Disclaimer: By now you know the score. I own nothing.
Call of the Biolizard
Aboard the ARK there was a door, a door through which Shadow's father often passed, but one which was forbidden to him. Shadow often asked Gerald what lay beyond, but his answer was always vague and ended with the same warning- it was no place for him.
One day after Shadow's lessons were done, he waited at the door of the room for his father to return from doing whatever he did inside. Shadow was just beginning to get bored and was considering running off to find Maria when he heard the thin hiss of the door opening. Gerald nearly tripped over him in his eagerness. As Shadow greeted his father in much the same way as a puppy would his master he couldn't help but try and sneak a glance through the rapidly closing door, but he perceived nothing. There was a certain weariness on Gerald's face tonight.
"Father, father please tell me what's in there? What are you hiding from me?" Shadow skipped around his feet, clinging to his hand.
Gerald sighed "A monster little Shadowkin… you must not go in there"
Shadow stopped his dancing and frowned "A monster?" Shadow's nose wrinkled. "I can smell your blood… father are you ok?"
It was only then Shadow noticed the stream of blood trickling down Gerald's other arm
"You're hurt!" Shadow ran around to Gerald's other side but he immediately wrenched his arm away. "Let me heal you!"
"Leave it Shadow!" Gerald's shout made Shadow flatten his ears to his head and brought tears to his eyes. After a moment he sighed "Alright… but lets go somewhere else… I need to sit down"
Shadow nodded "Yes father"
Tenderly he led Gerald down the corridor to the nearest room he knew of. Inside Gerald slumped into a chair. Immediately Shadow began taking off his glove. Gerald watched distantly as Shadow took up his hand, and a white light enveloped them both.
Shadow played through his father's body, making the most of this rare moment of closeness. He explored the human frame, so rarely opened to him. He touched Gerald's limbs with his power, running a mental hand over each of them, then he paused to ponder his heart, listen and feel it beat. He found a sense of weariness in his father he couldn't entirely explain, Shadow guessed he'd been working too hard again, at least too hard to have time to play with him. Finally he dragged himself to his arm, he touched it, and felt the familiar warm energy trickle onto the sharp, clean wound.
A moment later Shadow's eyes reopened. His father was smiling at him. For a moment Shadow revelled in his affection, that pure smile said more to him than so many words could have. Shadow thought humans relied too heavily on their language. A simple touch and smile was often all he asked for, all that was required. Maria alone understood him in his silence. Gerald pulled his hand away from Shadow's touch and wriggled his fingers.
"That's better… Thank you Shadowkin"
"That's ok" Shadow answered softly; keeping his head low.
Gerald stood up.
"Come along Shadowkin, it must nearly be your bedtime"
"Yes father. It's nearly 9 o'clock."
"Really" Gerald said walking towards the door of the room
"You missed dinner…" Shadow sighed softly to himself.
"Come along Shadow" Gerald said waiting at the door
"Yes father"
Gerald left Shadow with the other scientists and disappeared. He didn't even come to wish Maria goodnight as they settled in their shared room for the evening. Shadow couldn't help but feel sad, but maybe tomorrow would be better. Then he remembered, tomorrow was Tuesday, that meant Speedway training. He groaned. He'd never got the hang of Tuesdays.
Before breakfast he was in the airlock. If he went in after he was usually sick. Sooner or later the scientists would try to train that out of him too. Shadow sighed to himself, he wasn't allowed to breathe for the sake of their training, the least they could do was allow him to throw up in peace. But his life didn't work like that, everything was tested. There was always someone watching. He listened to the sound of the air hissing out of the airlock, the last sound he'd hear, for the time being at least. It was true what they said about space, no-one would hear him scream.
The Earth and the stars passed him by hardly noticed. Today as he ran through the vacuum, following the silver line of the Speedway he was distracted. He was worried about his father, and angry at him too, angry for ignoring him. Maria was right, Speedway training did make him grouchy. Then he noticed the pain, his muscles starting to lock up as they were gradually poisoned. He wanted to breathe, but there was nothing here to breathe. The scientists still hadn't worked out how he did it, despite their endless tests. Shadow growled to himself as he swung round to come back to the airlock door. He swept inside in a blaze of angry indignation.
Breakfast was eaten in silence. A growing angry knot in Shadow's stomach made it hard for him to eat anything. Again his father was not there. He'd been woken by Charlton that morning, of course he holding him on the Stick. Frankly, his was the last face he wanted to see stirring from sleep. Maria normally shunned him on Tuesdays, the Speedway training made him unpleasant to be around. Shadow pitied his morning teachers.
He gripped his power and tossed it around his mind, stirring it up, revelling in its hot force, fighting for control against it rather than letting it loose. The internal battle occupied his mind. The scientists thought he was too tired by the Speedway training to burn so soon after. Despite the tests they didn't know how far he'd progressed. None of them could force him to flame, if he said he couldn't they had no choice but to believe him. This morning however as his anger intensified Shadow's power was in increasing danger of slipping his grip. Part of him wanted to let it. Maybe that would bring his father… somehow he thought it more likely it would just earn him a couple of hours in the Torture Room. That was something he wanted to avoid.
"You look like a volcano"
Shadow jumped, his bowl of porridge burst into flames.
"Oh!" Maria said shocked
Shadow looked around the room, a sheepish smile on his face. Several scientists were looking between him and the gloopy ashy puddle that had been his breakfast.
