Location:
Southside Westopolis
The city begins to darken as the blazing sphere in the sky disappears under the horizon. The city almost becomes black. A black anthropomorphic hedgehog stands at a treeline, observing the city with a frown plastered across his tan muzzle. His crimson irises glare at the manmade civilization, and his ears perk toward the façade of infrastructure. His gloved fists cross over the white fur on his chest, and his golden rings bejeweling his wrists sparkle in the setting sun. His pitch-black fur with red stripes glistens in the sunlight, and he closes his eyes to relish the ultraviolet warmth. He exhales. He opens his eyes and continues to stare blankly at the city.
With a blink, the black and red sapient suddenly frowns. The city of Westopolis… too big for his liking. He can't imagine the claustrophobia, the disgust, the smell, the polluted air… Who would want to live there? The hedgehog sneers. He remembers why he hated them. Hate is such a strong word - he doesn't care. He knows he doesn't hate all, but he definitely dislikes all. He prefers to avoid them; it's their fault, nonetheless. They caused his grief and pain.
He remembers waking and recalling absolutely nothing. He saw some familiar yet unfamiliar faces: a white, anthropomorphic bat with suggestive clothing and a leather-wrapped maniac who calls himself a doctor. He couldn't remember them, but within his instincts, he knew he trusted them. That was his mistake. The doctor had used him to his advantage, bribing him with the truth to the hedgehog's past, when in actuality, the man knew nothing. Later, the black hedgehog found he saved the world with a childish, blue hedgehog by the name of Sonic. He and Sonic prevented the A.R.K. from colliding with the Earth, he and Sonic prevented the Eclipse Cannon from firing, and he and Sonic defeated his predecessor, the Biolizard. This is what he was told, and he has no choice but to believe it. What he had to believe were the images that kept crawling back to him. They kept coming and coming like the tidal waves in the Pacific. It crashes on the hedgehog, leaving him to drown and to be tossed around like a fish.
The hedgehog closes his eyes taut and clenches his teeth. He recalls feeling light in his stomach as his glass protection burns in the atmosphere, he recalls feeling inferior and weak. He recalls blood painting the walls and floors: He remembers her bright blue eyes, her silky blond hair, her pale skin cloaked in a hospital gown, he remembers her small, innocent voice calling his name: Shadow! Shadow! The hedgehog's ears flick as the gunshot rings through his eardrums, the innocent child faltering and falling with a scream. Blood drips from her gown, an innocent smile plastering her face. She was too weak to talk, but her eyes said everything.
Shadow opens his eyes and clenches his fists tighter. He feels his forearms strain. Why does it keep coming back to me? He scolds himself and shakes his head. Why is it significant to me?
Shadow's crimson eyes flick to the ground, and he keeps his frown. The pressure suddenly builds in his forehead as a migraine takes hold. Shadow grunts and holds his head. Fingers prod at his prefrontal cortex as everything around him rings, blurs, and buzzes. He closes his eyes as words whisper straight into his brain, but he can't decipher them. The voices are too hushed to even identify the genders. The voices suddenly wisp away, and his migraine quickly fades as fast as it came. Shadow opens his eyes and cocks a brow. A breeze gently pushes his large quills to his right. He clenches his fists as the breeze grows stronger.
What?
Shadow's ears perk to the thunder in the sky. He looks as a shadow looms over him, and crimson clouds swiftly and unnaturally roll over the darkening sky. It twists into a bright vortex in the sky at the center of the monumental city. Shadow narrows his eyes and leans forward, only able to describe the vortex as an F4 tornado that refuses to touch down. Shadow tilts his head, not used to this extramundane weather. Suddenly, abnormal and grotesque forms plummet from the vortex, either large or small, buff or winged. Shadow snorts in derision once he witnesses the disgusting creatures.
He blinks, shakes his head, and he smirks. With a harrumph, he unfolds his arms. "Look how pathetic they are," he growls to himself, his masculine voice deep and raspy, yet satisfying and smooth. He has no one to say it to, but hearing himself talk makes him feel relevant to himself. "Disgusting organisms." Shadow turns, and his quills sway with his motion. "I don't want to deal with this, let alone these humans."
"Shadow," a deep, inhuman, and raspy voice calls.
Shadow ceases his walking and widens his eyes. He flicks his crimson eyes back and forth, and then he turns back toward the city. A small, wingless alien in the shape of a starfish floats toward him, an eye centering the creature. As it opens its eye, its red sclera flashes brightly. The hedgehog doesn't like it, but it manages to send chills through his spine. It stops six feet from him and stares.
