Shadows of Tomorrow

Chapter 6

Shadow woke up to the sight of metal. He sat up, and looked for Albert. He was no where to be found in the room.

"Great, the pysco is gone, and I'm alone... once again," Shadow said, as he slouched down. Not only was he bored, he was lonely, but he would not let himself admit that.

Just as he said that, the metal door made a whoosh sound and slid open. Albert walked in.

"Getting lonely yet, Shadow?" he asked in an annoying voice.

"Getting lonely yet, Shadow?" Shadow said, mimicking Albert's voice.

"Be quiet! You do not have the authrorziation to be doing that!" Albert screeched. If there was one thing that annoyed him the most, it was people mimicking his voice.

"Be quiet! You do not have the authoriziation to be doing that!" Shadow said, still mimicking.

Albert was starting to get annoyed, and Shadow could tell that, so he kept up the mimicking.

"I've had it with your attitude!" Albert screamed in annoyance.

"I've had it with your attitude!" Shadow mimicked.

This enraged Albert so bad, that he started banging his head against his desk. He accidentally hit a red button, which cause the capsule that Shadow was in to open.

"Pathetic human! I cannot be kept in captivity!" Shadow smirked. He started to walk away, but forgot about the shackles, so he crashed to floor.

"Ha! Look who's pathetic now!" Albert said, as he pressed the button again, re-closing the capsule.

"Damn you, Albert. You are evil and vile,do you know that?" Shadow said groggily as he stood up.

"Well, at least I didn't help a scientist try to kill all of humanity!" Albert snapped.

"Wha? I did no such thing!" Shadow snapped back. Did I? Shadow said.

"Yes you did, it was all over the news and in the paper. You even got Sonic in trouble by the military!" Albert explained.

Is it true? Did I really do such things? Shadow asked himself. He couldn't remember. The name Sonic seemed familar, but he could just be hallucanating.

Albert walked over with a laminated piece of paper. "Read here," Albert said as he pointed to a news article.

Shadow seen himself in the paper, holding a chaos emerald. The headline above read: Sonic the Hedgehog steals chaos emerald.

"And read here," Albert said, pointing to another section.

There was a picture of the moon,but it was missing half. The headline above that one read: Dr. Eggman, along with the work of "Project Shadow" blow up half of moon.

Shadow stepped back. It can't be true, can it? Did I really cause that much chaos and destruction? He just couldn't believe it, but there it was, right in front of his eyes.

"What's the matter Shadow? Did it come at you too fast?" Albert said, waving the paper in front of his face.

"Albert, do us all a favor and go to hell," Shadow mumbled.

Albert continued to wave the paper in front of Shadow's face. This made Shadow so angry, that he walked over to the small barred window, and stuck his hand out, grabbing Albert's arm. He twisted it back, and grabbed the paper. Albert was in shock, as Shadow had just twisted his arm.

So he really is the Ultimate lifeform, Albert thought to himself.

Just then, the door slid open, and Muriel walked in.

Damn, not again, Shadow thought to himself. He peered out through the window, and saw a little tail. It looked all to familiar. Then, the tail moved, and revealed a whole puppy. Phantom, he's come back! Shadow thought to himself.

"Honey, what are you doing on the floor?" Muriel asked as she walked over to Albert, who was lying on the floor.

"I-I dropped a quarter," Albert said as he pretended to pick up a quarter.

Phantom barked, startling Albert. "What the heck is that, Muriel?" Albert said, as he cautiously walked around the room, looking for Phantom.

"It's just Spike, honey," Muriel said as she petted Phantom.

Spike? His name is Phantom, you dumbo, Shadow thought. Maybe I can get Phantom to come and find me.

"You bought a dog?" Albert asked, as he cautiously looked at Phantom.

"No, I found it in the park on a bench," Muriel replied.

So he didn't go away, he came back, looking for me. Shadow kept staring out the window. He was thinking of how to get Phantom to bark, without Muriel noticing himself. Phantom barked at anything that made noise, right? Shadow started tapping on the metal, causing a rattling sound.

Phantom heard it, and barked. He started sniffing around, looking for the source of the noise. It took him awhile, but he caught on to Shadow's scent, and ran happily over to capsule.

Lucky for Shadow, there was a tiny window at the bottom.

"Hey boy, you found me," Shadow said, petting Phantom. Phantom would help him escape.

Phantom's tounge stuck out, and his tail started wagging.

Just how do I get Phantom to get the remote? He can't understand speech, but he does go for motion... Shadow thought. Shadow looked around the capsule. There was nothing he could throw. He started rubbing his head, then noticed the bracelets on his arm. They shined, but didn't make to much noise, and Phantom could surely pick it up.

Shadow took one off, and tossed it at the remote. Phantom seen it shine, and walked over to the desk, hopped on the chair, and grabbed the bracelet, which was stuck on the remote, and dragged it back over to the cage. Lucky for Shadow Muriel had been scolding Albert for being late for dinner, so he didn't notice.

