Daily Log, July 11th, 1 A.E. Shadow the Hedgehog reporting.

Camp Beta is gone. Sonic destroyed it all.

By the time we got their distress call, it was already far too late. By the time we got here, Sonic was long gone. Maybe that's for the best. If this is what he's capable of when he doesn't hold back…

We were prepared for the possibility of him coming after us. Which seems silly in hindsight. He didn't know where our new base is, but he did know about this place. If we hadn't moved when we did, this might be what our base would look like now. We were preparing for the possibility of that fight. But they weren't. And now they're gone.

I might've said that they got what they deserved. But no one deserves this.

… … …

If those idiots had just listened to me and found a new base after we left…

No confirmed casualties, so far. But only one confirmed survivor. If anyone else made it, they're likely long gone as well.

Sonic…how could you be capable of this? You, who hold life in such high regard… What did Eggman do to you? What…what did you do to yourself…?

—–—

Mystic Cave Zone — Rebel Camp Beta

"Hey! Hey, guys, she's waking up!"

Katherine the Wolf struggles to open her eyes. "Jim…?"

Charmy shakes his head. "Captain Fox isn't here, it's just us. We got your distress call. No, no, don't get up! You're hurt real bad."

"But the attack! I have to—"

"No! Keep still, Doctor's orders. The attack is over, you're safe for right now. But you won't be if you start moving around, your wounds are very serious."

She closes her eyes and lets out a wavering breath. "What about Jimmy and the others?"

"We…don't know."

From various directions, Shadow, Tails, and Amy crowd around the flat rock that Katherine is laid out upon. Shadow questions to the others, "Anything?"

Amy shakes her head. "Couldn't find anyone else. Alive or…otherwise."

Tails adds, "But there were…definite signs of violence." He glances away uncomfortably.

Charmy continues, "If we'd shown up any later…you might not have made it."

Shadow asks, "Is there anything else you can tell us about the attack, Katherine? Anything that wasn't in the distress call?"

Katherine stares up at the cavern roof for a while. "One moment, everything was normal. The next…chaos. It was like he was everywhere at once. Destroying everything, attacking everyone. I turned to run, and…that's the last thing I remember."

"Will she be alright, Tails?"

Tails backs off a step. "That's a question for Charmy, he's studied this stuff more than I have at this point."

"Charmy?"

Charmy nods. "She'll need to be looked after for another few days, at least. And she definitely shouldn't be moved right now." He looks directly to her. "You're gonna have some pretty nasty scars, but other than that, I think you'll be fine, once you've had enough time to heal."

She lays her head back with a sigh. "And just when I was starting to walk again after the last injury…" She shakes her head slowly. "If I'm fine, then please, go back to searching for the others."

Tails nods. "I already have my drones on it, but I'll get back to work as well."

Amy questions, "Is there anything else we can do for you right now?"

"Sure there is. You can tell me why the world's greatest hero is working for the Emperor."

Amy looks away in shame. "If only we knew…" She looks up in confusion as she catches sight of Shadow. "Is everything okay, Shadow?"

Shadow holds a hand up to support his head. "I'm not sure. I feel some…strange disturbance." Behind him, just such a strange disturbance begins to form. It sparks flashes of light as it suddenly tears open, creating a slow tugging distortion on the air around it. Shadow recognizes it as soon as he sees it. "It's a Space-Time Rift!"

The strange rift begins to pulsate and glow as a figure drops out from the inside. The green-furred animoid slowly stands, taking a brief look around. "This might be a strange question, but…would any of you happen to know Sonic the Hedgehog?"

Amy pushes Shadow aside, stepping up to get a better view of the figure. "Zero!?"

Zero the Hedgehog gasps at the sound of the voice. "Amy!?"

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Chaos Project

Season 2, Episode 13

Non-Zero Chance

Written by ChaosProject Author

"It…hardly sounds like you're talking about the same Sonic." Zero and Amy have moved to another chamber to talk.

Amy nods slowly. "I know. But he's changed a lot in the last few years since you met him."

"Years? For me it's been…just one? Maybe a little more. We don't have a lot of calendars where I'm from. Still, I…can hardly believe I'm seeing you again. It just seemed so impossible."

"I told you we'd see each other again. I'm usually right about these sorts of things."

"It would certainly seem so. You were right about a lot of other things, too. About…the goodness of all people, and about…reaching out. Meeting you, Amy…it really did change my life. But…but enough about me, let's talk about you! I see that you…took some of my advice as well."

Amy blushes a bit as she moves a hand up to her hair. "Oh, you mean the look? Well, I like it better this way, but…I don't know if Sonic ever really noticed."

"Well then he must be blind." Zero leans in close. "Because I think you look beautiful."

"You're very sweet, Zero, but you should know that my feelings haven't changed."

Zero straightens up, sighing in disappointment. "Still holding out for Sonic after all this time, huh? Even with him…the way he is?"

"The way I see it, he must need me now more than ever. But cheer up! I'm sure the right girl for you is out there. In your time period."

"If only it were so. My world is a desolate place, I get little contact with others. Still, I…can always hold out hope."

"That's the spirit. So tell me what brings you out here. I assume it wasn't just to find a girlfriend?"

"No, no, that wasn't the intention. I was hoping to get Sonic's help with something in my time. But I see that…isn't really an option, at the moment."

"But why this moment? Couldn't you have gone to an earlier time, when he was more available?"

"Well, I didn't exactly have a specific date in mind when I came here. I merely wanted to open a rift to Sonic's time and location, and this is where I ended up. Strange, that he isn't here."

"He was here, just a few hours ago. But it's probably pretty lucky that you missed him."

"Not entirely luck. Perhaps this is Janice and Chronos' way of telling me that I shouldn't be messing around here. I suppose I'll just have to make do on my own."

"Hey, don't give up just yet. If it's Sonic's help that you need, I think there's one person who can do you just as well."

—–—

"So, you, a complete stranger to me, appear out of a time portal in the middle of a recent battle zone, and ask me to go with you ten thousand years into the past to help you with something that you somehow don't have the power to do yourself?" Shadow crosses his arms. "And you expect me to trust you?"

Zero scratches at the back of his head nervously. "Well, when you put it that way…"

Amy vouches, "You can trust him, Shadow. Zero saved my life a few years ago. He's a true friend, and if he needs help, then we should give it to him."

Shadow looks on with scrutiny. "Exactly what kind of help are we talking about?"

"Well…there are areas in my world which are…heavily irradiated. In one of these areas is something that I need to find. Theoretically, I'd probably be able to survive a trip in and out, but depending on how long it takes…there's a small chance it could kill me. Six percent or so. Guaranteed damage to my body either way. I just…need someone who can do it faster. Then the chance would be zero."

