PiT 003: The March to a Darker World

Dark, Dark, Dark, Dark, Normal, Dark

"Now what?" Shadow asked coolly as he disposed of yet another GUN soldier. Doom's Eye floated up beside the dark hedgehog.

"Take my soldiers and head deeper into the city. If any humans resist, destroy them."

"Got it," Shadow said, heading toward the tall clock tower. The time on it read 2:57. Half the day left and the city was almost theirs!

Shadow was the fastest of Black Doom's men, as was common knowledge, and so he was the first to the clock tower.

As he arrived, Shadow met resistance in the form of several GUN soldiers. The black hedgehog took them down quickly and effortlessly, picking up one of their weapons afterwards.

Shadow strode casually around to the west side of the clock tower when he heard crying.

He went swiftly to the source of the sound; a young girl of about eleven or twelve. She had a blue bow in her semi-long, golden-colored hair, a denim jacket over a navy blue tank, and dark, blood-soaked jeans. Her cyan eyes stared at him with sheer terror; she had seen what he had done to the GUN soldiers.

"Maria?" Shadow whispered softly, dropping to his knees beside her. The girl flinched, looking at the gun in the hedgehog's gloved hand. He saw her gaze and promptly threw the gun a fair distance away.

He sat beside her, just staring at her. The young girl looked so much like his beloved Maria.

"Who are you?" he asked gently.

"Molly," the girl replied in a small voice.

"Shadow," a demonic voice said from above. Doom's Eye hovered just above the duo. "What are you doing? Dispose of that filthy human whelp and get back to your post."

"But she looks like Maria! I... I can't!" Shadow replied hastily.

"So?" Black Doom's voice shook with anger at the hedgehog's defiance.

"So I'd like to keep her safe with me," Shadow said, faltering. Black Arms soldiers were starting to appear.

"Are you willing to kill others to save your own life, whelp?" Doom's Eye asked Molly.

The girl looked frightened for a second, then said, "I've been hunting before. I know how to hold a gun."

"Fine," Doom said, "Take that gun and follow Shadow. If you do not kill any who resist, I will have him kill you personally. Now, go!"

When the young and innocent take up the blade, is it Armageddon?