Beta Project: Epsilion
by Visler
* * * * *
Author's Note: This chapter has a few swear words in it. If this
offends you in any way, please do not read. Thank you.
P.S. Don't you just love clif hangers?
* * * * *
----- Chapter 5: Face-off -----
He stared out the window; eyes focussed on the coming threat. He knew
Sonic was beside him, calling out his name, but he did not respond. Then
Amy grabbed his arm and shook him. He turned to her, but didn't see her
worried face.
He stepped away and, like a ghost, moved to the door. He hesitated. He
knew Epsilion; grew up with him; hated him for the same reasons he hated
the ARK. They had used him. Tortured him. Hated him. All but one. But
she loved Epsilion too. The Beta Project....
Shadow shook his head and turned to Amy. She was worried. Everyone was.
But they did not know Epsilion's power. He wasn't worried about him. He
was worried about the others who had become his friends.
Sonic stepped closer catching Shadow's attention. Shadow stared at him;
stared at the blue. The same color adorned both his enemy and his friend.
Shadow clenched his fist. Why hadn't he noticed before? The black hedgehog
turned away and faded into the shadows.
* * * * *
Sonic tried to stop him from warping, but he had been too slow. He had
to find Shadow. He couldn't let his friend get hurt again. He turned to
the red echidna in the corner.
"Can you sense the energy of his chaos emeralds?" Sonic asked crossing
his fingers behind his back. Knuckles closed his eyes in concentration
and the room fell silent. The echidna slowly shook his head, then
stopped.
"I can barely sense three of them! Two from Shadow and one moving towards
him at a pace even faster than you." Knuckles whispered. He opened his
eyes and focussed on Sonic. "He warped to an area just outside Knothole's
limits."
"Thanks, Knux." Sonic replied preparing to dash off. Sally grabbed his
arm before he could leave. He turned to her in surprise.
"Be careful, Sonic. We don't know what either of them are capable of
doing." Sonic caught the worried tone in her voice and smiled. He kissed
her cheek and took off in a flash. Amy, who had watched the events unfold,
sank back at the sight of Sonic kissing Sally. She silently slid the
window open and jumped out.
* * * * *
Sonic found Shadow waiting in a clearing just outside Knothole's limits.
The black hedgehog's ears found him easily, but he did not move or look.
Sonic wanted to say something, but he couldn't find the words. So he stood
in the shadows watching the black hedgehog watch the trees.
A dark figure suddenly materialized out of the shadows. His light blue
eyes narrowed at the black hedgehog before him. He stepped closer; into
the sun. Soinc gasped.
There, right before his eyes, stood two identical hedgehogs. One black,
the other dark blue. Both had streaks of lighter colors on their quills,
arms, and legs. Their faces held the same expression: Hate.
Both stood in silence staring at eachother. Then the dark blue hedgehog
raised his hand to point. Not at Shadow. At Sonic.
"Come out of hiding, coward. We both know you're there." The dark blue
hedgehog's misty voice was barely caught by Sonic's ears. He swallowed
hard and stepped out of the shadows. The dark blue hedgehog's eyes fell
on Sonic and narrowed. "Well if it isn't you again."
"Huh?" Sonic asked confused. The dark blue hedgehog rolled his light
eyes and pointed at his chest. Then at his shoes. Sonic understood.
"You're the one who attacked me in the Ice Cap Mountains!"
"Well, well. The coward managed to figure it out after all."
"I'm not a coward!" Sonic yelled balling his hand into a fist. The other
blue hedgehog smirked.
"Shut up and get out of here, Sonic. Epsilion and I need to talk." Shadow
whispered shifting his ruby eyes to the blue hedgehog. His first movement
since the dark blue hedgehog, Epsilion, showed up. Sonic shook his head.
"I'll make him leave!" Epsilion smirked and raised his hand above his
head. A small ball of light gathered and began to grow. His eyes flashed
and he threw the ball forward.
There was no way for Sonic to outrun the attack even if he were Super.
He watched in horror as the ball of energy closed in on him. Shadow
suddenly materialized in front of him and deflected the ball away.
"I told you to get the hell out of here!" Shadow yelled not taking his
eyes off the disappointed Epsilion. Sonic sank back; afraid. Shadow had
never spoken so roughly before. He looked over his shoulder at Sonic and
narrowed his eyes. "GO!"
"Be careful, Shadow." Sonic whispered and took off at full speed in the
oposite direction. He felt a sudden pain stab into his chest and found
himself flying backwards, towards the trees. He rolled and landed painfully
on the ground.
