Chapter Nine – Resurrection
The scent grew thicker, as Shadow travelled closer towards the secondary Headquarters of G.U.N. Especially, when he passed though the mains gates and into the military base itself. He snarled, his anger boiling over, at the deep threat it poised. It was broad daylight outside, midday. The Vampire hissed, backing away from the sunshine. It couldn't do him any harm, but as a nocturnal predator, he heavily shunned the daytime. Suddenly, the truck parked up and the driver left. He quickly checked the back, but seeing nothing in the darkness, he just shrugged and left. Shadow was alone, hissing as he hunkered down and growled. He could smell blood outside, huge quantities of it, and knew that at dusk, it would be his for the taking. He waited.
Sonic ran and teleported in every direction he could think of to find Shadow. The Ark, nothing. Their hunting grounds in Capital City, the Chaotix Detective Agency, the G.U.N. training facility, even their old Headquarters, still nothing. He just seemed to have disappeared into thin air. Then as a last minute thought, he tried Amy's House. He suspected as the only female Hedgehog he knew of, Shadow might go after her, but as Sonic sulked around the outside of the house, he spotted Amy, Cream and Vanilla all inside, safe and fully secure, Charmy was still with them. The Ultimate Lifeform had not been here. Sonic was relieved. No more Carriers, thank you very much. He sprayed more regurgitated blood on the door, anyway, just to make sure and left. It looked like, it was just Rouge, and she would now be fine. He growled. Where was he, as the Blue Blur sped away, unseen. He had to find Shadow and fast, before the Mindless Monster killed again or worse.
Shadow bided his time, until the light outside of the truck began to dim then darken. Dusk. He smirked, and he deeply sniffed the evening air. It was good, as he got up and stretched. His stomach growled. He was hungry, extremely hungry, and the excruciating pain sliced through him like needles. He roared in anger. That hurt, and hearing movement outside, he notice the driver was back, and as he checked the truck again, Shadow at lightning speed, grabbed his neck, violently pulled him inside and immediately plunged his fangs deep into his neck. He squealed and then fell silent as the Vampire drained him dry. Then, licking his fangs, the Vampire slid out of the back of the truck and into the deep darkness of the base.
He was in a vast military base, owned by the Mobian Authorities, which had actually temporarily lent a empty outbuilding to G.U.N. until their new Headquarters could be built. There was a command centre, accommodation units, and a training centre. There were also vast administration buildings, and industrial units, and everyone was finishing up for the day, and about to head home. The complex was nestled close to a forest, near a mountainous region, and wasn't easily seen from above. The Vampire growled, as he could hear horrendous buzzing, and finding the base's electricity generator, he immediately destroyed it, which instantly cut the power, and locked down the entire base. No one was going anywhere.
Deadly silent, ruthlessly fast, Shadow searched out another victim, in the darkness, and drained them dry, then another and another. Soon, he'd quickly ate his fill and he didn't stop bitting, the scent of both G.U.N. and the Mobian Authorities and it's perceived threat, driving him forwards. Suddenly, the personnel dropped like flies, as the Vampire tore through the entire base. He bit everyone and everything, and as the individual backup generators connected to each building, came online, one by one, slowing giving the base back it's power, it revealed the utter carnage left behind.
There was utter panic and pandemonium, as word of a killer in the base got out, but no one knew who or even where he was, but it didn't matter. No one escaped the jaws of the Vampire. He was biting at Super-Speed, eight people a minute, delivering a deadly fatal dose of venom each and every time. By dawn, the bodies laid everywhere, absolutely no one surviving the night. What had been a busy, bustling base, now lay deathly silent, as Shadow climbed the outer fence, as the sun rose, and away. Finally, he was satisfied. He'd completely destroyed the nest. These people, whomever they were, were not going to hurt him again. Revenge served extremely cold indeed. His hissed as the sun came up, now keen to get some shelter.
Sonic ran over the endless plains of Mobius, desperately looking for something that might indicate his fellow Vampire. All of his senses were open to anything as he searched, and suddenly, he screeched to a halt, his nose high in the air sniffing. His instincts had caught something. A faint scent in the gentle breeze, and it was incredible familiar. Sonic frowned.