The sapient tilts his head with a confused sneer. "Who the hell are you?"
A voice reverberates into Shadow's head, presumably from the floating starfish. "I'll tell you in time, Shadow the Hedgehog. But as you can see, the day of reckoning will soon be here. Shadow… I request you to bring me the seven Chaos Emeralds. Bring me the Chaos Emeralds, and it'll be then that I reveal the secrets to your past that you've been so longing for!"
Shadow shakes his head as his eyes flick between the starfish and the city. "You didn't answer the damn question. What… what are you talking about?"
The eye closes, and then it quickly twirls toward the city. Shadow widens his eyes and reaches after the alien, but he stops his approach after a few steps.
"Wait!" the hedgehog shouts, but the alien disappears into the dark treeline right beside the first set of buildings. Shadow lowers his arm and looks at the grass. It gently sways from the breeze. What was that all about? Why are they here? Who is he? Where does he come from? What are they? Shadow blinks and sighs to himself. He looks at the city. "If he says he knows who I am, then I have no choice but to believe him." He did say my name, after all. "Either way, perhaps Chaos Energy can give me a clue… the Chaos Emeralds. No matter what, they should help me in my efforts."
Shadow skates toward the city swiftly, fire jetting from underneath his Airshoes. He speeds with excitement coursing through his veins and desire in his eyes. He busts through the treeline and skates past the first two stone buildings that border the city. Many people pour from building entrances, glancing at the sky and screaming, tumbling over each other like a doltish stampede. It looks like a rampant army of ants. Shadow sneers at them as he tries to evade them. He teleports ahead and avoids the commotion. Shadow gives the nearby fleeing humans a look of disgust. Most humans book for the trees he had come from, but a few idiots - and that's just the nicer term Shadow thought - run further into the city.
Those imbeciles, Shadow growls. They're gonna die from their foolish choices!
Shadow presses on and skates through the crowded streets. Shadow keeps his focus ahead and avoids the multitude of citizens that shove and sprint either to or away from the danger ahead. Some people scream as Shadow rushes by them, but he pays no mind. He finds their screams annoying.
He passes either crashed or parked vehicles, and he leaps over them if he has to. Some accident survivors struggle to escape their vehicles, some bleeding, and crying, crying for help. Shadow doesn't bat an eye. A young woman holds her dead husband beside their crushed car. Shadow clenches his teeth and leaps over a flaming truck. Once over, he stops immediately and growls to himself.
His eyes narrow; a familiar blue form stands twenty feet away. The blue hedgehog points in Shadow's direction, and he waves his hand at scattering citizens. The blue hedgehog continuously yells at the survivors and panic fills his voice when a wounded child limps past him with his disheveled mother.
"You can't be here!" Sonic yells. "To the trees downtown, it's not safe here!" Sonic finally looks in the direction he points. He nearly freezes once he sees the familiar black hedgehog approach him. Sonic ceases his traffic directing. "Shadow! Glad to see you here!" Shadow scoffs as Sonic trots toward him. Shadow knew better than to form small talk. The black hedgehog crosses his arms. "Tails, Knuckles, and I are evacuating the survivors. I'm gonna try my best to protect them, as much as I want to kick alien ass." Shadow cocks a brow. He has never heard the blue hedgehog swear before. If this wasn't such a rampant and unorthodox situation, the black hedgehog would have smiled. Sonic shakes his head. "Amy and her gang have got the north, and Vector and his gang are with G.U.N." Shadow narrows his eyes. "What about you?"
"I'm doing whatever it takes, Sonic," Shadow replies. He didn't want to be with this teenager for long. "I need the Emeralds."
Sonic nods. "Luckily for you, G.U.N. hid some throughout this city. Quite stupid, in my opinion." He smirks, and Shadow doesn't react. Sonic notices and continues, "I hear there's one in the Wastelands and five somewhere else in the city. All are scattered. I have no idea where the last one is, though. I only heard about six here, not seven."
"I'll find it," Shadow grumbles. He unfolds his arms and then skates past Sonic.
Sonic watches him leave and then calls, "Be careful, Shadow!"
