Shadow: Awakening II

Shadow: The Doctor

Ugh... What's...going on...? I sway as the liquid supporting me disappears, trying to keep my body over top of my feet. I start as my hand reaches out automatically to press against the tube and steady me; my own body feels very unfamiliar. Leaning in against my arm, I breath in deeply, and then out, trying to dispel my dizzying headache. In only a few seconds, I feel my head clear as the room comes into focus. Vrummmm... I stumble a bit as a humming noise vibrates the chamber. Gasping, I realize what is happening. The tube that holds me is moving! Upwards, towards...the surface? Where am I?

A sense of dread hits me as I remember exactly where I was locked away. The room of scientists, the man who shied away from me, the falling wire sliver, the numbing liquid that thrust me into unconsciousness. Anyone could be up there... But why are they releasing me? Glancing downwards, I see that I am still wearing my rings and shoes, and I neither see, nor feel restraints on my limbs or body. Whoever's up there must be crazy to release me; there's nothing to prevent me from fighting my way out of here. My face darkening with anger, I recall perfectly Maria's face and know that my purpose has not nearly been fulfilled. Revenge. I will avenge you, Maria. I swear I will. These people shall be punished for their terrible crimes, even if it costs everything to destroy them as they did you.

Looking upwards, I see a circular door above me, opening slowly as the chamber ascends. Bending my head to a level position, I straighten my back and prepare for a battle. Rising through the door, I see that a different room surrounds me; the scientists must have relocated the suspended animation unit.

"Is that you, Sonic?" My head whips downward to see a large, tall man, wearing a red jacket with yellow buttons and sporting an enormous brown mustache. "I should have know you would try to foil my plans again!"

My eyes squint, trying to identify the man, but I have never seen him before. He looks like a younger, fatter Gerald... He seems to have mistaken me for another... But who is this Sonic?

"*Gasp* You're not Sonic! Who are you?!" The man gasps, his mustache quivering greatly. He really thought I was someone else? It's not like I can be mistaken for just anyone. Who is he, anyways? Mentally shaking myself, I bring my mind back to the present. This man released me...maybe involuntarily, but if he can release me, he might be able to put me back in stasis... I have to convince him I'm worth keeping around. An idea strikes me, and I tighten my jaw in hopes that it will work.

"I am Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form, created by Professor Gerald Robotnik." My low voice sounds loud in the chamber, and its slight coarseness rebounds off of the walls. "You have awakened me from a state of suspended animation, for which I am very grateful. To show my gratitude, I will grant you one wish. Whatever you desire, I will place my every power at your disposal. Your whim is my command."

"Ah! So YOU are the Shadow my grandfather wrote about in his diary, the one he created." The strange human exclaims, a twisted smile stretching his lips over his white teeth. "Heh. Heh, heh. Oh, is not this experience sweet? My own grandfather's creation will finally help me fulfill my dream of taking over this world to build my Eggman Empire!" My eyes widen slightly in surprise, and then narrow in concentration. So this man is Gerald's grandson... That would explain the family resemblance... He must be related to Maria somehow, and he knows about me, so I'm sure he knows about the ARK. An idea shoots to the surface of my mind, and I know not where it came from, but I now have a plan for revenge. My sly smirk lifts the corner of my mouth, and I can't believe my good fortune. Gerald, your brilliance has set the stage for what we both want; payback. This situation will work out quite wonderfully; I just need to watch my step.

"Let me introduce myself," the man continues, "I am Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, but you can refer to me as Doctor Eggman for short."

"Of course, Doctor," I reply, dipping my head in submissive gesture. I can't believe I'm bowing to a human, an Earthling at that... No matter, if this is what it takes to achieve my ends, then I will gladly put up with it and worse. A maniacal grin breaks out on the Doctor's face, and he nods his approval. Like I need someone's permission to talk... Hmph.

