Chapter 2
Shards of Memory
Amy slowly opened her eyes. It was dark. Having no memory of drawing the curtains before she went to sleep, she got up, reasoning that she had fallen out of bed during the night. She moved her hands around in the darkness, trying to locate her mattress. Slowly, she realized that the surface of the floor was extremely cold, and solid. It was definitely not the hard wood flooring in her bedroom. In addition to that, the room was rather frigid, although moderately so. She could have sworn that she had turned up the thermostat last night.
Amy gasped as she remembered that she had a date with Sonic. Still hopeful, she searched for the red light of her electronic alarm clock, wanting to know how much time she had to get ready. The alarm clock had been set for seven AM to give her enough time to brush her hair and get dressed. Maybe it was still really early, and the sun hadn't risen yet. That would explain why there was no light in the room.
Suddenly, she noticed a red light several feet away. It was her alarm clock! It was at the correct height, and the red was the same color. Amy felt puzzled nonetheless. Had she gone that far away from the bed in her sleep?
Walking towards the light, she felt a strange, ominous feeling. It made her want to turn around and think things through, but she suppressed it. The most likely explanation was that the furnace wasn't working, and she had hit the floor harder than she though. Reaching out her gloved hand out, she felt the top of the device.
The surface was too hard, too round, and the lights looked like… eyes. Suddenly, she gasped, stepping backwards as the red light rose higher, becoming brighter. The light was now positioned a head higher, looking down at her.
It spoke.
"I see that you are awake," said an eerie robotic voice, seeming amused by her wandering.
"M-metal Sonic!" Amy gaped, partially shocked, but mostly afraid.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! You knew this wasn't your room, and now look what happened!
"It is a pleasure to see you again, Amy," the robot said, taking a slight bow. Either he was mocking her or amusing himself. Amy found it creepy.
"Y-you tricked me. Why did you pretend to be my alarm clock?" Amy backed up some more as the robot walked forward, seeming to want to be closer.
"It was not intentional, I assure you," he claimed, seeming to want to communicate that he was sorry.
Amy felt herself bump into the wall. She couldn't move back any further.
"Perhaps, Amy, you are wondering where I have chosen to contain you."
"Actually, I'm willing to suppress my curiosity if you just let me go!" Amy suddenly reached for her hammer, only to find that it wasn't there.
Metal Sonic seemed to have read the look on her face.
"I took it from you," he said flatly.
"What do you mean you took it?" Amy growled, but Metal Sonic seemed completely unnerved. "You can't just take my hammer!"
Amy realized that she was stuck between the robot and the wall. She turned her head to and fro, looking for a visible exit. It was too dark. There was no way she could find a way out.
"Do you want to know what it is that I want?" Metal Sonic inquired, ignoring her protests.
"I don't really care, but if you insist," Amy said, trying to determine if she could somehow use his weight to flip him over.
She had done it with other, larger people who had threatened her before, usually by waiting until their weight was shifted unevenly, then disrupting their balance. Unfortunately, Metal Sonic seemed aware of this. Either that, or was just plain lucky.
"Very well. Perhaps you can guess what my primary function is."
Amy paused momentarily. It was a simple question, and she knew the answer, but saying it made her cringe inside. "To destroy Sonic."
"Correct. As you may have guessed by now, you are part of a plot to remove him. Permanently."
"I don't get it. Why are you telling me?" Amy asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
"Because I will give you a choice," Metal Sonic said, turning around and walking a short distance from her, which relieved her greatly.
"I don't like it already," Amy said disapprovingly.
Metal Sonic turned around. In his hand he held a yellow jewel the size of a large baseball. It was a Chaos Emerald.
"I am offering you power. Control." He neared closer, holding the gem out as if trying to give it to her. "Imagine, the authority to call thousands of subject to bend to your will. The ability to crush nations, destroy cities, and take lives. Or even, to create. To destroy the evil that purges the planet and replace it with peace. No more poverty, hunger, or transgression. I can give you it all."
He forced the emerald into her hand, making Amy grasp the jewel until she could feel the surface of its facets even with her gloves on. The emerald seemed to pulsate with energy, faintly illuminating the darkness. Amy pushed it away until Metal Sonic held it alone.
"I don't like power," Amy told him, backing up until she was against the wall again. "You can keep it to yourself."
"But how do you know…" Metal said, holding up the gem, wanting her to take it, "…if you have never had it before."
Amy's face became serious, her expression explaining enough about what she thought.
"How can you understand what power is? Have you ever done any of those things? Well?"
