Under the partially cloudy and rainy night sky with lightning flashing in the sky, a single helicopter flew above and across the huge and dark ocean toward the brightly lit and myriad colours of one of the large cities of Japan. The helicopter flew past several tall and large buildings and skyscrapers and toward a certain and one of the famous building in the middle of it, which turns out to be a tall and large gold, white and dark green castle building that's built and stand on a man-made stonewall and surrounded by a partially thick forest and a moat on all sides with a single bridge in front of it that connects the castle to the rest of the city.

Meanwhile, inside the castle that's filled with alarm devices and security cameras hanging on the walls and security guards holding assault rifles or katanas as they patrolled the castle, the security guards ceased their patrols when they heard several alarms on the walls were blaring quite loudly in different parts in the castle, which caused the security guards to swiftly make their way to the parts of the castle where the alarms is blaring to search for the troublesome cause of the commotion while they look swiftly around the place with suspicious looks on their faces while not noticing a single shadowy figure jumping silently over one wooden beam after another above them.

"Hm, you hear that…?" said one of the security guards to his fellow guard next to him.

"Hm, hear what?" said the second security guard in confusion to the first security guard.

"I thought I heard…There's something or someone here!" said the first security guard as he look around the room for the noise he heard earlier before looking up and saw the shadowy figure still moving in silence from one wooden beam to another above him and his fellow guard.

"Oh, you're right, there's someone, an intruder up there!" said the second security guard as he also look up and saw the intruder shadowy figure at the same time the intruder shadowy figure ceased moving, slowly stood up and turned around to glance down at the security guards standing below with a smug smirk on the figure's face and the security guards saw that the intruder shadowy figure is a young male mobian black fur (with red stripes on the black of his head quills, arms and his entire body and a small patch of white fur on his chest), red-eyed hedgehog wearing a pair of white gloves on his hands, a pair of red, white and black-coloured rocket skate shoes on his feet and gold-coloured inhibitor rings on his wrists and ankles.

"The intruder's here and it's a male hedgehog. Moving in immediately for capture." said the first security guard into the earpiece in his ear to someone else on the other end of the line before he and his fellow guard raised and pointed their assault rifles up at the black hedgehog.

The black hedgehog smirked smugly at the 2 security guards below him before he turned around to resumed moving and jumping from wooden beam to wooden beam. As he continue to moved on until he's out of their sights and far away from them, the black hedgehog leave the briefcase that he carried under his arm for his teammates to take before he jumped and landed on the floor of an empty hallway.

"Well done. Now get yourself out of there!" said a young girl's voice concernly to the black and red hedgehog.

"This is our only chance!" said a second guy's voice.

"Stay calm! You can get away now!" said another younger guy's voice.

"Of course I'm always calm in situations like this, Tails." said the black and red hedgehog calmly and smugly to the younger guy named Tails.

"Sure, be all smug about it, why don't you?" said Tails in a deadpan tone of voice at the black and red hedgehog.

"We'll retrieve the briefcase on our end and will you two ceased the pointless bickering?" said another girl's voice to both the black and red hedgehog (which amused him a little) and Tails before she heard a garbled man's voice talking to another via a radio in his hand.

"Hm…? What was that…?" said Tails in confusion to the others.

"Don't worry about us. We'll be fine so just concentrate on getting yourself away!" the young girl's voice told the black and red hedgehog, who nodded before he began skating down the empty hallway. "But I have to admit and say, showing yourself in such a bold manner to those patrolling security guards in the castle earlier was an excellent move! Nice work as always, Shadow." the young girl's voice complimented the black and red hedgehog named Shadow.

"Too bad and if only our previous leader and close friend able to pull such a bold stunt off that smoothly like him but he's…" said the third and sad tone of voice of another girl.

"This happens because you have no sense for the aesthetics and please don't be sad when you mention "him" again, Amy." said the exasperated, deep and calm voice of another guy to the girl named Amy.

"You can say that again about her, Friar Buck." said the second voice of another guy in agreement to the deep and calm voice of the guy named Friar Buck.

