*Chapter 19: Blamed?*

On Earth, in the city of Station Square, there is a GUN Headquarters. There are men by the computers to receive anything from the ARK, and then they found a file about Project: Shadow. And there is an image of a black hedgehog with red eyes. A man with thick brown hair and brown eyes looks at the screen. He is reading the bios of the hedgehog. Chaos powers, travel time and space, immortal.

"Jim, what did you find?" A deep voice asked. The man turned to see the Commander of the Headquarters. He noticed the screen. He squinted his dark eyes as he looks at the image of Shadow. "What the hell is that?" He asked.

"It's the project that Professor Gerald created, sir. Project: Shadow." Jim replied. "He made a deal with the president to create immortality that will be good to mankind." But the Commander slammed his fist on the desk, making Jim jump out of his seat. "Goddammit!"

"That foolish professor creates something that is dangerous to mankind!" He said. "I keep hearing many accidents have been going on up there. Some people were dead because of the creations Gerald made!"

"It has been reported by Veldon who was executed days ago." Jim said. The Commander sighed a little. He had heard about him, but it wasn't like the professor to execute him. "Sir, that man is guilty." Jim said. "Veldon was the one who tries to steal the secrets from Gerald. And he wanted to use the granddaughter to experiment. He is that dangerous."

"This Project: Shadow is dangerous." The Commander said. "Chaos powers...and it is immortal."

"But, sir-" Jim started, but the Commander spoke again.

"We have to call a meeting tonight, and we will ask the professor to shut down the creature and the whole station of his." He said. He walked away from Jim who was unsure about this. He had some friends who live up in the ARK, and he doesn't want to hurt anyone. Not even Maria. She is the daughter of Hope and Tron Robotnik, and Jim heard about the NIDS.

"Dammit. If we're going up there for sure, I'll have to warn them without my men seeing me." Jim said.

Maria was lying in bed in her pink nightdress, awake with tears falling from her eyes. She couldn't believe what happened today. Howard blames her for causing deaths in the ARK. But, Maria wasn't responsible for it. She was blamed when Mardic was killed by Veldon, and now Valerie. Maria got up from her bed and walk out of her room. She needs to talk to someone. Her grandfather must be sleeping by now. Maria will have to talk to Shadow. She doesn't if it's late at night now, she needs to be talked to.

She knocked on the door a few times, loud enough for Shadow to hear.

"Yes?" His voice asked in a tired tone. Maria came in and close the door behind her. Shadow yawned a little and look up to see her. "Maria? It's 2 in the morning. What's wrong?" Maria sat by him.

"I can't sleep, Shadow." She says, drying her eyes. "It's about...everything." Shadow sat up a little and listened. "Could it be true? What Dr. Taris said today after Valerie's dead? Did I cause the deaths?"

"Maria, none of that is on you." Shadow said.

"Mardic and Valerie are dead." Maria said. "Every time I'm around someone, they either die or left me!" Shadow stares at her in silent. "My grandfather told me that when I was 3 years old, my grandma left us because...she thinks my grandfather has gone insane. He only wants to find the cure for me." Maria said. "I haven't heard from her for years, and I hardly hear from my other family members, but when I was 5...it was a nightmare."

"What happened?"

"My cousins, aunt and uncle came up here for a visit, and...my cousins are in the room with guns, not the armory, just some storage room with spare guns." Maria said. "I tried to take the gun from my cousin, and...I pulled the trigger by accident." She sighed a little as she remembered the cold words that her Aunt Greta told her before heading out the door. "My aunt hates me. She said...it should have been me instead of Isabella." She said. "They never come back because of me."

"They don't see it as an accident, huh?" Shadow says. "It wasn't your fault. Children like your cousins shouldn't do anything foolish to get themselves killed."

"That's why I refuse to use a gun, Shadow." Maria told him. "But since you teach me how, I could try to use it for not killing. Like you said. I will make each bullet count." Shadow nodded at her.

"Practice makes perfect." He said. "Now, is that why you want to come here? Telling me that everything was your fault but it wasn't? Nobody in the whole is blaming you. The professor doesn't blame you, I don't blame you, nobody blames you for those events that happen." Maria took his hand.

"If what you are saying is true, then...I will accept it. It's...not my fault. Whatever happens. Happens." She said, one tear fell from her eye. "I'm glad you're my friend, Shadow. You understand me so well, and I love you for that." Shadow strokes her hand.

"I'm always there for you, Maria. You're not alone. I have you, and you have me." Shadow said. They both press their foreheads with their eyes closed. Without a word, Maria lays down on the bed as Shadow puts a blanket over her and himself, and he felt arms wrapped around him. Shadow blushed a little, but Maria couldn't let him go. Shadow will let this slide. He rests his head on the pillow and shut his eyes to fall asleep with Maria.