Shadow ponders for another moment. Then he answers, "Well you're in luck. You're looking at the one person on the planet as fast as Sonic, and with greater resistance to radiation."

"Resistance to radiation? What do you mean by that?"

"Not important. You're also lucky that Sonic isn't here. Because if he were, I can guarantee you that he would've refused."

"Really?"

"Yes. He's sworn off time travel. He sees the risk of changing the timeline as being too great. But I can be convinced. So tell me. If I help you, how will it affect my timeline?"

"Theoretically, it shouldn't. I'm not asking you to change history, just…to save me a personal cost."

"And what if your change in health causes you to set off a chain of events that result in the destruction of the world?"

"On the other hand, what if your timeline as you know it is only able to exist because you already chose to help me with this?"

"A stable time loop? Seems unlikely."

"Clearly not that unlikely, considering that I've lived through at least two of them. Look, no offense, but I think I know a little more about time travel than you do. I was nearly an apprentice to the Lord of Time. Even if something somehow goes catastrophically wrong, I can call in a favor and have you sent back to your own, unaltered timeline. That's all I can offer you. I'm really trying my best here."

Shadow closes his eyes. "If you really can promise that…and if Amy and Sonic really do trust you so thoroughly…then I have no reason to refuse. I trust them, which means I have to trust you."

Amy cheers, "I knew you'd come around." Zero smiles at her enthusiasm.

Shadow continues. "Amy, you should stay here. If Tails is continuing the search and Charmy is looking after the wounded, then someone needs to look after the two of them."

Amy nods. "You're probably right."

Shadow stands. "If that's settled, then we should get going."

Zero shrugs. "Technically, there's no rush. You know, time travel and all."

"You may have time to waste, but I would like to be back to work in my own time sooner rather than later. Now, do you need help reopening the rift?"

"Help? What do you take me for, a novice?" He takes out a tall, sparkling blue gem. "Time travel is one thing I have thoroughly handled. Just watch this."

Shadow gasps. "Is that…?"

"Time…Control!" As Zero holds up the glowing Sapphire, it releases an intense pulse of energy, tearing open a Space-Time Rift in front of him as the shockwave passes through. He looks back at Shadow with a smirk. "Temporal Sapphire. Comes in handy for this sort of thing."

Amy encourages, "Good luck out there, Zero. I hope you find…everything you're looking for."

Zero looks back at her with a smile. "I wish the same for you. Until we meet again."

Amy nods in agreement. "Until we meet again."

As Zero looks back to the rift, he addresses Shadow. "Stay close to me, and follow my lead. Let's go." He leaps into the rift.

Shadow looks over at Amy. "If I'm not back in ten seconds…"

Amy nods. "I'll let everyone know what's going on."

With nothing left to say, Shadow follows Zero into the rift.

—–—

Mad Lab Zone — 10,000 Years Ago

As Shadow and Zero walk through the halls of the decrepit steel facility, Zero explains, "Truth be told, I…was rather surprised that you agreed to all this. Even getting Sonic's help seemed like a bit of a longshot, and you…well you said yourself. I'm just a stranger to you."

"It has little to do with you, if we're being honest. The past…is a topic of interest to me. Times change, but…people often don't. And understanding the events of the past…whether it be ten years ago or ten thousand…it can prepare one better to respond to the present. Seeing the past firsthand…is a rare opportunity."

"Sorry to disappoint, but you shouldn't expect to meet very many people around here. We tend to keep to ourselves."

"And that aside…I also have a promise to keep. A promise to help people in need. I take that responsibility seriously."

"I…understand that. I also have a promise that I live by. A promise to use violence only as a last resort. And to never cause undue harm."

"You sound like Sonic."

"Sonic is a f—…" Zero stops himself. "Forgive me, it isn't right for me to judge the character of someone I haven't met in years. Is it true that he leads your entire team?"

"I wouldn't have believed it either. You're right. He was a fool. But he came to his senses before long. He isn't a perfect leader. But then, no one is. He handles the role well. Or at least…he did. Before all of this happened."

"I worry for him as well. But I don't know of anyone more stubborn than Sonic. I'm certain he'll pull through."

"That may not be in our best interest anymore…"

"Oh… Right…" Zero thinks for a moment. "You…said something earlier about being…resistant to radiation. More than what's normal for animoids. What did you mean by that?"

"I'm…not exactly what you would call 'normal'. My resistance to radiation is a product of my…unusual biology."

"Not sure what you're caught up on, but around here, all animoids are unusual. How would you be different?"

"Well…I actually don't know…if it's the result of my bioengineered body, or my alien blood. But the results of the Professor's tests were quite clear. Radiation sickness is…just another malady that my cells resist."

Zero stops in his tracks. "Tests?"

"Yes. I was born and raised in a lab. But most of these tests were done before I was ever awakened. The purpose of my creation was to cure a disease, so the Professor took tissue samples to test… Why are you looking at me like that?"

Zero grabs Shadow by the shoulders and stares at him with wonder in his eyes. "You're like me."

"Uhh…"

He wraps his arms around Shadow and hugs him closely. "I never thought…it could happen again. That I could meet someone like me."

"Uhh… Boundaries?"

Zero hastily lets go and backs off. "Sorry, sorry, lost control for a second there. But from now on, you and I are best friends, right?"

"I didn't agree to that. I still don't really know who you are…"

"Yeah, I…guess I haven't really gotten to that." He closes his eyes. "Shadow…there are things that I've been through that…I don't like to talk about. Gruesome images that…rarely leave my thoughts. I'd say more, but…I think there's someone else who can explain better than I can. What I'm trying to say is…I think we have some things in common, Shadow. And I feel that…we should get to know each other better. And then…if you're willing…I would like to call you my friend."

Shadow continues to glare with scrutiny. But after a moment, a smirk appears on his face. "Now you're speaking reason."

This makes Zero smile as well. "Please come with me, Shadow. We have a lot to talk about."

Shadow nods, and they resume their walk. "Who is this other person you were talking about?"

"You'll meet him in a minute. He and I… Hold up." They stop as Zero takes notice of an open door to their side. "Oh, no, what is he up to now…?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, but…could that have something to do with it?"

Standing before them is a hideous creature. Even on four stout legs, it towers over twice their height. Hundred of razor sharp spines flay out from the back of its head and all the way down its back. Slaver drips from its pointed fangs as its lips curl back in a snarl.

Zero puts a hand out in front of Shadow. "Don't make any sudden moves. Let me handle this."

"What is that thing?"

"That…is a Hedgehog." Wasting no more time in explaining, Zero cautiously takes a step closer to the beast, holding out his open hands. "Hey there, bud… How you doing?"

The ferocity of the creature's snarl increases as it rears down on its front legs.

"Easy, easy. I don't want to hurt you. Listen to the sound of my voice. I'm no threat to you."