"Sorry" He said meekly. This morning Maria didn't laugh. Hastily Shadow scurried away to retrieve the tools he would require to clean up the mess he'd made. Before he could return to the table however several scientists descended on him. Before Shadow knew otherwise he was being whisked off to the Torture Room flanked by many scientists, all holding Sticks in their hands.
He was shoved into the small room. Shadow looked around. As far as he was aware he hadn't done anything seriously deserving of punishment. The walls had been fixed since the last time he'd been in here. The door closed behind him.
"Shadow you are taking a spot test. Begin"
They did this sometimes, woke him up in the middle of the night, or took him out of his normal lessons to see how strong his flames were. This, like most of the tests he was subjected to was not one he could easily refuse. Small projectiles started appearing from the walls. If Shadow refused to take part they would hit him and that tended to hurt just a little. The scientists usually kept the barrage up until he did what was required. It was easier just to go along with their game. Shadow called up his power. Fire licked across his body. Its colour changed dependant on his mood, today it was a mixture of red and purple. Shadow concentrated and targeted the projectiles. With controlled bursts of flame he burned them up before they could reach him. The test usually lasted until he'd burned up 500 of the things, and the time told the scientists how strong he was. Despite all they'd achieved in him, their methods remained crude.
9 minutes and 26 seconds the scientists told him- slow. Shadow was tired, the Speedway training did take it out of him. Half exhausted his mood had deteriorated further. By the end of the test his flames had been almost all red. Irritably Shadow walked out of the room-eager to be outside again, in the open spaces, away from the monsters. Some scientists met him; he looked eagerly round for his father, but wasn't surprised not to see him. He wasn't given time to finish his interrupted breakfast, or wish Maria a good day, he was led quickly to the room they used for his academic teaching. Shadow's irritation increased, anyone would think he was incapable of finding his own way round the ARK.
He found it ironic that he was cleverer than his teacher. He'd been engineered that way, to have a mind faster and more intelligent than the greatest supercomputer. Most of the scientists would have wished him to function with such pure base logic. More often than not emotion got in the way. The scientists' jobs were to pick up on the places where his sleep teaching, before he'd been born hadn't taken and fill in the gaps. No-matter how often Shadow begged he couldn't make them tell him anything about the things that actually interested him. Most of his lessons were spent pouring over maps-Shadow had found early on he had a poor head for geography. He couldn't memorise maps, because he couldn't picture in his head a place he'd never been to. Most of Earth's geographical landmarks had no meaning to him-he'd never seen so much as a field of grass before. Pictures could only do so much, and for Shadow, not enough.
He loved books, or more accurately, he loved stories. A creature brought up on fairy tales was bound to be disappointed. There were only a limited number of books on the ARK and he was permitted to read only a small percentage of them. He'd heard stories about places called libraries on Earth, whole buildings filled with books. He often dreamed of those places… among other things. It was those other things he was keen to find out about. Earth had such a wide range of peoples and cultures, one of those intrigued him more than any other, but the topic was forbidden. His access to the ARK's information database was limited and stringently monitored, he couldn't afford to be caught looking into a forbidden society. He wasn't even allowed to indulge his harmless curiosity. He wasn't harming anyone, and the Guardians seemed like such a noble culture…
As the only pupil in the class Shadow couldn't get away with not paying attention. Human children didn't know how good they had it. If Shadow's mind drifted for any more than a long moment he was sure to be picked up. He stared disinterested at yet another load of maps, both on paper and at the attempt of a 3D version on the screen in front of him. When he'd been younger, an ironic thought, considering his true age, he'd tried so hard with the maps. He'd always wanted to make the humans proud of him. Now he'd almost given up. His masters' praise didn't mean as much to him as it once had. The only people whose opinions mattered to him were his father, and Maria. But now even his father's opinion didn't make much difference to him. This map before him had scorch marks, like most of the things on the ARK. That piece of playful mischief had earned him a touch of the Stick and an extra hour's work; he'd only narrowly avoided a session in the Torture Room. The scientists all knew he called his Training Room that but chose to ignore it, and sent him there no less regularly.
By the time lunch rolled around Shadow was feeling drained, tired and old, like an ancient holly sock. He didn't look forward to the afternoon. Despite having Speedway Training in the morning Tuesday afternoons always consisted of the ubiquitous 20 minute unarmed combat session. Shadow picked half heartedly at his lunch, only half listening to Maria chattering about what she'd been doing that morning. Her lessons always sounded like more fun to Shadow. But then, Maria could make fun out of anything-a quality Shadow so much admired in her, and one he wished he could possess himself.
His lunch break lasted three-quarters of an hour. Shadow slept of the morning's exertions for the last 15 minutes, curled into a ball in the corner of the main communal room. When he woke he found Maria stroking his head, himself purring loudly. For just a moment the afternoon didn't look quite so unpromising.
Lunch proved the highlight of his afternoon. 20 minutes unarmed combat stretched to 35, as Charlton, Shadow's least favourite scientist, got a certain kick watching him being hit over the head by the ARK's robots. Shadow emerged from his Training Room for the second time that day furious with a burring anger, barely under his control and covered in new bruises.
