Learning To Love Another

I walked in the tavern, everyone became quiet. They stared at me when i walked over to the counter, afraid of what i would do next. All except one. Tall, dark, throw in handsome and he'd be the perfect hedgehog for any vein girl out there.
Ok, it wasnt a tavern, it was a bar, the rest is true though. The silence. The staring. The dark hedgehog. I stood beside him and looked at the bartender. "Get me a drink, will ya?" He nodded. "What kind?" I smiled and leaned on the counter, batting my eyes flirtatiously. "Surprise me." He nodded and started making the drink. After he was finished he gave it to me. I reached into the pocket of my black trenchcoat, but he stopped me. "Uh, no charge." He winked at me. I smiled, then rolled my eyes as he turned away.
I turned to the dark hedgehog. "Sup? Whats your name?" I drank the alcahol, letting it pass through my body, feeling the numbness slightly overcome me after i was finished. He still hadnt answered. "Fine then, dont talk to me. Thats alright." We sat in silence as i studied him. Yup, definite tall, dark and handsome. Nothing i'd go for. "Shadow." "What?" "The names Shadow." I nodded. "Thats a silly name. Although, look whos talking. My names E." We sat there for a while, then i left. "Where you going?" I stopped. "Why do you care?" "I dont." He went back inside and i started walking again. "Thats....... what i thought."
I jumped on top the buildings and started running. Then i slammed into something. I groaned and sat up. "Damn stupid pole." I looked up and saw a bulky dingo. "E." "Dex." I looked at my wristband. It was glowing green. "Sh|t. So you found me already." "Wasnt that hard. Just had to follow the trail of failure and depression." I stood up, a little tipsy still. "Well....... If he wants me, he can come get me himself!" Dex shook his head, walking towards me with a small smile on his ugly mug. "You know he cant do that. He is needed to work on the formula that keeps us young."
I stared at him, cold as stone. "What if i dont want to be like this anymore?" "You still belong to him, E." I got in a fighting stance. "I belong to no one." I charged at him, but still being drunk i missed and ended up falling over. I stayed crouched, staring at the ground as he laughed. "Look at you E, you're a mess. Ragged and beaten. Come back to the lab. The chase has been going on far too long. Longer than any other time you've run." I felt him put his hand on my shoulder and i whacked it away. "Dont touch me, ya damned frickin' aussie."
"I wouldnt have to if you would just [censored] come with me." "I dont want to. I want to die. I want to live a different life than one where im a frickin' slave." "You dont understand." He violently lifted me up by my arm. "Even if you run, you are still bound to him." He held up my hand, giving attention to my glowing wristband. "We both are." I glanced at his wristband, identical to mine, but glowing blue. "But you're fine with it. You havent been in this as long as i have." I let him put the handcuffs on me. We started walking across the roofs. "You havent had to see the people around you die, you havent seen someone grow up to be something amazing, then watch them wither away. All of this, while you're still young." He just grumbled.
We remained in silence for a while. "You didnt know the last guy." "What?" "The last one he enslaved." I kept my eyes on the ground as we jumped down from the roofs and started heading out of town. "They're all for me, you know. To make sure i dont run away. Or to capture me when i run away." "No. Thats not true." I smirked. "Thats what he said as well." "No! Liar. He said that i was-" "Important to him. That you will be working very hard to do his bidding. Let me ask you something Dex. In the past ten years, whats the only thing you've done?"
Silence. I took the chance to start resisting. I did a spinning kick and kicked his face, twice. He was shocked enough to let go of the handcuffs and i started running. But, being the persistent son of a jackal he is, he tackled me almost right away. "Would you stop running away!?!" "Never." I said, between breaths. He was too heavy, and was blocking my airway. "I will.... never stop. I will keep.... running.... until i am.... free."He ignored me. "I'll just knock you out. That way you wont run. And for once, you'll be quiet."
I could feel him getting ready to make the blow. Then a dark blur knocked him to the side. I stayed on the ground. Whatever was beating on Dex, i didnt want beating on me. I already got enough of that. After a while, and after i regulated my breathing again i felt a hand on my shoulder. "I told you not to touch me, Dex." "Im not Dex." The voice sounded familiar. "If you aint Dex, then who the hell are you?" "A not so old friend. Get up." I started getting up. "Sorry, bud, but i aint got no friends- Shadow?"