Prison Island, 1950

"Stop tryin' to escape, Salv."

Salvatore didn't listen to that advice. He kicked, struggled, stretched, dug, climbed, schemed, everything. He wasn't sure whether he'd succeed or not. The only thing he was certain of, and that was that he would not give up.

"You're really startin' to piss me off!" his cellmate yelled as he jumped off the top bunk.

"Stop fiddling with the bars, inmate!" came a yell from outside. Salvatore grit his teeth and stopped fiddling with the metal hinges on the door.

"You're an idiot if ya' think you're actually gonna escape that way," the cellmate said.

"This isn't how it ends," Salvatore said, staring forward into the opposite cell. Luckily it was empty, or the inhabitants would have died of exposure to deadly garing.

"It kinda is, if you're bein' executed in two days," his cellmate remarked.

"My work isn't done yet!" he yelled. "Just a few more bombings, and maybe they would have given in!"

"Really? This crap again!?"

"That's all I ask for! A bit of equality!"

"Which you get through peaceful protests!"

"Those don't fucking work!"

"Neither does getting yourself executed."

"Shut up," Salvatore spat.

"I will in two days," said his cellmate. "No wait, that'll be you."

Salvatore growled at the fellow sapient as he chuckled.

…

Salvatore was woken up in the middle of the night and dragged out of his cell half asleep.

"Huh?"

"It's time to go, scum," said one of the human guards that dragged him out.

"N-no!" Salvatore began to struggle, but was already weakened by near starvation. "You can't kill me! Not like this!"

He was dragged down the corridor and and into a dark room. He took in a deep breath, accepting his end. He stood before an ominous metal chair and gulped hard. The humans shoved him onto it. The hedgehog felt sick to his stomach. He'd always been the one to deal the pain, never to receive it. He hoped and hoped that somehow the chair wouldn't work, or the humans would change their mind. He closed his eyes tight, trying to block out the experience as he was strapped in tightly.

He opened one of his eyes a tiny bit, looking through the small slit his eyelids allowed him to see that a human was about to pull the lever. The hedgehog took in a deep breath and grit his teeth hard, bracing himself. Then-

"STOP!"

Someone burst into the room. Salvatore let out a breath of relief, his head dropped in exhaustion.

"Excuse me?"

"Change of plan." The hedgehog looked at the human at the door with a mix of gratitude and confusion. "He's going to the ARK."

…

Salvatore deadpanned into thin air, not happy about his transportation arrangements. Straight jacket, mask, chains, the works. He was rolled onto the rocket.

"I need to pee," he said monotonously. The guards rolling him stopped and sighed.

"What do you think you're doing?" said the man in charge The guards looked at him, conflicted. "He's just trying to escape. It's obviously a lie."

"And what if I'm not lying?" Salvatore asked dryly.

"Then you wait," the man said firmly while looking into the holes in Salvatore's mask. "It can't be too much for the most notorious terrorist in the United Federation."

"I think I left the oven on. That definitely can't wait," Salvatore said.

"Quiet, hedgehog," the man said boredly.

"It's Erizo. Salvatore Erizo," he said as he was rolled completely onto the ship.

"Arrogant little shit," the man grumbled under his breath as he locked the doors behind.

"So, where is this ARK? Across seas?" Salvatore asked.

"Oh, you have no idea, you little rodent," said the man in charge. "Sit tight. This will be a long ride. Our next destination is Space Colony ARK." Salvatore was silent. "In space!" he added mockingly. "Alright, we're ready to go."

"Space Colony... ARK," Salvatore mumbled under his breath in awe.

…

They arrived at their destination within a few hours. Salvatore was rolled out onto the deck of the ARK. He caught glimpses of the sights around him through the small holes in his mask. It was completely different to whatever he'd seen before.

"Welcome aboard, Commander," said some male voices, greeting them.

"How is my son?" asked the leader of the group. Salvatore now knew him as the Commander.

"Abraham is doing well. Really getting on with the Professor's Granddaughter-"

"Avoid the real subject at hand, why don't you!?" Salvatore yelled. The Commander, the two guards and several GUN soldiers all looked at the strapped criminal. "What the hell is going to happen to me here!? I can tell this isn't going to be a holiday!"

"Silence, rodent!" the Commander yelled and kicked the trolley he was in. Salvatore grunted at the sudden jolt.

"Let's get him to the lab for initial testing."

Salvatore's blood felt like ice. Testing? He was rolled out of the dock and down a corridor. He caught glimpse of two children, who stood watching in awe. One was a boy with bicoloured eyes and grey hair. Now that really stood out. The other was a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. Salvatore glared at them with his cold brown eyes, hoping to just kill them with his stare. He couldn't stand the way they just gawped at him.

The hedgehog was rolled into the lab as said. The metal door hissed shut behind them. He saw a large, round, bald man stood at the back of the room, sorting some equipment. He turned around to reveal a rather large grey mustache, and a equally large syringe with needle. Salvatore's breathing stopped in fear. The man walked over slowly, getting closer and closer. Salvatore wanted to yell at him to stay away, but no words came out. The man fiddled with the hedgehog's mask, to reveal the criminal's terrified look. Wide brown eyes and black ears bent back in fear.

"Perfect," the man said. "I am Gerald Robotnik." He pointed the needle at the hedgehog. Sweat dripped down Salvatore's tan muzzle. "And you are now… Project SHADOW."

Salvatore screamed as the needle was dug into his sensitive little neck, causing him excruciating pain.