Chapter Three
Shadow watched the elephants and yawned. Nothing. He had checked the gorillas and the lions but the Chao wasn't there. No sign of the Chao anywhere. Shadow grew worried as he looked up at the clock. An hour and a half left. Could he make it? He wandered the area and came upon a broken crayon by the side of the path. He followed the trail and found another broken crayon. It led deeper into the bushes and trees outside of the fence surrounding the zoo. Omochao looked around as Shadow poked around for an opening in the fence.
"This looks bad." he muttered and found a large hole in the chain link fence, "Bingo! Come on, Omochao!" Shadow crept out of the zoo and followed a faint dirt trail to a building hidden in the woods. More broken crayons. "The last Dark Chao must be in there." Shadow muttered as he walked up to the door.
"What would a Demon Chao be doing all the way out here?" Omochao asked as they headed inside. The building was dark and quiet. Shadow tried to see in the darkness, but it was hard and he could only make out faint outlines of objects in the room.
"Chao!" Shadow called and listened. A sound answered him, faint. He stepped forward and looked around again as he explored the building. There were a lot of crates and cages in the room. Supplies for the zoo? "Chao!"
"I don't like this, Shadow. I feel something bad here." Omochao muttered. Shadow didn't answer, poking at something on the wall. "Shadow? Did you hear me?" Omochao called out.
"Hey, I think this might be a light switch or something.... Aaahhh!" Shadow wailed as he flicked the switch and found it made the floor beneath him drop open. Omochao jumped and flew to where his voice had been.
"Shadow! Shadow, are you okay?!" he cried. Sounds of something moving made him wary. "Shadow?"
"Yeah, I'm okay! I think. I landed on a pile of hay or something, but I think I twisted my bad arm. Ow! Yep, I twisted something, all right." Shadow replied and shook his head. The new room he fell into was just as dark as the first, but this time he could hear animal sounds. He felt the floor around him and picked up another broken crayon. "Omochao! The Dark Chao's down here!" he called up.
"Great! Grab it and let's get out of here!" Omochao yelled. Shadow stood up and cradled his arm as he stepped along carefully.
"Chao!" he called out and listened.
"Chaaaoooo!" a wailing voice answered him. Shadow followed it, calling out to the baby until he found himself standing in front of a cage. Inside was the Dark Chao! It looked up at him, sad. "Chao! Chao!" it cried and pointed at its stomach.
"Hungry, huh? Well, I'll get you lunch as soon as I figure out how to get you out of there." Shadow told him and frowned. "Hey, how did you get in there to begin with?!"" he asked aloud.
"We put him in there, that's how!" a gruff voice yelled behind him. Shadow turned to see who it was, but cramped quarters were not to his advantage. The being who yelled at him hit him with something hard and Shadow slumped to the floor, dazed.
"Whaddya reckon that there critter is, Mack?" a second, nasal voice asked the first one. Shadow was grabbed by the injured arm and he cried in pain.
"I don't know, and I don't care. It'll fetch a good price on the black market, that's for sure! Some game hunter will pay big bucks for a trophy like this one!" Mack snapped.
"But ain't that Sonic the Hedgehog?" the second voice asked.
"Listen, Buster. If this were Sonic, would we have caught him this easy?"
"Uh...."
"Do me a favor, Buster, and close your mouth. Forget I asked. Put him in a cage."
"But we ain't got anymore cages, Mack." Buster pointed out, "Ya used the last one for that little critter there."
"Then put him in a box or crate or something! Use that thing that's s'posed to be in your head for something other than keeping your head from caving in!"
"Ya don't have to get nasty, Mack." Buster grumbled and took Shadow from him, pulling him towards one of the shipping crates, "And I still think it's that Sonic guy."
"Shadow! What's going on down there?! I heard you yell! What's up?" Omochao called down and listened. No answer. "Man, I knew this place had bad vibes! Shadow, you're probably gonna be really mad at me, but I'm gonna find Cammy and have her help you out!" he declared and raced away.
"Look at all the Chao!" Amy exclaimed and ran over to pick up one of the Hero Chao, "Ooh! They're so cute! I want one!" Sonic studied the group of kids napping and scratched his head.
"Chao. Chao. Hey! There are three Dark Chao right over there! Those are the ones Shadow was chasing!" he exclaimed, "Shadow must be taking care of this big group of Chao kids! But, why?"
"Do you suppose these are the Chao that saved his life? He did say he was trying to repay them." Tails added, watching one Hero Chao color a picture. It showed the picture to him. "Oh, that's cool. Hey, Sonic! This little guy drew a picture of Shadow! Uh, sort of. One arm's longer than the other one. And I don't think he smiles that big." Sonic ran to him and looked at the drawing.