The creature's demeanor changes slightly as it shuffles back a step, keeping its distance from Zero.

"It's okay, it's okay. You can trust me. I may look different…but I'm the same as you. I don't know what he tried to do to you, but…he did things to me, too. Just know that…we're only trying to help you."

Something in the creature seems to snap. It pounces from the ground, lunging at Zero with a ferocious roar.

"Time Control!"

Shadow watches from the outside as a bubble of distorted space instantly expands from the Sapphire in Zero's hand, slowing the beast within to a midair halt. Zero tightens his grip on the gem, and the movement of the beast begins to rewind, until it once again halts in its poised position.

With the creature frozen, Zero swings himself up onto its back. "You're going to be okay, bud. This isn't going to hurt. I'm sorry to do this to you." He raises a hand up high. "Hyah!" His open palm comes down on the base of the neck with a powerful strike. The bubble of distorted space pops as the creature collapses to the ground, unconscious.

Shadow stares at the sight of the collapsed creature with wide eyes. "What was that?"

"Simple strike to a pressure point in the neck, quick and painless knockout. Their…unique physiology make them especially susceptible to it. He'll be out for a while."

"No, I meant…"

"Oh, before that? Microtime manipulation. Like I said, I'm the closest thing there is to an expert on this sort of thing."

"And…" Shadow points to the creature. "…that?"

"Umm… I'll let Gregor explain."

Shadow raises an eyebrow. "Gregor?"

A squeaking sound announces the presence of another individual. "Did someone say my name?" From the shadows rolls a familiar, plump, mustached figure, pushing along his own wheelchair.

Shadow gasps. "Professor!?"

"Professor? Oh ho ho…" Gregor makes another push on his wheels, bringing his full, greying head of hair into the light. "I'm afraid I never was much of a teacher." He rolls himself all the way up to Shadow, stopping to offer out a hand. "Dr. Gregor Robotnik. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Uhh…" Shadow hesitantly takes the hand, still wearing a mystified expression on his face.

"And you must be the 'Sonic' that I've heard so much about." Gregor uses his grip to pull Shadow closer to see. "Incredible… You look just like the Gregorian breed, yet you clearly aren't one of mine."

Zero growls an intense warning, "Gregor…"

Gregor is frightened into raising his hands up innocently. "Not…that I claim any ownership over any living being, I…merely mean to identify a group of individuals whom I…have…worked with."

Shadow finally manages to stutter out, "It's…Shadow, actually. My name. Is Shadow. And yours is…Robotnik. That's…interesting."

"Do I detect a hint of familiarity? Is it possible that my name is known even ten thousand years from now?" He turns his head to look over at Zero. "But didn't you say you'd be getting a 'Sonic'?"

Zero responds with a scowl, "Gregor, I think we have more important things to be talking about right now." He indicates the large body on the floor. "What did I tell you about experimenting on him without my supervision?"

"Well you hardly left me with much other choice! If we must release it tonight, and if we want to cure it before it's released, I couldn't wait for you any longer. I did nothing inhumane to it, I swear."

"Is that because you weren't planning on it, or because it escaped before you got the chance?"

"Are you accusing me of something?"

"Yes, I am."

Shadow raises his hand to interrupt. "Uhh…"

Suddenly remembering that he is there, Zero takes a step back from his quarrel. "Right, right. Shadow, this is Gregor, the person I was telling you about. As you can probably tell, we…have some history." He hesitates for a moment. "I…put him in that chair. And obliterated his facility along with years of his research."

Gregor picks up, "And I…put him in that body. And tortured him to collect the data for said research." After a moment, he adds, "B-but I'm a changed man, I swear."

"Neither of us is proud of the things we did. But in spite of that, we were able to reach something of an understanding."

"Albeit for different reasons, both of us want to cure the creatures like this one. And neither of us can do it without the other."

"Right. So Gregor, this is Shadow. Sonic…wasn't available, but Shadow says he can do the job even better. I believe him. I also promised him that you would catch him up on the situation."

"But of course. Always happy to discuss my work with an interested party. Shadow, do come with me. Zero, move that thing back to its cage."

"Gregor…"

"Uh, wh-what I meant to say was, it would be wonderful if you could accommodate my unfortunate condition by using your great strength to return this poor creature to a place where it isn't at risk of harming itself or others." He finishes with a forced, slightly nervous smile.

Rolling his eyes, Zero moves around to heft the creature's tail over his shoulder, dragging it with relative ease towards the open door.

Gregor turns his wheelchair around, waving for Shadow to come along with him. Pressing down on a button at the front of one of the chair's arms, a distant door down the hallway opens.

—–—

"The animoid was my solution to the Chaos Emerald problem. Having created an entirely new form of life, I, naturally, had to study it. It wouldn't have been right to let these animoids into the world without any medical research done for them. Their physiology was completely different from that of humans. How could they be treated when injured or sick? This was the focus of much of my study."

Shadow's glare shows nothing but disapproval as they step into a darkened room with a very large computer screen. "So you injured them and infected them, just to see what would happen."

"As I already admitted…what I did to my subjects was torture, and I'm not proud of it. I was simply…too blinded by my genius to realize that what I was doing was wrong."

Shadow rolls his eyes. "So what about that other creature? Was it yours as well?"

"Oh, heavens, no. That was what we call an animutant. It's what happens when your recently-destroyed facility gets ransacked by greedy imitators. I wasn't the only scientist in the country working on the animoid solution. But I was the first to succeed. That success was a secret, until the explosion at the lab led to the investigations that uncovered the fragmented remains of my research. My competitors all across the country began their attempts to recreate my success using that flawed data. The most clever of them were able to fill in the gaps, creating their own breeds of animoid. The rest made animutants."

"And what exactly is wrong with these animutants? What are you trying to cure?"

"The most common issue seems to be a flaw in the neuroendocrine system, causing a feedback loop that constantly keeps their minds in an uncontrollable state of aggression. And for some reason that even I've yet to explain…they target humans. Actively. Viciously. With a strength and a cunning far beyond any animal known to man. I've seen entire human camps slaughtered by just one of them. Were it not for the fallout of the Chaos War, we'd have an entirely different kind of apocalypse on our hands. They're just that dangerous."

"Yet you're sharing a building with one?"

"Oh, I wouldn't dare enter the same room as a conscious one. Not after the last time."

"The last time?"

"I was certain that I'd be dead. But then, there was Zero. After everything I'd done to him, he chose to save my life. And I realized…just what a fool I was. I begged for his mercy. And he offered it on one condition. That we'd work together…to cure these animutants. What Zero wishes is for these creatures to live out happy, peaceful lives. I, of course, am more interested in saving the human race. Then again, it wouldn't surprise me if I'm the last human left on this continent… The rest have fled across the seas, or to latitudes where the animutants don't like to follow. Not that there were many left to begin with. Imagine…a civilization of ten billion reduced to perhaps ten thousand across all the world, and even then unable to find stability. And all in our own hubris…"

"What's your point?"