"Nobody azked you, Friar Buck! And you too, Knuckles!" snapped the irritated voice of another guy to Friar Buck and the other guy named Knuckles.

"Enough with the meaningless bickering and teasing among yourselves, everyone." said Shadow to his teammates as he rolled his eyes and shake his head a little before he came to a stop when he saw 3 security guards coming out of an exit door which he was supposed to head to.

"Shoot! Run and get out in another direction now, Shadow!" said the first girl's voice anxiously to Shadow, who look around before looking up and saw several wooden beams hanging on the ceiling and Shadow's body start glowing a bright gold colour before he disappear only to reappear on one of the wooden beams.

"Ok, the enemy's focus is on him. Looks like the rest of us can slip away safely." said the young girl's voice.

"Everyone remember where we are meeting up?" said Amy's voice to the others.

"Don't worry, I can guide you all." said the young girl's voice reassuringly to Amy.

After Shadow's teammates done in talking to each other and fell into silence, Shadow jumped from one wooden beam after another again and he landed on an archway before he jumped up from the archway and over the railing and landed on the second floor. As Shadow turned around and was about to run, he saw 2 more guards running and came to a stop at the top of the steps a few feet away in front of him before their bodies started shaking then changing into some kind of black-skinned, cold yellow-eyed monsters with steel masks on their faces. Shadow then heard the sound of another person landed on the second floor with a loud thud sound behind him and when he turned around for a look, he saw a third black-skinned, cold yellow-eyed monster standing behind him.

"Only three of you?" said Shadow slightly boredly to the 3 black-skinned, cold yellow-eyed monsters.

"They're all yours to take down!" said the first girl's voice to Shadow.

"Of course." replied Shadow with a smirk on his face before he jumped up, landed on the shoulders of the masked security guard before he grabbed hold of his mask and forcefully ripped his mask away from his face (which reveal a black and blank face with bright red-coloured eyes on it).

After Shadow ripped off the mask of the guard and jumped away from him, the guard's entire body began to turned completely black with dozens of red veins on it before the guard began to shake quite wildly then explode outward in a big gush of blackish-red liquid before the liquid abruptly dissipated away to reveal a tall, red-eyed, black, blue and yellow beast-like bull creature standing on it's legs, wearing a white cravat at it's neck and a large tail behind it.

"Now comparing power levels… No threat. Get'em, Shadow!" said the first girl's voice to Shadow, who nodded before he open his gloved hands to gather gold energy in his hands, focus and made the gold energy take form into six spear-like shapes before Shadow swung and threw the energy spears toward the three red-eyed, black, blue and yellow beast-like bull creatures, which struck and pierce through their bodies and make them yell out in great pain from Shadow's energy spear attacks until he defeated the creatures and they burst apart into a dozen black ashes and scatter in different direction in the air.

"Ok, now pull out before their backup gets here." said Tails voice to Shadow.

"How wonderful. You easily defeated them as usual." said the younger girl's voice in awed to Shadow.

"Of course he did, the Ultimate Show Off." said Knuckle's voice dryly to them.

"Why, you jealous or something, Echidna?" said Shadow in amusement to Knuckles.

"Me, jealous of you, a hedgehog? Of all the smug remark you say to me…" snapped Knuckles in annoyance at Shadow.

"Knuckles, calm down and stop provoking him with your words, Shadow." said another girl's voice calmly to Knuckles then sternly to Shadow.

"Alright, Sally." said Knuckles voice to the girl's voice named Sally.

"Very well." said Shadow.

"More of them here already!? Be careful!" warned the younger girl's voice to Shadow before 3 more guards suddenly appear in front of Shadow. The middle guard then charge toward Shadow with his electric rod raised high above him in preparation to strike down on him. Shadow smirked at the guard charging toward him before he disappear from the guard swinging his rod down on him, reappear behind the guards while raising and throwing some more of his energy spears at the 3 guards, piercing and defeating them before Shadow disappear again, reappear on another archway before he jumped from the archway and over another railing above him and landed on the third floor.

