Chapter twelve
Shadow sighed sadly and took a seat up the table. It was just the three of them, everyone else were still asleep since it was only 6:30 in the morning. Even after all the shouting and zooming of at high speeds, no one woke up. Shadow looked down at the table with sadness and guilt, Gerald sat opposite him with calm features and Sonic was next to Shadow holding his hand under the table, every now and then giving it a little squeeze.
"I'm sorry professor I really am…I don't know what happened, I just felt this overwhelming anger and rage fill my body and mind…I'm just so sorry." Shadow whispered, never making eye contact, ears flat against his head in an apologetic manner.
"We will work this out ok Shadow. Right professor G." Sonic assured with a smile.
"Yes we will definitely get to the bottom of this. Shadow were you contacted by Black Doom at all when you were sleeping?" Gerald asked a little seriously, making Shadow look at him in shock and fear.
"Y-yes I was…you don't suppose he…but he said he changed." Shadow disbelievingly said as shock was still on his face.
"What did he say?" Gerald asked next with a frown.
Shadow opened his mouth but was a little too scared to speak at what he unintentionally done for his alien creator. He had no idea opening his mind fully to his father was going to make their link any stronger than it was.
"Shadow we need to know, please." Sonic whispered softly as he once again squeeze the others hand.
"H-he asked me to open my mind to him so he can teleport to the region of space I was located in, in order to get to me sooner…I'm such an idiot. I can't believe he managed to trick me like this, make me believe he had changed in order to get to me faster…I was so blinded by my emotions that I couldn't see it. Some Ultimate LifeForm I'm turning out to be, I can't even control my damn emotions." Shadow sighed sadly while having a guilty look.
"Shadow it's alright…" Gerald started but was unable to finish.
Shadow stood in anger and sorrow as he spoke, letting go of Sonics hand and slamming his fists on the table.
"NO! It's not alright, now we only have one week until he's here. He has proven he has other ways in controlling me and this planet it doomed because of me. The only thing I can do now is go and never come back."
"You are not going anywhere my son. This is in no way your fault but mine and we will face him together…now calm yourself down." Gerald seriously spoke out with a deep frown.
Shadow slowly un-curled his fists and let them drop to his sides. He makes his way back to his seat and keeps his eye's on his creator with a calculated expression but it soon turned into a deadly glare as Gerald glared the same.
"Morning…oh what's the matter? Why is grandpa and Shadow having a stare off?" Maria sweetly asked as she walked up to the table.
"Long story short, Black Doom has done something to Shadows mind, we think, and now he's arriving in one week to take this world…and Shadow. Shadow believes he needs to leave to keep the planet and all of us safe but professor G disagrees and thus a stare off to the death." Sonic explains to the blond girl with a grin.
"Oh…Shadow you can't just leave us." Maria softly announces.
"Cant I? If it stops Doom from killing you all, like hell I can." Shadow replies as he narrows his eyes at Gerald slightly.
"And what will that accomplish, if you leave he will still come and more than likely kill us all anyway. If you stay, we have a much better survival rate…choose now Shadow, run away and turn your back on your family and friends or stay and fight with us." Gerald stated with a deepened frown, feeling a little fearful of the look Shadow was giving him, but he wasn't going to show it or back down from the stare off.
Shadow said nothing as he continued to glare with narrowed eyes, thinking about what was said as well.
"The professors right Shads, with you here with us we can most definitely win." Sonic agreed in a friendly tone.
"…Fine have it your way, I'll damn well stay." Shadow huffed as he finally looked away from his staring match and closed his eyes while frowning.
Gerald grinned madly at his victory. Not many could stare into the eyes of the Ultimate LifeForm for that long and stay sane, especially if it's a deadly staring contest.
"See knew you would see sense, Shads." Sonic grinned happily.
"Humph, whatever." Shadow said then formed a faint smile on his muzzle.
"That history lesson is going to have to wait. It's clear we need to make sure you know less about this world as possible son. We don't want Black Doom knowing too much." Gerald announced with a smile.
"Darn, there goes my plans for today. I was really looking forward to sitting down for hours non-stop." Shadow smirked playfully as he opened his eyes, sarcasm in his voice.
"That's my boy, always with the sarcasm." Gerald beamed with happiness, now that Shadow seemed to be acting more like himself.
"Naturally but I was really looking forward to learning about this world." Shadow smiled with joy as he happily looked at his human father.
"When this is all over we will have those lessons ok Shadow." Gerald smiled softly as he spoke back.
"So what are we going to do exactly?" Sonic asks as he starts to flick Shadows ear gently.
"Will you stop that." Shadow complained with an annoyed tone and crossing his arms.
"I'm bored, so no." Sonic continues flicking, grinning madly as he did.
