Shadow: Awakening II

Shadow: Two Emeralds Closer

"Hmph. This will be too easy; I can't believe how pathetic this security is." I shake my head as I look down at the human building from the roof of another. A well-built facility, the federal reserve bank has one of the 7 Chaos Emeralds I just so happen to need to enact revenge on the world. "It's a wonder no human has managed to steal this Emerald by now, what with the mediocre protection it has. I guess the humans will have to learn the hard way. Not that it will matter once I obtain all of the Emeralds, of course." Shaking myself again, I focus on the task at hand. Once I get this Emerald, it's only a matter of time before I get the five others, too. Firing up my shoes, I know it's time to attack.

!!Whoosh!!

I'm down to the building in no time, and jump towards the doors.

!Crack!

I use my newest ability, Chaos Snap, to bypass the doors without raising an alarm. While I haven't tested my range with the Chaos-fueled teleport, I am sure that I have at least ½ of a kilometer. Even that is more than sufficient for this task.

!Crack!

I reappear on the other side of the door, using my shoe jets to ensure that no striking sound is made. There will be plenty of time for strength and speed later, but for the moment, stealth will serve me well until I have the Chaos Emerald. No sense in sounding the alarm too soon; I don't want to have to deal with any more humans than necessary.

I know that the humans are bound to have cameras, and so I stick to the unlit walls. Moving quickly, I see several guards ahead of me. Hmph. Their patrol is pointless; they have no hope to stop a determined criminal, much less myself. Waiting until they turn a corner, I zoom past and hear exclamations follow. There! Turning into a large room, I see a rounded cylinder glass case protecting the bank's only Chaos Emerald. And thus ends my need for stealth...

A satisfied smirk creeps onto my features as I stroll into the center of the room, towards the Emerald. Balling my hand into a fist, I strike the case once strongly. The pitiful casing shatters, leaving the glistening gem to whoever happens to be there. Grabbing it, I feel its energy rush through me, granting me even more power.

Voices clamor as a shrieking alarm blasts, alerting those present to the Emerald's theft. Spotting a camera, I jump over and show it my best smug grin; the humans might as well know that they're powerless to stop me. Might as well get some self-enjoyment out of this opportunistic situation. Ha!

Abandoning all pretense and foolery, I zoom out the way I came faster than any human eye can follow. This time, however, I don't take a door.

!Crack!

I teleport right through the wall, landing in the area outside as government robots bear down upon the building. Squinting, I recognize the logo on them as the one Maria's killer had worn. Now's as good a time as ever to begin my revenge. Seeing me on their scanners, the apparently unpiloted robots zoom back towards me. Raising my hands in front of me, I decide to introduce them to my most powerful ability.

"Chaos Blast!"

An immediate rush of energy leaves my body as I focus it into a hyper-destructive beam of energy. Helpless against the barrage, the robots explode and are gone within seconds. Let's see how the humans react to that! I think, imagining their inevitable terror of me. Pleased by the thought, I fire up my shoes and start away from the scene; I can feel another Emerald nearby.

...

!!!Crash!!!

My ears swivel backwards as the blue hedgehog successfully topples the robot. This has to be Sonic. Doctor Eggman told me about him, but I didn't expect him to look so much like me... Not that it matters anyways. The Emerald calls to me, and mine gives off a small pulse of energy, larger the closer it gets to its match.

Jumping off the roof I stand on, I touch down behind the robot and find the Emerald sitting in the wreckage. Scooping it up, I place it in my quills so it won't be seen. Well, that was so easy it would be a shame not to introduce myself to Sonic before I go. I'm sick of standing in the wings unseen; everyone should know about me. My revenge won't be NEARLY as sweet if the humans have no idea who hit them. In the meantime, "Hello, Sonic."

Hopping up, I stand on the wreckage of the robot and hold up my Chaos Emerald to smugly admire it. It takes Sonic only a second to see me, and I glance down to see him staring shocked at me.

"Who--who are you?!" He exclaims, going from bewildered to angry in the same sentence. "Hey, you're the reason I got arrested!" Arrested? I guess Doctor Eggman wasn't kidding when he said the authorities mistook me for Sonic. Ignorant humans. The now enraged hedgehog continues his accusations, "Everyone thinks I committed your crimes! You're an imposter, a fake!" My quills bristle at his words; I may be a creation, but I am no fake!

"A fake? Far from it, Sonic, I am far too powerful for me to be anything but the real deal." I finish my reply, low voice even lower than usual with anger.

"Oh, yeah? Just who are you anyways?" Sonic shouts to be heard over a din of approaching sirens.

"I am Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Lifeform created by professor Gerald Robotnik," I say back, refusing to raise my voice any higher. The sirens are closer, and rapidly destroying the distance between us. "While it's a pleasure to finally meet this world's hero, I have a distinct feeling I should leave." The sirens are turning the corner, and I know I can't afford to stay any longer. "Farewell, Sonic," I channel the energy from my newest Chaos Emerald, remembering a distant rooftop that sits high in the skyline. "Chaos Control." !!Crack!! I reappear on it, catching my balance quickly despite an off-kilter landing.

And thus ends my encounter with Sonic... I think, watching the bright lights descend on his position. Listening to the amplified shouts to surrender. Watching silently as a helicopter lifts off several minutes later and heads straight to Prison Island. I do hope he...enjoys...his stay with the authorities. "Hmph," I shake my head, clearing my head of him. I won't let anyone stand in my way. Least of all a famous hero! I will show the people of this world their error, and they will pay for what they did.

I promised you, Maria, that I would do this. You shall be avenged! An image of Maria flashes in front of my eyes, and it's all I can do not to reach out to the memory. Oh, Maria... I promise you this. Your last wish will be granted, no matter what it takes! I turn towards the shore, preparing to transport to the ARK. Maria...

"Chaos Control."

Explanations: I am SO SORRY this chapter took so long! I have had an awful workload recently, but I'll try to get the next chapter out in less than a week. I take a lot of time to review each chapter and make sure I'm getting the general details right (I am still not sure if Shadow got an Emerald out of his encounter with Sonic in SA2, but it makes the most continuity sense to have the answer be yes. I reviewed both SA2 cutscenes and Sonic X, but it wasn't clear.) Thanks for reading! If you have any questions about what's going on, or think I made a mistake, please tell me!