Shadow left Sonic back at the safe house, the blue hedgehog exhausted by the events of today. While he was a Ultimate Lifeform, the younger one was still recovering from his stay in the defective cryogenic chamber, and the last thing Shadow wanted now was for the sapphire one to be injured or aggravate his condition because they hadn't been careful enough.
Besides, there would be plenty of time to get used to each other once Sonic was healed...
It was with that pleasuring thought that Shadow entered Robotnick's personal laboratory, with his lips still tingling from the heavenly kiss.
"Back again, hedgehog?" The human barely looked up from the file he was reading. Pencil in hand, the scientist was scribbling down some notes on another sheet of paper -and right next to it, there was an already sizeable pile.
"Yes." Shadow affirmed as he took a nearby chair and dropped down on it, his eyes gaining a hint of curiosity as the man didn't even look his way. For Ivo to be so caught up in his work, it had to be something very interesting and seeing what they had done today, it had to relate with Sonic. "Have you found anything particular?"
"Many things, Shadow, many things indeed." The last Robotnick exclaimed, eyes still not leaving his research papers. "For starters, that injury of his on the throat will be unlikely to fully heal; he must have spent at least ten years in that container." Finally looking up, the man turned to his computer and entered a code. A digital image of a familiar blue hedgehog appeared, and was quickly zoomed into the neck area. "I believe that the ice of the cryogenic chamber didn't form properly around his neck, and as such the water 'rotted' his vocal cords. Since it's such a delicate organ, it is unlikely it will ever fully heal in the correct manner, but we can still hope."
"I was starting to think that." The Ultimate Lifeform hummed. "His throat remained as it was even after a few days with me. If I had such injury, I would have been able to regenerate the damaged tissue in a matter of hours."
"Indeed." Robotnick said absently as he grabbed a pile of papers and handed them to Shadow. "Here, this is everything you need to know."
The ebony hedgehog stared at the offered files for a moment before looking back at the human with irritation. "What are you plotting about, Robotnick?" The immortal said with a hiss, the threat in his voice driving the man to turn his full attention to the obsidian warrior. "You don't normally brush off something like this so quickly."
"I do."
"We both know you love the sound of your own voice more than anything else." Scarlet eyes widened in realization. "What did you find?"
"What I'm researching," The scientist said with a growl, resting the pencil down on the desk before crossing his arms over his chest. "...is none of your concern, as you already have the documents you asked of me, and the shoes will be ready soon." At the dangerous gleam in Shadow's eyes, the man continued, his tone just as dry and impatient despite the looming threat to his life. "...but if you want to know, I'm mumbling because I don't understand why G.U.N. gave our blue friend a little extra."
Shadow quirked a eyebrow at this. "...and what would that be cause for concern?" The dark hedgehog wondered, looking down at the files on the desk with suspicion. "Gerald added many things that normal mobians don't have."
"My grandfather's work was different." Robotnick defended with a huff. "He didn't do things in a half-assed manner, and he certainly didn't stuff a female reproductive system in your bowels."
Ruby eyes widened.
"What?!"
"It's quite incredible, really." Robotnick babbled, ignoring the ebony hedgehog's gaping expression as he turned around and commanded his computer to recreate a hologram of the cobalt Ultimate Lifeform again. After demanding a version that showed only the insides of the youngest immortal, the man pointed at the pelvic area and allowed Shadow to come to his own confusion. "It's well hidden, and you would need to really look between his legs to notice it. The only thing I'm worried about is that if he ever got pregnant, there will be complications."
"But...that's not possible." Shadow tried weakly, his eyes fixed on the hologram. He could see the source of their discussion in the young hedgehog's pelvis, just behind the pouch of the male reproductive system.
"Of course it is. One thing I found interesting is just his different his gene pool is next to yours. You both have the same base, but his blood contains less mobian hedgehog DNA than you. In fact, ten percent of his genetic coding comes from a native specie known as Mobus Apteryx Haastii."
"Kiwi." Shadow said flatly, all surprise sucked out of his features as he gave Robotnick one of the most exasperated expressions the man had ever seen on the Ultimate Lifeform. "He has the genes of a Mobian Great Spotted Kiwi."
Ivo gave out a gentle hum at his indignant companion. "A female one, to be exact." The human added helpfully, the ghost of a smile lighting his lips as Shadow's right eye twitched uneasily. "I think G.U.N. chose the Kiwi bird for their reproductive capabilities." At Shadow's blank look the man was quick to explain. "I looked it up, and as it turns out, the Kiwi has the biggest egg to body ratio in any bird specie, feral or civilized. They are known to have one of the shortest pregnancies in the mobian community, and their child are much more developed at birth than any other non-feral animal."
Shortest pregnancies...
Much more developed at birth...
(He felt betrayed.)
"Breeder."
"Huh?"
"They made him as a breeder." Shadow said with a snarl, body trembling with suppressed rage. "G.U.N. wanted to open the Ultimate Lifeform program again. That's why they created him."
Robotnick nodded at this. "Natural birth would be cheaper than spending millions of dollars per one Ultimate." He whistled appreciably, looking back at the hologram in wonder. "That's smart."
"No it isn't." Shadow hissed venomously.
"It is. I am surprised in the amount of work they put to make him irresistible for other members of his specie." The human said, ignoring how his older companion stiffened at his words. "For example, he has some genes from a Mobus Euphydryas editha, which allows him to excrete a constant amount of sex pheromones.
"A butterfly. Not only a bird, but a butterfly as well."