Epsilion was still floating in the air after kicking Sonic. He was delighted
by the pain he had caused the blue hedgehog. Sonic swore at him under his
breath and tried to get up, but the pain in his shoulder and ribs stopped
him.
"Can't the pathetic coward get up?" Epsilion laughed. Sonic was begining to
hate this guy. All of a sudden, Shadow materialized above Epsilion and angle
kicked him out of the air. The dark blue hedgehog landed hard and glared up
at Shadow. "Why must you always interfere?"
"Epsilion, you must stop this! Those bad people aboard the space colony are
gone! There's no need for you to seek your revenge on them!" Shadow shouted
glancing on Sonic. He was too injured to get out of here of his own free will,
therefore leaving him to listen too everything. And he was listening; hanging
onto every word that rolled off Shadow's tongue. And the obsidian hedgehog
had no choice in the matter.
"That's where you're wrong, brother!" Epsilion shouted yanking Shadow's
attention back. The black hedgehog's ruby eyes narrowed.
"Who are you insulting by calling me your brother?" Sonic heard Shadow
whisper and watched as Epsilion hesitated and narrowed his eyes.
"Point taken and noted." replied the dark blue hedgehog glancing at Sonic.
He frowned, and turned back to Shadow.
"Just who do you have left to destroy?" Shadow whispered crossing his arms.
Epsilion crossed his arms as if mimicking Shadow.
"Smoeone you thought was dead." Epsilion smiled as Shadow's face went blank.
Sonic knew what he was thinking. A single word; a name that had haunted
Shadow for the past fifty years:
"Maria..." Epsilion erupted with a mocking laugh as Shadow and Sonic
whispered the correct answer. Sonic watched in horror as Shadow fell to his
knees. God how it hurt him to watch his freind writhe in the pain of his
memories.
"You're in love with her and you never knew!" Epsilion almost doubled over
with laughter. Sonic glared at him and watched as Shadow's tears fell to
the ground like the first drops of rain. "Her own cousin saved her by
cryogenetically freezing her in a tank that remains hidden aboard the ARK."
"She's alive... Maria...?" Shadow whispered through his tears. "...Mom..."
* * * * *
Author's Note: As stated above... Cliff Hanger!! I love them. I hope 1239
words wasn't too long for all of you dedicated readers. I appologize for
that. I didn't know it would get this long. See you next chapter!
Up next... Chapter 6: Determined
by Visler
* * * * *
Author's Note: This chapter has a few swear words in it. If this
offends you in any way, please do not read. Thank you.
P.S. Don't you just love clif hangers?
* * * * *
----- Chapter 5: Face-off -----
He stared out the window; eyes focussed on the coming threat. He knew
Sonic was beside him, calling out his name, but he did not respond. Then
Amy grabbed his arm and shook him. He turned to her, but didn't see her
worried face.
He stepped away and, like a ghost, moved to the door. He hesitated. He
knew Epsilion; grew up with him; hated him for the same reasons he hated
the ARK. They had used him. Tortured him. Hated him. All but one. But
she loved Epsilion too. The Beta Project....
Shadow shook his head and turned to Amy. She was worried. Everyone was.
But they did not know Epsilion's power. He wasn't worried about him. He
was worried about the others who had become his friends.
Sonic stepped closer catching Shadow's attention. Shadow stared at him;
stared at the blue. The same color adorned both his enemy and his friend.
Shadow clenched his fist. Why hadn't he noticed before? The black hedgehog
turned away and faded into the shadows.
* * * * *
Sonic tried to stop him from warping, but he had been too slow. He had
to find Shadow. He couldn't let his friend get hurt again. He turned to
the red echidna in the corner.
"Can you sense the energy of his chaos emeralds?" Sonic asked crossing
his fingers behind his back. Knuckles closed his eyes in concentration
and the room fell silent. The echidna slowly shook his head, then
stopped.
"I can barely sense three of them! Two from Shadow and one moving towards
him at a pace even faster than you." Knuckles whispered. He opened his
eyes and focussed on Sonic. "He warped to an area just outside Knothole's
limits."
"Thanks, Knux." Sonic replied preparing to dash off. Sally grabbed his
arm before he could leave. He turned to her in surprise.
"Be careful, Sonic. We don't know what either of them are capable of
doing." Sonic caught the worried tone in her voice and smiled. He kissed
her cheek and took off in a flash. Amy, who had watched the events unfold,
sank back at the sight of Sonic kissing Sally. She silently slid the
window open and jumped out.
* * * * *
Sonic found Shadow waiting in a clearing just outside Knothole's limits.
The black hedgehog's ears found him easily, but he did not move or look.