"Oh, right, sorry. Got distracted for a moment there. As I was saying, for my own safety, all of my research on these creatures has to be done remotely through a few simple machines from a sealed room, which, let me tell you, is no easy task with all the restrictions Zero imposes on me. I wouldn't be allowed to breathe on these things if he thought it might cause them harm. Not that I'd want to get that close."

"So the work on these animutants…is that what I was brought here for?"

"You catch on quickly. Yes, you're quite correct. If I had my original research notes, I would have all the information I need to concoct a proper cure. Those notes were destroyed in the lab explosion. But theoretically, there is one surviving copy. It was hidden in what used to be my apartment in the city. A city that became ground zero during the Chaos War. The building still stands, but the radiation in the area is well beyond survivable limits. For a human. Zero would have a high probability of survival, and the radiation will doubtlessly disperse to safe levels within the span of a few years, but he insisted on recruiting help and getting it done now. And here you are."

As Zero walks into the room, he adds, "You did the calculations yourself, Gregor, don't make it sound like you'd rather me have done it myself. At best, if I'm lucky and there's no time wasted at all, I'll be bedridden for weeks. Good luck dragging the monsters around yourself during that time."

Shadow responds, "Don't worry. I'm reading between the lines. I know his type."

Gregor appears offended. "My type? What could you possibly mean by that? I've spoken nothing but the absolute truth!"

They both ignore him as Zero continues, "Just give him the details so we can get going."

—–—

"I still don't understand." Shadow and Zero once again walk together, this time down a cracked and decrepit road lined with ash, beneath a murky grey sky. "You could travel anywhere in time. What's the point of getting help from the future? Why not just go back in time before the war, when you could get the notes yourself, before the radiation issue? Or go five years from now and grab the notes after it's disbursed? Or if you needed Sonic, why not go to a time you knew he'd be available?"

"Here I'd thought you'd already seen the answer yourself. Time travel is risky business, even with as much practice as I have. I have to live by a rule of minimal interference. Before the war means before animoids, and me walking around in the heart of a city during that time would…make a few headlines, to say the least. I can figure out that much for myself. I tried the near future, notes were already gone. Figured that was because we were going to get them in the present."

Shadow notes, "That would imply predestination. Which I still don't believe in."

Zero shrugs. "Believe what you want. Either way, that wasn't an option. As for when it comes to traveling to the more distant future…I'm slightly less informed." He looks down at the Sapphire in his hand. "I get a bit of help with dates and locations. I wanted to go to Sonic's time, and…Janice took care of the rest. Just like the old days. She figures out where I can go to cause the least interference, and…that's how I got there."

"That Sapphire. How did you get it?"

"Same answer. Janice. After the adventure I had with Sonic, the Sapphires were all…reshuffled, across time. But Janice chose to give this one directly to me. Trusted me to keep it safe from…well, people like her, I guess. She was happy to help me out with my temporal excursions in exchange."

"And this Janice person…you just accept her judgement without question? Seems like a decision you should be more informed about."

"In this case, I'm satisfied that she's acting in her own best interests, managing my interference. Fewer divergent timelines means fewer headaches in her line of work, especially with Chronos driving her harder than ever. But believe me, I'm not one to accept the will of others blindly. My time in the lab taught me that lesson."

Shadow watches from behind as Zero marches in the lead, walking with confidence in his steps. "How do you do that?"

"How do I do what? Time Control?"

"No. How do you…? How do you…have so much…faith? These people who have done such terrible things to you, Janice, Gregor, how do you put so much faith in them? How do you…how do you move on so easily? After everything that's happened to you?"

Zero stops, staring off ahead without giving any answer.

"How do you do it?"

"…'Easily' isn't the word that I would use. Things weren't always like this. I used to wander the world alone, wallowing in self-pity and brooding over the meaning of my existence. It took some mutual friends of ours…to teach me that there was a better way. A look into the future showed me…that things change. And people change too. And the world is always a different place today than it was yesterday. So I refuse to remain stuck in the past. Gregor's not a perfect person. In fact, he's a pretty awful person. But he wants to change. And that want is real. And that's what I choose to have faith in. I chose to be a different person than I was in the past, and so can he."

"So that's it? Happiness is a choice, that's all you have? Just flick a switch, and you can turn your faith on for the day? How could I ever pretend to have control after all the times I've had happiness ripped away from me? All the friends I've watched die?"

"Oh, you're going to complain to me about having it rough in life? Watch yourself, pal. My life was nothing but torture until I got mad enough to attempt murder. And I watched as the only person I ever cared about fled from me in terror at what I had become. And let's not forget the fact that I live in the freaking apocalypse. So no. No, you don't get to use your life as an excuse. If I can have faith, so can you."

"How…how could it possibly be so easy for you?"

"I told you, it's not easy. Depression doesn't just go away. Even now, every night, when I close my eyes, I go back to the inside of that cage. I go back to the torture, and the war, and the…the look in her eyes as she ran. Every night. I go back. More vivid time travel than any Sapphire could ever provide. But that's exactly what it is. The past. Seeing it over and over again, being able to do nothing about it. But then I wake up. And I realize that I'm not in the past anymore. I realize that I'm healthy, and free, and doing good for the world. And I realize…that I'm not alone. Gregor's not much of a companion. But he watches my back. And I know he's counting on me to teach him exactly what I've learned. To show him that I'm not stuck in the past, and he doesn't have to be, either."

Shadow's eyes move up to the distant, murky sky. "Stuck in the past…"

"Shadow…you okay?"

"I'm fine." Shadow looks back down to Zero as a slight smile appears on his face. "I'm just realizing…that you were right. You really are just like me."

—–—

"This is it." Surrounded by crumbling skyscrapers and ash-covered sidewalks, the hedgehogs have stopped deep in the heart of the abandoned city. "This is as far as Gregor said I can safely go. You remember how to get to the right building from here?"

Shadow confidently steps on ahead. "I don't forget."

"Got your radio?"

Shadow holds up a simple handheld radio above his shoulder for Zero to see.

Zero picks up his voice as Shadow gets farther away. "And don't forget—…" He stops himself, continuing instead, "Good luck."

—–—

Shadow stares silently at the sight before him. Miles across from him, in a circle coming all the way back around to where he stands, a nearly perfect sphere of empty space lies within the city, the carved out earth giving way to blackened destruction and rubble on the farther edges of its radius.