"Shadow, there's an open door behind you! Go through that open door now!" the first girl's voice told and order at Shadow, who immediately turned around and run toward and through the opened door behind him and run up the stairs until he came into a tatami room that had dozens of long and thick-looking dark brown tree branches with green leaves on the branches painted on the tatami doors and walls and on the ceiling above Shadow.

"You should be able to get out that way! Hurry, Shadow!" said the first girl's voice.

"H-Hey, can he even hear us!?"asked the third guy's voice worriedly to the first girl's voice.

"Don't worry, Antoine! I'm picking up on everyone's voices! Just go, Shadow!" replied the first girl's voice to the third guy named Antoine before she told Shadow to hurry and go.

"Got it." said Shadow.

"Hm? Wait a sec! What the… I'm getting a weird reading of an unknown person heading your way! C'mon, run!" said the first girl's voice concernly to Shadow.

"She got a weird reading of an unknown person heading my way? I wonder…" thought Shadow in his mind as he run forward in the tatami room before he turned to his left, opened and run through the door and down the empty hallway and the stairs then he turned to his right, run down another short hallway toward another door, opened it and went into another tatami room that looks similar to the previous room that Shadow just run out from.

After Shadow run into the tatami room, he noticed with a scowling look on his face that there's one of the guards standing with his back to him between the other opened door and the other staircase leading up to the exit before Shadow swiftly hide himself behind a nearby closet that contains some blankets and pillows near the opened door while avoiding being seen by the guard.

"… Hey, are you sure he came in this way? Understood! I will continue the search!" said the guard to the radio in his hand before the guard turned around and run into the room and run past the closet where Shadow is currently hiding in.

"Now's your chance to make a run for it!" said the first girl's voice to Shadow, who came out of his hiding place, run up the stairs into yet another similar looking tatami room and he stop when he see another guard standing with his back to Shadow.

"Another one? How many guards are there in the castle!?" groaned the first girl's voice.

"A lot. From the looks of it." thought Shadow as he quickly hide himself behind a wooden crate this time.

"Everything okay? The security level might rise if you take too much time, Shadow." said the second guy's voice to Shadow.

"I know, I know! I'm looking for another route. Just hang in there, Shadow! Oh, perfect timing, Shadow, look up!" said the first girl's voice to Shadow (who look up and saw a suspended metal walkway near the ceiling above him). "Can you get yourself up that walkway?" said the first girl's voice.

"Of course I can, Cosmo." said Shadow confidently to the first girl named Cosmo before his body start glowing a gold colour and he disappear from his hiding place and reappear and standing on the metal walkway next.

"Good! Now go straight from there!" said Cosmo to Shadow before he turned to his right and run into a large storeroom. "Shadow, wait! I detect multiple enemy readings around you!" added Cosmo worriedly to Shadow before a large group of security guard shadows appear out of nowhere and soon surround Shadow.

"Great." thought Shadow dryly in his mind before he create and gather dozens of energy spears in his hands then he jump up into the air and threw his energy spears down on the security guard shadows, piercing and defeating them only for another group of security guard shadows to appear and replaced the previous ones that Shadow defeated.

"It's pointless! These ones will just keep spawning no matter how many times you… Huh!? Shadow! That weird reading I detected earlier is closing in on you now!" said Cosmo concernly to Shadow.

Shadow look around the room for whatever it is that Cosmo detected before he heard the sound of footsteps approaching and he saw that it's a young mobian white fur (with dark blue streaks on her long white hair, arms and entire body), teal-eyed female hedgehog wearing a short sleeve magenta-coloured shirt with long blue jeans, black fingerless gloves on her hands and a pair of short black boots on her feet.

"Looks like you got stuck in an annoying situation, huh? Let me give you my aid." said the female hedgehog calmly to Shadow as silver-coloured energy aura start appearing on her right hand before the aura formed into a rapier.

"Shadow, it's her! She's the weird reading I've been getting!" said Cosmo.

