MONSTERS

Summary: He was a monster fused with another monster, Shadow realized as his eyes narrowed in a look of deep disgust. He glanced down at what used to be his arms, now replaced with gleaming metal. Shadow x Amy.

Rated M for subject matter. Heavy violence. Sex. Angst. The works.

Genre: Romance/Drama laced with dark humor.

Shadow x Amy

Hey everybody! This idea's been buggin' me all week and I couldn't wait to get it down. It's ultimately a ShadAmy story, though I haven't worked out all the kinks yet.

As with all of my stories, this is going to be very darkly themed, much darker than the original Sonic universe. Please turn back now if you're the fluffy, pink-handcuff type.

Onwards?

Ruined.

Utterly disgraced.

Hands covered the aging face of the notorious self-proclaimed genius known as Doctor Ivo Robotnik as he sat in his revolving chair, his mind numb with thought. He rolled the ends of his moustache contemplatively between his large fingers, trying to think of yet another way to finally defeat the pest that was Sonic The Hedgehog, after being defeated yet again. He narrowed his eyes, adjusting his glasses as the clever doctor stood up to stare outside the window of his Eggcraft, with his hands behind his back as he stared off into the clouds. He needed a new tactic.

"Sonic must be dealt with," said the doctor to no one in particular, staring into the open Earth before him. It was a simple enough statement, yet it was far easier said than done. He thought about the blue pest and about the years wasted away on trying to catch him, trying to conquer him, and the many plans he had discarded in order to rid himself of the obstacle that was Sonic The Hedgehog. It seemed absurd to others why Eggman even tried to destroy Sonic; he had lost many times before. But they didn't know the doctor.

Eggman smiled to himself. He was brilliant. He was a genius. He was unstoppable. All he needed was one last plan, one last heist, to set his goal into motion. All he needed was a last piece to the puzzle... just one little thing that would give him the edge over Sonic...

Turning around swiftly, Eggman looked across his office. He pushed his glasses up against his nose as he inspected his room, looking at the countless papers that scattered a lone corner where his wastebasket had been overflown with crumpled-up pieces of paper: all of the plans he had thought up of today. He frowned. So much precious time wasted on this hedgehog! After all of these years, it was a wonder how he hadn't exploded yet from the frustration! After all, when one really thought about it, all that stopped him from achieving world domination was a blasted hedgehog! If only he could get his hands on him without him wriggling out of his grasp with that speed of his...

Eggman looked across the room to the other end, where a large, ten-foot-tall tube stood. He only kept his most powerful of robots in there, his most prized and most valuable. He placed the tube in his office so that he would always have it available should the need arise, or in case of emergency. Eggman strided across the room in his usual arrogant manner, locking eyes with the tube in the meanwhile.

He stood before the stucture, gazing into the contents within. Metallic blue shone through the glass of the tube, with the creature within plunged into a deep slumber.

Metal Sonic.

It had almost killed him, but he had managed to capture the pest. Despite the doubts of his assistant robots, he was able to successfully install an Obedience core within the robotic monster, thus neutralizing Metal Sonic's desire for rebellion. The core glowed a deep red dimly beneath the robot's yellow, cave-like torso, signaling that it was working properly. It was unusual - pathetic even - to see the once-unstoppable robot reduced to such a compliant state. Eggman almost felt sorry for the creature, but it did not stop him from the intense feeling of satisfaction he gained when he saw the crimson lights that were Metal's eyes fade out into a pitch black.

However, this was hardly a victory. This only gave him a slight boost; something that might help him along the way, a mere cub amidst a sea of lions that was the Sonic crew. The sheer power of Metal Sonic could rival that of Sonic's, yet he could not possibly defeat the entire team, not even with the significant help of Eggman's ingenious robots. Eggman narrowed his eyes. He needed something more... he needed a combined effort. He needed more than just Metal Sonic; he was almost completely useless without an upgrade.

'Or...' Eggman thought as an idea flashed through his brilliant mind,' he couldbethe upgrade.'

It was a far-fetched idea, but it just might work, Eggman mused. He wondered what parts of Metal Sonic he could fuse with his other robots...

'No,' Eggman concluded to himself, 'Metal Sonic's way too advanced to be compatible with my other robots. I'll need a live base.'

It was true. Metal

Sonic's data was far too complex to be riddled with the simplicity of Eggman's other creations, however brilliant and ingenious they may be. He would either need a machine that could match Metal Sonic in power or a living specimen that he could fuse Metal with. Eggman fidgeted slightly with his hands, rubbing his mustache in deep contemplation. Perhaps he could use Tails? That annoying little fox's significant intelligence would nicely compliment the raw power of Metal Sonic, not to mention it would be rather amusing to see the look on that Sonic's face when he realizes he would have to fight his best friend...