Shaking away the sight of it, he turns to his side to look at one of the first surviving buildings on the edge of the blast zone. To call it 'still standing' would be an overstatement. Though it was clearly once a skyscraper, only a few of the bottom floors appear to have any semblance of structure remaining, the rest having toppled long ago. Shadow steps over the pile of shattered glass that used to make up the door, and makes his way inside.

The dulled daylight of the hazy outside peeks through the crumbling holes in the walls and ceiling as Shadow climbs over a pile of collapsed roof and support structures. The light of one hole is briefly blocked as a shadow slithers over it.

Shadow's radio crackles with static, mixed with the drowned out voice of Zero. "You find it yet?"

"I'm in the building. I'll keep you updated." The hallway ahead leads to the interior of the building, where the destruction is slightly less rampant. But the darkness increases with fewer holes for light to shine through. Shadow stops at a plain wooden door, much like several others in the hallway. Noticing something on the ground, he bends down to pick it up. Wiping the stray ash off its face, the text on the fallen name placard is revealed. 'G. Robotnik & N. Song'.

Shadow nods. "Guess this is the place." He reaches for the doorknob and pushes. The door doesn't budge. Rolling his eyes, Shadow instead pulls, ripping the entire door out of its frame and revealing the rubble on the other side that blocked it.

"Are you feeling alright? Any adverse effects from the radiation?"

"I'm fine. You should be more worried about yourself, it isn't healthy to wait around in a radiation zone, even if it is survivable."

"I'd rather stick close by. To tell the truth, I have a bit of a bad feeling about all this."

Shadow slides down the opposite side of the rubble pile. "I'm in the room." He takes a look around. It appears to be a quite simple office space. A desk lies on each side of the room, each with its own damaged and dusty yet still high tech computer system on top. Behind the desks are full rows of filing cabinets. Several drawers on the right row lie open and empty. Shadow moves towards the row on the left. He chooses a drawer to open, and begins searching through the tabbed files inside.

"Find anything?"

"Still looking. Should be under 'A' for animoid, right?" He closes the drawer and picks a higher one. "This is it." He pulls out a folder filled thickly with a dense stack of papers. Seeing the name on the folder behind it, he takes that one as well. Then the third folder. And the fourth. "He was certainly thorough, wasn't he?" As he continues to add to the growing stack of relevant files held under his arm, he ponders, "It's certainly lucky that he kept all these physical copies. This information would be irretrievable if he'd kept it on that computer over there. Like his partner did."

"I don't know much about computers, but I do know that Gregor was prepared for the inevitable long before it happened. Then again, if this is where he was keeping his copies, he must not have thought this place would be a target. What was that about a partner?"

"Gregor shared this office space with someone else, 'N. Song.'"

"Song? Never heard of 'em."

"Well, Song's filing cabinets are all empty. Must have kept their research digitally."

"That is where you would be wrong." With a massive crash, the ceiling collapses. Papers scatter everywhere as Shadow dives to safety. Landing in the center of the floor with a rumble, a tall and bulky, tripodal, red armor plated robot locks its single glowing green eye on Shadow.

"Shadow? Shadow, what's going on!?"

The robot turns one of its arm cannons on the dropped radio, and fires, vaporizing the device in an instant. Then the eye turns back to Shadow. "You've wandered somewhere you don't belong. Step away, and let me claim what's mine."

Shadow's eyes move to the speaker on the robot's front, where the sinister yet commanding voice projects clearly. Shadow's eyes narrow. "And what if I don't?"

In answer, another robot much like the first drops down from above. One by one, a dozen more join it, many of different colors and wielding different weapons, all surrounding Shadow, locked onto him from all sides. The speaker continues through the first robot, "Then I'll have to clean what's left of you off the papers after I get them. And neither of us wants that."

Shadow takes careful stock of the enemies surrounding him. Each one lifts its bulky weapon-arms in a fluid cycle as if breathing, as its singular eye twitches constantly in all directions. Each one marches a step closer to him, closing the circle. Their appearance is durable, their weapons deadly. "I could easily take out any one of them. But in the amount of time that would take…"

"So what's it going to be?"

"It doesn't matter what I can do. I was never supposed to be here at all." Shadow slowly raises his arms up to his sides. "You can have what you want. Now let me leave." Not waiting for an answer, Shadow begins to step forwards, away from the scattered files.

"On second thought, I have a better idea."

Shadow turns back with surprise.

"You know too much." The horde of robots open fire all at once.

Time seems to slow to a standstill. Dozens of bolts of glowing plasma crawl through the air, an instant away from converging where Shadow stands.

At full speed, Zero rushes through the door, tackling Shadow out of harm's way. Shadow remains motionless on the floor as Zero pushes himself back to his feet, straining his eyes to see the frozen scene all around him. He mutters to himself with exasperated breath, "Come on… Keep it up just a little bit longer…" He lifts the nearest robot over his head with both hands, and hurls it at its closest neighbor, though it freezes on its way. The next robot he reaches is shoved into the line of fire of the others. He repeats this motion with several more before suddenly collapsing to the ground, as havoc instantaneously erupts in the room.

Robot parts fly over Shadow's head as he looks up in confusion.

The voice shouts from the lead robot, "What!?"

Shadow finally catches sight of Zero's crumpled form on the ground. "Zero!"

The leader demands, "Kill the interloper first!" The robots all turn to lock their weapons on Zero.

"No!" Shadow leaps for the lead robot first, crushing its head in with one powerful kick. He lands on the ground and pushes the remaining husk of the robot with a hand, sending it flying through the air just in time to absorb the next wave of fire from the remaining three robots. He leaps for the next robot, tearing its mechanical eye straight out of its socket and hurling it at another one, trailing wires and all. But the last robot standing fires off a shot.

Zero, barely staggering to his feet, is hit. He's launched back into the farthest wall, kicking up ash and dust as it crumbles down on him.

"Nooo!" A sparking red aura flares to life around Shadow as he turns upon the robot with fury. But then he looks down at the aura around his own hand. "No…" He clenches the hand into a fist, and the aura slowly fades.

The robot turns its weapons on Shadow.

Shadow shoots first. "Chaos Spear!"

The spear of light penetrates the robot's armor and explodes, sending robot parts flying everywhere.

Shadow is already running for his friend. He throws chunks of broken wall aside as he digs through the rubble. "Zero! Zero!"

Finally, one large piece reveals Zero's face underneath. Burned all over, and covered in lesions that somehow seem to be growing, he struggles just to open his eyes. "Did…" He coughs meekly. "… …Did we stop 'em?" A drop of red pools in the corner of his mouth.

"We did. You saved me."

"Shadow… … …please. Please get the notes… … …back to Gregor. Make sure he—…" His next cough is more violent than the last.

"No, no, stop. You're going to be fine, okay? You're going to make it out of here."

"No… … …Whatever this radiation is supposed to be doing to me… … …The thing that hit me made it worse."