Metal Sonic gave no reply.
"Have you ever killed anyone, or destroyed anything more than the occasional training robot? Have you ever brought any justice other than what Eggman told you was law? Face it, you may know what power is, but you have never used it."
Metal Sonic said nothing, only putting his arm which held the Chaos Emerald down. He stared at her for a few moments, and Amy could almost feel a slight tension in the air. It felt like... anger?
"I see. If you do not want what I offer, then it will be withheld from you. But, later, perhaps, you will change your mind."
Turning away, Metal Sonic vanished into the darkness. As the sound of his footsteps retreated, Amy sat on the ground, pulling her knees closer to herself. Her head hung low, and she suddenly felt very desperate.
"S-sonic," she sobbed, "where are you?"
…
Sonic tapped his foot impatiently as a uniformed guard scanned him. He was in the G.U.N. maximum security prison, waiting for the protocol scan to finish. Commander Tower had been called just for Sonic's arrival. G.U.N. had requested Sonic's presence at the prison before, but he had been too busy with interviews and newscasts. That, and he really didn't really want to go anyway.
Matter of fact, Sonic wouldn't have even stepped foot in the prison if Tails hadn't convinced him that Eggman needed checking up on.
"All right, you're clear," the guard said, lowering the scanning device in his hand.
Sonic was led by the guard through a large hallway. They passed several other uniformed men and a small convoy of guards escorting a prisoner. He was human, with large muscles that seemed to tightly fit into the strict prison uniform. Grinning darkly, the human scowled at Sonic and made a rude racial joke. The guards quickly chastised him and moved him along, but seemed to do nothing more. Sonic tried not to think about it.
They saw no other prisoners, which was normal, considering they were on the opposite wing of the containment sector. Eggman however, was now in one of the interrogation rooms closer to the exterior.
Sonic's escort stopped in front of a door, knocking quickly.
"Enter," a stern voice replied.
The escort opened the door, then motioned for Sonic to go inside. Sonic walked in, the guard shutting the door behind him. The room was fairly large for on office space. The furniture struck Sonic as dull, and the room had little decoration other than doctrines and schedules. The thing that stood out the most was the flag of the United Federations in the corner and the large wood desk in the center – not to mention the man sitting behind it.
He was dressed in a dark gray uniform, and his expression was serious. His hair was as white as the gloves that he wore, but the most striking thing about him was his eyes. One was a light hazel, while the other was deep green. That meant he was heterochromatic, and the coloration was not partial, but complete. Sonic was also surprised to see that he was not wearing anything more impressive than the marks that showed his authority.
"Sonic the hedgehog, it's a pleasure to meet you," the man greeted austerely, offering out his hand for Sonic to shake.
They shook hands. His grip was very firm.
"Abraham Tower, Commander of G.U.N." the man recited authoritatively, but with a hint of pride showing through.
"Nice to meet you," Sonic formally replied. He couldn't wait to get out of there. "I understand that you want me to talk to one of your more 'uncooperative' prisoners."
"Precisely."
The commander led Sonic out into the hallway again, where they walked to another sector of the prison. This time, Sonic saw no one else in the hallway as he was led to one of the interrogation rooms.
Just outside was a glass window allowing a full view of the room. Inside were white walls and a simple desk and chairs with a large man sitting in the one facing the door.
It was strange to see Eggman dressed in anything but his red waistcoat and black attire. But to see him in a gray prisoner attire was stranger still. They had even taken away his glasses, which exposed his gentle blue eyes. For a moment, Sonic wondered if this was the same man he had fought since his first encounter at the Green Hill Zone.
"You stay here while I make him a little more talkative," Commander Tower said, then curtly walked in.
The commander sat in front of Eggman, looking as serious as he had in the office. He seemed irritated too. Eggman had caused him quite a lot of trouble.
"Good morning, doctor," the commander greeted loudly, making sure Sonic could hear him through the speakers outside the room. His voice was thick was sarcasm. "I'm sorry that we couldn't get you a larger cell, all of our best were on Prison Island, which you took the liberty of destroying."
Is he trying to talk about a light subject? Sonic wondered.
"Not to mention the destruction of Central City at the hands of your pet, Chaos," the commander continued. "Who, by the way, has been extracted from the Master Emerald and is in a G.U.N. high security lab being stabilized."
Sonic was shocked. He quickly closed his mouth once he realized he had been gaping. How did they get past Knuckles to remove Chaos from the Master Emerald? What happened to Tikal?
And why did he just tell that to Eggman?