'Shadow?' He thought, deeply frowning. It was definitely his scent but not the smell of his body. It was a distinctive but more subtle scent he'd acquired when he'd changed, that only another Vampire could detect.
Venom.
But Sonic's frown deepened, looking around. He saw nothing. The odour of venom was always localised, in other words you have been in the presence of the Vampire order to smell it, or in Shadow's case, a vile of the stuff. But if Sonic was smelling venom on the wind, that meant there was huge quantities of it somewhere. He gulped, going absolutely white. Shadow had been biting. He swore, now desperate to find him, and allowing his instincts to follow the scent, he immediately ran after it.
After a short while, Sonic stumbled across a military base. He swore, having no idea it was even there, and immediately hid out of sight. But there was utter carnage, the dead lying everywhere, silence reigning. Sonic's eyes filled with tears. It was a huge base, and now the extremely strong smell of venom there, indicated that everyone was dead. He heaved. That was thousands of people. He sniffed, as he felt a sharp breeze behind indicating Super-Speed. He growled, roaring with anger, at the deaths of all those innocent people.
Time to end that monster. Sonic raced after him, across the vast plains, to a shadowy area. Sonic knew he had to take him out and quickly, as the Mindless Monster, would immediately see him as a threat. Only purebloods form brother bonds. If Shadow grabbed him, with his weight, strength and speed, and mauled him, he'd die, very quickly. He would revive, but he'd loose Shadow, and potentially the Mindless Monster might want revenge against him, putting the others at risk. Sonic had to kill him and fast. Hoping the regeneration process would keep him down long enough, to get his blood to the Ark and him to the Chaos Emeralds. But instead of days, he could only have a matter of hours. Shadow's change in biology from Hedgehog to Vampire would have impacted it, but Sonic didn't know how much. His originally took two days, but regenerations now, no idea, but he knew they would be fast.
Vampires, like Hedgehogs, have a weakness. The back of the neck. A singular bite there, in the exactly right place, would instantly kill, severing the spinel cord. But that meant getting past the head quills and strong defences first. It wasn't easy, but against Shadow, it was his only chance. He have to charge at Shadow from behind, physically as fast as he could. It was possible, against the Ultimate Lifeform. Shadow had an edge over Sonic with strength but he still had the edge on speed, just, and he had to take full advantage of it. Charge for the neck, and bite before Shadow even knew what hit him.
The Mindless Monster was satisfied and now keen to get some peace from the screaming and chaos of destroying the nest. This shadowy place seemed to be a good place to rest, now time to look for somewhere secluded. He sensed something behind him, the thought nothing of it. Just someone, foolishly trying to hunt him down. They were as good as dead, if they dared charge at him. Shadow's instincts were confident. Maybe a little too confident.
Someone did charge him down. Super-fast, and extremely accurate, as he felt sharp teeth painfully dig down into to the back of his neck. He panicked, desperately trying throw off his attacker. But as he felt the sharp fangs dig further down and sharp claws bury themselves into his arms, finally his scent gave him away.
Vampire.
Shadow roared his anger, desperate to get his rival off of him. This was his territory, and this invader was not welcome. He violently shook Sonic on his back, but the Blue Blur didn't let go, pushing his fangs even harder into the neck. He was struggling. Finding the spinel cord was significantly harder then he thought, and now he only had a matter of seconds before Shadow's superior strength physically pull him off his back. He desperately gnawed at the neck, praying for this both his and everyone else's sakes that Shadow would finally go down. The Mindless Monster threw is arms over his shoulders, and dug his own claws into painfully into Sonic's back, trying to pull him off. It was a tug-of-war, that Sonic had to win.
Finally, Sonic lunged forwards hard into the back of Shadow's neck, and with an almighty squeal, the Blue Blur found his quarry. The mighty Black Vampire collapsed under him, causing Sonic to fall on top of him, but still refusing to let go. Blood was trickling from Shadow's neck as finally he stopped moving. The heart stopping as the spinel cord finally severed. Hearing the silence, Sonic let him go, to tears streaming down his face. He knew it was a death match, him or Shadow, but that didn't make it any easier. Mindless Monster or not, Shadow was still his blood brother, and still meant a great deal to him. Hence why he did it, hoping that Shadow would forgive him later.
