Chapter 10: Gerald's Revenge
The screen appeared all around the world, showing the image of Professor Gerald, all chained up in a chair. Everyone were frightened once they had heard this terrifying message after Eggman had activated the Eclipse Cannon. The Space Colony ARK is going to fall down to Earth in 27 minutes!
In the room, Tails, Knuckles, Amy and Rouge were watching the screen listened very carefully to the message.
"I plan to give you the taste of my revenge. Once all the seven Chaos Emeralds are collected, the colony will destroy the planet! All of you ungrateful humans, who took everything away from me will feel my loss and despair..." Gerald spoke on the screen with rage. Then a man's voice is heard in the message too.
"Is there anything else you want to say?" He asked.
"No." Gerald spoke quietly. A sound of a loading gun is heard.
"Ready!" A man's voice yelled. As the crew watched the screen, Knuckles covered Tails' eyes as the loud bang sound came from the gun. Amy covered her mouth as she watched. Rouge lowered her ears a bit.
"What's going on here? And who is he?" Amy asked, trying her best to forget what she had saw on screen, which is now repeating the same message over and over.
"That is my grandfather." Eggman's voice heard from the doorway, followed by the robots. "The world's greatest scientist." Knuckles uncovered Tails' eyes and turned to him with a look.
"I knew you were behind all this, Eggman! Stop this right now, or else-" But he cut off when Sonic came in the room with a serious look. "Sonic?"
"What's going on here? Why are we falling towards the Earth?"
"Sonic!" Tails and Amy cried out. Amy began to embrace him, squeezing him a bit. Eggman watched in disgust.
"Still alive, huh?" He asked. "You're pretty persistent for a hedgehog, aren't you?" Sonic chuckled a little as Amy releases him from the hug.
"You know you can't get rid of me THAT easily, Eggman!" He told him. "But what is more dangerous than killing me, is to let Knuckles fly the shuttle."
"Hey! I just had to get the Master Emerald pieces!" Knuckles yelled. Eggman took out a disc and hand it to Rouge.
"What is this?" Rouge asked by taking it.
"This is my grandfather's diary. I think it's best if you all had to hear this." Eggman replied. Rouge went over to the machine and placed the disc in, then the screen changed to the diary. Rouge read out loud for everyone to hear.
"'I don't quite know what happened or what went wrong. Was it a mistake to create the ultimate life form? I thought it would be something that would benefit mankind. But then the military guards landed on the colony that day. They were sent to destroy the research project that I had been working on. My colleagues at the research facility, my granddaughter, Maria. I hope you all are safe. The colony was completely shut down, probably to keep from falling into the wrong hands. The ARK is shut down under the premise that there had been an accident. I found Maria's name among those who died when the ARK is shut down. She meant everything to me and I couldn't bear the thought that she died because of my research. I lost everything, I had nothing more to live for...I went insane. All I could think about was to avenge her...somehow, someway. I got scared as I no longer was able to control my thoughts. All I could think about was that I wanted it to all end.'"
"My god..." Sonic whispered.
"That's horrible." Amy said.
"Listen, there's more." Rouge said and started to finish reading the diary. "'Based on my original projections, I was able to complete my project, Shadow. I designed its mind to be perfect, pure. I will leave everything to him. If you wish, release and awaken it, to the world. If you wish to fill the world with destruction.'" Rouge finished and turned to Eggman with surprised look. "So...that's why you released Shadow from the base!"
"Interesting diary and all, but... We have the planet to save, people!" Sonic says as he went by to the window, seeing the Earth slowly getting close. "Everyone down there are depending on us! Even me..." Eggman came by to the screen and cleared his throat to get Sonic's attention.
"We still have 23 minutes left! The core of the Eclipse Cannon is now highly reactive and explosive." He said. Sonic looked up at him. "This is because the Chaos Emeralds is overpowered. If the colony collides with Earth, it will shatter into pieces like my grandfather predicted. That mad scientist!"
"So?" Sonic asked, waiting for more details from his enemy. "We have to stop the colony now!"
"Sonic, calm down!" Amy said by grabbing his arm.
"The Space Colony ARK position may have shifted due the amount of energy given off by the emeralds. We have to stop the energy!" Eggman continued.
"But how?" Tails asked by crossing his arms with a worried look. A gasp is heard from Rouge.
"There is a way!" She said. She turned to Knuckles with a smile. The red echidna stared back all confused now. "We could use your Master Emerald to stop the energy at the core." Knuckles turned to his Master Emerald. Rouge is right. He turned back and smiled a bit at her.
"With this, I can stop the Chaos Emeralds. And everything will be solved." He said.
"They are all at the core. It may be too late!" Tails said as he looked at the screen to find out where the Chaos Emeralds are now. Orbot and Cubot came by.
"We still have some time left. If we work together, we will get there faster in no time at all." Orbot said.
"Half of us will have to break through to get in. This won't be easy..." Cubot said. Sonic chuckled.