Sonic wanted to say something, but he couldn't find the words. So he stood
in the shadows watching the black hedgehog watch the trees.
A dark figure suddenly materialized out of the shadows. His light blue
eyes narrowed at the black hedgehog before him. He stepped closer; into
the sun. Soinc gasped.
There, right before his eyes, stood two identical hedgehogs. One black,
the other dark blue. Both had streaks of lighter colors on their quills,
arms, and legs. Their faces held the same expression: Hate.
Both stood in silence staring at eachother. Then the dark blue hedgehog
raised his hand to point. Not at Shadow. At Sonic.
"Come out of hiding, coward. We both know you're there." The dark blue
hedgehog's misty voice was barely caught by Sonic's ears. He swallowed
hard and stepped out of the shadows. The dark blue hedgehog's eyes fell
on Sonic and narrowed. "Well if it isn't you again."
"Huh?" Sonic asked confused. The dark blue hedgehog rolled his light
eyes and pointed at his chest. Then at his shoes. Sonic understood.
"You're the one who attacked me in the Ice Cap Mountains!"
"Well, well. The coward managed to figure it out after all."
"I'm not a coward!" Sonic yelled balling his hand into a fist. The other
blue hedgehog smirked.
"Shut up and get out of here, Sonic. Epsilion and I need to talk." Shadow
whispered shifting his ruby eyes to the blue hedgehog. His first movement
since the dark blue hedgehog, Epsilion, showed up. Sonic shook his head.
"I'll make him leave!" Epsilion smirked and raised his hand above his
head. A small ball of light gathered and began to grow. His eyes flashed
and he threw the ball forward.
There was no way for Sonic to outrun the attack even if he were Super.
He watched in horror as the ball of energy closed in on him. Shadow
suddenly materialized in front of him and deflected the ball away.
"I told you to get the hell out of here!" Shadow yelled not taking his
eyes off the disappointed Epsilion. Sonic sank back; afraid. Shadow had
never spoken so roughly before. He looked over his shoulder at Sonic and
narrowed his eyes. "GO!"
"Be careful, Shadow." Sonic whispered and took off at full speed in the
oposite direction. He felt a sudden pain stab into his chest and found
himself flying backwards, towards the trees. He rolled and landed painfully
on the ground.
Epsilion was still floating in the air after kicking Sonic. He was delighted
by the pain he had caused the blue hedgehog. Sonic swore at him under his
breath and tried to get up, but the pain in his shoulder and ribs stopped
him.
"Can't the pathetic coward get up?" Epsilion laughed. Sonic was begining to
hate this guy. All of a sudden, Shadow materialized above Epsilion and angle
kicked him out of the air. The dark blue hedgehog landed hard and glared up
at Shadow. "Why must you always interfere?"
"Epsilion, you must stop this! Those bad people aboard the space colony are
gone! There's no need for you to seek your revenge on them!" Shadow shouted
glancing on Sonic. He was too injured to get out of here of his own free will,
therefore leaving him to listen too everything. And he was listening; hanging
onto every word that rolled off Shadow's tongue. And the obsidian hedgehog
had no choice in the matter.
"That's where you're wrong, brother!" Epsilion shouted yanking Shadow's
attention back. The black hedgehog's ruby eyes narrowed.
"Who are you insulting by calling me your brother?" Sonic heard Shadow
whisper and watched as Epsilion hesitated and narrowed his eyes.
"Point taken and noted." replied the dark blue hedgehog glancing at Sonic.
He frowned, and turned back to Shadow.
"Just who do you have left to destroy?" Shadow whispered crossing his arms.
Epsilion crossed his arms as if mimicking Shadow.
"Smoeone you thought was dead." Epsilion smiled as Shadow's face went blank.
Sonic knew what he was thinking. A single word; a name that had haunted
Shadow for the past fifty years:
"Maria..." Epsilion erupted with a mocking laugh as Shadow and Sonic
whispered the correct answer. Sonic watched in horror as Shadow fell to his
knees. God how it hurt him to watch his freind writhe in the pain of his
memories.
"You're in love with her and you never knew!" Epsilion almost doubled over
with laughter. Sonic glared at him and watched as Shadow's tears fell to
the ground like the first drops of rain. "Her own cousin saved her by
cryogenetically freezing her in a tank that remains hidden aboard the ARK."
"She's alive... Maria...?" Shadow whispered through his tears. "...Mom..."
* * * * *
Author's Note: As stated above... Cliff Hanger!! I love them. I hope 1239
words wasn't too long for all of you dedicated readers. I appologize for
that. I didn't know it would get this long. See you next chapter!
Up next... Chapter 6: Determined