"I am no ones idea for entertainment now stop…or I'll chaos spear you to hell, just like that poor little tree." Shadow threatened with amusement in his tone.
Sonic stopped his hand movement and pouts as he crossed his arms, mimicking Shadow pose on the chair.
"Baby." Sonic mumbles as he looks out of the kitchen window.
"What was that Faker, didn't hear you over the toys you're chucking out of your pram." Shadow teases while smiling evilly.
"BABY! Damn you need to get a sense of humour." Sonic shots back and now both hedgehogs were glaring at each other, dangerously.
"Run!" Shadow growls lowly while narrowing his eyes threateningly.
"Huh, what?" Sonic questioned in confusion.
"5…4…3…" Shadow starts counting then slowly gets up, never breaking eye contact.
"Why are you…holy chaos…" Sonic said, getting the idea.
"2…1…" Shadow takes a step towards Sonic as Sonic rushes to his feet.
Sonic panics and makes a mad dash out of the house, never looking back.
"Stupid hedgehog." Shadow smirks then sits back down on his seat.
"Was that really necessary?" Maria sighs out as she also takes a seat.
"Yes. It's what I like to call, having a sense of humour. Relax, he'll realise I'm not chasing him and come back...eventually." Shadow replies with an amused smile.
"Pretty dark one if you ask me." Maria muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes.
"To answer Sonics question…since the lesson is on hold, I think we should continue in your chaos training." Gerald said then got out of his seat to put the kettle on.
"I mean you no disrespect dad, but wouldn't it be better if I didn't? The more powerful my chaos abilities become, the more dangerous I'll be when Black Doom takes over my mind completely." Shadow replies with a smidge of despair.
"This is true…but if we have any hope in defeating him, you need to become more powerful then you already are." Gerald stated then got cups out of the cupboard to make hot drinks.
"It's a bit of a conundrum isn't." Maria sighed a little sadly at her hedgehog brothers situation.
"I say we ambush him." Shadow mutters, loudly enough for his human family to hear.
"Oh and how would we do that?" Gerald asks then turns to Maria adding, "tea or hot chocolate my dear?"
"Tea please grandpa." Maria answers with a warm smile.
"Well he thinks I'm willing enough to do as he says right, well I say keep the act up for as long as possible. We could always find a way to contain the Chaos Emeralds so I cannot detect them at all, having only one person from our little group who knows where they are. Finally…can I have a coffee please dad?" Shadow smirks as he spoke his plan then gives Gerald a pleading look.
"That's actually a very good plan…just for that sure my son." Gerald replies not bothering to say he was already going to make him one.
"See Shadow, you are turning out to be the Ultimate LifeForm we knew you would." Gerald happily said then poured the hot water into three mugs.
"That's right you are." Maria agreed as she ruffles Shadow head fur, which Shadow soon flattened again.
"Yes I am aren't I…thanks dad, smells lovely." Shadow agrees then sniffs his coffee that was placed in front of him.
"Thank you grandpa." Maria also thanked as her tea was placed in front of her.
"You are both more than welcome." Gerald smiled at the two then took his seat with his own coffee placed on the table in front of himself.
"I wonder how long it will take Sonic to notice you're not chasing him?" Maria asked then blew at her tea.
"If he's not as dumb as he makes out, he's probably on his way back now." Shadow smirks then takes a sip of his drink, not caring that it was hot.
An hour passed and Sonic had yet to return. Everyone was now up and in the kitchen eating breakfast or drinking hot drinks in Shadows case. After breakfast Gerald called a little meeting in the lab and asked for Tails, Jason and Michael to be there. The meeting was about the plan Shadow had come up with and to see if it was plausible in doing.
"He came up with this on the spot? I'm somewhat impressed." Tails said with amazement.
"Oh yes Tails he is very intelligent, even if he doesn't always show it." Gerald smiled with pride.
"Can building something to contain the Emeralds power doable though?" Michael asked in a hopeful tone.
"I honestly don't know, no one has ever tried…until now that is." Tails replied with a small smile as he spoke.
"If it can be done then this will mean Black Doom wont get his claws on them or get Shadow to search for them either…So long as Shadow doesn't find out where they are hidden." Jason added, feeling slight relief as he knew Shadow was very good with finding things he shouldn't.
"Which is why this meeting cannot be repeated to him and he cannot know who knows where they are hidden. Infact only one of us should know the hidden location and maybe have it written on an encrypted file just in case." Gerald said in a serious tone.
"Going to be hard for us to do that without all of us knowing who will be the one to hide them." Michael replied with a small frown.
"Which is why I've come up with this. We each pick out one of these folded up pieces of paper and not tell the other what's on it. One will have a word that reads 'hider'. Once we have the Emeralds, the 'hider', will come in here in secret and execute the plan." Gerald explained as he held out a baseball cap with four folded up pieces of paper inside.