"No worries! Just leave it to me! I'm the world's fastest hedgehog!" He said with thumbs up and a wink. Eggman sighed in annoyance.
"Let's get to work!" He said, making Sonic slowly frown. "Sonic, you and Knuckles head down to the core. Tails, you and me will head down to shut down the security
systems of the core. Rouge, you will have to find the room where there's energy liquid and drain it for Sonic and Knuckles." Now everyone started to rush out of the room in a hurry going to oppisite directions. Amy, who is still in the room, she is all left out. She growled and ran out.
"Why do I have to be left behind?!" She yelled through the hallways.
In one of the rooms, Shadow is watching Earth by glancing at the window with his arms crossed, eyes half lidded. His lips curved into a evil smirk, and he started to chuckle.
"Now the humans will feel what true suffering is..." He whispered darkly.
"Say what you want, Shadow." A voice growled from the doorway. Shadow didn't turn.
"Hmph. Here for more, faker?" He asked. "Surely, you will die along with those disgusting humans."
"I am not here to fight, Shadow. I came here to..." Sonic trailed off when Shadow turned to him darkly. Sonic glared at him. "We need your help. I come here to tell you that you can help us while we are in serious danger! We have like 18 minutes left!" Shadow turned away to stare at the window again, but he can see the reflection of Sonic beside Earth.
"I am not like you, faker. I'm no hero. You and your friends are on your own. I did what is best." Shadow said. "This is for Maria." No reply from Sonic. All he did is stand there, watching the black hedgehog being so selfish. Sonic growled a little.
"You know that you are being used by Eggman! He doesn't care about you! He wants to take your life away from you!" He shouted. "Your creator is the one you should blame, not humans! He's the one who planted revenge in your mind! You have been used! What about your life?!" Shadow turned to Sonic with a deadly glare. "I'm telling you the truth! You have been USED! For life! But, what about that girl, Maria? I had a feeling that she is a good person who would never use you many years ago! She's a human, Shadow! Like the others from Earth! What life do you have with her, Shadow?" Sonic watched his enemy waiting for a reply. Shadow stares at Sonic with silent treatment. Knuckles poked his head out.
"Sonic, come on!" He told him. Sonic turned back, then to Shadow who is turning towards the window with a look. Sonic sighed and left. No use. Shadow would never listen to him. Just after Sonic and Knuckles left with the Master Emerald, Amy is standing by the doorway. She heard what Sonic said to Shadow and all. Since Shadow wouldn't listen to Sonic, Amy would try to convince Shadow to help by telling him better details than Sonic's. The pink hedgehog came in the room.
"Shadow, we need you! Please, help us!" She begged. Shadow shuts his eyes. "You gotta help us. You know that Sonic will-"
"Don't speak of him!" Shadow snapped. Amy took a step back. "That faker thinks that all humans are friends of mine! They are not! I HATE them all!" Amy glared at him.
"How can you blame everyone alive today that happened 50 years ago?! Can't you see it's not fair?!" Suddenly, Shadow punched Amy's stomach to push her away from him, making her fly back to the wall. Amy is now on her knees, slowly raising her head to look at Shadow. The black hedgehog came to her and grabbed her by the neck. He kneeled to her sitting level, staring into her green eyes with his deadly red eyes.
"Don't you know what it's like to lose someone who is dear to you?!" He yelled. "Those damn soldiers took Maria away from me! She is shot by one of them! She risked her life to save me... She is not a threat to anyone. All she wanted was to visit the planet, but she never had the chance." Shadow released Amy's neck, who now started to stand up. She took Shadow's hand gently.
"Some people may be selfish, like the professor said." She said. "But most people are good. They get the chance to be happy on the planet, once you get to know them, just like your friend, Maria, wanted to." Now Amy started to have tears in her eyes, making Shadow's face turn to soften. "Shadow, I beg you. Please, give them a chance." She said by gripping his hand more.
*50 years ago*
"Shadow, I beg of you. Please, do it for me!" Maria said by the lever, her hand is over her chest that is bleeding from the gun shot. Shadow is in the capsule, watching helplessly.
"Maria!" He cried out. Maria fell on the ground and cried a little. She made a sad smile at Shadow who cried in tears too.
"For all the people on that planet...give them the chance to be happy." She said. "Let them live for their dreams. Shadow, I know you can do it. That's the reason why you were brought to this world." Maria's hand reached out, but fell as Maria said her final words before Shadow is shot down from the colony. "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog."
A tear fell from Shadow's right eye. Amy gasped lightly, she released Shadow's hand and took a step back away from him.
"Shadow?" She asked. Out of nowhere, Shadow embraced Amy, catching her by surprise. "Wh-what?"
"...That's what I promised her..." Shadow whispered. "I must keep that promise. That's what Maria wished for." Amy awkwardly hugged him back, but Shadow gently pulled away from the embrace. "I gotta go now. I must keep my promise to Maria, and you." He started to skate off to get to the others. Amy left the room and watched Shadow skate through the corridors. She smiled a bit at herself.
"I knew you would help Sonic and everyone."