The rest of the day was spent helping the scientists with their menial work; often this involved his being used as a glorified freezer or bunson burner. Without anything to occupy his brain Shadow's anger was free to boil and build. He found his mind returning to the door through which his father had been exiting the last time he'd seen him. Maybe that was the reason he had no time for him, he wondered if whatever was in that room was more interesting, if his father loved it more. A monster his father had called it. Maybe he loved monsters better than him.
The technician Shadow had been working with let him off half an hour early, sick of his uncommunicative and irritable attitude. Shadow didn't argue and let himself out of the lab. He wandered around the ARK for a while, thinking to himself. He only looked up when he realised he'd stopped walking-he saw that particular door. It was plastered with warning signs, much like the door to his Torture Room. One of the shared signs read "Danger of Death". Shadow hated that particular label to be applied to him and his room, but he supposed the humans were right. Maybe this monster was as dangerous as him… Maybe… they were the same… Shadow felt angry at that, like a child supplanted by a new sibling. Maybe he should go inside and find out what his father liked so much better than him, that way Shadow would know how to show him who was really better. He walked up to the control pad that controlled the door lock. He pondered it for a moment. His father's access codes were the same for everything. He didn't know that Shadow knew them, but until now Shadow had never even considered using them, the thought of it hadn't even passed through his head. He lifted his hand up to the console, built to fit human height. He was about to tap in the code when he heard footsteps. Almost instantly he called the green jewel he'd always had into his hand, and vanished into time.
He was back in Maria's room before time caught up with him. He was trembling. At the thought at what he'd almost done, and that he'd neatly been caught doing it. His palms were sweaty. He flopped to the ground beside Maria's bed. Within his grasp there was a small plastic train, its chimney stack burned and melted black. Sighing Shadow amused himself toying with that, until Maria would come back from her lessons.
He was quite absorbed in his game, chasing and gradually destroying the train with a little metal tank when Maria came into the room. Shadow was just over emphasising the explosion as one of the carriages blew up as the door closed behind her.
"Boomb!" Shadow shouted. He only looked round to Maria when he heard her giggling.
"Who's winning?" She asked
"I am… We have tostop the Forever Train!"
"Can I join in?"
"Yeah" Shadow held a toy plane out to her "You can be my air cover, I keep getting shot at by lots of planes"
"Ok, cool" Maria, having tossed her school books on her bed took up the toy and joined him.
They had almost secured victory when the dinner bell rang.
"Awww…."
"Don't worry Shadowkin, the Forever Train will wait for us till we've had dinner… It'll be nice tonight, we've just had a delivery from Earth… That means there'll be some nice fresh stuff!"
"Oh do you think they'll have brought us another mango?"
"Maybe Shads… come on lets go find out!"
Pausing only to pick up his toy tank, Shadow followed her.
"Get that thing off the table!" One of the scientists shouted at Shadow.
Shadow pouted but gave his tank to Maria, who put it safely in her pocket. Dinner turned out to be fairly good. The chefs tended to use the nicer stuff first, so by the end of the month they were left surviving on leftovers, usually a lot of baked beans. The amount of truly fresh food which could be brought from the surface was limited so usually went to the senior staff. However, occasionally the shuttles brought Maria or Shadow a small treat, which they shared. Last time Doctor Smith, one of Shadow's favourites, had been visiting Earth, when he'd come back he'd brought Shadow a present-he always did. He'd smuggled up a mango in his jacket pocket. Since then Shadow had begged them to send him one up in the small supply of fresh food. Frozen or dried weren't quite the same; and mangos were not the kind of thing they could grow in the hydroponics bay. Unsurprisingly the present didn't arrive, the senior scientists' wishes had prevailed, and Shadow's request had slid off the bottom of the list. Maria's had too… She always asked for a banana. Shadow sighed upon hearing this and simply took refuge in small mercies. At least yesterday's monthly delivery meant a fresh supply of chocolate. Gerald Robotnik did not appear at the dinner table for the third night running. Shadow was saddened rather than angry now. He worried that he was working too hard. It hurt that it seemed his work was taking precedence over his family. Shadow looked down at his wrists, and twiddled his bracelets.
His mood had improved by the time he did his evening work. They rarely asked for much so late in the day, the work varied all the time, so he was never sure what to expect. Tonight Shadow went to his medical training, to learn to work with his hands. For a long time he hadn't seen the point of healing with these kinds of medicines when with a single touch he could make a creature well. At least not until he'd been badly injured himself in a fire, along with several scientists. He hadn't been able to heal himself then, let alone anyone else. He'd been forced to rely on the human's medicine then, and many times since. Maybe one day a friend would need help his power couldn't give. Shadow just hated their methods. Few of the animals he worked on were really sick. He'd refused to work on animals injured by the humans purely for his benefit, now he helped the scientists with their experiments. A necessary evil they had explained. He often stitched their wounds or removed the required part. Wherever possible Shadow always did something to ease their suffering, but he had to be careful not to bias the scientists results, if he did that another pitiful animal would merely be subjected to the same fate. Nevertheless Shadow couldn't help but feel that his hands remained stained with blood long after he left the room, no matter how many times he washed them.
He returned to Maria as soon as his grisly work was done. The Forever Train had waited for him. Maria was on her bed reading a book when he entered. She abandoned it and they finished their game.
"You're in a good mood tonight Shadowkin" Maria commented "For a Tuesday"
Shadow shrugged "I'm too tired to be grouchy"
Maria raised an eyebrow but said nothing
"Besides, Speedway training was easy this morning, I only had to go round the loop once"
Maria just smiled "Just as long as you're happy. I thought maybe it was because of your holiday tomorrow"
"Eh?"
