Hehehe... ^^; Yeah, well...

Next chapter~ x33

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Without any problems Black Doom arrived at his castle. It seemed to him as if he hadn´t been here for ages, even though it was just... a few days...? Now back in his normal form with the Master Emerald at his side he quickly found the way to the throne room. Darkness... would have missed him, he was sure of that...!

Although he had no doubt that Darkness had been paying attention to the people during his absence. He knew the Black Warrior now for many years. In the beginning both were not really on good terms with each other... in other words Darkness hated Black Doom and Black Doom could not stand waiting for a suitable opportunity to kick out Darkness.

But... after some time it got a little better until it finally became a strong friendship. Black Doom gave a lot of Darkness... very much... too much...! Moreover, he was well aware.

With some hesitation he entered the large room where his throne longingly waited for him. Immediately Black Doom's three eyes spotted Darkness the Black Warrior. He held in one hand without much effort a big, heavy carpet in the air while he was knocking out the dirt out of it with the other one. Quietly, he could hear him cussing.

"Everything is falling apart!... With our beloved, departed King Doom that had never happened! Oh, Black Doom... In contrast to you... this hedgehog is a bunch of dirt! I can not believe that this should be your descendant...!" Darkness lowered his gaze. Something like sadness was in his big yellow eyes and Black Doom knew that it was meant for him...

So they all thought he was dead, huh? But... what did Darkness mean with... Hedgehog? Black Doom narrowed his eyes as he stepped out boldly. "Darkness...!"

Immediately the head of the aliens whirled around to come to his attention. "L-Lord... Doom...?" Darkness let the rug he had holded, fall to the floor and lowered his arms close to his body, disbelieving. Black Doom was quickly approaching to him, the Master Emerald still on his side without any will. And no matter how bright and glowing the stone sparkled Darkness seemed unable to tear his gaze from Black Doom.

"S-sir..." It was hard to read emotions from his face that had no mouth or eyebrows, but... Black Doom knew Darkness of course and he knew... that he was happy. Just like himself, to be here again... To see someone you knew.

"Darkness..." And he did something he had never done before, something that was so out of character... He hugged Darkness... Darkness, who knew Black Doom since years and had never... seen him so emotionlal, froze...

Darkness knew that such close contact with the king was forbidden, but returned the hug. A gesture which had the same meaning as on Earth. Affection...

He was glad that his king was back...! At last they could toss out that failure of an hedgehog. If Darkness had luck Black Doom would even accuse him the annelids ... ( You know, these... things... in Shadow´s game. Thes Sandworms who likes to come out of the floor without invitation xD). Darkness had even heard that it was his fault that Black Doom was left on earth...! He quickly pushed away from his old "friend."

"Sir!... Your son... he throws everything into chaos!... He came back here when they thought you were dead and he has taken your place...!" Black Doom stared at him blankly. Shadow was here...? No wonder he couldn´t find him on earth, yet alone feel his Chaos Energy...!

"W-what...?" Black Doom knew that this did not sound intelligent, but... So Shadow had simply taken his comet when he defeated him, yes...?!

"Yes, it is...!" Darkness nodded quickly and was so glad and happy that he finally was able to speak his native language with someone again since days and did not have to resort to earth english at this moment...!

"Where is he?" Doom growled. He would find this traitor and would revenge even twice as bad at him! "Take it slow, sir...!... He should actually show up here some time ago in the Throne Room... but yesterday was indeed interrupted by the blue rat..." Black Doom watched Darkness, how at the thought of it the big, yellow eyes rolled. B-Blue rat...? Somehow that... sounded familiat to Black Doom...

He quickly shook his head from these useless thoughts. "That means that he shows up here soon...?" Even better! A surprise attack. It was still morning, which meant that Shadow surely would be tired... Black Doom grined. Peeeerrrrfekt ~!

"Look, Darkness ~..." Black Doom quickly grabbed Darkness' hands with his claws... not that Darkness' hands had shorter claws. Darkness let his eyes slide down on their hands and knew that he was enjoying it more than he should... However, he quickly lifted his gaze again when his king continued.

"Welcome him as usual... I will hide and when he relaxes he will have against us two and the Emerald... no chance! ~" Black Doom knew that Darkness could fight well, even if he does not looked as stable as the others, but... Darkness was torn, fighting energy efficient and cautious with brain. Black Doom had always appreciated that... among many other things of course. The large luminous Master Emerald disappeared with a single thought of Doom behind a large pillar. The one who stood farthest away.

Doom of course knew that Shadow could normally feel it, but he could, at least for a just few minutes, keep the energy low. "B-but sir...!" Darkness did not feel to do... something like this... Why could he not just rush with Black Doom Shadow's bedchamber?... Because... it that moment they could hear the old, noisy hinges of the large wooden door. Immediately Black Doom transformed in his eye shaped form and flew as a small octopus-star... thingy behind the throne.

Darkness was left behind from him, blinking and unsure what to do now, as Shadow unmotivated came into the room. "Hello... Darkness..." An unhappy snort followed this statement from the black hedgehog.

Darkness raised an eyebrow and calmed down when he went quickly to the obvious question. "Good morning, M'Lord... Where is the blue r-... I mean... Sonic...?" Darkness quickly cleared his throat. Black Doom behind the throne growled softly. Just the thought that Darkness bowed before someone other than himself and called someone else... My lord!

But Shadow only waved at this issue quickly. "I... don´t want to talk about it!... So... what is up today...?" desmotivated and saddened Shadow swung himslef on the throne. Although Black Doom had no idea what made Shadow so sad, but... it seemed certainly fill his purpose!...