The commander continued talking.
"But I suppose all of that is nothing compared to your latest feat. Like letting loose that homicidal robotic monster of yours that nearly attacked the United Federations!"
Commander Tower slammed his fist onto the table, making a loud banging noise. The commander was breathing heavily, his face a light shade of red. Sonic wait apprehensively for Eggman to say something.
Eggman never stirred once.
The commander regained his composure and turned around, leaving the room.
"It's your turn, hedgehog," he stated, say nothing more as he closed the door behind him.
Sonic decided not to take the profiling personally, and entered the room. Sitting leisurely in the chair opposite of Eggman, Sonic leaned back and but his feet on the table.
"What's up, doc'?" the hero jeered, wearing a great big grin.
Eggman said nothing.
"So how long until they let you out of here? I'm looking forward to blowing up another one of your toys."
Still nothing. The scientist's eyes were giving him no hints.
"Aw, come on. Your best friend comes to visit you, and you won't even say hi. Would it help if I brought some chips?"
Sonic noticed Eggman's eyebrow twitch.
Funny how all that teasing gets to him. He's been through so much of it I guess he can't help but be sensitive to it.
"Would you happen to be hatching any evil plots in that mind of yours?" Sonic pressed. "Did you catch that doc? Hatching."
Eggman's soft blue eyes seemed to flicker with life, as if he had just woken up.
"Listen well, Sonic," he began, "the only evil plots I'll be hatching are outside of this prison."
"Oh yeah?" Sonic pretended to suppress a yawn. "And how do you intend to get there?"
"I will be leaving this prison. Today."
Without another word, Eggman lowered his head and spoke no more.
Knowing that it would take time to get anything more out of him, Sonic got up and left the room. Commander Tower was giving loud commands to the guards in the immediate area. He seemed to have taken Eggman's threat very seriously.
"I want you to escort him back to his cell! Security is to be doubled. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the guards saluted in unison, retrieving a quiet Eggman from the room and escorting him down the hall.
After Eggman and his escorts left the hallway, Commander Tower spoke.
"I understand that you came here not on G.U.N. request, but on personal matters. If I may ask, for what reason did you come here?"
"Just to make sure that he was nice and cozy," Sonic said with a shrug. "That's all."
"I see. In the meantime, it's required that you sign some paperwork before leaving."
Sonic suppressed a groan. "Okay."
…
What seemed like hours later later, Sonic finished signing his name on twenty different pieces of paper before he was ready to leave. Getting up from his seat in the commander's office, Sonic placed the clipboard on the desk. Commander Tower was not there. He was personally overseeing the rehabilitation of a new prisoner. There was, however, a guard in the room to keep the office safe.
Suddenly, the room was illuminated with red as an loud alarm sounded. Sonic and the trooper shared surprised expressions.
"What's that?" Sonic asked as the guard yanked the door open.
"Someone signaled the alarm!" the trooper explained, striding down the hallway as he motioned Sonic to follow him. "The prison is going into lockdown mode."
Sonic couldn't help but think that Eggman was right. The strange alarm couldn't seem like anything but a sign of his plan in action.
"You wouldn't happen to have a drill scheduled for today, would you?" Sonic asked as the guard opened a door on the right.
"We don't have drills," he stated.
The trooper grabbed the walkie-talkie from his belt and started listening to a fast-paced warning from the operator.
"This is a code red situation," the trooper informed. "Eggman has left his cell. He's somewhere in the D-sector. We need to get there as quickly-"
Sonic didn't hear the rest of what the trooper was saying, as he was already halfway down the hall. The blue hero sped down the hallway, passing by the C-Sector. He swerved past armed men, not bothering to even glance at them as he rushed by.
Well, can't say he didn't warn me, Sonic thought, hearing shouts and gunshots as he neared the perimeter of the D-Sector.
The blue hedgehog screeched to a halt, stopping just outside of the entrance to the prison division that the guard mentioned. There was a scream as gunshots fired, followed by a crashing sound. Sonic rushed through the door way into a large space where several G.U.N. soldiers were firing rounds at a silver and black robot. It was somewhat humanoid, and had large scythes emerging from its arms. On its shoulders were disk-like saw blades, and on its back, a jet booster.
Well what do you know, it's a robot, Sonic thought with a small grin.
One of the armed G.U.N. soldiers ran up to Sonic, heaving heavy breaths of exhaustion. Several men behind him provided cover fire, distracting their mechanical enemy.
Sonic was about to rush into the fight, but was stopped by the trooper.
