Shadow: The Origin Of A Legend

Chapter 43

"Perfect," the blonde doctor purrs, admiring the equipment. A long slab of metal sits in the center of the silver steel-plated room; one end is open, with nothing hanging on or around it, but the other end bears a large metal clasp, currently hanging open, meant to hold someone's head in place. It bore wheels, of course, set on a track in the floor which led directly to the second part of the machine, a large ovular dome laid on its side. Metal arms within it hand suspended, poised to work, parallel to the ground. Medusa runs a hand across its clear surface, smiling. All that's missing is...

"He's on his way," a rough voice sounds from behind her, as if reading her mind. She turns to smile at Robotnik, who was dressed in black and red scrubs mirroring his normal outfit, standing by the door. Beside him, cabinets and drawers filled with various devices line the wall; he begins to walk forward as he speaks. "Any moment now, the EggBat will dock with our base, and..." He trails off, both his words and feet grinding to a halt as he notices Medusa stifling a fit of giggles. "What's so funny?"

"The EggBat? Really? EggBat?!" No longer trying to hide her laughing, she cackles aloud, "Someone should really stop you from naming things."

"What do you mean?" He protests, "It's a perfect name! Everything has to be related to Eggs--to keep that Sonic from making cracks about my weight, I've taken his petty nickname for me and made it my brand name!" He puffs himself up proudly. "So, everything has "Egg" in it when I name it. And since the Bat is stealthier than the Hawk, I thought--" the evil doctor stops, biting his lip. "Huh. It really does seem silly, doesn't it?"

"Quite," Medusa chuckles, her laughter dying down. "Anyways, that's not the important thing right now." Her eyes flash bright yellow as she looks up at him, grinning. "What is important is our project's conclusion."

"Indeed," he smiles back hungrily. "I can hardly wait."

"Sir, Project Shadow has arrived." A robot calls from the hallway, standing stiffly in the doorway. "The EggBat just finished docking."

"Bring him here, quickly!" Robotnik barks, and the metal being shuffles down the hallway rapidly. Turning back to Medusa, he continues, "Hurry, we need to prep this space for him."

"Right," she replies, walking over to a set of rollable tables. Rapidly she pulls various sharp implements out of nearby drawers as Robotnik checks the machinery to ensure everything is running perfectly. Within a few moments, tools of surgery are lined up from smallest to largest on each table, and monitors have risen from the steel-plated floors to stand beside Robotnik's machination, their screens a cool blank blue. As if on cue, the moment the blonde doctor steps back from the two tables, a set of five robots march in, carrying the unconscious ebony and crimson hedgehog in their hands. Silently, they place him on the table, clamping the ring around his forehead in a precise manner. Excitement flickers in Medusa's heart as she steps forward; the robots remove Shadow's gloves and shoes, leaving only the gold bands behind.

"Good, good," Robotnik snarls as the robots exit, a malicious grin spreading across his face. He picks up a flat rod, glowing faintly blue, and waves it over the wristbands; they flash crimson, and his limbs flatten as if being pulled closer to the metal table. "Now the real fun begins!" He cackles as a steel plate in the floor shifts to the side, and with a clank of gears turning, a lever rises into place; the evil doctor grabs it, then turns to her. "Are you ready?"

Medusa smiles her serpentine grin, tugging the tables she prepped earlier over to the hedgehog. "Of course." Her soul shivers in delight at the thought of what is to come, as Robotnik pulls the lever. The slab holding Shadow rattles forward on its wheels, thudding into place with the top of his head in the chamber, and a small 'kshh' noise of air pressurizing signals the dome's closing.