Chapter 2

By any Means

Blinding white light slowly focused into sleek white walls. The Time Stones swirled around Shadow before disappearing in a flash. Shadow covered his face and when he lowered his hands he found himself in a hallway that instantly reminded him of Eggman's base at Red Mountain. Monitors and computer terminals lined the walls, and the low whine of humming machinery permeated the otherwise absolute silence. Where am I?

Shadow's footsteps echoed unnervingly loud as he strode toward the nearest turn. Instinct told him to remain undetected so he crouched before peering around the edge. The hall opened into an almost empty waiting room. A woman with bright blonde hair sat behind the reception desk and spoke into a computer.

Shadow's first assumption was that he was in a hospital, but then his eyes were drawn to the large G.U.N logo plastered on the ceiling. His heart skipped several beats. What is this place? Why am I here? Shadow checked the receptionist to make sure she was still distracted. He then dashed out from behind his hiding place and approached a terminal beyond the woman's line of sight.

The display showed him the map of a facility labeled simply as CHAOS TWO. Before he could investigate further the sound of footsteps sounded from the other side of the room. Shadow quickly searched for a place to hide but it was almost impossible to find in the sparsely furnished room. His frustration mounted until at last he saw a grate in the ceiling. Shadow leapt up, ripped open the grate and squeezed himself into the shoot.

The receptionist recoiled at the noise but clearly did not see what had caused the disturbance. A moment later, five men walked into the room. Two wore white coats while the others wore black armor and carried assault rifles in their hands.

"I don't need anyone to hold my hand" One of the white coats was saying as he entered. "I've been to Chaos One a hundred times."

"I understand Stevens, but this is the new protocol, straight from up top. Nobody goes to Chaos One without an escort anymore."

Stevens was an older man with graying hair and thick glasses. The second also wore a white coat but he was much younger than Stevens. Everything about him, from his expression to his haircut, screamed corporate lackey. "And why is that exactly Connors? I've been working here for almost forty years, and I don't see what the point of all these security measures are."

Connors shook his head and continued to speak in an obnoxiously placating manner. "Headquarters feels they are necessary, that should be good enough for you. The asset is far too valuable to put at risk. In these…uncertain times we cannot afford to be too careful."

Stevens let out a bark of derisive laughter. "O so that's it? Boss thinks someone is going to try and break into Chaos One? And who might that be? There's barely enough left to even try."

"Enough." Connor's flattering tone switched to threatening in half a heartbeat. "You can either go to base as instructed or you can stay here. You've long had the privilege of working with the asset directly but don't think that gives you any special privileges. You've seen how things are going now."

Steven's expression hardened. "Whatever. I'll let your lap dogs walk me down there then. Not that it makes any difference. But just remember one thing Connors, one day you'll be where I am. One day you'll be in the old guard while an upstart crony tosses around the small scrap of power his master allows him."

Connors responded with a sneer before turning around and heading out of the room. The guards remained with Stevens. He adjusted his glasses before clearing his throat and walking over to the reception desk. "You probably heard that I am going over to Chaos One."

The woman nodded but seemed to be doing her best to not look Stevens in the eye. Her back was rigid and she seemed obviously uncomfortable. It was as if she were trying to not look too friendly with Stevens in front of the guards.

"Could you run a message to my wife and tell her I won't be home tonight?"

The receptionist nodded curtly and exhaled in relief when Stevens turned away from her.

What's going on? Shadow was more confused than ever. Am I still in the past? Stevens and his guards left the room sparking a reckless urge within Shadow to follow them. He sprang out of his hiding place and slipped through the open door. The receptionist was too intent on looking at her computer to notice.

Shadow trailed his prey down several white hallways that all looked the same. The size of the facility must have been enormous because they passed through dozens of other waiting rooms each connected to even more hallways. Yet, no matter how long they walked they never met another person.

At last, the group stopped before a set of glass elevators. The soldiers encircled Stevens and no one spoke. Shadow crouched by the corner of the room and waited. A red light flashed from the ceiling and seemed to scan the group waiting for the elevators. Stevens cleared his throat. "Doctor Greg Stevens to go Chaos One. I am expected there."