"Let me see. Huh? What's up with that? This guy drew Shadow with a sling and a cast on his leg. Wait a second. Shadow had a bandage on his left arm when he bumped into us. I saw it earlier. And he's got a slight limp. He wasn't kidding. That drop from space must have done a number on him." he muttered.
"Who's the Chao with the pink bow on her head?" Knuckles asked. Tails shrugged.
"I don't know, but I do know that Shadow isn't here. Do we keep looking for him or stay here with the Chao and wait for him to come to us?" he wondered.
"Let's stay! I want to play with these cute little Chao!" Amy declared and tickled the Angel Chao.
"We might as well. Shadow comes back here to drop off a Dark Chao. Once he gets the last one, he'll warp back here to finish up the group." Sonic remarked, "Then we can ask him about what he meant by getting a life of his own."
Cammy looked through the fence at the woods, frowning. What would Shadow be doing out there? With a sigh, she walked back away from the fence to get a running start, then propelled herself over the fence using her rod. She landed on the dirt trail and blinked at it.
"Shadow must have followed this trail. Well, let's see where it goes." she muttered and went on. Soon, she found the building Shadow had found. "There? What is that?" she wondered aloud and entered the building. Dark and musty, the building looked creepy and abandoned. Cammy dug around in her purse and pulled out a flashlight. She flicked it on and searched the room.
"Nothing. But he has to be here." she muttered and opened her purse again. A green Chaos Emerald shone brightly inside, pulsing with power. "My Emerald shows he's here. Or at least, that his Emerald is." Cammy sighed and shone the light around again, lighting up a switch on the wall. "Oh! A light! Great!" she hurried over and flicked it. The floor opened under her and she dropped down, landing on the hay and grass.
"Whoa. That was weird." Cammy remarked and frowned, "And very suspicious. A secret floor. This abandoned warehouse isn't so abandoned after all." She got up and walked along, calling Shadow's name softly.
"Chao! Chao!" the Dark Chao cried. Cammy followed the sound and found the little creature in its cage, crying.
"Oh, you poor thing!" Cammy whispered and searched the cage's sides, finding a spare key hanging on one side. "Whoever put you in here wasn't very smart." She unlocked the cage and lifted the Chao out, cuddling it. "There, there! You'll be okay now. Where's Shadow?" she asked it. The Chao pointed at a direction and Cammy walked on, shining her light at the cages to find him. When she couldn't find him in the cages, she turned to the Chaos Emerald for help. It flashed faster in the direction of the shipping crates. She followed the gem and came across one long crate that was nailed shut and poked with holes.
"This must be where Shadow, or his Emerald, is being kept." Cammy whispered and tried to open the crate. "Oof! Too hard. Hey, little Chao. Got any ideas?" she asked it. The Chao wriggled in her grip and jumped onto the crate, looking around. It pointed at something nearby and smiled. Cammy shone her light and found a hammer propped against the wall. "They used that to nail the box shut." she told the Chao and got the hammer. "What do I do now?" she wondered aloud, her mind suddenly blank. The Demon Chao grabbed it and stuck the flat end under the lid, then jumped on the handle. It held on with both hands and pulled down. The lid popped open.
"You're the powerhouse Chao, right?" Cammy asked it. The Chao grinned at her. The dust cleared away from the box and Cammy looked in.
"No! Stay away! Don't hurt me! Maria! Maria! Help!" Shadow cried, looking up at her with a glazed, terrified expression.
"Shadow? Are you okay? What's wrong with you?" Cammy asked him worriedly.
"No more tests! Please, no more tests!" Shadow whimpered, shaking and hugging the blue duffel bag tightly. Cammy couldn't figure out what was wrong, then remembered what G.U.N. had said about Shadow.
When Gerald Robotnik and Shadow were both on Prison Island, the military kept Shadow in a capsule while the professor finished his research to perfect him. They kept him locked in the closed-in space for years after the project was done and the military feared that Shadow was remade as a living weapon to be used against them.
"You don't like small places. You're claustrophobic, aren't you?" Cammy whispered and reached down to pull him out. Shadow struggled, still crying Maria's name. "Wake up! You're having a flashback! G.U.N. isn't here!" Cammy shouted and gave him a shake. Shadow shook his head and blinked at her. For a moment, he was quiet, taking in his situation. Finally, he realized what was going on.
"You again?! Why won't you leave me alone?!" he yelled at her. He struggled to get up and climbed out of the crate, wincing in pain as his arm throbbed.