Shadow realizes he gets more and more in-depth to the battling zones as bodies and destroyed vehicles begin to fill the streets. The buildings become deteriorated, cracked, and they start to lean. Shadow hears distant gunfire, and the buildings crumble. He slows to a walk and approaches a dead soldier in the street. He lays on his back, his chest charred like bacon, but it leaves a sulphuric smell. Shadow slowly kneels beside the corpse, and he feels more comfortable that the man's eyes are shut. Shadow sneers at this dishonorable death, but the expression is quicker than Sonic's trip to the Pacific within a straight shot. Shadow reaches to the man's hips and unhooks a strap full of pistol ammo. He pulls it from the man's body gently, and then he straps it to his own hips, tightening it to his liking. He makes sure the ammo is secure, and to his satisfaction, it is. Shadow's expression softens as he gently takes the soldier's FNP-45 Tactical pistol from his gloved hand. He cocks the gun, and a bullet shell clings onto the road. Shadow nods to himself and looks at the serviceman. Shadow reads the stitched words on his camouflage uniform, confirming the soldier is a Marine. Shadow's ear flicks as he hears more gunfire, but he ignores it. He slowly blinks at the deceased soldier. He shifts his attention to the beige-colored tactical pistol in his hand.
What an ugly color for a gun.
Shadow clutches the gun with both hands, and he perks his ears toward the gunfire and sirens. Tall buildings crack and fragment from poor support, now that fires eat their contents and tremors shake the structures loose. Shadow jogs past and stays within the center of the street. Shadow growls and narrows his eyes as he finally sees them; blackish-red humanoid aliens the size of an average human. Their bug-like yellow eyes flash as they hold their silver plasma pistols at some G.U.N. soldiers. The soldiers are defenseless, so it doesn't surprise Shadow once the aliens shoot them to death with little effort.
Shadow growls and aims his gun. He pulls the trigger and fires at the aliens' heads. He kills the first alien within two hits, and the other couple of aliens beside their brother turn and hiss at Shadow. They suddenly bellow and point their weapons.
Shadow harrumphs. "Ugly bastards."
Shadow pulls the trigger again. He manages to explode one of their heads and the headless alien jerks and dances to the ground. The second alien dies within two shots, and Shadow's gun clicks at the final alien. Shadow snarls and the alien points its gun. He lunges at the beast and zigzags to avoid the plasma blasts. He jumps and hits the butt of his pistol on the alien's head, and with his free hand, he punches the beast square between its large eyes. The creature screeches as its skull cracks, and it flops onto the ground. Shadow lands behind the dead humanoid and snorts.
Shadow unzips a pouch on the strap around his hips and takes the .45 caliber ammo from the pouch. He clicks the magazine open and stuffs fifteen bullets into the mag. He shoves the full magazine back in with a satisfying click. He cocks the gun, and his ears perk to the gratifying ping of a bullet shell.
The sky suddenly bellows, and a massive, bright blue beam strikes a building next to him. With a raucous crash, Shadow jumps in surprise, and the building crumbles as the beam fades. The building sends dust and debris as it falls, clattering and tumbling beside the street and into a crevasse formed by the giant laser.
Shadow squints his eyes as he peers at the sky. The ground tremors once again. Shadow looks ahead with a frown and begins his race once again. He slides to the right at an intersection right as debris and glass smash onto a curb from a leaning complex. Another laser booms through the side of a giant glass building, and the glass shatters. The glass whistles as they smash onto the sidewalk and street like hundreds of transparent daggers. Shadow steers clear of the shatter-zone.
Further down the street, Shadow witnesses a massive humanoid alien toss aside a wailing police car as if it was a toddler holding a Hot Wheel. The policemen and soldiers ahead fire at the big black beast that would put Mark Ruffalo's Hulk to shame. Shadow halts and narrows his eyes toward the humans and the bulky alien. The beast hooks its three-fingered hands under the front bumper of another police car and then lifts it above its head. With a roar, it chucks the car and manages to crush some unlucky policemen and G.U.N. soldiers. The mens' screams only resounded through the air for a split second.
Shadow tilts his head and scans the street. He knew he needed something - anything - helpful against this hulk of an alien. About twenty feet away, Shadow spots a tipped cruiser motorcycle by a pile of rubble. As Shadow approaches, he sneers at the imprinted starred and feathered logo of G.U.N., but then he realizes its sleek design is no other than a Honda Shadow. How convenient, Shadow smiles to himself. Shadow gently grabs the steering handle of the bike and pulls it onto its tires. He brushes some dirt and concrete off the seat. Upon inspection, Shadow decides the bike is in good condition. He smiles once he sees the transistor in the ignition remains unscathed, so he turns it.
