despite the fact that Eggman's beds are, quote, "hard as nails". Honest gives him a stern look, but Shadow insists that he isn't lying. Eggman ignores them and reveals that he has found another Chaos Emerald and that it is currently in the possession of GUN. Honest expresses that she would rather not sneak into a government compound that early in the morning. Eggman threatens her with roboticization, and Honest immediately changes her mind. Despite Honest desperately trying to keep herself out of the roboticizer, Shadow simply says "It's cool." Eggman informs them that he repaired Shadow's communicator, but he warns Shadow not to be so clumsy as to drop it in the toilet again, Shadow's manufactured excuse as to why it broke last mission. Honest laughs and when Eggman asks her why, she simply replies with an "Oh, nothing sir." Shadow is upset at her for treating everything as a game, but doesn't say anything aloud.

Suddenly, the chapter flashes forward to Honest and Shadow preparing for their next mission. They are standing on the surface of "the Moon" and overlooking "Earth". Honest asks if she can hold the Emerald, to which Shadow tells her he needs to hold onto it. Honest stresses that it will only be for a second, and Shadow sighs before passing it to her. Honest demonstrates her Chaos ability to turn invisible. Shadow is surprised and asks how come she didn't tell him sooner. Honest says that she must've forgotten and that she discovered it the day they "moved in", which is understood to be when they moved out of their home in Station Square and into Eggman's moon base. Honest also says that she can become temporarily invincible. However, these powers haven't been mentioned since, and so it's understood not to be part of the canon going forward. Shadow says that the only reason Eggman keeps him around is for his ability to take advantage of the power of the Chaos Emeralds. Honest says it's because he's more loyal than his "stupid robot companion", understood to be Orbot and Cubot. Shadow says that Eggman only keeps Honest around for entertainment. Then, Shadow teleports them away with Chaos Control.

In the next scene, Honest and Shadow stand outside the GUN facility and plan their entry. Honest asks if they're going to go for the classic vent approach, enter through the roof, or disguising as scientists. Shadow says that the vents are too noisy and going through the roof would be too risky. He eventually settles on using a disguise. Honest and Shadow enter the building in lab coats with hoods so that no one could see their faces. As soon as they walk inside, Honest and Shadow instantly realize the flaw to their plan-- all the humans inside are a lot taller. Shadow is distracted and accidentally walks into a man with a stack of paper. Shadow apologizes and offers to help him pick the paper up. However, the man says he has it covered, straightens his glasses, and compliments them by saying "rockin' those hoods." Shadow tries not to laugh and they shimmy into an elevator. When they finally get to the door, they find that they need a keycard to enter. Shadow promptly pulls a gun out of no where and blasts the door open. He argues that if Amy can have a hammer that appears out of thin air, he should be able to have a weapon of his own like that. Once the door is opened, they see that the Emerald is missing and Rouge the Bat is flying out of the room through a hole in the ceiling and carrying the green Chaos Emerald. Honest then laments that they should've chose the roof path.

The duo returns to Dr Eggman empty-handed. Eggman asks where the Emerald is, and Honest says that Rouge took it. Eggman cuts her off and demands that they go get it back. Shadow and Honest are both very hesitant due to their last run-in with Rouge and Scourge not going very well. Of course, this moment isn't present in any of the stories due to it being a chapter written long before Honest decided to start publishing her writing on Wattpad. Honest and Shadow go into their room before they leave to talk about it since they don't want Dr Eggman overhearing and thinking they were weak. Then, they Chaos Control away. They teleport straight to Scourge's front porch. Scourge hears Shadow shout "Chaos Control!" and opens the door. He looks surprised to see them and asks with some sarcasm if Shadow and Honest are getting along. Shadow grabs Scourge and asks where the Chaos Emerald is. Scourge acts confused. Rouge walks up behind Scourge and says that Honest and Shadow can have the Emerald if they can catch her first. She flies up and over the roof, disappearing. Shadow leaps up their as well. Honest follows on the ground after looking one last time at Scourge. Shadow sees Honest and throws her the Emerald. She catches it and immediately turns invisible. Rouge runs into a tight alley and Shadow follows her. Rouge loses sight of Shadow in the darkness, however, and rests in the air. Shadow pulls out his gun from earlier, but Honest, invisible, knocks Rouge out of the air somehow and fades back into view, jumping down from a clothesline and landing on the ground. Shadow is upset that he wasn't the one to get to her first, and Honest argues that her way was far more reasonable as Shadow was just going to shoot her without much of a plan. They don't realize that Rouge isn't unconscious, and she tries to fly away with the Emerald, taunting Honest as she does so. However, Scourge is on the roof of one of the buildings and pulls the Emerald right out of her hands. He then jumps straight to the ground and grabs one of Rouge's wings, pulling her down with him. He asks Honest and Shadow why they want the Chaos Emerald, and Shadow says that it's none of his business. Scourge argues that it *is* his business since they barged into his home, accused his guest of stealing a Chaos Emerald, and turned out to be right. Shadow says that Dr Eggman sent them to retrieve the Emerald and Rouge stole it. He also says that them possessing the Emerald would make much more sense than Rouge having it. Scourge, without much thought, gives the Emerald back to Honest and Shadow and asks them to leave and not come back. Honest and Shadow are about to teleport away when Rouge stops them and begs for Shadow to forgive her. Shadow didn't say anything and they teleport away, ending the chapter.

## **Trivia:**

* Shadow makes pancakes and other breakfast foods throughout the Honesty is the Best Policy! series. However, this is the first time he ever does.
* The scene where Honest and Shadow dress up as scientists and infiltrate a GUN facility was originally in a comic where Amy and Sonic are the ones to do this.
* Honest and Shadow's feelings towards Rouge and Scourge are only like this in this chapter. In the future, Rouge is easily Shadow's closest friend and Scourge is easily one of Honest's closest friends as well.
* Pulling a gun out of thin air to use at the drop of a hat continues, from this chapter on, to be one of Shadow's one-of-a-kind abilities.