A bell chimed and the red light vanished as the glass doors opened. The soldiers just had time to squeeze inside before Shadow was on top of them. In a rapid flurry of punches and kicks each of the G.U.N soldiers dropped just as the doors closed with a low hiss.

"What the-" Stevens retreated to the corner of the tube and held up his arms to defend himself. Shadow raised his own hands in a signal of peace. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Stevens quivered and looked down at the fallen soldiers. "Are…are they…dead?"

"Just knocked out."

The elevator tube lurched and started to ascend. Shadow knelt beside one of the guards and examined his uniform. The patch did not match the G.U.N sigil from the past nor did it look like the ones from the present. The "G" had been altered slightly, something encased it but before Shadow could make out what it was, Stevens spoke.

"You're one of the test subjects aren't you? You've escaped your cell." Stevens was gawking at Shadow with an expression of fear mingled with interest. "I've heard rumors of such things going on in the basements of Chaos Two, but I never believed them."

Shadow folded his arms and frowned. 'You wouldn't believe me if I told you where I come from." None of this made any sense. What was this place? Had the time stones made a mistake and brought him to the future? Take me back. Take me back to Little Planet. Nothing happened. Shadow kicked the side of the elevator in frustration. "You! What year is it?" He snapped.

Stevens flinched. "Y…year?" He choked.

"Yes, what year is it?"

"Thirty-Four…"

"What? That's not a…what are you talking about?"

Stevens adjusted his glasses. "It's been thirty four years since the revolution, but in the old calendar its-"

Shadow did not hear the rest. The elevator had just emerged out of the ground and Shadow let out an audible gasp. The futuristic splendor within the facility clashed drastically with the dystopia on the surface. What had once been a city had been leveled into a flat plane of blackened earth. The sky was orange and swelled with red clouds that shot forth bolts of purple lighting.

The elevator tube paused in midair. Shadow pressed his face against the glass and saw a system of interconnected glass tubes crossing over the scorched planes. The car lurched again and this time they moved horizontally. As they moved, Shadow saw something large hovering a few hundred feet in the sky. The structure was concealed by clouds but a flash of thunder revealed its silhouette. A humongous metal globe, not so different from the Space Colony Ark, dominated the air space. In the far distance, Shadow could just make out a dozen other similar structures. One of them was turned and Shadow could see that the globe had a face. The face of Dr. Eggman.

Cold dread washed down Shadow's back. He staggered backward and shook his head. This can't be real. It's a dream…a nightmare. Stevens saw his chance. He dove for one of the fallen rifles the soldiers had dropped. Shadow was too quick for him. He ripped the weapon out of the doctor's hands and struck him in the head. Stevens collapsed into a heap on the floor.

Shadow's heart was racing. His hands trembled as his mind tried desperately to root itself in some unshakeable truth. This…this must be the future. Eggman must have killed Sonic somehow and taken over. Shadow felt bile churn up his throat. He could not shake off the feeling that this was all somehow his fault. Had he somehow shaken up the timeline, or perhaps he had been stuck in limbo, unable to aid in the final war against Robotnik?

His thoughts were interrupted by a robotic female voice. "Now approaching Chaos One. Only maximum security clearance is permitted beyond the getaway." Shadow turned and saw that the tube was approaching an enormous tower. It pierced the sky like a javilion rising several hundred feet into the air and descending beneath into unfathomable depths. There was no design or artistic flavor, only a black tower encased in solid adamanent.

A moment later, the tube entered a port in the side of the tower. Shadow felt the tube slow and he quickly roused himself to action. He searched Stevens and found an I.D card and badge. Shadow snatched them up and waited for the elevators to open. When they did, he let out a sigh of relief. There was no one there to greet them.

Chaos One looked exactly like Chaos Two from the inside. The elevator room was the exact match from the one he had just left. Shadow used the I.D badge to scan the console and send the elevator and the unconscious guards back to Chaos Two.