"Shadow have you forgotten? Tomorrow is your holiday from when you helped the scientists change the ARK's hull plating!"
Shadow blinked, she was right, he had forgotten
"And father promised me he would have the day off too and we could spend it together!" Shadow squeaked delighted "I haven't seen him since last night and that was only for a moment!"
"I saw him this morning; he came into my maths lesson, but he was only there 10 minutes then he had to go again"
"Do you think he'll come to wish us goodnight?"
"I hope so"
Maria read to Shadow for the rest of the evening. They were up late, but Gerald Robotnik did not appear. At length one of the lady scientists, Jenna, came to make sure they were in bed instead.
"Isn't daddy coming to wish us goodnight?" Maria asked. Shadow was past being surprised by his absence.
"I'm sorry Maria, he said to tell you that he was sorry, that he was very busy, and to wish you both a good night"
Jenna lent over Maria to tuck her in, as Shadow climbed into the smaller bed on the floor. Jenna kissed her goodnight.
"I'm sure he'll see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams Maria"
Jenna stood and came down to Shadow. She bent at his side and tucked the blankets around him. Shadow liked her, she was one of the few adults who treated him almost as they would a human. She scratched him behind the ear, and he responded by purring gently, in a similar way, but not quite like a cat would.
"And pleasant dreams to you too my dusky one"
Shadow grinned. She was the only one who called him that. She stood up, turned and left the room, turning the lights out as she went.
"Goodnight my Angel" Shadow whispered softly
"Goodnight little Shadowkin"
Maria woke him the following morning. When he opened his eyes he found that he was in her bed curled up close at her side, stealing her body heat. She was just in the process of sitting up and yawning. Jenna was in their room, looking out clothes for Maria to wear. Maria had hopped out of bed and was standing stretching before Shadow's eyes were truly open. She was a morning person, Shadow, was not.
"No matter how many times I see you two go to sleep in separate beds I always seem to come in and find you in the same one"
"Well Shadow had another nightmare" Maria said as she began her morning routine "And he gets so cold in that little bed"
Shadow couldn't remember his nightmare, but decided to take Maria's word for it. He yawned and watched the two humans move around the room, soaking up the remaining warmth left by their bodies. Only after a while did he wonder why the scientists hadn't come for him, he didn't question it though, he made the most of his lie in.
A few moments later he was woken again, by Maria petting his head.
"Enjoy your day off Shadowkin" she chuckled
Shadow managed to get his voice to form coherent speech only as she disappeared out the door, the sum total of what he produced was "eh?" Before sleep took him again.
He was woken later by the cold, he stirred from sleep mumbling Maria's name. When he realised she wasn't there sat up suddenly, worried. He had to sit for a moment and examine his memories before he could be certain she hadn't been abducted by monsters in the night. A few moment's more thought reminded him that this was, indeed, his day off, and that his father had promised to spend it with him. Filled with perhaps a vain hope that that promise would be kept he skipped down the large drop from Maria's bed, rubbed his unruly fur flat, and trotted from the room.
The computer told him Gerald Robotnik was in one of the labs. Maybe he was just finishing some work until he woke up. When Shadow arrived at the lab however he got an increasing sense that he would be disappointed. He walked into the front of the lab, to be met only by casual glances of various scientists and technicians. Through a glass window Shadow could, when he stood on a chair, see Gerald bent over a microscope, pen in hand, writing and looking at a furious pace. The red light above the door to the separate lab told him that he was doing an experiment and couldn't be disturbed. Shadow sighed as he watched him. Turning to the nearest human he asked a question he feared he already knew the answer to.
"How long's he going to be in there for?"
The spotty faced lab technician looked round at him "Sorry Shads, looks like its gunna be an all nighter… have to pull something out of the bag this time, for all our sakes"
The technician went back to his work, assuming Shadow knew what he was talking about.
He let himself out of the lab. Shadow was determined he wouldn't lose control of his power, determined he wouldn't get upset. He wouldn't let himself. After looking around to make sure he was alone, he ran, pushing his excess power into his shoes, lifting himself onto a cushion of heated air. He glided round the ARK's quieter corridors, at this time of day most of the humans would be at work anyway. He'd have to be very unlucky to run into anyone, except the odd clerical or maintenance worker. Half the time they were worse than the scientists, more often than not they feared him, and their idle hands grasped for the Sticks needlessly.
He encountered no-one. After he'd run off his disappointment he simply wandered the corridors aimlessly. No-one could shout at him for that, what he did with his day off was his business-though he was sure the resident psychiatrist would be interested. Shadow hated him more than he hated Charlton. He feared him more than the Torture Room and all its flame proof monsters.
He gazed out at the Earth, and the moon. He watched as thick storm clouds gradually obscured more and more of the largest continent and its surrounding islands. He could sit and imagine for hours at a time what it must be like to live on Earth, what it would be like to run free, to feel the wind, and the warmth of the sun. So far Maria's descriptions and the pictures in books were the closest he'd ever come. Maybe that was as close as the humans would ever let him get. They must be keeping him up here for a reason. They said that when his training was complete he would get to go down there and that he would have a job to do. Shadow had often wondered what that job would be; his father had remained suitably quiet on the subject.