The Blue Blur put his nose into his brother's neck and licked him down, healing him. He stopped breeding, but Sonic was waiting for something else. Something that would tell him that Shadow would be alright. Suddenly, Shadow's body exploded in warmth, starting at his heart, spreading to every tip of his body, with now a gentle but subtle hum. Sonic exploded was delight.
Regeneration.
Shadow would be fine, but then Sonic swore. The clock was now ticking and Sonic had to ensure that his blood brother woke up back to normal rather then as a Mindless Monster again. This was Shadow's first regeneration as a full pureblood Vampire, and Sonic seriously suspected it would be less then two days. Potentially, just two hours. He immediately grabbed Shadow wrist and baring fangs he dug into it and took in a hug mouthful of his blood. But he didn't swallow. He gaged.
It wasn't the liquid gold, as it was before. It tasted absolutely fowl. It was thick, viscus, and had now streaking though it, Shadow's venom. It wouldn't harm Sonic but that didn't mean he had to like it. There was a reason that Vampires didn't feed on each on other. The taste was just too bad. Trying very hard not the throw up, Sonic vanished in a flash of blight white light, and instantly landed on the Ark, near the computer console. He had only vague memories of the location of the vault on the space colony so ran immediately ran to where he believed it was. He couldn't use the computer to find it. It was D.N.A. locked, and Sonic suspected he only had enough of Shadow's blood to open the vault. Suddenly, he wore. The vault, wasn't where he thought. He heaved, trying a different location, nothing. He squealed in frustration. Why was the Ark so big? Time wasn't on his side. He had to get back to Shadow before he woke up.
Sonic frowned, deciding to trying another area, and suddenly, jackpot, he found the vault. He ran for it, the search taking far longer then he'd planned and screeched to a halt. The vault's locking mechanism was such a mis-mash of buttons and codes, that Sonic had absolutely not idea what he was looking at and now panic was really setting in. Out of sheer desperation, he just spat the entire contents of his mouth at the lock in the hope of it doing something. Nothing, as it just sat there, now dripping in Shadow's disgusting blood. Sonic exploded in anger at it, he could feel the Chaos Emeralds within, but the Chaos Reenforcments on the vault meant he couldn't just simply teleport in and get them.
He roared, kicking the bloody lock with everything he had, practically breaking it. The alarms rang all over the Ark, the noise deafening, but Sonic held his ground. He screamed with the pain, but he wasn't leaving without the emeralds. Finally, after much beeping and complaining, the vault reluctantly clicked open. Enough of Shadow's blood had gotten into the system to be accepted. Forcibly, through the broken lock, but Sonic didn't care, as he swung the vault door open and ran in, grabbing the two now glowing Chaos Emeralds inside. The mighty gemstones had gotten their power back. Sonic heaved. Took long enough, but he was just grateful as he ran from the vault and concentrating hard, he vanished, a Chaos Emerald in each hand, and teleported back to Shadow location.
He was still where he fell. But things had changed. His breathing was harder and there was signifiant rumbling on his chest, he was stirring, within minutes of waking up. Sonic wore. The regeneration had indeed taken only hours, and now he had to move and fast. There was no time to get the rest of the Chaos Emeralds to Shadow, so he'd have to take the Ultimate Lifeform to them. He gulped in horror. It was the last thing he wanted to do, taking the Mindless Monster, but he had no choice but to risk his friends lives, to bring his blood brother back. He had to try, and he grabbed both the Chaos Emeralds, Shadow, and Chaos Controlled them back to Tails' House. Vampire teleporting only allows for singular person travel, Chaos Control allows for passengers, and they vanished in the tell-tale, vivid blue flash of pure bright light.
