If it was made out of steel, Shadow punched it.
If it was made out of glass or porcelain, Shadow threw it.
If any human, male or female, passed him, Shadow growled at them.
This was a rampage of an experiment gone wrong. This was a temper tantrum that would end all tantrums. This was what it was like to think that you knew everything in your life, only to find out that it was all fabricated to save one girl's life. Your feelings for her, your thoughts for her, your motivations to keep seeking her out- all a lie by her aging grandfather's wistful desire.
Now she needed him, and as much as he wanted to ignore the call Shadow found himself walking the path back to her bedroom. He knocked on her door with a grimace while grinding his teeth together. Maria opened the door and looked down at him.
"Shadow...!" she remarked as if she was afraid of him. Although he had found it odd, it wasn't the only thing he noticed about her; Maria's face was very nearly drained of all color, almost as if something was going horribly wrong within her body and it was rapidly making her condition worse.
"They said he went down this way." someone said from down the corridor. Without a moment to question, Maria pulled Shadow into her room, quickly closed the door as softly as she could, then threw Shadow at her bed.
"What the hell is your-" Shadow started to say, but Maria clasped her hand over his mouth just as someone knocked on her door. Giving him a rather sympathetic look, Maria pulled one of her coverlet over Shadow's body and went to get the door.
"Have you seen Shadow?" someone asked Maria at the door after she had opened it.
"No." Maria told them, a small hint in her voice suggesting that she was lying. The person at the door did not pick up on this, but Shadow sure did.
"Thank you madam." the person at the door told Maria. "Are you... are you feeling well?"
"I have Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome." Maria said to the person in a flat tone.
"Oh, I see." the person then said. "Good day then."
"You too." Maria agreed as Shadow heard her close the door again. Shadow took the coverlet off of his body and saw a rather worn out Maria wipe her eyebrow in relief. With a heavy sigh, Maria looked up at Shadow and started to walk over to him as if she was in a dream. She did not look good at all, and Shadow knew she wasn't doing good either.
"Shadow..." Maria mumbled as she leaned on the edge of her bed in exhaustion. The girl's body sagged as she slowly started to close her eyes. Reacting quickly, Shadow got off her bed, set her on it, then got out a needle from inside a drawer on her bedside table. The hybrid stabbed himself with the needle and extracted his blood to give to Maria.
"Shadow..." Maria groaned, "You need to... you need to run."
"You need to rest." Shadow told her simply enough. Maria looked at him with a pained expression as she slowly started to take his hand.
"Run." she told him. "Run to Earth where they can't catch you. You must..."
"You need me." Shadow told her. "I'm not going anywhere without you."
Maria looked at Shadow sadly, but he wasn't going to leave her behind either. Carefully, Shadow picked her up and started to head out the door.
"What are you doing?" she asked him in a dull tone as she strained to keep her eyes open.
"We are going to Earth."
. . .
From the Desk of Gerald Robotnik
Date: Omitted
Subject: Gone
Text:
Gone. Maria is... gone.
At first... at first I thought both of them escaped upon seeing the pod depart. But... but I was wrong. I saw her laying there in a pool of blood. GUN... they did not let me come close as a few men carried her away like... like a dead pig! I have no idea what they did with her harmless, dying body. If I find that they dare touch her or harm her in any other way- her blood will not be the only thing spread on the cold ARK floor!
Maria...
Don't worry my dear, your life will not be forgotten easily...
. . .
Special Permissions Report for G.U.N. Commander Numan
[Human female with alien DNA inclosed in status chamber on board A.R.K.]
[Current status: KEEP ALIVE]
[Authorization: COMMANDER ONLY]
[Password: ENCRIPTED FOR PRIVACY]
[Related Files/Folders: PROJECT SHADOW, GERALD ROBOTNIK, SHADOW]
[Permission From Adjacent Files/Folders: NOT GRANTED]
Special Permissions Report: Creation Date: 50 years ago
Special Permissions Report: Last Access Date: Two days ago
Special Permissions Report: Accessed by: Commander Tower
. . .
Rouge walked slowly and carefully up to Shadow. He knew full well she was there, but said nothing.
"I... I'm sorry." the bat muttered, averting her gaze to everything that wasn't Shadow. "I... I crossed a few lines."
"A few?" Shadow mused, giving Rouge a less than amused sideglance.
"Funny timing too, really." Rouge told him. "The Commander stationed us on a mission to go on the ARK. Something about an 'interesting specimen' left on the ship that someone over looked. Do you think you'll be up for it?"
Shadow looked at Rouge with an unreadable stare.
"Let's get it over with." he told her before they headed out. "And, Rouge?"
"Yes?"
"Never mention her again. Got it?"
"Your wish is my command."