But the boy was far too young. His frail body would not be able to withstand the stress of having his limbs replaced, and would likely shut down. He needed someone who was far stronger, and preferably older. Knuckles would be a good choice, but the gullible, hot-headed young echidna is far too much brawn and not quite enough brain, Eggman realized as he frowned, staring at the captured, sleeping Metal Sonic, trying to think of a good base to use. As he stared, he caught the sight of the colors of the control panel beside him.

Black and red.

Realization dawned upon him as he realized who might just be the perfect candidate.

Perfect, thought Eggman as he smirked to himself. Simply perfect.

Now all he needed was a plan... and some bait.

Waterfalls of red, orange and yellow cascaded around him as he stepped atop a red leaf that had been floating around in front of him for some time. He did not know why, but he liked the crunching sound it made. It was pleasant and satisfying to his ears, much like the piano music that the humans of the world sometimes played on their radios and sound devices. It was one of the few things he could stand in this city, despite having lived here for almost a year now. He felt no more of a friend to this city than he did a year ago, and even less an acquaintance, and it was not because of the way they treated him, even with the occasional jeer or pointing finger.

No, it was the way these people lived. He saw how these people were so enamoured by what was going on in their own lives instead of the world around him and saw how many people cared more about having things than seeing and doing things. If he, Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form, was so mesmerized by their world, then why couldn't they be?

He walked forth, watching the busy city folk walk around, so stuck in their own little world of drama and endless, pitiful worries and laments. They were not humans, Shadow reasoned with himself, but rather lifeless husks, just waiting for their next fix of false happiness. Happiness to these humans, Shadow realized, was not about sharing ideas and music and spending time with the one you loved. Happiness to them was using each other to raise oneself on the social ladder, always trying to one-up each other with worthless accomplishments and meaningless stunts. Happiness, to these humans was realizing that you are not being talked about behind your back and that people take you into their crowd of mindless sheep, always following each other around blindly. Well, Shadow was constantly talked about, and it was little more than an annoyance to him. He was glad he was not human, lest he lose sleep over such a tragedy such as being talked about.

He frowned slightly as he pushed past a group of giggling girls. These humans ruined his rather mellow, content mood with their incessant chatter and inappropriate giggling. He clenched his hand tightly, feeling a soft piece of fabric between his fingers. It was a doll that had been given to him that very day by a little girl that he had been playing with quite often during his volunteer hours at a small daycare home. Indeed, he volunteered. It was a shock to him why he even bothered to meddle with the spawn of these humans, yet he figured there could be worse things in life. There must be some way to redeem himself for his past crimes. He could not say he fully hated it, and it was all because of Lilika.

Lilika had been the one to give him the doll as a gift that very day. She was a small little girl of eight, with blue eyes and bouncing blonde hair that shone in the sun whenever she ran around the playground, smiling and laughing in her bubbly way. Other children avoided him, and one even burst out crying at the sight of him, but not Lilika. The moment he walked into the daycare, she took hold of his hand, gave him a big smile, and told him he had pretty eyes. He looked forward to coming to spend time with her every day, listening to her stories and learning all about who her favorite aunties and uncles were, and why she preferred pineapple upside-down cake over chocolate. Such small details seemed tedious to other people, yet were fascinating to him. He had told her he never had pineapple upside down cake, and she promised him that they would make some one day.

Shadow continued walking, crossing the street to get to one of the rougher parts of the city, his eyes sketching through the roughly-built apartments, looking for his home. He lived in an abandoned apartment not too far from the main centre of the city, and he particularly enjoyed it because it provided the peace and comfort that he needed. Others looked and scoffed at this part of town, yet it was his home. The only place he would ever call home more was at Maria's side. Shadow spotted the apartment number he lived in, and braced his ears for the sounds of creaking stairs and the pitter-patter of spiders and cockroaches as he shuffled in through the broken door.

He heard the floor boards creak under the pressure of his feet as Shadow walked across the dank main hallway past the broken elevator. He slowly made his way up the stairs, seeing the numerous holes in the walls and the broken ceiling up above him, allowing glimpses of light to peak through into the unattended building. No one ever lived here, and that's the way he liked it.

As he turned a narrow corner, he saw drapes and broken timber carelessly thrown about, with a barely-functioning roof and a small lantern hanging up by a piece of rope taped to the crumbling ceiling. The room was half-open to the outside world yet half-closed, and it provided Shadow the pleasure of a good view of the city as well as a measure of privacy, which he sorely needed in this world. He saw a small mattress in the corner with a small chest laying beside it. He rarely used the mattress, instead opting to sleep facing the stars. Any average human would call his home drab and dull and ugly and torn apart. He called it beautiful.

Shadow walked towards the chest beside the bed, where he bent down to unlock it with one hand, using his fingers to twist the simple lock. He opened the chest to reveal several useless, yet priceless, items. Slowly, he lifted up Lilika's doll, placing the creation in the safety of his chest. He had few possessions and gifts, but he treasured them with every inch of his being. Other things that he had in that chest were some photos of the ARK, a few pieces of jewelry from Rouge, and a scarf from Amy.

