Flipping away from his last attack, Shadow watched the massive gladiator Black Oak fall to one knee. Instead of getting up, like the Oak had before, he stayed kneeling. Speaking in the Black Arms tongue instead of telepathy, he said, "You have beaten me, and earned my respect. You are indeed the Ultimate Life Form."
Shadow returned the gesture, going down on one knee. "Same to you, mighty warrior. I am honored to have faced you in combat."
The Black Oak nodded and rose to his feet. Bowing his head to Shadow, to turned and shambled off to the stands.
"And your winner is—" the announcer…announced. "—the Shadow of Doom!"
"Shadow grimaced at his given gladiatorial name. They really have the wrong idea about us…Although that brings us back to the question, who are they? And where are they taking us?
By 'us,' he meant his brother, Eclipse, who had been brought along with them. How, lets go find out…
(A/N, this is where the flashback begins)
Why am I doing this? Shadow thought to himself.
Instead of heading to the outpost he was ordered to go, he found himself heading to the edge of Station Square, to the Mystic Ruins.
Upon reaching his new destination, he was surprised to find that Eclipse, and his Dark Arms. "Eclipse?!" Shadow growled.
"Brother." He growled back. "What're you doing here?"
"I could ask the same thing. It's not like there are any Emeralds here anymore."
"What? No, I gave up that plan some time ago. It must be the planet, but I've come to enjoy this hunk of rock they call Mobius. I have no wish to destroy it. I came here because I…because I… why did I come here?" He mused for a moment. "Ah that's right! It's because I felt something—"
"Calling you." A sinister feminine voice replied. "Just as it calls him as well." Suddenly, a bright light filled the valley. Blinded, Shadow didn't notice the Black Oak soldiers until they were nearly on top of him. He dogged a blow, but it glanced him, sending him flying into a ruined Chaos Emerald pillar. "What? Impossible—" he said weakly.
"Run, younglings! No, there's not enough time to merge! Go to the hideout!" he heard Eclipse yell. He then heard his brother grunt as he too was hit by those massive stumps of arms. "Gyah! Aren't you Black Arms? Then obey me! I am second only to the late Black Death!"
Female laughter filled the clearing. "You really think that he amounted to something? The second in command of a traitor? No, but because of both Black Death and Doom, we have everything we need, but you. Black Arms, take them!"
Before they could even think of resisting, fists found the two brothers, and unconsciousness found them.
A/N: This sets me up for a possible prequel/mini-series focused on Shadow and Eclipse. Wow, I'm thinking way ahead of myself.