Shadow gives the bike a pleased smile as it growls to life. He swings a leg over the seat and grasps the handles tight. He sets his heels on the pegs, and his left foot hovers by the lever. He tightens his grip on the clutch, and then his left foot steps on the shifter. The motorcycle's exhausts sputter and bellows to life. Shadow grins as the Honda jolts to a speedy start. Shadow grits his teeth as he glares at the bulky alien ahead. The bike rumbles down the highway. Shadow tilts his weight to avoid corpses and debris, and the bike snarls as it obeys its rider's directions.
Shadow's head tingles once again but not as severely as last. Something behind him screeches like a red-tailed hawk. Shadow glares behind him as two raptor-sized, winged aliens dive after him. They try to divebomb him, but the bike moves too fast for them to attack. Each winged alien behind him with their four yellow eyes and red horns and frills protrude from their angular heads, and their stubby legless forms wave with their movements. The creatures' only limbs are two thick and bat-like wings that carry them through the air. Shadow grumbles and faces the oncoming large alien down the street. The big one hears the bike and faces Shadow. Shadow does not stop, and the alien ignores the gunfire from more soldiers.
The alien roars as a sky laser crashes behind it, cracking the asphalt. It thunders forward and smacks unlucky soldiers against the buildings. The humans scream and fall limp. Shadow lifts his pistol and fires right at the big alien's head. It snarls and ceases its charge. It tries to cover its face, but a bullet clips it in its left eye. Its large, clawed, three-fingered hand covers its face as it wails in pain. Shadow swerves his bike to avoid a Marine, and he skids to a stop. The bike's tires screech on the asphalt. The soldiers glance at the hedgehog in surprise, but Shadow doesn't bother to look at them. The soldiers don't stare long as they continue their rapid-fire at the large beast.
Shadow turns around and points his pistol. The two winged aliens divebomb, and Shadow fires twice. The two winged creatures screech and plummet onto the ground. One of the aliens twitch, and the other's brains splatter on the pavement. Shadow faces the large alien as it uncovers its face, its left eye bleeding. Shadow points his gun and rapidly fires into its right eye. It screeches in pain as it takes a few steps back and covers its face again. The alien uncovers its face and angrily bellows.
Shadow notices a Marine woman glance at him. "He blinded him!" she calls. "Aim for his head!"
Shadow watches as the handful of Marines and a few G.U.N. soldiers expeditiously fire at the alien's head. The beast cries out as it takes multiple calibers to the face, and so it tries to shield its face with its muscular forearms. Some bullets clip past its arms, and finally, the beast can take no more. It falls backward with a powerful thud, and dust rises. Its massive back spikes penetrate into the asphalt.
The Marine woman loads her automatic rifle. Shadow stares at her and revs his motorcycle. This catches the soldier's attention as he wanted.
"What are they?" he asks her. His intent stare falters the woman's movements. He knows the soldier knows he doesn't play around.
"We don't know," she responds with a shrug. "We call them 'Black Creatures.'"
Shadow lifts his chin. "Black Creatures, huh? Where is your Commander?"
The Marine tightens her lips. "He was eaten by… Well, we don't know what." Shadow narrows his eyes as he sees the woman nervously look both ways of the street. Her fellow soldiers wait for her to finish talking to the sapient. "The Air Force and Navy are helping with the evacuation. They're holding the Black Creatures at bay. As far as we know, the police force -" She looks toward the flipped police cars and dead policemen - "are all dead. Us Marines and Army men are fighting all throughout the city."
Shadow turns his head toward the dark-cladded soldiers that run ahead. He frowns. "And G.U.N.?"
The Marine shrugs. "They just showed up. I have no idea what their intentions are, but they are fighting the Black Creatures, so I won't bat an eye." Shadow harrumphs. "I'm Major Bishop, by the way. You're Shadow the Hedgehog?"
Shadow narrows his eyes as he tilts his head. "You know my name?"
"Anyone who is anyone here in Westopolis knows of Shadow the Hedgehog," Bishop states as she cocks her rifle. "I have to proceed with my men. We still have a lot more of those things to exterminate. You do what you have to do here, Shadow the Hedgehog… Just don't get in my way." Bishop's words harden.
Shadow only snorts. "Likewise."
The major smirks and sprints ahead with her men and they head toward more distant gunfire and screams. The screams don't sound human.