"Wonderful! I'm glad to see we get on so well, Shadow. Now, I think we should take our leave. G.U.N. is no doubt sending drones after us. If we leave here and take a left, then a right, we can get to--" Crash! Whipping himself around, the doctor looks at the giant robot that just smashed through the wall. "Huh?! A robot? Well, don't you have awful timing!" Hmm... I think. Oh well, I need to let out some energy anyways, and I might as well put my plan in motion by earning the Doctor's trust.

"Doctor," I proclaim, clenching my foot claws so that my hover shoes burst to life, lifting me off the central platform. "Behold the true power I possess!" Jumping forward, I kick the tall robot in what should be its head. It cascades backwards, smashing through another section of the wall.

"Great job, Shadow!" The doctor exclaims triumphantly, jumping into an odd, round machine. Firing it up, he zooms towards the hole in the wall, swerving around the fallen robot. "Follow me!" Following him out, I jump into the main corridor beyond the wall. Woah. I shoot glances down each direction, and I see holes in the side that suggest other hallways. This place is enormous...

"Shadow!" My attention snaps back to the Doctor, and I turn to him as fast as I can. "We need to get out of here right now! G.U.N. already tried to crash our party once, and I have no doubt they're going to try again! Now, follow behind me and stay close!"

"Of course, Doctor," I respond, dipping my head. I forgot I was helping this guy... Oh well, once I'm out of G.U.N., I don't have to stick with him, but I am grateful for his releasing of me. He wants me to help him take over the world, so he probably has some useful resources. Maybe I can let him in on my plans, but not tell him the final outcome. At any rate, no matter what he plans, once I unleash Gerald's ultimate weapon against the world, there will be one uniform outcome. Forcing my face into a neutral expression, my thoughts weave into a humongous smirk. This will be too easy. Firing up my shoes, I zoom after the Doctor, ready to destroy anything that gets in our way.

...

This guy seems more experienced in fighting than I expected; I think, watching the Doctor fire energy beams from his strange contraption in an attempt to break through the outer shell of the building that entraps us. He may prove to be more useful than I originally expected. If he likes weapons, then he'll love the plan I have in store for the world.

!!Wham!!

A giant hole now gapes in the wall, all thanks to the Doctor's efforts. About time; I'm sick of fighting robots only to have another show up out of nowhere. Zipping through it, he starts toward the shore of the landform we are on. Jumping up, I follow him.

"My lair is only a few hundred kilometers from here, but we'll have to cross the water. Do your shoes work on water?" The Doctor asks me.

"Yes," I respond, but internally I am unsure where the information came from. I've never tried skating on water, so how would I know? Shrugging it off, I blast out onto the water, and sure enough, my shoes hover with no problem.

"Wonderful! To my lair, and then we can figure out a plan!"

!!Crash!!

"Ah, so they finally caught up," the Doctor groans as we look at the giant robot now standing 15 meters away. A thought crackles through my brain, and I jump onto the Doctor's small, round hovering half-sphere. Casting my eyes around, I see in the center a glowing green light. I know what it is, but I have no idea how. A Chaos Emerald.

"I can use Chaos Control to transport us to the ARK, Doctor." I offer, gesturing to the Emerald.

"Oh?" The Doctor blinks at me, surprised. "Well then, I suggest you do so immediately and so save us from another pointless battle."

"Right away, Doctor," I crouch down and put my hand on the Emerald. Ah! Power floods through me, and the feeling is wonderful. Delving into the flow of energy, I immerse myself in it and focus on the ARK. Not the quarantine, the main bridge. Main bridge. Knowing somehow what to do, I speak the words that call to me.

"Chaos Control!"

Explanations: Yeah, Shadow's back! This is a continuation of Shadow: Awakening. All characters in this fanfiction belong to SEGA. Hope you people like this! Sorry it took so long to upload, but I have had a lot of schoolwork lately and couldn't seem to get the chapter right. I hope the wait was worth it!