"No, this isn't your time. This doesn't have to be your time."

"I… … …don't think I have much of a choice…"

"No, I mean Time Control. Change the microtime around yourself, rewind to before this happened. You'll be fine."

"Huh…" Zero shakily lifts his hand enough to see the Sapphire he holds. "Neat idea… But… … …I don't think I have the strength."

"Yes, yes you do." Shadow takes Zero's free hand in his own. "Your heart is strong, I know you can. I…I won't lose another friend."

Zero clenches his eyes shut, forcing his head into a shaky nod. "I won't let you down." He breathes in sharply. "Time… … …Control." The light of the Sapphire bursts outwards. But then it begins to reverse, contracting into a tight bubble around Zero himself.

Shadow watches as Zero is magically yanked up from the rubble and down to the spot where he had not quite stood, as his wounds almost seem pulled out of him. He lowers to the ground before being pulled back to his feet. He darts around the room, finally dashing backwards straight out through the door.

Shadow nods in satisfaction. His eyes move over to a husk of a robot still left in the room, its glowing eye still staring at him silently. He walks over to crush the watcher with his foot.

—–—

"So you're saying…I used Time Control…on myself? I didn't think I could do that…"

Shadow, walking alongside the unharmed Zero with an armful of recollected folders in hand, answers, "For all you know, you've done it dozens of times."

"Whoa…that's a weird thought. I could be missing whole days of my life. Wait, I didn't say anything stupid, did I?"

"Oh, no, all very heroic, very dramatic. You'd make a great actor."

"What's an actor?"

"It's a…never mind. We have more important things to worry about. Like those robots."

"What about them?"

"Like where they came from? Who sent them? What they wanted?"

"Well don't ask me, I never even saw them. In…this timeline, anyways."

"Don't you think it's obvious? It was Robotnik."

"Gregor Robotnik? Making robots? Wouldn't that be a laugh."

"I'm serious. That man isn't right in the head, he has no empathy at all. He was trying to get rid of us."

"While I won't argue your first point, Gregor is a geneticist, not an engineer. He's never built a robot before. Except…the ones he's been using for his remote experiments… Come to think of it… But, no! Why would he try to steal his own notes from the people who are getting them specifically for him? It doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe he doesn't trust you. Maybe he thinks you were going to destroy the notes instead of returning them."

"Why in the world would I do that?"

"Maybe he thinks you want the animutants to stay rabid, so they can get rid of the rest of the humans!"

"What!? Shadow, where is this coming from?"

"I…" Shadow stops moving. "…I don't know." He looks down at his open hand. "Or…maybe I do. Back there…what happened to you…it pushed me to a dark place. A place I…swore I wouldn't go. I came…so close…to losing control. And if I had…I would've destroyed the notes, torn down the building, and…hurt you. I'm…still reeling from all that. I'm still in that dark place."

"Chaos Blast."

"What?"

"You're talking about Chaos Blast."

"How do you—"

"Because we're the same, Shadow. What you just said you almost did, that's what I did do. I nearly killed Gregor. I destroyed his lab, his research, because I couldn't control those feelings. And you…you were pushed there because of me…"

"Zero…"

"I don't want that, okay? I know what it feels like to give in to that, and I don't want you to go through that for me or for anyone else."

"I don't want that either. But…I may not always have that choice. Everything turned out okay this time, but that doesn't mean—"

"But you do have a choice. You and I know that better than anyone else. You and I know how bad things can get. So we can let things be as they are, knowing that they're better than they used to be. Knowing that they can get better still."

Shadow lets out a sigh, and turns his eyes skyward. "I understand."

Zero places a hand on Shadow's shoulder. "Don't let me down, buddy. I've made it through these years without going back to that place, and I know you can do it too."

Shadow looks back down to the files in his hands. "So what are we going to do about this?"

"If you really think that Gregor could be involved…I say we ask him ourselves."

—–—

"So…" Gregor nods his head slowly. "…he survived all this, did he?" He sifts through beakers of colorful chemicals on a low lab shelf, constantly checking down at the line of pages arrayed in front of him.

"Who, who survived?" Zero leans over the counter to try and make eye contact as Gregor works. Shadow waits by the door, carefully watching the surroundings.

Gregor points up to a flask on a high shelf with a look over at Zero. With a sigh of exasperation, Zero climbs up to hand the item down to him. "I believe the man you're referring to…is Dr. Nagashi Song."

Shadow questions, "Your officemate?"

"That's correct. Nagashi and I were colleagues of many years. And we…were lucky enough to be among the first scientists in the world to obtain a Chaos Emerald for study. And just as those crystals drove the world apart, so too did this one drive a wedge between the two of us. For the longest time, we fueled one another's obsessions. All signs showed that wild animals were able to connect to these sources of power in ways that we couldn't understand. And we were to be the first ones to figure out why. Unfortunately, as our research seemed to reach an insurmountable wall, our methods…began to differ. My wish was to create a means of communicating with the creatures who understood this power. But that wasn't enough for Nagashi. He wished to know the power for himself. Instead of bridging the gap from nature to us, he wanted a bridge from himself to nature. He proposed a long trial of human experimentation—highly illegal. I flatly refused."

Shadow scoffs. "You refused because it was illegal?"

"I refused because he wanted to run these experiments on himself. Bear in mind, there had already been several failed animoids by this point. There was no reason to believe his first attempts would be any more successful than mine. Which meant his ensured death. I refused to participate in what I saw as his suicide. So he left. I've not seen him since."

Zero ponders, "So these experiments…"

"I don't imagine that he was able to go through with them without my lab and my equipment. Perhaps that's why he wanted the notes. To finish what he started. He contributed to much of that research. Realistically speaking, he had every right to claim it. Though I have no explanation for his strange choice of timing." He seals off the syringe he's filled with his mixture of chemicals. "Here it is. The cure."

Shadow raises an eyebrow. "That's it? All this work, and now you throw it together in five minutes?"

"I've been working around the clock to ensure that I had everything I needed to get this done as quickly as possible. As I told Zero, all I needed was this formula. Very similar to the one I used for him. I certainly could have done it without all the fuss if he'd only let me—"

"Gregor…"

Gregor throws his hands up innocently. "Sorry, sorry. I know the deal, no experiments on you, not for any reason."

Zero nods. "Don't forget it."

Shadow questions, "So what now?"

Gregor holds up the cure. "All that remains is to deliver the cure to our test subj—… uh, I mean…our guest. The one you met earlier. You're welcome to return home, your assistance is no longer needed."

Shadow crosses his arms. "I think I'd like to stay and watch."

Suddenly, the building begins to rumble. A booming voice interrupts, "I'm afraid you won't get the chance." Beakers of chemicals fall and shatter as the entire wall is torn away from the outside, tossed aside to reveal the visage of a massive robot plated in reflective gold and silver. At least two stories tall, its skull-like head module holds two long, curved horns, one longer than the other. Its demonic red eyes stare down at them.