As he watched Shadow's resentment grew. Why had his father created him if he couldn't tear himself away from his work for even a few hours? Shadow was supposed to be the product of that work. Somehow he thought the human should be more pleased. Shadow could hear himself growling, the humans said he shouldn't, that it made him sound like an animal. Shadow indulged himself. The growl was growing louder and stronger the longer he stood there. It was only at the point when he frightened himself that he stopped. At the same time he realised there was a thin layer of black flame crackling around his body, and that the wall was melting where his hand rested against it. He looked up at it, smothered his power, and made himself scarce.
The door read "Danger of Death". Shadow ran that round in his mind many times. His father seemed to enjoy the company of monsters. Maybe there wasn't a monster inside, just something his father didn't want him to see. Maybe it was something nice. He'd been rejected too many times. Shadow was sick of following orders. He was going to be defiant, maybe that would get his father's attention. He reached up to the control pad, and tapped in the code.
He found himself in what he could sense was a large room. It was almost completely dark, now the door had closed behind him. Then as he let his eyes adjust he managed to discern a faint light all around him. It took him a while to realise the walls were glowing. The room was vast. As his eyes adapted to the strange light he noticed something at the end of the room, shaped almost like a pyramid, a platform with steps leading up to the top of it. For some reason that shape was familiar, it touched a part of him he wasn't aware he possessed. Almost as though he were looking on some piece of a dream transported into the waking world. It sent shivers up his spine. He wandered forward, eager to explore it. There was no sign of his father's monster so far.
"llittle brottther"
Shadow jumped and stopped abruptly. There was something alive in here.
"Project Ssshadow…" The same voice hissed. It didn't use a language Shadow had ever encountered before, but somehow, he understood it.
"Who are you?" Shadow asked in his normal language, somehow he didn't think he could replicate the other's speech.
"Your elder sssissster"
"My what?"
"Your inferior, your predecessor… I wasss casst assside long before you were made… asss a ussselesss crrreated whelp… the humansss dessspissse me for my flawsss…"
Shadow looked around.
"Show yourself!"
"Make no demandsss of me Project Ssshadow!"
The voice seemed to move around the room Shadow thought he heard footsteps tap against the cold hard floor.
"Who are you?" He asked again.
"Whoo are yooou…" The voice mocked. A pair of yellow eyes suddenly glinted in the darkness
"Wh-What are you?"
"What are yooou?"
Shadow realised that he couldn't answer that question. "I am Project Shadow!"
"Sssso am I" The voice hissed.
Shadow frowned. As he looked a large head appeared from the darkness. Whatever kind of creature it belonged to was much bigger than him. He took a step back
"Fear my hideousssnessss llittle brother… It isss where you will end up"
Shadow took another few steps back as the creature's size became clear. The creature's scaled skin glinting in the half light showedits back, crowned by some mechanical device, arched at about two metres. Shadow felt small before it.
"I ressside in the ssshadowss… where few ssseee, repudiated and desspisssed becausse I am usselesss. The humansss no longer have any ussse for me… that fate awaits you llittle brottther"
"My father won't let that happen to me!" Shadow shouted nervously. His voice, as it echoed round the room began to sound more and more like this creature's.
"Do you really think ssso Project Ssshadow? We are sssiblingsss, we sshare the ssame fattther… he lloved me too oncsse"
"I don't believe you!" Shadow shouted again, to hear his altered voice shout the same back at him. "I won't believe you"
"You are afraid to lisssten to the trutth, hear what your massstersss really are!"
"No! No!"
Shadow turned and started to run. Briefly he splashed through water, as he approached the door he heard the creature speak again.
"You know I am right llittle brotther… come visssit me again…"
The door closed behind him and locked. Shadow leant against it, panting heavily, tears and his power biting at the back of his mind. That thing was wrong! His father wouldn't do that to him. He wouldn't! He was certain of it. Shadow ran forward, away from the door.
Gerald Robotnik was locked in a different lab now. Shadow called at the door, but he either didn't hear him or was ignoring him. However, Shadow was not one to give up easily.
"Father please let me in!" he cried at the door, banging his little fists on it. He was tempted to burn his way through the door, he had to see him, to reassure himself, and make sure his father hadn't completely forgotten his existence.
"Father please!"
Only after twenty minutes begging did he get a response. It was not the one he wanted. Gerald appeared at the door. His face angry.
"Shadow go away, I'm trying to work! Don't you have lessons to be in?"
Shadow flattened his ears against his head "But father… today's my day off… you said you'd see me!"
Gerald paused, and scratched his balding head "Really… I'm sorry Shadow, but I'm very busy-"
"Can't I come in and help you work?"
Gerald sighed "I'm sorry little Shadowkin but I'm preparing some very important reports. I can't have any distractions."
"I wont make a sound" He pleaded
"No, no sorry… why don't you go play with your toys… I'll see you at dinner"
"Do you promise?"
"I'll see you as soon as these reports are done"
With that Gerald went back inside, closed and locked the door.