"Right lets do this then." Michael said then reached out for a piece of paper then putting it in his pocket.
One by one they all reached in and took out a piece of folded paper and kept it securely on themselves, not daring to open it with others around.
Meanwhile outside Maria, Cream and cheese were having a small tea party when a flash of blue ran passed them, making Cream spill her tea onto the grass.
"Looks like Sonic is back." Maria smiled sweetly then poured Cream another tea who was nodding with a smile at her words.
Sonic dashed inside in a panic, thinking Shadow was lost out there somewhere when he chased after him. Well that was the case until he laid eyes on the black and red hedgehog laying on the floor beside the sofa, looking very bored.
"What the hell Shadow? I thought you got yourself lost chasing me." Sonic called out when he approached the hedgehog on the floor, stretched out.
"You're back I see…enjoy your solo run?" Shadow smirked up with high amusement glimmering in his eyes.
"Solo run…you didn't chase after me did you?" Sonic dead panned as he concluded the other did not give chase.
"Nope. You told me to get a sense of humour, so I did." Shadow replied, sitting up and crossing his legs.
"…That was not funny." Sonic frowned a little as he looked at Shadow.
"Was to me." Shadow shrugged indifferently then added, "You are requested down in the lab, I was asked to inform you of that upon your return."
"Oh right…this isn't over Shadow, I will have my revenge." Sonic said with a playful grin then dashed down to the lab.
"I'm so scared." Shadow sarcastically called back then got up off the floor and went into the kitchen to look out of the sliding back doors.
"Hey, I'm back so what's up?" Sonic announced himself as he approached the group of brainiacs in the lab.
"Sonic I'm glad you're back." Gerald said with a smile.
"Yeah well, I would have been back sooner if I didn't think Shadow got lost chasing me. Turns out he didn't even leave the house so that was a waste of time. Anyway I was thinking about this Black Doom thing and…" Sonic explained then was stopped talking by one of the group members.
"We have a very good plan actually but we need all the Emeralds to be collected, before Black Doom arrives." Tails grinned happily at his big brother.
"Huh really, what for?" Sonic questioned with a slightly confused look.
"Shadow came up with an idea of making a containment unit for the Emeralds that wont be able to give off there energy signal, so he or Black Doom wont be able to sense where they are. I do believe it is possible so long as it's not a long term solution. We'll probably have about two maybe two and a half weeks before we will have to release them from the units." Tails explained in a serious tone.
"Wait, Shadow thought of this…really, you're not just pulling my leg here are ya?" Sonic said in disbelief and shocked features.
"Believe it or not but Shadow is highly intelligent…when he wants to be." Gerald replied looking serious and feeling slightly offended.
"Right…well leave it to me guys, I'll have those Emeralds within a flash. Any clues to where they are yet?" Sonic agreed with the plan and grinning with excitement, waiting for something like this to pass some time.
"Yes well about that…we have one here and we know Eggman has one too, but as for the other five…not a clue as of yet." Tails replied a little nervously as he scratched the back of his head.
"Shadow might have to come off his house arrest to aid you. He has an inbuilt chaos detector and knows when one is close. I'm not too happy about this but we don't have any other choice. Once you both find one, I want you to give it to Tails to keep in the lab. Shadow mustn't know where in the lab they are being stored just in case of you know who. Infact I don't want Shadow in the lab at all." Gerald said with a small frown.
"Once we have built the containment units, one of us will take the Emeralds, put them inside and hide them in a safe location. No one will know who it will be in order to keep everyone safe." Jason added with a smile.
"I have to admit this is a very good plan…I'll have to thank Shadow for coming up with it." Sonic grinned deviously that went unnoticed.
"Yes I'm very proud of him. It seems he's maturing, a little anyway." Gerald smiled happily as he spoke.
"Although I do have one question…what if Doomy finds this out? Shadow knows he's not coming for a friendly family reunion now." Sonic questioned seriously with a small frown.
"Ah well, Shadow also said he will keep up the act in pretending he isn't aware of Black Dooms intentions." Michael answered with a grin.
"He can do that without Black Doom invading his thoughts and memories?" Sonic said a little sceptical.
"…I don't really know for sure but the less Shadow knows the better it is for all. We just have to hope Black Doom doesn't find a reason to look through Shadows mind." Gerald said with a strong amount of hope in his tone.
"Ok cool…I'll go give him the good news…relax I wont say much to him." Sonic assured the nervous looking group then dashed off to find his boyfriend.
(Thank you for reading and hope you are still enjoying the story. So looks like it's a hunt for the emeralds, no surprise there I'm sure. Please tell me your thoughts with a review, if you want. Until next chap...)