"My suspicion were correct after all. You did came in here like we did." thought Shadow slightly happily at the female hedgehog before he watched the female hedgehog raised and threw the energy rapier toward Shadow and the shadows surrounding him and it struck the security guard shadow standing behind Shadow before the security guard shadow dissipated into black mists, which doesn't make the other shadows happy at the female hedgehog before they turned and charge toward and began attacking the female hedgehog, who easily dodged each of their attacks and took down three more shadows with her energy rapiers before she ceased attacking them, turned and walk toward Shadow while the remaining shadows transform into a huge two-winged purple bird and three two-legged leopards wearing long green capes behind their backs and holding broadswords in their hands.

"I used to relied on your help so much but that ends now. Let's do this, Shadow-senpai!" said the female hedgehog as she stop walking, turned and got into a fighting stance beside Shadow.

"Yeah, let's do it, Ivory." said Shadow in agreement with the female hedgehog named Ivory as he prepare himself to fight too.

"What? The enemy readings have decreased?" said Tails in a confuse tone of voice.

"Really? That's…" said Cosmo in a surprise tone of voice.

While Tails and Cosmo were surprise by the appearance of Ivory and how she help Shadow in fighting against their enemies, both Shadow and Ivory swiftly dodged and avoid a powerful wind attack from the huge two-winged purple bird and the swift sword attacks from the three two-legged leopards.

"It's been more than a month since we last fought side-by-side. But this time, it's my turn to return the favor and aid you, Shadow Senpai. Now, let's beat them and win this fight!" said Ivory confidently to Shadow (who nodded to her).

Both Shadow and Ivory then create some more energy spears and rapiers in their hands before they raised and threw their energy spears and rapiers toward the huge purple-winged bird and the three two-legged leopards, which struck and pierce and make them cried out in pain and agony from their attacks before they fell to their knees on the floor.

"Come on, let's do "that" move together like last time, Ivory." said Shadow.

"Sure, senpai." said Ivory as she nodded at Shadow before they curled up into ball forms, start spinning really fast before zooming toward, attack and finish off the huge purple-winged bird and the three two-legged leopards (which make them cried out in more pain and agony) before they burst apart into black mists and dissipated away and both Ivory and Shadow ceased spinning, uncurl themselves from their ball forms and back in their standing positions.

"Another great special move we just did, Ivory." said Shadow proudly at Ivory for what they just did to their enemies.

"Yeah. I think… that's the last of them, Shadow-senpai?" said Ivory as she turned to glance at Shadow.

"I genuinely have no clue what just happened and how you know this mobian female hedgehog named Ivory, but I take it you two are okay now?" said Tails in curiosity and confusion to both Shadow and Ivory.

"Yeah, we are both fine now…" said Shadow before he got off by Tails.

"Wait-bad news! Enemy's reinforcements headed your way! You two need to get out of there, right now!" said Tails worriedly to them.

"Alright, Tails-kun. You go on ahead, Shadow-senpai. I'm going to stay and make it harder for them to track you and the others down… You still have something to do as a Freedom Fighter, right?" said Ivory.

"…Yes." said Shadow with a nod of his head.

"Then I won't stop you. Since I'm not a member of the Freedom Fighters, I'm in no position to interfere." said Ivory as she turned her back to Shadow and about to leave when Ivory felt Shadow suddenly grabbing her left arm and she glance back at him.

"… Be careful, alright, Ivory?" said Shadow concernly to Ivory.

"… I'll do my best, Shadow-senpai. And please don't forget the promise we made." said Ivory reassuringly to Shadow before she pried Shadow's hand off her left arm and run away from him to another different area.

"Shadow, you need to get outta there now! Go go go!" said Tails more worriedly to Shadow and Shadow listen and run out of the room and toward the stairs in front of him.

Shadow run up the stairs before he reached and came into an inner corridor within the castle. He then run forward down the corridor before he came to a stop near a large rectangular-shaped tatami doors to look inside and saw a room filled with some peoples typing away at the computers on the wooden tables while others watched the dozens of TV monitors on the walls in front of them to search for any sights of himself or his teammates before he swiftly and discreetly run past the room down the corridor, run up several staircases toward the top of the castle and into another corridor leading toward a single door.

