Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and locales. SEGA does.

Part 1.

.w.

"…No, you can't have it. You've got a hammer already."

The pink hedgehog's face puckered up as Shadow relieved her of a trophy gun. Despite being plentiful in this part of the Cryptic Castle, Eggman's pawn robots were not overly willing to share their ammunition, and the black hedgehog felt he had to take good care of the loot. He wasn't going to offer weaponry to such an erratic person. More weaponry, at least.

"Why are you here anyway? The faker must be still in Westopolis."

"I'm looking for Cream, my friend."

"Wait, wasn't it the faker?"

"Oh, see, I and Cream were in a hurry to help Sonic fight the black aliens, but then we found this castle and got attacked by Eggman's robots, Cheese ran off and Cream followed him, I tried to follow her, but got blocked by that robot with torches, ooooh my poor dress, it burned a hole in it! So, when I got rid of it, Cream was gone, I went to search for her and wished Sonic was with me, but then I saw you and–"

"All right, all right, I get the idea. Too bad that unlike you, I'm not looking for that hedgehog."

After some more roaming around the castle, he looked back and found Amy following him. "Why are you still here?"

"Because you'll lead me to Sonic."

"Hm. Just to let you know: I'm here to find Eggman."

"That's my point."

He swore inwardly and sped up. The last thing he wanted now was another chatty companion. While her not-wanna-be boyfriend and the red echidna were at least good at drawing unwanted attention away from him with their actions, all Amy could do seemed to be gasping when another robot popped up and cheering Shadow on noisily. As long as the dark hedgehog was quick enough to react on the danger, her infamous mallet never left whatever place it remained in.

At this point, Shadow stopped dead in his tracks, letting Amy bump into his shoulder. "What's that? Have you found Eggman?"

She looked forward past him and jumped back with a shriek. An ugly purple mass piled up in a pass before them scattered, making a bundle of somethings with tentacles and singular eyes on top of semi-round bodies. After locating the intruders, the critters hurried towards them as fast as their appendages allowed them to.

"Eeeek! Are they aliens, too?"

"Doesn't look like grown-up alien soldiers," Shadow said, taking a step back to keep distance. "Might be their offsprings."

"Are they using their children during attacks..?"

"Just don't go aww, they might be just as dangerous."

His words proved true as the closest leech-like thing jumped, aiming at his chest. A single gunshot was all it took to turn it into a purple-green mess.

"They are blocking the way," he said in a calm voice, thinking up a way to pass the obstacle. Ammo was scarce, and he didn't feel like touching the ugliness with whatever part of his body.

"What? No way, I've got to find my Sonic! Move aside!"

"Hold on, you might–"

Two leeches jumped at her at the same time and disappeared in the darkness below the castle wall moments later. Shadow had to step back some more to avoid splatters of green blood flying in his direction. The remaining critters stopped, clustered together and tried to retreat from the pink threat; too late.

"–get hurt?" Shadow finished quietly.

Amy shook her hammer clean of the substance, and it disappeared into thin air again. Her glance fell upon Shadow then. "Why are you just standing there? Eggman should be waiting for us, not us waiting for him."

The dark hedgehog eyed her suspiciously. Such vivid demonstration of feral rage and unbound power made him think that she at least could be not all that useless. For once, the idea of using one of the two Chaos Emeralds secured between his head quills to sneak away from the peppy gal stopped bothering his mind.

A leech chose this moment to drop on Amy's head from the ceiling.

Shadow could hear a quick gasp; next moment, the alien creature's sleek appendages extended, closing around her muzzle. He twitched involuntarily, watching her hands jerk up and scratch the purple skin uselessly. After moments of vain struggle, her body went limp and slumped on the ground.

He approached the girl, cautiously. Having never seen the Black Arms attack in such way, he felt he needed to investigate it.

First of all, he did the most sensible and useful thing possible in a situation like this. He asked, "Um, are you okay?"

The body shuddered wordlessly.

"I guess not."

A Chaos Spear to the neck would seem like a fine solution, were it someone else on Amy's place. Shadow bit his lower lip at a slight pang of guilt; after all, his inaction caused her current predicament. Now, he felt obliged to do something about it, even if it meant putting a date with Eggman over for some more time.

He poked a single yellow eye with his shoe experimentally, which earned him a squeak of discomfort from the target. Encouraged by that reaction, Shadow dealt a full-hearted kick– and hissed when the creature released more tentacles to grasp his hover skate after it. The hedgehog shook his foot violently until the purple blob tore off both Amy's head and the skate with a slurp and landed meters away.

A single gun shot was all it took to finish it off.

Amy wasn't an easy case, though. There were traces of bright red and green where the leech's appendages touched her skin, and they were quickly releasing more droplets of blood. Kneeling beside her body, Shadow could make out tiny holes in her fur on the muzzle and up to the temples; bite marks. The hedgehog girl seemed to be deep unconscious…

Someone tapped him on the shoulder.

Actually, letting his guard down wasn't a smart idea, Shadow thought. They still were on the enemy ground invaded by other enemies, and there always was that tiny possibility that someone would notice them and ask what they want. Or just try and kill them.

A swipe kick brought the attacker to the ground as well. In a blink, the gun barrel was pressed into the forehead of a– tiny rabbit girl.

She frowned sorrowfully. "I just wanted to ask if Amy was okay..."

He removed the gun and got off of her. "She was bitten by an alien and now can't wake up. Does this sound like she is okay? Don't ask stupid questions."