For only the third time in his life Shadow let himself into his Training Room. Reports, reports were more important to his father than him? Torture Room really was more appropriate for this place. Shadow had very few good memories of it. Now however as he was free to leave when he chose he wasn't afraid of the small space. The door would be closed, of course, but not locked, that made all the difference. Once it was closed Shadow let loose his tight controls over his power. He embraced the white hot rage and pain. Red, purple and black fire blasted out from his body. At the very least he would make a nice mess for the scientists to clean up. He smelt the satisfying scent of heat and melting metal. He embraced the anger, embraced the fire, formed it into shapes, blasted it at points on the walls. Then as his fury and pain built he curled into a defensive ball and threw himself at the hard, thick, metal walls.
After about half an hour Shadow wrestled his power back under control. He stood in the centre of the boiling hot room panting, aching and sore all over. Above him a globule of melted metal fell from the ceiling and splashed onto the floor. Shadow was pleased-the scientists would have to replace almost all the armour plating on the walls. No-one wanted to risk his escaping. Shadow felt better now. He was too tired to feel angry or hurt. He rubbed at his nose. Shadow shrugged to himself, stretched his limbs, pausing for a moment to look at the bracelets on each limb, still glowing with heat, and let himself out.
Maria hadn't finished her lessons yet. Shadow hopped up on her bed to await her return. He lay on his back, staring up at the pink canopy above it. His mind was numb, he liked it like that, that way he could avoid hearing the voice of the thing in the luminescent room.
"Shadow!" He woke to see Maria's face, leaning over him "Are you ok… you're all hot and sweaty, and you have blood on your face."
Shadow gathered he'd been asleep only a few moments, the heat hadn't fully left his limbs. He sat wearily up, watched by Maria's concerned eyes.
"I'm ok" He muttered as she hopped onto the bed beside him
"Good!" She said happily, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly, after a second or two Shadow sighed, and returned her embrace. They remained like that for a moment, but for Shadow not nearly long enough. The compassion of a friend was all he asked for, but Maria drew away.
"I only came back for my maths books… I have to go"
Shadow heard a small whimper escape from his chest. Maria's maths teacher never let him sit in on her lessons. Maria drew away and smiled
"Don't worry Shadow only an hour then I'm all yours" Giggling she ran off. Shadow sat on the bed, and watched her go.
He slept off his anger until she came back, but his dreams were troubled. The voice of the creature in the luminescent room rang around and around in his head. When he woke up he felt worse than when he'd gone to sleep. He was woken by Maria putting her books onto her desk and sighing.
"I hate maths; I don't know how you can be so good at it"
"ehh…" Shadow rubbed his eyes and sat up. Maria obviously hadn't realised he was sleeping
"Maths… I don't know how you're so good at it"
"It's all logical… just sets of rules. It's easier to understand than people"
Maria giggled "You say some funny things sometimes Shads"
Their evening was spent in the customary way. Shadow took his turn and read to Maria this night. Again Gerald Robotnik did not appear and Jenna put them to bed. Shadow was saddened to find there was no special apology for him. He wasn't sure if he was relieved to find that his little adventure into the creature's room had gone unnoticed.
Again his dreams were troubled. He was back in the creature's luminescent room. He could hear movement all around him, and noise, as though voices were whispering around him, though he couldn't discern any particular words. For just a moment he could see something in the dark. A crimson shape, his size, ran at full pelt across the room, seemingly towards the triangular structure at the back of the room. For just a moment the thing looked back at him, and Shadow met its eyes. Then he heard the clicking step of the creature and her voice. He couldn't understand her words but nevertheless they filled him with an animalistic terror and anger. Then most terrifyingly of all he realised his father was in the room, now the monster was ignoring him. His father had missed the monster's quiet approach. Shadow watched paralysed as the creature crept up on him. He watched as her huge maw came down over him, large enough to swallow him whole. Shadow screamed out, but his father didn't hear him. He sent a blast of flame at the creature, but she didn't seem to notice him. He watched his father disappear into the mouth of the creature. He cried out again, with despair this time, but worse was yet to come. He now saw through the half light another figure, Maria. She stood in the middle of the room, confused.
"Maria!" Shadow shouted. She turned to look at him, dressed in her flowing white nightgown
"Shadow?" She asked, then the roar of the creature cut out all other sounds, and she disappeared in a flash of teeth and glowing eyes. Shadow's anger and pain exploded in a flash of heat and light.
"Shadow, Shadow! Wake up!"
Maria was screaming his name. He could smell burning. There were alarms ringing. Shadow's eyes opened. He was in his bed, his bedding was on fire. He saw Jenna run into the room and he embraced the controlling effects of the Stick. With a flash of pain his power turned inwards and the flames around his body went out. Next thing he knew Jenna had yanked him out of his bed and onto his feet while she attempted to smother his burning bedding. The surprise more than anything stopped his power burning him. She got the fire out just before the point at which the sprinklers would have engaged.
For a moment they all stared at each other. Shadow found himself shivering, hot and cold all at the same time, sweaty and panting hard. Always when he'd had nightmares before he'd never been able to touch his power. He was frightened. Emotion choked at the back of his throat, he was determined not to let himself cry. Maria climbed out of her bed and came over to him.
"Are you ok Shadow?"
He didn't trust himself to speak.
"It's a good job you weren't in the same bed" Jenna commented as she began to dispose of the ruined material. Shadow heard a small whimper escape him at that. He would never hurt Maria on purpose. He wouldn't have been able to live with himself. What if he'd killed her? He felt a small tear slide down his cheek, and turned away. His power fighting the Stick tickled at the back of his mind, shivering its way down his spine. He couldn't even cry. With a great deal of effort he managed to put up a barrier between himself and his power. Nothing more than a silk shield, barely a touch would break it down. Next thing he knew Maria had her arms around him.