"Your death...!" Black Doom came immediately from behind the throne, within seconds to his normal form changing. Tall he stood in front of the unsuspecting black hedgehog. Darkness also immediately ran to Doom's side, evil grining.

"W-What... is going on here...? ...F-father?" Shadow gasped disappointed that he used that term. Gerald was his father!... N-not he... Sonic had been right in the end...? But instead of thinking more about that, he feared justified for his life when Black Doom firmly pushed him back on the throne. Harder and harder pressed the giant alien on his chest, clawing with his claws into his fur while he lowered amused his eyelids.

"Hehe ~..." Shadow could hear Black Doom laughing about him, while the air was forced out of his lungs. It took him a while until he asked himself why he had not fought back. Was it... the surprise that paralyzed him? The fact that Sonic had left him or that he had lost on an alien planet any fun in life, he had not felt often anyway...? No, something else was there that his energy dropped...

Shadow looked nervous and weak across the room when he saw something shining behind a pillar. He immediately identified it as the Master Emerald! But the green stone felt different than usual... As if it sucked the energy out of him and Shadow understood why... Because Black Doom controlled it... with this knowledge... he could not do much more too!

The Emerald pulled the energy out of him, while Black Doom squeezed his chest firmly and Darkness cheered him on. "Did you really just said father?... ~ I'm sorry, but it's too late to dig sympathies ~..." much quieter he continued. "You shouldn´t have turned against me from the beginning, you know... Then we could have worked together!..." Black Doom let out a disgusted growl as he clung on more. "But now it's too late ~... This will be fun, I have long time not ripped the heart out of a living being~..." he clawed more aggressive again, while Shadow gasped shocked...

"Let him go!" Sonic's aggressive voice sounded more irritated than ever. All persons in the room, including Shadow, who clearly had some problems to look straight, turned to the blue hedgehog that was still a bit wrapped by the green light. For Shadow it looked at the moment, like as if Sonic was an angel...

Sonic just stood ther for a while, loud snarling, ears laid threatening back.
"S-Sonic..." Shadow tried to form words, but was harshly interrupted by Darkness and Black Doom. "There!... The blue rat!" Darkness suddenly screamed and was much more nervous by the sight of two hedgehogs. Black Doom was still relaxing on the other hand, rather annoyed to be interrupted.

"You!... But I know you from earth, hero! Shadow has yet made against me, because of your stupid nonsense..." Black Doom let go of Shadow, who quickly and deeply inhaled the air as the pressure of his chest disappeared. Meanwhile, the alien instead was now on the way down the hall towards Sonic. This hedgehog was after all no match for him!

Sonic had meanwhile also noticed the Master Emerald but unfortunately... he saw no way to save it further in his plan. Because Sonic had no meaning to fight against Black Doom, no... first he had to get Shadow out of here, because named one didn´t looked so good.

Maybe it sounded cowardly, but it was actually in Sonic's opinion the best... and safest. He immediately continued his fast legs in motion as he ran towards Black Doom. Who immediately came to an halt, but spun around when the blue hero decided to run past him just to stop in front of the black hedgehog.

"Hi there? ~ It´s not easy to be king, huh?" The blue hedgehog bowed before him, clearly a gesture with which he wanted to mock the black hedgehog, Shadow was sure of that. Moreover, in this situation. "Sometimes... I wonder if the whole boosting did fire out your brain..." Shadow's eyes were as cold as his words just uttered, but Sonic... wasn´t really interested.

"Oh ~..." The blue hedgehog was now concentrated on Black Doom and Darkness, coming closer each one from different directions. He quickly grabbed Shadow's hand and pulled him to his feet.

"Come on, Shads! Let us clarify our relationship problems to a different time...!" the blue hedgehog was already on his way again and pulled the lightly battered and weary fellow behind him. "We're not together anymore!"

Sonic noticed very well his growling, aggressive voice, but was sure that he didn´t meant it... R-Right...? In response, the blue hedgehog just snorted and made his way quickly through the hall. Shadow had some trouble keeping up with him, but Sonic's iron grip on his wrist, pulling him further forward, in such a rapid pace that he lost his cape and crown. Hmm, guess he did not need it now anyway...

"Guards!" Black Doom's deep voice bellowed threatening, far behind them and Sonic put up the pace, they had to get out of here! But... where to go then? The blue hedgehog bit unsure on his lip.

"Uh, sir...?" Darkness' voice was low and meekly spoke up only when Sonic and Shadow were out of sight for a long time. "What? Why are there no guards?" Black Doom was furious and... Darkness hated these moments... really!

"Ah, uh... your son... has abolished the guards when he... said that he did not need something like that..." Darkness winced and braced himself...

"..." Well, as Black Doom remained quiet after a while and didn´t cried out, Darkness slowly and carefully lifted his gaze. "S-sir...?" His black king trembled very terrible. Of anger, Darkness was sure of that. A loud growl echoed through the room, closely followed by a sigh.

"I-it's okay... it's not your fault, right..." The Alien King turned away slightly and let the huge Emerald come flying closer. "...They can not get away anyway ...without it..." Black Doom smirked a little and runned his claw-like hands over the glowing surface. And Darkness would be lying if he said that this reaction would not have made him excited for some reason.

Sonic and Shadow were long gone, even far away from the castle, when Sonic pulled Shadow in some kind of rock formation that would give them enough coverage. Sonic immediately threw himself with a fake smile on the ground. Shadow´s gasping beside him calmed him a little, even if you heard that he still was in pain.

Sonic kept his eyes down, but immediately sat up as Shadow coughed stronger. "Oh God..." he heard the black hedgehog gasp right next to him and of course the concern grew bigger for him. Was he...okay...?