The possibilities didn't seem spectacular. Could human scientists and doctors provide medicine from alien bites? Maybe they'd have to take… more drastic measures, in case the little Black Arms were infectious. He didn't feel enthusiastic about it.

The girl chose this moment to open her eyes. Blinking a couple of times, she made her vision focus on Shadow. "Soh-nikku?"

A sigh of slight relief escaped his lips. She was alive and didn't appear dangerous; even if it meant waving goodbye to her possible help in a fight against Eggman, he could leave her behind knowing she wouldn't get hurt any more because of him.

Amy thought otherwise, and in a matter of seconds, her hands wrapped themselves around his neck in a manner that would make any face-hugging leech die from envy. "Sonikku! You've found me! I'm so happy I could go squee forever!"

He tried to shake her off, somehow, anyhow. No effect. The girl had had too much practice with the blue faker to let go of her pray that easily.

There was another tap on his shoulder. Squinting back, he found the same rabbit girl jumping on one place impatiently. "Mister Shadow, I've lost my friend!"

Amy's grip weakened, so Shadow could breathe some as she peeked above his shoulder. "Clementine, you? Shouldn't you be with your mother?"

While Cream was blinking in confusion, Shadow managed to tear Amy off. "Look, I'm not Sonic, or Sonikku, or whatever. I'm Shadow, see?"

She was looking up at him happily, now limp in his hands. "Yes?"

"Now, I've got a business to take care of. Alone."

"Yes?"

"I'm glad we understand each other."

He released her, and she was immediately on her feet by him. "Sonikku, may I save the world with you this time?"

Just great, Shadow thought. That leech had sucked her brains out. Just when he thought he could possibly start putting up with her company someday in the future.

The hedgehog turned towards Cream. "Can you watch her for me? Just – sit – here, and watch so that she doesn't get into trouble."

"I can't! I have to find Cheese!"

A blink followed from him. "Why would you need cheese at a time like this..?"

"He is my friend chao. And he is lost."

Ah, yes. Amy had told him something about it.

Alright. Breathe in, breathe out. Calm down, Shadow, he told himself. "If I find that… chao, will you look after, er, Amy?"

The pink hedgehog giggled happily. "Clementine, you look sooo funny today!"

"I'm Cream... Can you really find Cheese? He's lost among other chao Eggman caught."

"Show them to me!"

It wasn't that bad, actually, Shadow kept telling himself as he wandered through a hall swarming with chao. Find a chao with a bow-tie among chao without it, no problem. The fact the creatures, which Cream described as loveable and sociable, hurried away from him wherever he walked couldn't be too much of a problem, either.

Maybe it had to do with the gun in his left hand and droplets of blood.

Amy was murmuring something while hugging his left arm tightly. It's not that she had a bad voice; it was just if eating spoonfuls of sugar had a musical equivalent, it would sound exactly like that song.

"Can't you call your friend or something?" Shadow asked in a tired voice while holding up a chao with his free hand and studying it. The creature tried to punch him in the nose.

"I tried, but he wouldn't respond…"

Beside him, Amy suddenly stiffened. "Is it a mouse?"

"Huh?"

As the chao shuffled away from them, he could indeed hear barely audible whimpers coming from behind the stone wall. Part of it was bulged a little, as if being used to moving away to reveal a hidden passage. Cream got glued to it immediately while shouting her pet's name.

Shadow tried pushing it himself with a single hand, which resulted in spectacular nothing. He huffed towards Amy. "Weren't you going to help me?"

"Yes?"

"Behind that rock, there's a chao that needs to be saved."

She squeaked. "Oh, Sonikku, you're so caring! You're totally my hero!"

"Forget it…"

The rock was giving in, shuffling back inch by inch. Soon enough, it revealed a hole in the tunnel's floor, wide enough for an anthropomorph to get in and deep enough for the same anthropomorph to get lost there.

"How in the world did your friend get there?"

Cream kneeled over the edge. "Cheese! Cheese? Is it you?"

There was a rustle somewhere in the darkness. By the sound of it, the chao was getting away from them.

"Oh no. Cheese, you are moving in the wrong way!"

"I'll get him out," said Shadow. And added, "But I'll need two hands for that."

Amy jumped up and down in delight. "An adventure for the two of us? What are we waiting for!?" With that, she hopped into the hole before Shadow could open his mouth.

"Fantastic…"

He followed her, landing on a solid ground several meters below. Judging by how the thump echoed through the place, they had entered a vast underground cavity. The hidden wall left no doubts about the origins of the place; Shadow could only hope Eggman had not have enough time to set up a surprise deadly weapon in there, busy with alien attacks and all that.

As he was narrowing his eyes, trying to adjust to almost pure darkness, Amy got glued to his hand again. Exploring the cave like this was going to be an enthralling experience.

"Mister Shadow, can you see Cheese?" Cream asked from above.

"Not yet, but I can hear it," he growled back, advancing cautiously. "Just a minute, and– what's that?"

He stopped, listening intensely. Save for Cheese's distant whining and Amy's excited breaths, there was now a steady grinding sound. Shadow didn't like it one bit.

Cream saw it first. "Oh no, the wall! It's sliding back!"

Apparently, she tried to stop it, and apparently, she failed at it, because when Shadow made a swift turn back, he could see a strip of bleak light narrowing quickly. Even before he could think of a way to make it back to the surface with Amy still stuck to him, it disappeared.

The grinding sound stopped.