The Dark Knight
Chapter 3
Burning to Live
* * * * *
I always knew this young fox was bright, but this newest event showed once and for all that he could rival Dr. Robotnik with ease. Once we reached the top of the stairwell, my lungs were burning beyond belief and I literally had to stop to catch my breath. There in the cold gloom with sparse tubes of bluish white light, I panted fervently as if I had ran nonstop for hours, giving no time to rest my chest through the effort. I was wasting time with having to stop, and we both knew it. But could I help it? Not without a death wish.
"Shadow," the fox started as he glanced at me with his observant, deep blue eyes. "We don't have time to wait like..." After he observed my pained glare and incessant gasps, he realized I couldn't help it. "It's fine, Shadow. Never mind that. We've got to keep going." He grabbed for my hand as if I was a distracted toddler and we dashed into the hall just outside the room. I hated feeling helpless like that! But what point was there in sulking about it and wasting effort simply regretting it? We pushed onward.
For no apparent reason, we stopped at an apparent dead end and the kit raised his palm, bringing something to my attention I hadn't noticed before. What was that in his hand? Sure enough, he held a large gun about the size of an automatic weapon that was adorned in a small array of green lights and glowing circuitry.
"Egghead has locked down the door, Shadow. It is two inch (5 cm) solid steel, and it's the best way we have out of here," Tails stated as he raised his new toy to aim the end of the hall in its sights. What!? My strongest Chaos Spear couldn't burn through that! Right as I finished my thought in confused silence, a whirr from the gun started softly at first, then got louder while the end of the device formed a small red bead of light that cast a haunting glow in the dim hallway. The orb grew in size and became a hotter shade of red, before turning burnt orange, and then finally became hot orange in a matter of seconds.
I half expected an enormous bang to shatter the thing to pieces, but it held as the orange ball of flame the size of a fist shot forward and plunged into the metal obstacle about five meters in front of us. A flash of searing heat turned the metal into a mass of dimly glowing, red iron, and even from that distance I could feel it firmly on my face. Where the shot landed, a ring of hot orange outlined a gaping hole, with wavering bubbles of hot air causing it to shimmer with the heat, making it look like a dancing ring of fire. Through the ring was our escape. That spectacle left me speechless, and hesitant to try crawling through said ring of burning orange, metallic gunk. It must have been at least a thousand degrees!
A moment passed when the shimmering mirage of heat settled somewhat, making the orange glow more definite as Tails charged forward and leapt through the hot cavity, before watching expectantly for me to follow. I took a breath of the then hot air and charged forward, feeling the heat rapidly get more intense, to the point of searing. Apparently speed is what spared him from becoming well-done road kill, and that was one thing I could do well. The heat was overwhelming. Although I had no shoes since I had regained consciousness, thankfully I got through quickly enough –avoiding placing my feet on the orange stuff, of course- that I got through with little trouble.
Having the soles of my feet on cold steel again was a welcomed comfort for once, since otherwise my feet were becoming numb. I glanced down at the contraption this boy genius had designed. "That is an impressive little gadget you have there Tails," I commented with a sigh.
"Yeah. Thanks, Shadow. I was using a synthetic Emerald to power it today. We should grab your shoes and gloves on and get out of here..."
* * * * *
How could we find my old stuff? The boy had planned that out, too. He found me the same way, by using a Chaos energy detector to determine which of the countless rooms had held said shoes and gloves. I should have known that...
The second thought to enter my mind was about his new little toy. We had continued once more down another identical hallway, running in some random direction for a means of escape. I was honestly surprised the kid had rescued me in the first place. I had no time to sit and wonder why, so I had to settle with wondering as we ran along.
"Have you tested that on a real Emerald? And was that as strong as it could get?"
"I haven't tested it on a real Emerald, and I don't know for certain if it can take more, Shadow. I designed it to withstand and convert energy. The collectors, converters, capacitors, energy coupling, and superconductor should be able to process enough heat to incinerate through two meters of solid tungsten. Or four meters of high-grade steel."
I didn't understand the majority of his detailed technical jargon, but I did get that last bit. Wow! Four meters of steel!? That thing would burn completely through an armored tank four times over! He could take out one of Dr. Robotnik's most gigantic combat machines with a single hit....
"Hmm..." I narrowed my eyes as we continued running, preparing for my second and more important question.
"Why did you bother coming here to help me?" The golden bundle of fur and blue eyes glanced at me and let his jaw gape in surprise, surprise that he didn't try to hide in the least. That caused me to arch an eyebrow with amusement.
"Shadow, that is a good question. I had no idea you would be alive; finding your signature was an accident. The truth is," the boy sighed briefly as our feet drummed through the base at top speed. "Everyone missed you when we thought you died. We all have managed to move on with time, but Sonic, Amy, and I had the hardest time doing so. Especially Amy..."
My ears perked up at the name. And the whole explanation, at that. They missed me. A very faint glow of faded, all but gone feelings lit up in my pained heart. I have been wanted time and time again, wanted to be used, manipulated, deceived, or controlled. I have been a puppet time and time again. With the ARK, the puppeteer was the very scientist who designed me, the one I trusted... and loved. Gerald Robotnik. The fact he used me in such a manner placed one more weight on my mind, only further dousing the flame of my will to live. I was used and left to die by someone I had trusted, one out of the handful I had ever trusted. The thought twisted my stomach in a sickened manner as my heart endured a painful throb in my torment.
But the fox specifically stated that the others missed me. I had been convinced years ago I wouldn't be missed by anyone, that terrible night Maria was killed. No one has missed me for decades...