"That's a good boy," Shadow said, as he took the bracelet and remote from Phantom.

Phantom sat, and waited for Shadow.

After he put his bracelet back on, he pressed the remote, causing the capsule to open again.

"Honey! What the heck is that?" Muriel screamed. "Spike, get back here!" she called to Phantom, who was licking Shadow's shoes.

"Hey Albert, missing something?" Shadow said as he slowly tossed the remote up and down.

"How did you get that?" Albert yelled in distress.

"Easy, I had Phantom get it for me,"

"Who's Phantom?" Muriel asked. She was still terrified.

"I beleive you've already met him, Muriel," Shadow smirked as he pick up Phantom.

"That's Spike!" Muriel said.

"No, he's Phantom, and he belongs to me," Shadow said.

"So that mutt was the one you were calling out to when I got you the second time?" Albert said.

"Exatcly, Al. Now Phantom, come here," Shadow said.

Albert was to surprised to scold Shadow for calling him Al.

Phantom walked over to Shadow.

"Are you hungry Phantom?"

Phantom barked.

"Here's something for you to chew on, then," Shadow said as he showed Phantom the shackles.

Phantom stared chewing on the shackles, until they broke. Albert and Muriel had disappeared.

"Good boy, now let's go," Shadow smirked.

"Not so fast, hedgehog," Albert said from behind him. He was in some sort of machine, with a long claw sticking out from the front of it.

"What the hell is that?" Shadow asked in confusion.

"It's what was under the blanket, Shadow," Albert smirked.

Shadow could sense a fight was coming, and he wanted Phantom safe.

"Phantom, run," he commanded.

Phantom stayed put.

Great, when I tell him to run, he stays, but when I tell him to stay, he runs... Shadow thought. THat's it! I'll tell him the opposite, and he'll do what I want.

"Phantom, stay!" Shadow yelled.

Phantom took of running, and outside the door.

"Now, it's on, hedgehog!" Albert screamed from on top of his machine.

"You want a fight, you got one!" Shadow yelled. He liked fighting, it was his thing. (Play Live and Learn for the best experience here)

Shadow rushed toward the machine, attempting to kick it, but the claw grabbed him in mid air.

"You should look before you leap!" Albert said as he through Shadow into the wall, creating a crater.

"Dirty... fighter" Shadow mumbled as he picked himself up.

The claw lunged forward, attempting to grab Shadow again, but Shadow ducked, and then kicked it, causing the end of it to fly off, into the wall.

Albert gasped.

"What's the matter, Al ? Got now more ways to fight?" Shadow smirked.

"That's what you think, hedgehog!" Albert said, as he pressed a button on the machine.

Another Mechainical arm came out from the machine, grasping Shadow.

"And there's plenty more where that came from, Shadow," Albert said from atop the machine.

Shadow struggled to break himself free, but couldn't. The arm had too good of a hold.

"What's the matter, Shadow? Machine got your tounge?" Albert said, pridefull.

"Damn... you... Albert..." Shadow managed to say. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stand it, the pain was escrustiating. He had to hang on, he wouldn't LET himself be killed by some wacko scientist.

"Haha, looks like the end for you, eh Shadow?" Albert said, as he punched a few more buttons, making the arm squeeze harder.

"I won't...lose...to...YOU!" Shadow yelled in pain. His bones felt like they were being crushed, but he wouldn't give up. He wasn't going to quit until he couldn't breathe. Shadow struggled, but managed to move his arm, grasping the metal of the arm.

"It's...not...over...yet...Al..." Shadow muttered, as he tightened his grip on the arm. This created a dent in the metal, exposing the wireing. Shadow struggled to move his other arm, but made it.

"You better stop right now, hedgehog, before you DIE!" Albert said, punching more buttons. The metal arm's grip tightened.

Shadow's legs went numb, he couldn't feel them anymore. He took both of his arms, and pulled the wires, sending a shockwave both ways, towards himself, and Albert. This overloaded the machines power, causing it to explode, sending both of them flying.

There was a large crater in the ground where the machine was, and the labortory was in ruins. Shadow's body lay limp in one corner, and Albert's was in another. Neither one of them moved

for quite some time. The wind blew over the remains of the lab, moving some dust around.

Phantom came back, and nudged Shadow's limp body. No movement. Muriel must have headed home, for she didn't hear the explosion and was no place to be found. Albert stood up, wearily, and walked over to Shadow's body with tweezers in his hand.

"Now...I...get...his...DNA," Albert mutterd as he plucked a hair off of Shadow's head.

Phantom growled, and bit Albert's foot. Albert kicked Phantom into the remains of a wall, knocking him out. Albert limped away from the remains of the lab, leaving Shadow and Phantom's bodies. He had placed the hair he took from Shadow in a bag, and got in a car and drove off. He was never heard from again.

As for what happened to Shadow, look for a sequel!