Shadow growls and revs the bike once again. He drives the bike past the major and her men, the tires kicking up trash and dust. He manages to cross another intersection and swerves his bike to avoid firing human-sized aliens and other soldiers. Another massive Black Creature smashes through an alley, and Shadow ducks as it tries to swipe at him.
Shadow grunts as he speeds away, and he looks back at the burly humanoid. "I'll need a bigger gun."
A black GMC Yukon suddenly rams into Shadow and his bike. Shadow yells as he flies off his cruiser, and the Yukon crushes the Honda Shadow as it brakes. Shadow rolls onto his stomach with a grunt and grabs his pistol that's safely holstered on his belt. He feels himself bruise. He bares his teeth and glares at the black van, his body shaking with pure adrenaline. He pushes himself onto his knees.
The doors to the driver and passenger side open. Heavily vested and heavily armed G.U.N. soldiers step outside their vehicle and slam the doors shut. They wear bulky helmets with protuberant goggles, and Shadow can feel their glares. He doesn't care; he glares back. The driver lifts a portable radio.
"Sir, we got him. He's here," he says.
The passenger G.U.N. soldier points his automatic rifle toward the hedgehog. The driver straps his radio to his belt and then points his rifle toward Shadow. Shadow sits on his knees and maintains an even gaze toward them. Shadow glares and then grunts as he tries to get on his feet.
"Stay down, hedgehog!" the driver shouts.
Shadow only chuckles as he closes his eyes. He stands as he feels his strength wash over him and whatever internal or external wound he had mended. Shadow hums and opens his eyes with a sly grin.
"A little bump from a car is not enough to subdue me," he mentions. Before the soldiers begin to open fire, Shadow disappears in a flash of bright blue light. The two soldiers shoot, but they shoot where he used to stand instead.
The passenger ceases his fire as soon as he feels a tremendous force clock him right in the back of his helmet. The force dents his protection and rattles his brain. He faints and falls with a thud. The driver notices and turns toward his partner, but the culprit disappears in a flash of bright blue light again. The driver spins and pins his back to the van, keeping his eye in front of him. He points and waves his rifle around with his gaze.
A gunshot rings through the air, and so the driver stands in awe. His expression freezes as a trickle of blood rolls over his forehead from under his helmet. He suddenly slumps to the ground.
Shadow stands atop the black Yukon, his gun still aimed where the driver's head was. Shadow narrows his eyes as he sneers in anger and disgust at the man's corpse. He jumps down and then pushes aside the Yukon, the tires screeching against the asphalt. Shadow stops once he hears the bike clang underneath the car. He frowns and kneels. He growls as he sees the cruiser's scraped and crushed form.
Damn, he thinks to himself as he stands. I liked that bike. He kicks the driver's side tire of the Yukon with the metal frame of his Airshoes, and the force deflates the tire. The Yukon shifts slightly from the change in air pressure. He faces his left and stares ahead to the wide streets full of crashed and burning cars, charred bodies, and bordered with damaged and burning buildings. Explosions and gunfire echo in the distance, and a few sky lasers plummet from the crimson clouds to target more buildings. Shadow's ears twitch as he sees very few survivors in this area scramble across the streets. They hold their damaged limbs and limp, cry, and call for help. One young person remains stoic atop his crashed car.
Shadow only walks through the damaged street, pistol in hand, a determined glare, and burning hatred boiling under the white, matted fur of his chest.
An anthropomorphic red echidna with red and green shoes and spiked, gloved hands smashes a dangerous fist into the head of a human-sized alien. The creature squeals and falls limply to the ground. The red echidna grunts and looks to his right as Sonic spin-dashes at another alien. The attack breaks the ribs of the creature, which punctures its lungs. With a strained roar, the creature falls, and Sonic lands on his feet.
The red echidna's purple eyes flash, and his deep voice calls, "There's too many to fight off on our own, Sonic!" He glares at the massive group of angered extraterrestrials further down the street.
Sonic shrugs. "Come on, Knuckles, don't let that attitude dissuade you! We can handle them just fine!" Sonic gives the red sapient a thumbs-up. "They're quite easy to take care of, anyway!"
Knuckles rolls his eyes with a snort. "If you say so. I hope Amy and Tails are handling the evacuation well."
Sonic shrugs. "They'll be fine, Knuckles! Tails is a smart kid, and Amy can be quite sadistic with that hammer. They also have help from the military. Honestly, I'm more worried about Faker than them!"