"Sonic the Hedgehog," the soldier said, "the mecha has been identified as Jetblade, one of Eggman's most dangerous machines. I was told to provide you with information as to its weakness. The back of its jet is-"
"Yeah, yeah," Sonic said, hardly paying attention. "Jetlag, got it."
Sonic rushed passed the soldier, stopping in front of the two supporting troopers, right in the mecha's vision.
"Clear out! I got this thing handled," Sonic told the troops, cracking his knuckles as the Jetblade mecha activated its targeting system.
The mecha immediately jetted forward, blades extended out. Sonic sprang into the air, bouncing off the robot's head as it went past him. It lost its balance, skidding to the side to prevent itself from crashing. Sonic intended to spin dash it, but decided against it at risk of being skewered. The robot turned back around, activating its jet booster.
This time it slashed at him as it zoomed by, only to be kicked as Sonic sped past it. The robot backed up from Sonic, calculating a new strategy.
"C'mon!" Sonic sighed, pretending to be bored. "What's so dangerous about you anyway?"
The mecha lowered itself onto the ground, the circular blades on its shoulders spinning as its legs folded up tightly. It's head touched its chest while hemispherical shields emerged from its arms. It was compacted into a tight ball of steel, with blades placed in its center and outer edges. It propelled itself forward, creating tracks in the concrete floor as it came towards the dumbfounded hedgehog.
Oh. That's what.
Sonic jumped over just in time, dodging the sharp teeth of the disks by only a few centimeters. He landed somewhat roughly, taking a shoulder glance at the robot as it came at him again.
Okay, so a frontal approach is a bad idea. Somehow, it still uses its jet even when in its ball form.
Dodging once more, Sonic jumped to the side, causing the ball to keep moving, shredding the concrete as it went by. He noticed how the blades were only aligned to go straight forward, therefore making a side approach the safest decision.
If I can upset its momentum it should crash. If I hit it from the side that should nail it!
Sonic curled up into a ball, spinning in place as the mecha came back for another hit. He spun forward, the robot making the same path as if the two were set for a collision course. Just as they were a short distance from each other, Sonic swerved to the side, turning back with just enough speed to hit the mecha on its shield plating.
The Jetblade mecha toppled over, hitting the wall with brutal force. The mecha expanded outward until it was no longer in its ball form, seeming crippled after the blow.
Almost thinking it was over, Sonic let out a sigh of relief. Just one more smash and it was finished. Done deal.
Suddenly, the mecha activated its jet again, but this time with greater speed. It crashed into Sonic head on, even though the hedgehog had tried to jump to avoid it. They fell to the ground, tumbling away from each other from the hit onto the concrete floor.
Sonic grunted before jumping back up.
Without warning, the mecha had sped forward while Sonic was down. It slashed at its opponent, cutting in the form of an X shape. Sonic leaned back until his head was as low as his knees, the swift edge of the steel slicing the air above him. Flipping himself over, Sonic kicked at the mecha's abdomen. It took the blow with minimal effectiveness, slashing at him with hardly a pause. Sonic ducked, swerved, and dived to avoid the steel scythes.
It's a little bit tougher than I thought.
The blue hedgehog slid under the mecha, knocking its legs out from underneath it. Kicking it so it fell away from him, Sonic jumped into the air. He curled into a ball, hurtling at the mecha's head. It avoided him just barely, causing him to crush one of its arms instead. The mecha swiped at him with its intact arm, only to miss once more.
Sonic jumped off the mecha, curled back into a ball and struck it again. Its other arm came off, and the robot fell over. Sonic hurled himself back into the air, curling into a sphere of sharp quills before striking the mecha straight through. The robot was reverted to crushed steel as a dash of blue sped through it. The Jetblade mecha fell over, destroyed.
But I'm even tougher, Sonic considered, smiling contentedly.
"It looks like Eggman's most powerful hunk of scrap has just been trashed," the blue hero gloated.
Sonic glanced over his shoulder, seeing that no one, not even a single G.U.N. soldier, was in sight. Confused, Sonic noticed a door opposite to where he entered. Upon opening it, he realized that it led to the outside area of the prison.
He ran out, stopping in the middle of the courtyard. G.U.N. troopers were looking up into the sky, at a large vessel in the air.
Close to the horizon was a large aerial transport, one that might even be considered some kind of mobile fortress. It was in bad repair, and the bright red paint that it usually donned had faded into a defective brown. Sonic knew that the ship was outfitted with heavy duty missiles and a mecha army stored inside, that he figured were in good condition no matter what the outside of the craft presented. The Egg Carrier, the doctor's most reliable escape vehicle, must have dispatched the mecha and waited out here for his arrival.