Shadow takes a fighting stance, while Zero rushes into a protective pose in front of Gregor.

"Nah ah ah." A golden orb held in the sentinel robot's hand bursts open, revealing a ring of bright energy beams flashing steadily between many colors. The sentinel's hand flicks forward, and the beam is cast out over the heads of Shadow, Zero, and Gregor, suddenly constricting around all three of them, and pulling them off of the ground. Gregor's chair clatters to the floor.

The sentinel's opposite hand extends forward, down to the level of the floor. The hand opens, and another machine slithers off of it. But this machine is attached to a body. The scaly green skin of a snake slides over the smooth laboratory floor, a three-fingered mechanical claw waving at its end. Constructed around the snake's raised torso is a crimson red mechanical suit of armor with two broad arms ending in claws to match the one on the tail. And covering his head is a smooth glass dome helmet through which he glares at his three ensnared opponents with his intense yellow eyes.

Gregor gasps in horror. "Nagashi… What have you done?"

The snake spits, "You. You best hold your tongue." He begins to slither past them, as Zero and Shadow struggle to get a look at him. "Dr. Song is long gone. My name…is Lyric."

Zero glances back at Gregor. "What is he talking about?"

Shadow struggles against the energy beams binding them with all of his might, but they don't seem to give at all.

Gregor stares on ahead in total bewilderment. "You really went through…with the experiments…"

Lyric bends down to scoop up Gregor's dropped syringe from the floor. "Indeed I did. And I see I'm not the only one who succeeded." He looks back up at the two struggling hedgehogs. "But you shouldn't have sent your lab rats to do a machine's work."

Zero's struggling stops instantly. "D'you just call me a lab rat? You did not just call me a lab rat."

Shadow warns, "Zero…"

"No no, this is personal now. I am going to tear that guy to shreds, and there is nothing you can do to stop me." He swings his feet wildly, coming no closer to freeing himself from his shackles. "Just lemme out of here."

Shadow repeats more sternly, "Zero." He surreptitiously indicates a direction with his head. Behind them, out of view from Lyric, Gregor has one hand at work, tinkering with one of the four small mechanical projectors of the constricting energy beams.

Gregor speaks loudly, "What is it that you want with the cure, Nagashi?"

Lyric stops on his way back to the sentinel to look Gregor in the eye. "Isn't it obvious? I want to use it. Then I can finally be complete."

"Complete? Nagashi, you can't use that on yourself! It was meant for the animutants!"

"To make them more human, yes. My own experiments were successful—too successful. My new animal physiology attacks my old human body. My DNA can hardly hold itself together. I had to house myself in this machine just to stay alive. But once I take this cure, I won't just be healthy. I will be immortal!"

"Nagashi, you don't understand! That isn't a cure for the body, it's a cure for the mind! It's of no use to you!"

"Liar! You lie just like all the other wretched survivors! Soon, I will have outlived all the humans who knew the old, dead world, and I will be the Last Ancient!"

"So you have no care at all for the human race?"
"The human race that destroyed themselves in their greed? No. The human race is ancient history." Lyric's mechanical arms extend out wide. "I am the future."

"Then I have nothing further to say to you." Gregor's hand presses down on the center of the projector device, and the energy beam dissipates, dropping the three of them to the floor.

Shadow lands in a crouch, preparing to leap straight at Lyric.

Lyric clamps his claws shut threateningly as he lets out a wordless hiss, lunging back at Shadow in turn.

"Hey, hold up!" Zero appears between the two attackers, catching each of them in an outstretched hand and throwing them back in their respective directions. "What in the world are we fighting for? I mean, look." He points at Lyric, who pushes himself from the ground. "I don't like you." He looks back at Shadow. "And he doesn't like us. But that's no reason to fight!" He turns back to Lyric. "You don't need to steal that cure. Give Gregor ten minutes, he'll whip you up another one."

Shadow gestures towards the open air where the wall of chemicals used to be. "Using what supplies?"

"…Good point. But, better yet, forget this whole thing. Dr. Song, you and Gregor are two of the brightest scientific minds in the world. Work together, and I know you can find a real cure, one that's meant for you, Nagashi!"

"Stop calling me that! My name is Lyric!"

Gregor pleads from his place on the ground, "Please, listen to him, Nagashi. He's right. I can help you. If you won't take my word for it, then take his. Zero is the kindest, most honest person I have ever known, and he's a better friend than I deserve. If he wants peace, then so do I."

"The word of a lying crook like you…or the word of a lab rat? You expect me to take either one?"

Zero's arms drop in exasperation. "Okay, patience is gone. Let's destroy him."

Shadow is already a step ahead, appearing behind Lyric in a blur to deliver a kick that sends him flying out through the door.

As Zero and Shadow take the fight out into the hallway, Gregor looks back at his wheelchair, toppled on the far side of the room. With a glance back at his useless legs, he begins to drag himself across the floor on his elbows.

Shadow charges in at Lyric for a frontal assault.

"Enough!" Lyric catches Shadow in one claw, stopping him instantly.

"But we're just getting started!" Zero attacks from behind.

Lyric's tail-claw reaches up to grab Zero in much the same way. He slams the two hedgehogs together, then tosses them both aside. "I don't have time for this." He makes his way back towards the door.

Zero is back on his feet first. "Well then, let's make some time! Time Control!" A bubble of distorted space bursts out from Zero's location, slowing Lyric to a halt as it grows to encompass him. Zero runs straight for him.

Lyrics head suddenly snaps to the side. "Was that supposed to stop me?" He lashes out with his tail, striking Zero before he gets the chance to react, and sending him flying back into the nearest wall as normal time resumes.

Shadow gasps as he realizes what has happened. "How did you—!?"

Lyric lets out a sinister laugh. "So, you have a Crystal, do you? Perhaps you aren't such a waste of my time after all."

Propping himself up with a fist on the ground, Zero growls, "You can't just disrupt a Time Control… Not unless you're…"

"A living experiment, like you?" Lyric reaches down to the glowing blue spot at the base of his mechanical suit, pulling the mechanism open to reveal the source of the glow.

Shadow gasps, "That's a Chaos Emerald!"

"I transformed my body for the sole purpose of obtaining this power. And the power I worked for is already mine." He pulls the Emerald out and holds it high above his head. Its energy radiates over him, and he lifts off the ground. "This is the very same Crystal we studied to create you, lab rat. And now I'll be using it to destroy you."

Zero rises shakily to his feet, his glare shadowed with his eyes on the ground. "Look here, pal. You're making me very angry." A spark of red flares off of him. "You won't like me when I'm angry."