"How did you get in there to start with?" Cammy asked him. Shadow picked up the Chao and put him in his bag with a chew toy, then rubbed his head lightly.
"Someone hit me on the head. That's all I can remember." he replied, "Where's Omochao?"
"The little toy thing? I don't know. I thought he was with you. Anyway, let's get out of here and tell the zoo people there are caged animals down here." Cammy replied. The lights came on suddenly and two men with guns stood in front of them.
"You ain't going anywhere! You're gonna get in that there box like good little critters, or we can sell your hides for as good a price as the whole hedgehog!" the thinner, lankier man cackled.
"Buster, I thought I told you to do the smart thing and keep your mouth shut for the rest of the day." the fatter man growled.
"We are so out of here!" Shadow griped and dug out the Chaos Emerald.
"He's got a weapon! Fire!" Buster yelled and opened fire just as Shadow grabbed Cammy by the arm.
"Chaos Control!" The shotgun blasts hit the crate where they had been standing a split second before.
"Hey! What was that?" Buster yelped, "Ghosts! This place is haunted!" Mack hit him over the head and ordered him to carry the cages to the trucks outside.
"We gotta get while the getting's good!" he barked.
Shadow and Cammy reappeared in another section of the zoo. It wasn't where the other Chao were, they were at the birds section. The Chao had been left at the zebra section.
"I knew I should have thought of a specific destination!" Shadow grumbled, letting Cammy go so he could pack away the Emerald. "Now I don't have Omochao, or a map, or any idea where I am. This day can't get any worse." Military helicopters flew overhead. He and Cammy looked up at them. "Correction. It just did." he grumbled. Shadow scrambled to get the Emerald back out. Cammy panicked.
"Run, Shadow!" she cried and grabbed his hand, "Come on! This way!" She led him deeper into the bird section of the zoo, hoping to lose the troops among the trees and vines. "I can't believe they finally caught up to me!"
"You?! They're after me!" Shadow protested, still trying to get the Emerald out.
"They'll get us both if they find out you're here!" Cammy cried and reached into her purse. She brought out a wristband device and snapped it around Shadow's wrist. "Here! This can help you out! This turns it on, this turns it off! If anything happens, turn it on!" she shouted, pointing at two buttons.
"What is it?!" Shadow exclaimed, scowling at the band. Cammy kept running and looked ahead. The troops were surrounding the area!
"Can you use Chaos Control to get us out of here?" Cammy asked him. Shadow nodded.
"Yeah. If you let me stand still long enough to get the Emerald out." She paused and waited anxiously for Shadow to get the gem. The helicopters flew overhead and ropes dropped down around them.
"Too late! Turn it on!" Cammy cried. Shadow hit the 'on' button on the band. Cammy shoved him into the bushes and ran. "Stay there! Don't move!" she called back and stopped when a few troops dropped down in front of here. She gasped and stepped backwards. Shadow crouched low to the ground and watched.
"Camilla, you are to come with us right now!" one man ordered. Cammy shook her head, waving her elongated rod threateningly.
"No way! I'm not your experiment anymore!" she snapped. Shadow blinked in surprise. G.U.N. experimented on Cammy? Why?
"You remembered?! How?!" the man yelled. Cammy held out the Chaos Emerald and Shadow stifled a gasp. That's how she tracked him! She had an Emerald to track his own! Did that mean she was also an ultimate life form like himself? No way! He shook his head furiously. G.U.N. didn't have the notes to duplicate Shadow and the Bio-lizard, Shadow had taken them himself! So, what was Cammy's connection?
"This Chaos Emerald brought my memory back! And I'm not letting you do anything more to my body!" she yelled and held it up over her head. "Chaos Cont-aah!" Cammy cried out in pain before she could finish. A dart was shot into her leg and she crumpled to the ground, the Emerald falling away from her. The troops grabbed her and she fought weakly. "No...! No more tests and experiments!" she cried faintly, "I wanted to be a normal hedgehog! You took that away from me! Noooo!" The soldiers pulled on the ropes and were brought up into the helicopters. One of the men had Cammy slung over one shoulder, another had her Tiki Rod. In a few minutes, they were gone.
Shadow crawled out from the bushes and tried to sort out what he heard. G.U.N. wanted Cammy for experiments, and she tried to use Chaos Control. Did the military manage to create another ultimate life form without the notes? Was Cammy the new ultimate life form?! If so, then she could be in trouble! She would be used as a weapon, maybe even against him! Was that why she had been chasing him all day? Was she trying to find help, or destroy him?