And it was getting away.
"Damn," Sonic cursed, reasoning that he was too far away to go back through the prison and still have time to chase after it. "I hate it when I look slow."
His fight with the mecha had been a delay. While Sonic had been battling the robot, Eggman had been using the precious seconds to escape from the prison while technically still inside. Sonic turned around, seeing the commander and a small group of infantry men sprinting toward him. Commander Tower swore at the sight of the Egg Carrier in the distance.
"We're too late," he growled, then turned to his men. "Call all aerial defenses and tell them to follow that airship! We won't miss him this time."
Something inside Sonic's head suddenly clicked.
"Late? Miss? Oh no! I should have been at Amy's by now!" Sonic held his head in frustration.
"Sonic the Hedgehog, would you help us-" Commander Tower said, but the words died on his lips when he noticed that Sonic was gone.
…
The light flooded in, almost blinding her with its sudden intensity in the dark room. Clanking metal met the floor, and she instinctively backed up as the robot stepped forward. She tried her best to make a convincing glare.
"Have you changed your mind yet, Amy?" asked Metal Sonic, with his hands behind his back courteously.
She shook her head defiantly. "No. And I'm not going to. Period."
Metal Sonic made a sighing noise, walking up to her. He stared into her eyes, giving her a sudden chill as she stared back.
"You don't have a choice."
He grabbed her, clamping his hand around her wrist, preventing her escape.
"Let me go! Let me go!" she screamed, hitting the robot with her free fist.
He did not heed her plea. Metal Sonic turned around, taking her with him. A piece of black cloth was pulled over her eyes, preventing her from seeing. No matter what she tried, hitting, kicking, screaming, dragging her feet, Metal Sonic's inescapable grip remained firm.
"I told you to let me go!" she cried, trying to free one of her arms from his iron grip.
She shrieked as she felt her legs lifted up from underneath her. Her head hit something hard, which she assumed was his arm. She tried kicking her feet, but the machine's hold only constricted. Another cloth was used to wrap around her mouth, preventing further protest.
She was laid down on a cold, flat surface. She guessed that it was steel or iron or something similar to that. Metal clamps closed around her arms, preventing her from moving. If she wasn't being gagged by the cloth she would have gasped at her realization of where she was.
It was an operation table.
"Very well, Amy," Metal Sonic hummed. "You said you didn't want to share my power…"
Metal Sonic removed the blindfold. Amy squinted, looking up at the only thing in view. The white ceiling cast down its dim light on her, revealing that she was trembling. It wasn't the cold that made her shiver, but the icy look of the robot which was barely in view.
"So… do you want to be powerful? Do you, Amy?" Metal Sonic pressured, his eyes searing brightly at the edge of her vision.
Why was he acting like this? What could be his motive?
Amy blinked away tears, shaking her head vigorously. No. It was true, she didn't want power. She wanted to be home, waiting for Sonic to pick her up and take her to the park. They could eat ice cream, go on rides, just have some fun. She could see him knocking at her door that moment, holding a bouquet of flowers... She didn't want this to happen. Not here. Not now.
What was he going to do to her?
"Hmm…" Metal Sonic said, watching as she shook her head again. "That is… unfortunate."
He turned away, picking up something on the table next to her.
"But," the machine continued, "I will give you this opportunity. Personal preference or not."
Metal Sonic held up a helmet of some kind. It was fashioned of some kind of steel, and shone brightly under the dim light. Connected to the back of it was a long wire, snaking several feet down. On it were many small, needle-like objects. Amy squirmed, knowing what he intended to do with it.
"You don't like it?" Metal Sonic asked, placing it on her head even as she struggled. "That is, shall we say… unfortunate."
It tightened around her cranium until it was firmly attached to her head. The metal tail from the back went underneath her, lining itself up with her spine. The needles delved into her skin until they attached to her spinal column. Amy cried in pain, squirming as the needles dug their way into her body. It hurt so much. She wanted to be gone, to wake up and discover that it was all a bad dream. But the overwhelming pain did not subside.
"It should be excruciatingly painful," Metal Sonic said, watching her writhe and twist. "And yet, I cannot be blamed. You gave me no other choice."
Metal Sonic shook his head in remorse.
"I am so sorry, Amy. But this will have to pass."