Within seconds, he landed, out of nowhere, to screaming, which seriously rattled his instincts. But Sonic just ignored it, and didn't stop as he immediately ran for the bag of Chaos Emeralds, finally activating all seven. But a roar behind of him, told him, he wasn't alone. The Mindless Monster was finally awake, and baring down on him, in pure loathing. The Mindless Monster knew he'd been killed and wanted pure vengeance. Everyone panicked and disappeared out of sight. Sonic encouraging them. Shadow's eyes was fixed on him, and the Blue Blur desperately tried to keep it that way.
He heaved, he was going to save Shadow, or die trying. The Mindless Monster was going to kill everyone if he didn't and Sonic was never a person to give up, least of all, on Shadow. There was a standoff between them as the lounge of Tails' House emptied, Sonic desperately building up the Chaos Energy of Super-Form from the seven Chaos Emeralds as fast as possible. But it wasn't fast enough as Tails was spotted just behind Sonic and suddenly, out of nowhere, the Shadow went for him, a look of pure death in those mindless eyes.
Sonic, still charging up the emeralds, rapidly turning yellow, left it to the last possible second and with a scream of pure desperation, he lunged at the Ultimate Lifeform, grabbing him around the middle. He cried.
"Shadow. No!"
Suddenly, bright white light exploded out from their origin and into the entire lounge, it streaming through the windows, lighting up the entire area. The seemed to last for minutes, a never ending age, as Tails, having never witnessed anything like this before, was gobsmacked when he saw the two Hedgehogs embracing, completely suspended in the light. One was a deep, golden yellow, eyes closed, desperately clinging onto the other, willing for his return, as Shadow slowly turned from black to a golden lemon-cream colour, as he slowly progressed to super-form. He was unconscious, his body, head and arms dangling in the Blue Blur's grasp, the mighty Hero of Mobius desperate for his return.
Deep in the darkness, Shadow felt something. His mind heavily fogged, he couldn't remember what but he knew it. He didn't know how or where, but it was incredibly soothing. He reached for it, grabbed it for everything he had. He more he tried, the more it seemed to mend his broken mind. It was healing him. It felt like...love. He growled. No, not love. Not romantic, anyway. He had no love of a mate. This was something different. Like loyalty, a deep bond from someone absolutely desperate, incredibly stubbornly unwilling to let him go. Like family. He frowned. That sounded familiar, as he looked up, the darkness seeming to slowly fade all around him, becoming paler by the second. He heaved.
'Sonic?' He thought. Shadow had complete and utterly believed he was gone, permanently, but the Blue Blur had proved him wrong yet again, and normally, he didn't want to he saved. But the deep blackness, the intense loneliness and excruciating pain he'd felt down here, Shadow had decided he's had enough. He allowed himself to he taken upwards, knowing he didn't deserve it, but having no idea how the incredible Blue Blur was doing it. But from the sharp feeling of intense fear on him, Shadow knew something bad had happened, and that he was right at the heart of it. He gulped, now suspecting what had happened, and his suspicions was only confirmed when he finally landed, his mind completely healed, but still incredible fragile, as he came to. He could feel the Blue Blur wrapped around him, crying his heart out, as he opened his eyes, and his heart fell.
Through the intense light of super-form, Shadow immediately recognised where he was. Tails' House but had no memory of arriving here. That was the point. Whenever he'd been mind-controlled before, he'd always wake afterwards with no recollections of what happened. As he slowly looked around the room, he saw the absolutely terrified faces of Sonic's friends. People whom he'd sworn to protect. All terrified of him? What had happened? What had he done? He growled, grabbing the Blue Blur hard, still hovering in mid-air. Suddenly, Sonic looked up.
"Shadow?" He stammered, about to pull away. But Shadow heaved into his shoulder. Right now, his blood brother's embrace was the only thing keeping him in one piece. He never wanted to move from that very moment. He hissed.