"It's ok Shadowkin…" She muttered into his ear. For a moment her voice soothed his spirit. Then he forced himself away. There were other scientists watching at the door now, but Shadow ignored them, there was always someone watching.
"No! I-I can't, I'm a danger to you"
"No more today than yesterday. That's never happened before, there's no reason to believe it'll happen again"
A child's logic, even Shadow could see around it. He sniffed but again found words were beyond him. All he wanted to do was curl up in some primitive part of his being, rely on the ancient calls his people had used millennia ago, people he had no knowledge of.
"Oh well, back to bed. Its alright everyone, crisis over" Jenna said firmly
"Shouldn't we put Shadow in his room for tonight?" One asked, coming closer.
Shadow flinched.
"No, we'll leave the Stick engaged, other than that we'll try and have things as normal as possible. That way they will both be perfectly safe"
Shadow wasn't fit to argue. After a hard look from Jenna most of the scientists returned to their bunks, or more likely their various projects. Maria got back into her bed. Shadow was more than a little bemused when Jenna lifted him, carried him to her bed, and placed him gently at her side.
"Now, no more nightmares my dusky one"
She placed her Stick on the bedside table then left the room.
Shadow was still shivering. He didn't want to be near Maria, in case it happened again. He didn't want to hurt her, he'd rather die. He tried to pull away but she wrapped her arm round him.
"No…" She muttered, half asleep
"Maria you have to let me go…"
"No, the Stick will stop anything happening… just go to sleep…"
Shadow heard part of that old language escape him, a low rumbling-an entreaty, a request to be heard. Of course Maria didn't understand its meaning, and interpreted it as a moan, and only held him closer. Shadow could have struggled, but that would only upset her. Instead he pushed gently at the Stick, all he received for his effort was searing pain in his hands where he tried to force his way past its influence. After a moment he relented, he'd never broken through the Sticks before, no-matter how hard he'd tried. Cautiously he allowed himself to sleep.
He woke at his usual time the next morning, to be taken for his normal pre-breakfast training. Everything seemed the same; no-one mentioned the previous night's events. Gerald Robotnik did not appear. All that had changed, was that one of his usual teachers was off sick, and no-one had bothered to cover him, which meant he would have the last half of the afternoon to himself. Shadow went through the motions of the day as a distant blur. The voice of the creature still rang in his head. The thought that she might be right was growing increasingly strong in his mind. In the past his father would have been interested in any important event in his life, even if that wasn't the normal things, like cutting his teeth, even Shadow had missed that. His father had been watching his first tentative steps outside the airlocks, and had been there when he'd discovered fire and ice, he'd been the first to be included in his Chaos Control. Now he didn't seem interested anymore. Maybe he had other genomes to play with, and monsters to train.
He was walking irritably back to Maria's room when he heard a familiar step. His ears pricked up on his head and he turned to look back down the corridor. Gerald Robotnik appeared. Shadow felt himself smile.
"Father!" He called
Gerald jumped and looked up from the report in his hands.
"Oh Shadow…"
"Father, father…"
"What lesson do you have this afternoon?" he asked looking at the paper, not him
"Professor Glen is sick, so I have the time off… can I come with you?"
"Huh? No, no Shadow I'm still very busy"
"You're always busy! You never have any time for me!" He cried angrily
"Shadow!" Gerald chided sharply. Shadow scowled at him, but remained silent "When these reports are done, I will come and see you"
"What are these reports? What reports are more important to you than me?"
Gerald looked down at the heading, 'Project Shadow Organic Weapon, Annual Funding'. He signed softly "You wouldn't understand"
Shadow scowled at him "Why to you always hide things from me? You always lie to me!"
"Behave yourself!"
"Only when you stop lying!"
"Shadow, I do not lie to you"
"Yes you do! You won't tell me what's in that room!"
"I've told you before Shadow, it's a monster, you should stay away from it" He said shortly
"If it's a monster, why keep it alive?"
Gerald looked between him and the reports for a long moment. An ironic comment, from the voice of an innocent.
"Just stay away from there Shadow" He said turning away from him
"She doesn't seem like a monster…" Shadow commented softly as Gerald walked away "Maybe, she's right…"
He watched him go. Maybe she was right.
He found himself outside the creature's room again. He stared at the door for a long time. His father had forbidden him to go in here many times. Shadow didn't like to disobey, but he also didn't like to be ignored. The creature, he didn't even know her name, if she had one. She had said she would tell him what the scientists had done to her. Part of him desperately wanted to know, the other part wanted to have faith in his father, and Maria, and their race. However, that side was not winning. His father had ignored him one day too many. It had become clear he wasn't going to get any straight answers out of him or any of the humans. He scowled to himself, walked up to the control pad and tapped in the access codes.
For a moment as he stared into the creature's chamber he wasn't sure if he could enter. He was afraid to disobey his father's instructions; it would probably earn him a session in the Torture Room. Shadow scowled to himself again. Like his father cared what he did. No-one did providing he wasn't damaging anything. His father was just a hypocrite, trying to train him in things he couldn't do himself. Giving him nothing but orders and expecting them to be followed. Shadow walked into the room.