He was on his own now, with no plan nor any clue where he was. He crept down a hallway and stopped when he heard voices. Two men were leaning against the counter in a plain waiting room. "Is Doctor Stevens here yet?" One of them asked the women sitting behind the counter. "He hasn't reported yet but his elevator arrived only a short time ago."

"He's probably already on his way to the basement. You know how much he likes to work on the asset." The second man suggested.

"I know." The first admitted gravely. "I can't see how. That thing gives me the creeps. Sometimes….I don't know…I can just tell that it hates us."

The second snorted. "How can it? I doubt that thing has felt anything for decades. Come on, let's track down Stevens and get today over with."

Shadow retreated backward and ran down one of the many empty hallways. The place was constructed like a maze with every lane looking the same and giving Shadow no indication of where he was going. Reeeeeee! Reeeeeee! The white walls suddenly flashed red and a siren started to wail.

Damn! Shadow sprinted forward, but was forced to dash to the side when a group of soldiers came tearing down the opposite end of the hall. "Intruder spotted!" Brrrt! Brrrt! Shadow ducked down and spin dashed to safety taking his next right. This hall was clear and he sped down it as fast as he could. He could hear a storm of boots chasing after him.

It was Shadow's turn to come catch the soldiers unaware as he turned to find a group running in the opposite direction. He sped down the side of the walls as he overtook them and lunged into the group. Some fired madly into the air but the others attempted to wrestle Shadow to the ground. He slipped past them effortlessly and knocked them all out in a short burst of homing attacks.

However, his victory was short-lived. A moment later, five large robots came rolling into the hallway. The machines had single black eyes and heavy mounted machine guns for arms. Red target lines covered the entire hall as they took aim. They won't dare shoot with these men here.

BRRRT! BRRRT! Shadow dived as a rain of gunfire raced over his head. He carried his momentum into a spin dash and cut straight through the foremost robot. Shadow seized one of its gun arms and tore it free from its broken frame. Shadow then leapt up into the air and squeezed the trigger. The resulting recoil shot Shadow backward but the gunfire managed to destroy two more of the robots.

Shadow landed and quickly fired at the last two robots clearing his path. The alarms continued to wail as he shot forward. He took every turn at random, hoping against hope that he would luck upon some kind of exit. I'm trapped here. Sensing the mounting futility of his struggle, Shadow came to a stop. He could hear the footsteps of his chasers getting closer and closer. There has to be a way out.

He raced to one of the terminals and mashed his hand on the buttons. The screen flashed red and Shadow cursed. Then he remembered the card and tried scanning it. The terminal flashed green and pulled up an image of Doctor Stevens. An automated voice spoke. "Welcome Doctor Stevens. You are expected in basement 001. The elevator will be called, please wait outside." The screen displayed what Shadow took as a map of the facility it marked where he was and where the elevator would be called.

Without any other options, Shadow started running in that direction. Soldiers jumped out in front of him, but Shadow managed to dart past them. Just up ahead. He turned left and entered a blank square room. There was only one other entrance and each wall seemed to lead to an opening. Shadow heard noise coming from the one on the left and he went to stand beside it. Come on. Come on.

The elevator was too slow. Dozens of soldiers came flooding into the room reinforced by a squadron of heavy robots. Shadow raised his hands in surrender as they aimed their weapons at him. "Wait! Hold your fire."

The soldiers parted as a man in a white coat came rushing forward. His cheeks were flushed and he seemed out of breath. The man took a moment to brush his thin blonde hair out of his eyes.

"Who are you and how did you come to be here? Are you with the resistance? Is this some pathetic attempt at sabotage?" The man had a wheezy condescending voice. "Tell me quickly and you'll die just as quickly."

Shadow didn't move. He could feel the low rumble of the elevator ascending behind him. "Speak rat!" The man drew his sidearm and aimed it at Shadow's head. "I grow tired of this game."

"I'm no rebel." Shadow answered. "I was a test subject. They had me imprisoned in the other base. I managed to escape."

"I…see. So the rumors are true. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that those fools at Chaos Two couldn't manage to keep you contained. Hmmm…I wonder what I should do with you? Killing you would certainly set them back, maybe lower them a few pegs, remind them of the true order of things. Yet all the same there is all the paperwork to consider, not to mention the mess. If you were trying to escape Chaos Two why did you come here? That is like escaping the frying pan by jumping into the fire."