"Indeed." Ivo admitted softly, noting the other's restlessness. "I can give you the full list of genetic donors, but it's quite long."
Shadow sighed tiredly, but Ivo noticed the faint tightening of gloved hands, as well as the slight crackle of Chaos around the forearms of the ebony hedgehog. The Ultimate Lifeform was like a coming storm, struggling to contain his rage and hatred for G.U.N.
...seeing as the Commanded had gone underground, there was only one target for the weapon of mass destruction to unleash on.
Ivo pitied the blue hedgehog.
xxxxxxx
"You knew."
The fact that Sonic looked down guiltily only cemented his accusation.
"Why?" He snarled, anger boiling in his veins as the smaller male flinched and shuffled back, ears lowering submissively in a attempt to calm him down. It wouldn't work; not in the state the elder was in. "Why the fuck wouldn't you tell me this?" Shadow roared, the darker side of him enjoying the fear growing in the jade eyes. "Was it your goal? To spread your legs, let me fuck you like a whore before running back to G.U.N. and spend your life giving birth to weapons?!"
Sonic gave him a indignant look of surprise. "No! W-Why would you...think of such things?!" The sudden burst of anger in his voice took Shadow for surprise, and halted his advance. The blue one seemed to have realized it, as he looked away, ears lowering. Shadow's instincts purred at the sight. "It's just that..."
"Well?!" The acidic hiss colder than ice made the younger male shiver.
"Since...since I was created, t-they told me." Sonic muttered, looking at the ground in dejection. "They told me...you would be my mate...and I...I was only meant for...that..." He didn't need to clarify what it meant. "I used to hate you, you know...y-you would take away...what little freedom...I had. They...they told me I...spend my life in a room, and you would coming in every few months and...and..."
"It stills doesn't explain why you lied to me, fool."
"Y-you didn't ask! Ho...how should I have...told you?"
"Telling me should have been the first thing you should have done the moment you opened that fucking lying mouth of yours!" Shadow roared as he took a step towards the blue hedgehog, Chaos cracking around him. Sonic wasn't quick enough to see the blow coming, and cried out as he slammed against a wall, a sinister crack echoing across the room as he slid to the ground, clutching his side and whimpering.
Sides heaving, eyes wide and bloodshot with anger, Shadow lunged at the defenceless male and roughly grabbed him by the quills before throwing him across the room was more. Part of him screamed in horror as the sapphire hedgehog pressed against a wall, looking down and ear lowered, still not trying to defend himself from the rampaging male. Another, bigger part of him laughed in victory. Too long had G.U.N. controlled his life; he would not allow them to have even the slightest amount of control over him.
As strange and warm Sonic made him feel, he was too much of a liability. Too much of a danger to him, too much of a hinderance G.U.N. could use.
He couldn't trust the blue hedgehog, not anymore.
"Chaos Spear!"
The lance tore through the chamber, slamming right next to Sonic as the blue speedster scrambled aside. The cobalt one managed to avoid the brunt of the attack, and tumbled to the ground, clutching his bleeding right side in silence, only soft sniffles coming from him.
The sounds made Shadow come to a stop, the scarlet eyes taking in the sorry sight through a dimming red haze.
Wide, terrified green eyes stared up at him, filled with tears.
All too suddenly Shadow snapped out of it and saw. He saw the blood on his own hands, he saw the broken figure laying curled up against the wall in a faint attempt to hide, he heard the quiet sobbing and he could smell the terror coming from the smaller immortal.
What had he done?
"Sonic..." Gods. In a fit of blind rage he had attacked the younger immortal, without even bothering to acknowledge his side of the story. What kind of monster was he?
G.U.N. had controlled the both of them throughout most of their lives. What right had he to attack Sonic when he was as much as a victim as himself? Just like him, Sonic hadn't wanted to to be created. He didn't ask for this, not any of this.
And Shadow had destroyed that fragile trust, and it would be unlikely that he would ever get it back.
"Sonic..." He breathed softly, reaching out for the quivering figure.
Sonic's eyes widened and he flinched, a shaky whine escaping the defenceless male.
"Get away..." The younger whimpered, shuffling back, pressing himself against the wall as if he wanted to disappear.
(What had he done?!)
"Sonic, I'm sorr-" Shadow began hesitantly, but then he saw something that made him stop and stare. The smaller's beautiful emerald orbs had vanished in a sea of white, and the delicate face was twisted into a mask of hatred. The temperature of the chamber shifted abruptly, going from near boiling levels to a icy winter that made even the black and red hedgehog shiver.
"GeT aWAy!" Sonic shrieked, castling his arms in front of him defensively as frigid Chaos swirled around him, waiting to strike.
A flash of light blinded Shadow, nearly burning his eyes out of their sockets. He cried out, reaching blindly for the cobalt hedgehog in a attempt to shield him from this unknown threat, but he stumbled and fell on his side.
Scarlet eyes dazedly blinked away the after effects of the light before looking around in a panic, searching for a spot of blue and peach as Shadow shakily stood up, ignoring the scorch marks now littering the room, all focused on the spot the cerulean hybrid was -or rather, had been, as there was now a distinctive lack of cobalt hedgehogs in the room.
"Sonic?! Sonic!"
All he was greeted with was heavy silence.
xxxxxxxx
It was cold.
It was bright.
He was falling.
Downdowndown-
"What the hell-"
"Knuckles, catch him!"
Falling stopped.
Warmth.
He closed unseeing eyes and sighed.
Shadow...
"Gods, he looks half dead!"
Darkness.
Really sorry for this. Had to happen for the story to progress the way I want it.