Shadow then run down the corridor toward the door, opened and run through the door and he came to a stop at a wooden railing.

"Something wrong? The exit should be up ahead." said Tails to Shadow.

"Through there, huh?" asked Shadow as he glance forward and saw a large myriad-coloured window not far in front of him.

"Nhh…! That's just how it is. After the commotion, the bottom floor's-" sighed Tails voice before his words got cut off by the third girl's voice.

"-completely closed off! H-hey, can you make it!?" asked the third girl's voice worriedly to Shadow (who smirk and had an excited look on his face).

"Over there!" "Don't move!" "There's nowhere to run!" said the voices of the guards from behind Shadow (who turned around and saw 3 guards slowly approaching him with their guns raised and aimed at him in their hands).

Shadow smirked at the 3 guards before he turned and jumped onto the railing (which surprises the 3 guards before they quickly run down the hallway and out the door) and took off running down the railing toward the window until he reached and came to a crouching stop near the window and glance at the 3 guards.

"Later, boys." said Shadow smugly to the 3 guards before he jumped from the railing toward the window with his arms over his face and head and threw himself through the window.

"Hmph. Knuckles's right about you. You're an Ultimate Showoff, just like "him"." scoffed Tails voice to Shadow.

"You're so reckless. You know that, Shadow?" said the second girl's voice before she let out a sigh at Shadow.

"Since when is he never reckless?" said Mighty in a slightly exasperated tone of voice to Tails.

"You got a point, Mighty." sighed the second girl's voice.

Shadow smirk at his teammates words to each other before he fell and landed safely on his feet on the ground in a crouching manner. Shadow then dusted himself a little before he stood up from the ground but soon after he do so, dozens of spotlights suddenly light up in front of him, which make him let out a small gasp of surprise as he raised his right arm to shield his red eyes from the sudden appearance of the lights shining on him. Once Shadow's eyes adjusted to the lights and he lowered his arm to take a look, he immediately scowled at the scene of a large group of armed police forces in front of him. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" thought Shadow to himself in his mind.

"
Enemies here!? These readings… it can't be!" said Tails voice worriedly.

"What's wrong!?" said the second boy's voice.

"What zappened!?" said Antoine.

"An ambush!?" said the fourth girl's voice worriedly.

"Shadow, can you handle this!?" asked Cosmo worriedly to Shadow.

"Shadow!?" said 2 boy voices worriedly to Shadow.

"Shadow!" said the third girl's voice worriedly to Shadow as well.

"Capture that black hedgehog!" yelled the captain of the police forces through the loud speaker he carry in his right hand to his fellow policemen, which spur some of them into action and they immediately run toward Shadow.

Shadow scowled even more at them before he turned to his right and began to run toward the nearby fire escape ladder away from some of the police officers chasing after her (while the lights shining on him followed him to keep him in sight). Once Shadow reached the ladder, he quickly jumped, grabbed and began climbing up the ladder away from the officers chasing after him.

Shadow smirked and chuckle at the officers raising and swinging their baton rods below him in anger as he kept on climbing up the ladder but when Shadow look up, he gasped and widened his eyes in shock when he saw several officers standing and/or kneeling on the metallic catwalk above him. One of the officers then raised and slammed the butt of his rifle down on Shadow's face, which make him release his grip on the ladder before he fell down and landed into the midst of the police officers below him, who immediately grabbed and pinned Shadow to the ground and also checking and taking away his Chaos Emerald from inside one of his black/red quills, not letting him have the slightest chance of escape.

Soon after the police officers grabbed and pinned Shadow to the ground, they began to move aside to allow a stern-looking suited man walked toward him. "Huh. Didn't expect to find and see a mobian hedgehog." said the suited man coldly to Shadow as he got down on one knee to grabbed a fistful of Shadow's quill to pull his face up for a closer look. "You have one of your teammates to thank for this. You…were sold out." the suited man added smugly to Shadow before he let go of him, stood up and turned to walked away while one of the police officers grabbed Shadow's arms to placed handcuffs on his wrists before they stood up and left the area.