"I didn't mean to come here. I was running for my life."

The blonde leader sneered. "Not a very smart rodent are you? I suppose the so-called scientists at Chaos Two wanted you for your physical prowess. Those fools. Nothing they achieve will ever match what we do here. Still, I suppose I ought to return their dog. Now will you come quietly or will we have to restrain you?"

Ding. The elevator finally arrived and the doors slid open behind Shadow. "How about neither. CHAOS CONTROL!" Shadow leapt backward just as everything in front of him froze solid. He jumped over to the control panel and hammered the elevator control switch. There was a low hiss and the doors slid shut. Shadow gasped and released his energy.

Why did that take so much out of me? He drew out his Chaos Emerald and was shocked to discover that its color had faded. The gem was gray and blurred at the edges. As if it isn't fully here. As he looked closer, Shadow noticed the emerald was partially transparent. Where the hell am I?

He put the emerald away, but found no answers in the elevator. It was large but completely nondescript like the rest of the building. For several minutes, Shadow was forced to wait as the elevator continued to descend. He knew they had gone underground because the smell and pressure changed.

At last, the elevator slowed and the doors slid open. Shadow strode forward into a shadowy lab. Here the walls and computers were black. Dust clung in the air. The walls were covered with strange tubes carrying unknown fuels. It was very cold and Shadow's breath turned to mist. The only light was a strange green hue emitting from a few containers filled with bubbling liquid.

Shadow crept forward, not daring to make a sound above a whisper. Something about the lab felt wrong. He glanced to his right and saw the faded numbers 001 were painted on the wall. A light flickered on the other side of the lab and Shadow headed in that direction. He reached a door made of glass but he could not see what was on the other side. The door was locked but Shadow managed to bypass it by scanning the console with the I.D card. "Welcome Doctor Stevens." A voice said.

Shadow entered a room divided by a barrier. "Starting decontamination procedures." The barrier opened and Shadow stepped inside. Gas hissed as he was sprayed with something. Shadow closed his eyes and held his breath but nothing happened. "Decontamination complete." The far side of the barrier opened and Shadow passed through.

On the other end was a door ten feet long and fifteen feet high. It was made of solid metal and looked to be several inches thick. The words Asset 001 were written at the top. Scribbled beneath that someone had graffitied the phrase, For the sun there is only darkness.

Shadow stood before the door and felt his heart begin to race. Something inexpressible lay behind that door. Shadow knew this for a certainty. His hand trembled as he placed it against the cold stone. Shadow then pressed his face against the door and listened. At first he heard nothing but then….A deep, slow rumbling breath.

Shadow cringed back. Fear stole over him, possessing him with the urge to run away. Teleport with the Chaos Emerald. Leave! Shadow drew out the emerald but knew at once there was no use. The fading emerald did not have the power to teleport him away, and Shadow knew he could not leave. He had to know what lay behind that door.

Before he could resolve himself to continue, Shadow noticed something on the wall to his right. He turned and let out a small gasp. Dominating the space was a giant painting of Gerald Robotnik. The framing of the image immediately echoed that final video of Gerald before his execution. Now however, Gerald was not strapped in a harness and waiting to die. Instead he sat in a high backed chair that looked almost like a throne. A sense of power and royalty radiated from the image.

Shadow walked over to the painting and read the label on the bottom. Professor Gerald Robotnik, scientist and inventor, is most famously known for his advancements in the field of biotechnology and medicine. The creator of the Elixir of Life, Gerald's accomplishments have shaped the modern world and have provided the basis for the next leap forward in human evolution. With the aid of his own serum, Gerald exceeded human limitations and lived for one hundred and forty years. After ensuring the safety of his formula and entrusting his research into the hands of his grandson, Gerald elected to die in peace and pave the way for the next generation. His last words have been immortalized with him; By Any Means, Forward.

AN: I hope y'all are enjoying the story and are not confused by the dual uploads. Please feel free to leave a review if anything caught your interest