Note: Any references that this story makes aside from the universe that this takes place in belongs to their respective owners and should be as such.

Warning: Mild Language, Violence

Ep.9: Same Way, Dark Way part 1

3 hours ago

Church Hill Pychiatric Facility for the Mentally Damaged (CHPFMD...you won't be quizzed on this), one of the many ironclad psych ward facilities owned by G.U.N. A facility used to incarcerate, research and possibly cure many forms of people society calls monsters, killers, demons, all removed from the face of the earth.

It was until a group of elite G.U.N agents were dispatched in response to a level 4 alert recieved by the facility. They weren't informed of what was going on, but what they did hear was that a single escapee has been reported to have killed 23 facility members.

The group destroyed the front entrance to the facility and rushed inside, rifles drawn in all directions. It was clear so the men dropped their guard.

"Alright guys here's the lowdown. The director of the ward sent an S.O.S to our facility 20 minutes ago. Since it's a level 4 emergency our mission is to shoot first, ask questions later. But first we ignore the second part so we can get more info from the director himself."

The leader of the 12 men squadron walked over to the intercom system and pressed on the button that said "Director's office."

"Sir, are you there?"

A few seconds went by until the intercom picked up a voice of a panicking old man.

"Haahaahaahaa Oh thank god you're here! If you didn't come sooner I-I-I would've been-"

He was clearly hyperventilating. Whatever was happening here it was worse than expected. But they can't determine that until they get more info.

"Try and calm down Mr.Director. Is the single escapee still in the facility?"

"Please please you gotta get in here! If that monster gets me I'll- OH GOD DON'T COME NEAR M-"

A loud snap rang through the intercom. The leader could tell that the snap was the breaking of the neck.

"S*t they got him. Alright men! The escapee is somewhere in the facility! If anyone spots the target, shoot to kill!"

"YES SIR!!"

The other squad mates prepared their rifles as the leader hugged against the wall while motioning squad member #8 to do the same but to the other side of the door. He then did some sign language.

"(Flash bang Entry)"

Squadron #8 nodded his head as he reached to his utility belt and took out the flash bang. When both nodded heads at eachother the leader quickly cracked open the door while squadron #8 removed the pin and threw it underhanded. It popped loudly with a few second flash of blinding light.

Good thing the troops were smart enough to close the door just as soon as the flash bang was thrown.

"Let's move boys!"

All the squad members entered all at once. It was too quiet. Normally there would be some sounds of running feet other than their own around the corner of the first hallway. But there was nothing.

As they turned the corner and kicked the door down to the main cell area they gathered at the center, all pointing their rifles in all directions. This facility looked more like a prison than a psychiatric ward. Multiple cells from the ground floor to a single stairwalk up stretched to the ends of the room. Strangely all of them has large traces of blood.

"Sir...I think everyone in here is dead."

"Don't come to that conclusion just yet #4. Boys, check all cells. If there are any survivors call out to us."

It took several minutes to check all the cells. They all came with one conclusion that shook their very bones to the core. Squadron #3 spoke up about it.

"They're all dead sir...The inmates, every single one of them...in pretty gruesome ways."

"The f*k? Why would someone kill the inmates, the director and most likely all the facility members for?"

"Well this individual probably doesn't have any value in someone else's life?"

"I don't know Numero Dos? Hopefully they aren't a Señorita?"

"Enough #'s 3 and 2! It's clear that if we let them escape they will become one hell of a threat. Men let's proceed t-"

The Squad leader's sentence was cut off by a loud static screech. It stopped a couple of seconds after with a voice unfamiliar to them.

"Row..Row..Row your boat..gently down the stream. Merrily..Merrily..Merrily..Merrily life is but a dream."

Someone, a feminine voice was singing through the intercom that rang throughout the entire facility. It was creepy to some but squadron #'s 12, 5, 6 and 3 felt that it was kinda soothing and catchy. The person kept repeating the same song line.

"Men...let's move."

A half an hour went by since the squadron went around the facility looking for their target. The Director's office, no one except the director himself with his head turned 90 degrees around. Then they searched the other offices for the target. Nowhere at all so where the hell is this person projecting their voice from?

"Agh goddamnit! This song is annoying the piss out of me! Where could they possibly be?...Wait did we get shorter?"

The squad leader noticed that half of their numbers were cut down to six troops left. The others noticed it as well, causing them to panic a bit.

"What the hell? Where did they go?"

"As if I knew that #7?"

"Shut up #8! Sir, the target might be around here?"

"(S*t! #'s 3, 4, 6, 9, 10 and 11? All disappeared?) Keep your eyes peeled! Open fire on sight!...Men?"

Before the squad leader knew it when he looked all around him for a response from the remaining members he was the only person left.

"Impossible! They were just here?"

He almost wavered but no matter what happened he had to keep his wits about him, making his way back to the main cell area.

"I KNOW YOU'RE HERE YOU LITTLE S*T! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

The squad leader let off a few rounds of his rifle at three of the empty cells.

"YOU CAN'T HIDE! COME OUT YOU COWARD!"

Suddenly the intercom was shut off. The only survivor left was breathing heavily. His team were gone, this whole facility went to s*t with no survivors whatsoever and the target is clearly playing, sneaking, stalking, waiting to pounce out of nowhere.