"Hellllo again llittle brottther!" The creature's voice said as soon as the door closed behind him. Her voice seemed to emanate from the triangular platform at the end of the room. For half a moment Shadow expected to hear a deep male voice, not her hissing one. "I've been waiting for you to rreturn my Ssshadow"
Shadow didn't say anything, he just walked deeper into the room.
"I knew your curisssity would bring you back… It isss sssomething we ssshare with the humansss, sssomething that will lead usss all to dissassster"
Shadow still walked in silence, listening to her but not knowing how to answer. He could just see her slithering towards him, her huge body seemed even bigger than he remembered. At length he reached the water he'd run through last time in his haste to escape. Cautiously he sat down on the edge of the trough, dangling his feet into the cool liquid.
"You have many quessstionss for me… I do not need to hear you asssk them…I wasss created many yearss before you. They were pleasssed with me when I wasss made… I sshare sssome of my talentsss with you. I am aware of what you can do llittle brotther… my one mercssy is to be granted ssome knowledge of the movementsss of thossse on thisss basse…I have watched you wittth great interssst The humansss were pleasssed with me…But I grew…"
She moved closer to him so Shadow looked up at her, he was surprised to find he wasn't frightened of her.
"and grew… and did not ssstop…" She exhaled, Shadow could smell her breath "I am too big… I will not fit out of ttthat door anymore… I did oncsse. The humansss made a missstake with my genesss. I have not sstoped growing ssincsse I was created…I may never sstop until I die… Now I cannot live without their machine to help me breattthe… Ttthat makes me weak. I am a usseelesss bioweapon"
"Why did they put you in here? Just because you were too big to run the corridors?"
"They hide their misstakess in darknesss…all they are not proud of… they are assshamed of me… I represssent their failure…"
"Why don't they all come to see you… why hide you in darkness if they all know you exist?"
"They do not underssstand me. I could not ssspeak the humansss' language and they would not learn mine"
"But I understand you, maybe I could help you"
"I do not want the humansss' help! I dessspisssse them! You are a fool to llove tthem llittle brotther… they will tthrow you away, ass ssoon asss you are not ussseful… you will sssee"
"I don't think my father will do that… he-he loves me!"
"Doess he little Ssshadow? How can you be ssure…do you really know what love isss?"
Shadow looked down at his reflection in the water, only his and the creature's eyes were visible.
"What did they call you?"
"I am the Biolizzzard… but I wassss oncsse jusst called Bio… I am Project Ssshadow'sss twelfffth failure…The lasst of thossse like me"
"I don't understand… If the humans made you, why do they keep you here away from everyone, why aren't they testing you to?"
"I undergo my sshare of tessts… but I have ssssaid I am not what they wanted… If you fail your tessts they will jusst make anotther. And you will end like me… Humansss place a poor value on our livess"
Shadow was so confused, part of him understood what the Biolizard said and agreed with her, but he'd always looked up to his human creators. But now, now his father seemed to have turned away from him, maybe he didn't think he was useful anymore.
"Is this the caged existence really what the humans have laid out for me? Is this where I will end up?"
"Mosst likely llittle brothher, oncsse the humanss have no ussse for you"
Shadow looked down to be again met by the reflection of his eyes. "No, my father wouldn't do that"
"Iff you really believed that Project Ssshadow would you have come back here? Doesss he love you for who you aaare or becausse you are usseful and intersssting to him?"
"I… don't know…"
The Biolizard made some sort of noise Shadow assumed was a laugh "Now you come to your senssess… your fattther doess not llove you…but I am your sssisster, I will alwayss love you…Help me Ssshadow… brrotther…jussst help me out of here and we will ssave you from that fate and teach the humanss a lessson…"
"What?"
"We will teach them who isss ussseless… who holdss the power… we will desstroy the humansss, even down to our human ssisster… we musst not make exsseptionsss"
"You mean Maria… Wait I won't hurt the humans! You are a monster that's why they keep you in here!"
The Biolizard rose up tall and roared. Shadow backed away and flamed, to his horror his fire was simply deflected off her scales. The Biolizard turned, and swung her tail towards him. It struck him hard, screaming and burning Shadow flew through the air. He smacked into the luminescent wall and slid down to lean against it. The Biolizard approached him
"Foolissh naïve llittle crreature, you are no different to the humanss, but mark my wordsss you will end up like me… imprisssoned for a lifetime…maybe I ssshould sssave you the pain by not letting you live"
She lifted her head up, as though she were drawing together some sort of power. Shadow found he couldn't move, he couldn't get away from her. He was terrified. He stared up at her, her massive dark bulk blocking out the light of the walls. She seemed about to do it…
"Bio!" A voice shouted suddenly. Shadow jumped. The Biolizard turned her head as she released a blue ball of energy from her mouth. It hit the distant wall. It glowed brighter for a moment, but was otherwise undamaged. She roared. Gerald Robotnik and some other scientists ran towards them, waving something. The Biolizard growled but backed away. Shadow now felt the touch of the Stick. It racked his body. Hastily he shut down his flames to escape its pain. Now the Biolizard had backed away he wasn't afraid anymore, merely confused. Gerald came over to him.
"What are you doing in here?" He asked angrily.
Shadow looked past his body and just discerned the Biolizard disappearing into darkness. For a moment her yellow eyes turned back to look at him.
"You will lussst after my mercssy Ssshadow…you too will learn to hate and fear the humansss"