Shadow looked at the scarf briefly. That Rose girl had given it to him only weeks before, stating that he was going to freeze his rear end off if he did not wear it. The scarf was a simple, solid color, and it was his favorite one: Dark red. It was a simple gesture from her, yet it meant the world to the black hedgehog, even if he did not show it. He merely grumbled a sound of thanks as she gave it to him, and even then, she simply smiled at him and told him that she hoped it would keep him warm. He picked up the scarf gently in his hand, rubbing the soft, well-sewn fabric between his fingers as he raised it lightly to smell it, intoxicated by the scent. It still smelled faintly of cinnamon and strawberry. It was a pleasant smell...

"Shadow..." a voice whispered suddenly, as Shadow's blood froze. That voice...

He slowly turned around, feeling the wind blow against his face as he saw a familiar, small figure standing in his makeshift doorway. Blonde wisps of hair decorated the small, rosy-cheeked face before him as Shadow's eyes widened.

Lilika stood before him, with a frightened expression on her face as she stared up at him, her blue eyes gazing imploringly into his red ones. He stared back at her questioningly, standing up slowly as he walked towards her.

"Lilika...?" Shadow asked cautiously, as he watched her bottom lip quiver with fear. Her eyes glazed over, brimming with tears as she choked back a sob. Suddenly, she took off into a sprint, running back down the stairs in a frightened hurry. Shadow frowned concernedly as he hurried down to the staircase, where he quickly descended. He heard her footsteps fading and he sped up, trying not to run too fast lest he miss her. He reached the bottom of the stairs, where he briefly caught the sight of her long blonde hair turning a corner in an abandoned alleyway through a large hole in the wall of the apartment.

"Come back!" Shadow called after her as he ran after the young girl, running through the hole. He paused momentarily, looking all around him in the dark alleyway.

She was gone.

Shadow looked around him, scoping for the young girl, his thoughts buzzing with confusion. Where did she run off? No - why did she feel the need to run? Was she hurt? Did she run away from home?

Shadow turned around quickly, trying to locate the young girl. He felt a small grain of anxiety for her as he squinted, listening quitly to the eerie sounds of the dark alleyway, trying to hear any sounds that might help him lead to her. A loud 'crack' was heard as he swiftly turned around, only to be met with the sight of a blinding light shining in his face. He closed his eyes, backing away from the source, and before he knew it, he felt something massive collide with his stomach. The pain sunk into his senses as he was thrown backwards, feeling his head hit against the pavement painfully.

"Target, captured," he heard a robotic voice say as he felt his consciousness slip away, relinquishing its hold on his mind.

Shadow's body trembled in discomfort as he winced in his slumber. He felt a cold feeling of uncertainity and alienation around him... a feeling that his body did not recognize as he stirred from his sleep. His limbs felt as if they had been disorganized, as if his head was on his chest and his arms sprouted from the top of his torso. His eyelids felt far heavier than before as he struggled to crack his eyes open, mind hazy with what seemed to be a mixture of pain and numbness; a contradiction of feelings. He mumbled something incoherent, lifting his leg as he tried to shift into a more comfortable position, but as soon as he set down his leg, a clinking sound was heard. That was when he jolted awake.

Shadow gasped for air as reality hit him square, all at once. The box of black he had only just been in was suddenly spilled into with colour from the edges. Dark, metallic colors that he could recognize only too well sunk into his senses. As he caught his breath, Shadow gathered his bearings and looked around, instantly recognizing where he was from the familiar face stamped across the walls of this establishment. Shadow furrowed his brows, unimpressed.

"Awake so soon, Shadow?" the voice belonging to said familiar face called out, echoing across the room. Shadow frowned harder, and out of the corner of his eye, the egg-shaped figure appeared from the darkness. Doctor Eggman entered, wearing his signature smirk as he stood before the caged Shadow. The hedgehog bared his teeth animalistically as he launched himself towards the doctor, eager to rip him apart. Even as he tried, however, he felt himself restrained by the chains that hooked his body to the wall. Eggman chuckled.

"Nice try, Shadow, but you might want to keep your power at bay, because I'm the only one who can control it!" Eggman said with a satisfied smile, taking out a small remote control with only two buttons on it. He pressed one and immediately, Shadow felt his shoulders slump against his will. He felt almost sedated, as if relaxation forced itself upon his body, and his mind buzzed with confusion, feeling the separation of his body from his mind settling in. His head lolled slightly to the side as dizziness overtook him. That's when he noticed the glint of metal where his legs should have been.

His heart quickened.

His legs were not his own.

His body was not his own.

I'm wondering if anybody thought up of this idea yet... please let me know if it's good enough to continue or if I should just let it rot, ahah.