The only thing scarier and more dreadful than the pain infecting her body was the condition of her mind. Everything slowly went blank. She forgot where she was, what was happening, where she came from, why she was there. Everything. No pain. No thoughts. Nothing.
Then the pain came back. She was a scared hedgehog laying on an operation table while her blue hero was going to her house to take her to the park.
There they were, in her mind, sitting on a bench while sharing ice cream. Sonic was talking to her.
"Don't worry, Amy," Sonic said. "It will be over soon."
"Okay," she dizzily replied. She was laying on the bench now. "Sonic, I don't... feel good."
Sonic was holding her hand. "It is alright. The pain won't last long."
She wanted to close her eyes, but she also wanted to look at Sonic. He was looking down at her, and his eyes brightly shone... red?
"I want to go home," Amy suddenly murmured, but Sonic didn't offer a comforting smile.
He didn't frown, either. Wait... Where was his mouth? Is this even Sonic?
Sonic slowly grew darker, and for a moment Amy wondered if a cloud had moved over the sun. Oddly, Sonic's muzzle began to darken. The dim sky became a ceiling light as Sonic's quills turned a darker blue.
"Sonic?" Amy called, but Sonic began to glare at her. "I didn't mean it, Sonic. Why's the... blue... ocean?"
"Just close your eyes," the red-eyed Sonic soothed. His voice was deep and shallow. "It will be over soon."
Amy nervously did so, partly because she was tired but also because Sonic was scaring her. The cool darkness was relieving, but Sonic's eyes still burned in her vision. They watched her protectively, but with a kind of intensity that made her uncomfortable. It was awful, but at the same time, pleasant.
What was happening?
…
Sonic put three coins into the slot of a payphone, dialing the number. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for Tails to pick up. A frantic voice answered the phone.
"Hello? Who is this?" the fox at the other end asked.
"Take a guess," Sonic said with a small grin.
"Sonic! Sonic, I have some bad news!"
"Yeah, I know. Egghead got out of jail. Even worse, Amy locked the front door of her house because I was late."
"Sonic, what are you going to do?" Tails asked in a concerned tone.
"I'll just call her back tomorrow."
"That's not what I meant! The Egg Carrier just flew over my workshop!"
"What? Are you serious?" Sonic asked.
"Yeah! But don't worry, I have Team Chaotix chasing it down. Try to get over here as soon as possible, okay? Sonic? Sonic?"
The phone hung upside down, unattended. Sonic made a beeline through traffic, prompting many drivers to honk and shout as he passed by. The hedgehog swerved past a bicyclist as he made for the city park. He weaved his way through the trees, turning from the left to the right in hardly a second to avoid colliding with any objects. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, he smelled a hotdog stand not far away. Resisting the temptation of turning around, he ran faster.
And crashed into a black hedgehog.
"Oomph!" Sonic grunted as he got back up, wiping dirt off his quills from his fall to the ground. "Sorry about that. Are you-"
Sonic stopped talking once he realized who he ran into. Shadow muttered some colorful language before glaring at Sonic.
"Do you know what you just did?" Shadow demanded, jabbing his finger at Sonic.
"Look, Shad. Let's get one thing straight: I didn't mean to-" Shadow interrupted him.
"I have a busy schedule, blue hedgehog. It just so happens that our little collision just cut off my communications with G.U.N!" Shadow pointed to a small device on his wrist. "What do you have to say about that?"
Sonic frowned. "Okay, I'm sorry. Happy now?"
Shadow offered no reply. He turned his attention back to his communicator, apparently trying to fix it.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Sonic asked.
"I just used chaos control to warp back from my last job, which was only hours ago," Shadow answered, not looking up from the device on his wrist.
"Speaking of jobs…" Sonic smiled. "Eggman got out of prison. Want to help me haul him back?"
Shadow finally looked up. "I'd do it myself, but you would probably tag along anyway."
Shadow broke into a run, dashing out of the park. Sonic caught up with him, running alongside the black hedgehog.
"And who said that I was the one tagging along?" Sonic said, daring to poke him in the arm.
"Don't touch me," Shadow growled, shooting him a glare.
In this space I will write facts concerning the differences between the previous version, and this one.
Firstly, Eggman was never in prison. He was actually being held captive by the Chaotix for reasons unmentioned. Second, there were no "fight scenes" until the fourth chapter, but that was changed in order to provide a break to the plot. The Jetblade mecha was not introduced until this chapter because it wasn't in the original story. Shadow didn't appear until chapter eight or nine. This chapter has changed the most, and has resulted in a complete branch-off of the old version.
That's all for now.