"Don't move." He barely stammered, his voice barely more then a whisper. Sonic stunned, just nodded and held him strong. Shadow's fragile mind was only just coping, but the seven Chaos Emeralds, as well as the intense loyalty and embrace of a true friend, was slowing bring him back. He was shaking, but the longer he was held, the more strength he was gaining. Tails moved around from the other side of Sonic, to look Shadow in the face, and his heart leapt for joy, when his saw the ruby red iris' and black pupils now back in the Ultimate Lifeform's eyes. But he didn't make a sound, knowing how sensitive Vampire's were to noise, especially screaming. But Shadow was desperately struggling. Tails could see it in his eyes. He cried. What had the Mobian Authorities done to him? As the others gathered around, as he'd indicating it was safe, Rouge was about to put a hand out to Shadow but got stopped by Knuckles but she growled at him.
"Shadow wasn't the monster who nearly tired to kill me, and even though he is a killer, the mindless beast isn't the incredibly damaged Black and Red striped Hedgehog, I see before me." She heaved. "It's my friend." She cried, as Knuckles nodded, seeing for himself, backing off. Tears ran down her face, as she grabbed his hand, stroking it gentle. She didn't say anything, no one did, as finally, the power from the mighty super-forms ended and the Vampires were returned to normal, the Chaos Emeralds vanishing into the either. The light faded, as it gently lowered the two Vampires to the floor, Sonic collapsing under Shadow's intense weight. But Shadow didn't even flinch, as he just stared at Rouge, now lying on the floor, his head on Sonic's lap.
His memories were all there, but they were a huge jumbled mess. He'd recognised the house, and not remembering arriving here, but beyond that, it was just confusion. But the longer he thought, the clearer everything became, he just need time. He deeply frowned at Rouge.
"I know you." He hissed, his voice incredibly cracked. Rouge nodded, grabbing his hand and hugging it. More tears fell as everyone finally realised the horrific truth of what had happened. That Shadow had been completely and utterly broken for the Mindless Monster to have been born. His mind had literally died and through the power of the seven Chaos Emeralds and a fellow Vampire utterly gut determined to never give up, he been brought back, but everyone knew the Ultimate Lifeform would never been the same again. For good or bad, no one knew. Rouge sniffed. She'd seen him like this before, after waking up from a long fully mind-controlled mission from G.U.N., and he'd been disorientated then. But this was on a completely different level, so much so, that Rouge wasn't entirely sure if he'd recover.
But she knew what to do, as she took his head from Sonic onto her lap. She smiled.
"He needs sleep." She sighed. "His mind needs a chance to work everything out and settle again, but.." She stammered. "I don't think he's going to be happy when he wakes up. If his memories fully return, which we all hope they will, he's going to quickly work out, that he has an enormous empty gap between the G.U.N. training facility and here. That happened every time he was mind-controlled. That was how he knew it had actually happening. But this is different. He wasn't mind-controlled, but the gap will still be there, and when he works out the truth..." She whispered, stroking the side of his head, letting the sentence hang. She sniffed. This was extremely bad, and she had no idea how's he react, but he'd find his own path through it, the Ultimate Lifeform always did. Shadow was struggling to stay awake, giving everyone the impression she'd done this before. Soon he was purring into her lap, sound asleep. He was now safe, but, still a Vampire.
Tails heaved. This was his house, time to make the call. He looked around, there was enough people here to carry him. He gulped.
"Sorry, Rouge. But he can't stay here." He stammered. Rouge nodded, she'd seen that coming. Shadow was still dangerous, and Tails had to look out for the greater welfare of everyone in that room. Sonic objected, forcibly, hissing at his best friend.
"Tails!" He spat. But Rouge rounded on him, standing her ground against the Vampire. She no longer feared him, especially with an immunity to his venom. She growled.
"Sonic." She spat. "It's for the best, trust me. He'll wake up angry. I've seen it before, but this is so much worse then anything we've ever encountered before. We don't want anyone getting accidentally caught in the sharp end of it, especially now he's a Vampire. That will make things so much worse. He may have returned to us, but he is still dangerous, and always will be, and we have to respect that." She heaved. Sonic's heart fell, as he nodded, extremely disheartened. She was right. Rouge smiled. "Look, you know this area outside. Is there anywhere we take him, close by, while Tails locks down the house, where he'll be comfortable?" She asked.
Sonic turned and stared out of the window for several minutes, deep in thought. Finally, he faced Rouge and smiled. He nodded.
Yes, he knew a place.