"Zero." Zero looks up in surprise at Shadow's voice. Shadow shakes his head slowly.

Zero nods in understanding, clenching his fists to calm himself. "Last chance, pal. You can still walk away from this fight."

"I'm not leaving without that Crystal. Hand it over, and you can still walk away."

"Not happening, pal."

"Very well. Then let's get this business finished, shall we? Chaos…"

Shadow gasps once again.

"Contr—" Before Lyric can finish, a massive figure leaping through the air snaps its rabid teeth down on him. The animutant lands with Lyric trapped firmly in its jaws, and keeps right on running. The Chaos Emerald clatters to the ground behind them. As Lyric is dragged away, he shouts in a fury, "Nooo! This isn't over!"

As Zero watches them disappear, he objects, "Nah, I'm pretty sure it's over. Kind of anticlimactic, though."

Shadow appears more bewildered than anything. "He really did have all the powers of a Controller…"

"I knew those remote controls would be useful for something." Gregor wheels himself out of the door to join them in the hallway. He looks out in the direction the animutant took Lyric. "It would seem, in spite of his appearance, he remained human enough. With all the greed and malice that comes with it."

Zero questions, "So…how are we going to cure him now?"

"Oh, don't worry yourself about that. Like you said, I can whip up more doses easily enough. More importantly, I placed a tracker that—"

Zero growls, "Gregor…"

"Wait, wait, hear me out. I placed a tracker so it could lead us to others of its kind. So we can cure them. That's a good thing, right?"

"I…suppose so. You did good, Gregor." He turns to Shadow. "And…I guess that means your business here is finished, Shadow. Should I send you home?"

Shadow ponders for a moment. "What about Lyric?"

"I'm sure we'll run into him again. And who knows? Maybe we'll get another chance to talk some sense into him. Either way…" He glances back at Gregor. "…I think the two of us can handle him."

"And the giant robot he left outside?"

Gregor shrugs. "I'm sure I can find a good use for it."

"In that case…" Shadow offers out his hand to Zero. "…I suppose I'll just have to wish you luck. Friend."

A bright smile appears on Zero's face as he takes Shadow's hand. "That means the world to me. Friend." He takes a step back, and pulls out his Sapphire. "Time…Control." A rift opens for Shadow.

Shadow stares into the rift for a few moments. Then he takes a look back at Gregor. "Don't forget. You're the only one looking out for Zero. If I find out that you let him down in the future, I will personally come back in time to make you pay."

Gregor raises his hands in fear. "Th-that won't be necessary. Farewell, Hedgehog of the future."

Shadow gives a nod back, and a wave to Zero. Then he leaps into the portal.

—–—

Daily log, July 11th addendum.

I've arrived back in the present. It doesn't appear that anything has changed. I suppose some part of me…was hoping that it would. Any problem at all still seems more manageable than what I'm back to dealing with here in the real world. Still, my trip into the past was…enlightening. I have a little bit of something that I didn't have before. Faith. Faith that the Sonic I knew isn't gone. Faith that I…that we…will be able to get him back.

—–—

10,000 years ago — Lyric's Lair

"I was wrong, MAIA." His suit still torn and damaged from battle, Lyric's breathing is sharp and erratic as he slithers across the smooth laboratory floor. A floating white drone robot hovers close at his side. "I thought that I could count on that feeble organic medicine to finally… …to finally heal me. I thought that I could count… …on that old fool… …to understand. But I was wrong." They pass through a large round doorway, opening into a massive space. "Technology is the only thing you can trust."

The bright white light of the drone's camera watches him wordlessly.

Lyric looks out at the project under construction within the massive space. "Which is why I'm going to rid this world of all organic life forms, and rebuild it, piece by robotic piece." He begins his sinister laugh.

Though it is only a mere framework, the titanic Sentinel robot being built is dozens of times larger than the one seen before.

"And this is only the first."

—–—

"Are you sure about this, Gregor?" Zero steps through what must have once been a dense forest. Though a vast majority of the trees lie as dead and grey as the layer of ash on the ground, a small few retain just a little bit of greenery. Even the gloomy clouds above seem to thin in sporadic patches, occasionally letting down the briefest ray of sunlight.

Gregor's voice answers through the radio in his hand, "Of course I'm sure. We lost the tracker signal almost precisely at your location. It can't have gotten far."

Zero steps up to the trunk of a tree, placing his hand against it as he stares up at its small handful of leaves. "I never imagined there was such a place so close to the city. All the death and destruction closeby. But…life finds a way to carry on."

"This place could very well house more than one of them. Be on guard."

Zero's feet turn to resume his walk. "Don't worry, I'm—" His radio clatters to the floor.

Standing in a clearing between the trees, an animoid hedgehog with magenta fur and simple cloth garb watches him silently.

Zero stumbles back a step. With shallow breaths, he stutters out, "I-I-I…I'm sorry, I…" Overcome by fear, he turns and runs.

"Wait, stop!"

Zero halts, nearly falling over himself in the process. Still, he remains facing away.

"Is…is that really you, Zero?"

Zero's eyes go wide at the sound of the voice. He voices in a whispered breath, "Nine…?"

Though he can't see, the hedgehog girl nods to him. "It's me. But I don't go by that number anymore."

Zero's eyes move only to the ground. "…I'm sorry that you ever had to see my face. Please, allow me to leave, and I'll never bother you again." He stands there, staring at the ground, waiting for a response. But nothing comes. Until a hand rests on his shoulder.

"Please, let me look at the face of the man who saved all of our lives."

Zero turns around with shock. "You…aren't afraid of me?"

"I was. But I'm not anymore. Do you remember…the nights we spent talking when everyone else was too afraid?"

"How could I ever forget…?"

"It was my idea. Saying no, fighting back, I was the one who told you to do that. But when I saw what you were capable of…I ran. I was afraid of you for doing exactly what I said. Really, I…I was afraid of myself. And because I was such a coward…I did something even more terrible. I let you be alone. All these years, knowing that…I could've been there for you. But I wasn't." She suddenly throws her arms around him, hugging him close as tears stream from her eyes. "Zero, I am so, so sorry. I've waited far too long to tell you."

A tear falls from Zero's eye. "I can't believe…I'm seeing you again… I…"

"Whether you forgive me or not, I don't ever want to hear you apologize for setting us free. We owe you…everything."

Zero takes a step back. "'We'?"

Nine wipes away her tears with a smile. "That's right. It's not just me. All of us from the lab have been living together out here. I don't know…what your life has been like, but…if you're willing…we'd love to have you with us."

Zero's radio blares from the ground, "Zero? Zero! What's going on? Did you find the animutant?"

Zero walks over to pick it up. "Negative. But I did find something better."

"Better? What do you mean, better!?"

"I found home."

To be continued…