"Can't afford to make a mistake.

When rowing upon this darkened lake.

So if the paper starts to break.

I might sink into this darkened gate."

"RAAAAHHHHHH! EAT LEAD!"

The squadron leader unloaded everything he had, trying to hit whatever was singing. Before he realised it his rifle ran out of bullets...he didn't bring an extra clip.

All of a sudden he could feel his body freeze up when a breath brushed against his ear.

"Shhhhh. Hush and shush, it's all over now."

A voice appeared from behind the squad leader but he couldn't gather the courage to turn around. He then felt two hands reached up his arms to his own hands, which were still on the rifle. They were both smooth and rough feeling at the same time.

The figure slowly removed the clip from the rifle and placed a single bullet inside it, placing it back to where it belonged and guided the trembling soldier's rifled hands to aim for his head.

"I would like to finish my song now. Won't you join me?"

It was like his arms were stuck since he couldn't move them at all. The figure brushed their lips against his ear and started singing.

"So I row..row..row my boat and looked right up so high.

Flashing lights that light up the darkness offfffffffff the Nightly Sky."

A gun shot rang out. It was reported afterward that there were no survivors...all died by suicide.

3 hours later, present time

"Hava'mi the Dog?"

Tails scanned the contents of two top secret files that only Shadow was able to obtain. One of them was the profile of the patient who supposedly cause the incident. Luckily for him the cameras were turned off.

"Yes, I already got info from HQ that she's still inhabiting the facility."

Tails made sure to check the other file, the report from the 3 hour ago period. One of the passages sent a chill down his spine.

"...Entire squadron died from suicide? That can't be right?"

"As you can see from the file her singing ability has an effect on those who hear it when she is near someone. That's why she was muzzled for most of the time."

"Then how did she you know kill everyone?"

"Simple...One of the workers forgot to give her her daily drug dose that prevents her from singing her heart out."

Shadow pulled out a video tape from his front pocket.

"We were able to get footage of the incident. It's your choice if you want to watch it or not?"

"Thanks but seeing multiple dead bodies on the screen is kinda much in my opinion...I just can't believe it though?"

Looking back at the patient profile Tials couldn't help but feel down about it.

"She's my age yet she's killing others."

"Sadly 3 years of solitude can make someone with a weak will snap."

3 f*king years?! That's too crazy to believe...and Shadow wants his help for this?

"So let me get this straight? You want me to help out G.U.N to take her down?"

Shadow nodded his head.

"You gotta be kidding me? Have you forgotten what G.U.N has done? Falsely imprisoning S-sonic, attacking our friends, almost killing you? Did you seriously forget and now you're working for those sorry sacks of s*t?"

"Thanks for the obvious Prower. Trust me I had my fair share of going down memory lane. But the thing is those 'sorry sacks of s*t' as you put it are the ones who will give me an advantage to achieve my own personal goals."

Tails pinched the bridges of his eyes. To think that he would even think of helping as an option. Those guys over the years gave him and the others plenty of near death experiences.

"Shadow...I'm sorry but I'm not gonna do it. I just can't."

"...You'll recieve $25,000 if you complete the operation."

Then again...Tails was in the middle of a slight crisis. Any means of cash will do as long as it was legal.

"When do I start?"

"(And to think Rouge's negotiation technique actually worked?) The operation starts tomorrow night. Just in case take these."

Shadow handed two tiny dark blue objects in Tails hand.

"Huh? Earplugs? Oh yeah her voice."

Shadow rose from his seat and started walking out the door. He stopped in front of it.

"Tails...sorry."

(!) Shadow apologizing? That never happened ever at least from Tail's perspective.

"For what? If it's about the whole G.U.N then I'll get over i-"

"No, not that you idiot."

Welp that lasted only for a second. Shadow without saying a word tapped his finger on his left shoulder. It only took a second for Tails to realise what Shadow was talking about?...His permanent burn scar on his shoulder.

"Funny cause despite your calm, cool demeanor you probably would've said the same thing Knuckles said."

"And that is?"

"That you 'wished that you were there'?"

Shadow stayed silent as he shut the door behind him. By a couple of minutes Tails was discharged from the hospital. Apparently Silly was the one who paid for the medical bill so he should probably thank her later. Right now he wanted to just go home and sleep for a couple of hours. Unfortunately for Tailsdoll he was taken by a group of kid patients who had cancer to be played with...very violently.

As the next day went by with nothing else to do Tails spent the entirety of the day with increasing his training regiment. He felt like he could do a whole lot more than what he used to before. It was a great sign for him. But tonight is when he is gonna actively take down a psychotic serial killer...hopefully it doesn't get too wild in there?

End of part 1

Yeah just a short thing to explain to defuse some confusion. The song she was singing was the nursery rhyme "Row Row Row your boat" except for the middle and end verses. It was actually some reconstructed lyrics by me inspired from a little popular kids show called "Backyardigans" and their take on the song that I would like to call "Row Row down the Nightly Sky."

It's a work in progress on my end. Was planning to make a full version in a future project that is horror themed but alas it'll just lay in the back burner for now.

Stay tuned for the next chapter.