"She wanted something, but it wasn't to kill me. The military thought I was already dead. Cammy must have been looking for help." he muttered, "And now she really needs it! But why didn't the troops see me?" he wondered as he ran back to the other Chao.
"Sonic?! What are you doing here?!" Shadow exclaimed when he found him and his friends with the Chao kids. Sonic stood up and looked around.
"Whoa! I heard Shadow's voice, but I don't see him." he exclaimed.
"Hey, I'm right here!" Shadow snapped and waved his hand in front of Sonic's face, "See? Hello! Anyone home?" Sonic looked around and frowned.
"I can hear him all right. Shadow! Quit fooling around and get out here!" he yelled.
"Did you find the other Chao?" Tails called out.
"Can't you see me?! I'm right in front of you!" Shadow snapped and gave Sonic a push. Sonic stepped back startled.
"Whoa! Freaky!" he exclaimed. Shadow looked worried. They couldn't see him? Why?
"Hold on. Let me take a look. I think I know what's up." Knuckles remarked and pulled his sunglasses down over his face. He stared right at Shadow and grinned. "Ha! Found you! You're invisible, Shadow! That's new. Did you come up with that power, too?" he asked. Shadow shook his head.
"No, but now I know why G.U.N. missed me. Cammy gave me an invisibility shield of some kind." he replied and pushed the 'off' button. "There. That better?"
"Hey! Now I can see you! Great!" Sonic exclaimed, "G.U.N.? They came after you?" Shadow nodded grimly.
"Yeah, but they took Cammy instead of me." he answered, "I think they've been using the professor's research on her or something. She tried to use Chaos Control and she had a Chaos Emerald with her."
"No wonder she found you so easily. But how can she use Chaos Control? We're the only ones who can use it." Sonic asked, "Unless they managed to make another ultimate life form and she's it."
"I don't know. It's not possible. I stole the notes from them." Shadow replied and opened his bag to let the last Dark Chao out, "But I have to go and rescue her. If the military has made her and she's like me, then we could have a repeat of the professor's evil plan to destroy the world." He stood up and looked a little scared. "I don't think I could handle another experience like the one in space. Especially if we end up having to destroy Cammy."
"So you admit you like Cammy?!" Amy asked hopefully, hugging a Hero Chao.
"No!" Shadow snapped at her, "I just don't want her to lose her life for no good reason! Besides, she kind of saved me. I owe her one and that's it."
"You can't go to the military base! They'll catch you too!" Tails cried, "You're not in shape for a raid! Your arm is hurt and so is your leg!"
"My leg's just fine, Doctor Prower." Shadow hissed, "And my arm can manage. Ugh." He put a hand over the bandage and grimaced. It throbbed worse now. Those men should have gone a little easier on him. "I'll track her with the Emerald and Chaos Control out with her. It'll be a snap." he struggled to say.
"You mean my Chaos Emerald. That yellow one is the one I got for a reward." Tails pointed out, "I want it back." Shadow pulled the gem out and dropped the bag down.
"I need it, so find something else for a trophy. You guys stay here and watch the Chao for me. Toys in the bag, seeds for food. Plant them for fruit." he grumbled, "Okay, Chaos Emerald, find your other! Chaos Control!" Shadow warped away, letting the Emerald choose the destination.
"Oh no, you don't! We're coming whether you like it or not! Tails!" Sonic declared, "Where's that red Chaos Emerald you managed to track down?" Tails pulled it out of a box and held it up to him.
"Right here. Hey, maybe I can trade Shadow this one for my Yellow Emerald! I can say it matches the rest of him better than the yellow gem." he exclaimed.
"After we rescue Cammy and make sure Shadow doesn't get captured, too." Knuckles told him, "I'm coming with the both of you."
"Hey! What about me?! I wanna go too!" Amy cried, picking up her Long Hammer. "I wanna help Cammy!"
"Amy, it's too dangerous for you! Stay here and watch the Chao, like Shadow told you. We'll be back soon. Tails, Knuckles, hang on tight!" Sonic cried and held onto the Emerald as the two friends grabbed onto his shoulders. "Chaos Control!" The three boys vanished as Amy continued protesting.
"No fair! I wanted to go along! They always leave me behind and have all kinds of fun and adventure while I get stuck babysitting!" Amy wailed and the Hero Chao crawled to her to try to cheer her up.
I wish Shadow stuck around. He's more fun than this crying girl. one of the neutral Chao muttered.
Yeah, at least he doesn't open his mouth like that. Shadow's quieter and only yells when the Demon Chao are doing something bad. another added. The neutral Chao plugged their ears and sighed while the Angel Chao tried to cheer Amy up and the Demon Chao plotted to throw sand at her.