Unravelling Mysteries: Chaos Crisis ✔

Chapter 4

Shadow and Maria were running towards the emergency hideout on the other side of the ark. Emerald sparks erupted from his palm as he sent them towards the soldiers around him. Some electrocuted the soldiers and they fell on the ground, howling in pain. 

Maria tried her best to keep up with Shadow's speed. Shadow slowed down a little to make sure she could do so. Shadow realised that the corridor before turning right to the hideout was filled with soldiers. 

The scientists have been spotted.

"Where's Grandpa? Is he safe?" Maria worried as Shadow continued scanning the area and blasting soldiers. 

"Shadow! Where's Grandpa?" 

Shadow turned to the blonde girl. His eyes reflected the despair in his heart. 

"The professor told me to get you to safety first"

"And what about him?"

Shadow tried to find the right words to get his message across. "He said he will be fine"

"You know he is no match for those high tech rifles and weapons"

Shadow was caught between a rock and a hard place. "I tried to convince him that but it is no use"

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a soldier and shot another spark at him.

Maria noticed some of the scientists being handcuffed and brought away from the hideout.

"Grandpa?" Maria cried as Shadow noticed what Maria had laid her eyes upon and turned to run the opposite direction. 

Maria soon realised that crying was futile. They were all captured and there was nothing they could do to stop them. She reached for her faded blue sleeve to wipe away her tears and pointed at the room near them.

"Shadow, quick! Over there!"

Shadow quickly opened the door using his hand print. They both rushed inside. Shadow kicked the door shut and heaved a huge sigh. Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads. Exchanging glances, they both started walking down the long aisle. Capsules of unfinished prototypes and failed experiments lined the sides. Chills went down their spine as they came across every creature surrounded by fluid in the glass cases. Suspended forever in silence.

Each one worse than the last.

Shadow's face fell when his eyes caught sight of failed copies of himself. He stopped halfway and looked at each one of them closely. Some had all of their quills pointing downwards (like Sonic). Some had pale skin and fragile structure, with internal organs and veins visible. Some had gnarled digits and crumpled bodies. Shadow thought how he would have suffered the same fate as the old copies and realised how lucky he was.

They walked further and reached the control panel for all the capsules. There was an empty capsule beside the panel. That capsule was an escape capsule. To send any experiment down to earth. But the professor had not used it since the creation of the ark. 

Maria took a few steps forward and stopped in front of the capsule. The hedgehog followed behind her. "The professor is a genius. It's a real shame that he created only one capsule. If there were many, those scientists could have escaped to Earth"

Maria gave him a slight nod and with all her might, she pushed him into the capsule. 

"Hey! What are you doing?" Before he could even finish asking, the capsule door closed and Maria started pressing the buttons at the control panel. 

"It's for your own good, Shadow" She smiled as she prepared to launch the escape capsule to earth. 

"Stop! Maria!" Shadow roared, banging the capsule with all his might. But his command fell on deaf ears. Damn I shouldn't have given her that idea.