N'deru n'derò my friends,
here's the Title 17…
Sonic & Co are copyright
of Sega; Metal Shadow is mine.
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Quote of the day moment:
"Isn't that Sonic?"
My mom looking at Shadow
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See ya at the end of the chapter!
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CHAPTER FOUR
The Calm Before The Storm
"Uh? What's this noise?"
Rouge asked moving her ears "I don't hear anything. But looking at those
two, something is wrong." Knuckles responded pointing the two hedgehogs.
Tails listened carefully "This noise is familiar… like a… like a jet engine…
… a jet engine?" He looked at Amy "AMY! COME BACK HERE!" He yelled
"Why?" The pink hedgehog asked confused "Just come here, immediately!"
"Amy… it's better if you do what Tails told you…" Sonic said bristling
his quills; the tone of his voice was serious, something that she didn't hear
very often. She nodded and ran toward the stairs.
The soft noise increased in
intensity "Now I can hear it, and I don't like it." Knuckles said
annoyed "Then, what is it?" The white bat asked looking around for
clues. In that moment a blue robot appeared from behind the cliff; Amy stopped
beside Tails "Metal Sonic?" She asked disbelieved "Metal who?"
Rouge asked looking at her "Metal Sonic, one of the most powerful robot
that Eggman built; it's even the most durable." The fox explained.
"Ok, travelling tin can, what
do you want?" Sonic asked crossing his arms "Main objective: kill
Sonic the Hedgehog." Metal Sonic said monotonously "I'm honoured…"
"Sonic, do you want a hand?" Shadow asked looking at him and pointing
the index finger toward the robot "No… It's not necessary." The blue
hedgehog responded waving a hand.
The robot landed few feet
away from his original and took an attack position "Well, you asked for
it!" Sonic exclaimed preparing for the imminent battle.
He was ready for the first
attack when something behind his shoulders attracted his attention; from the
other side of the hill another robot appeared firing an homing missile. "Uh-oh…"
He said before the missile hit the ground; he was able to dodge it but the shock
wave hurled him on the wall of the other hill "AH!" He exclaimed before
falling on the ground. Sonic raised and massaged his left arm "Is that
so? THEN BRING IT ON!" He yelled angrily.
"Sonic, I will take care of the other robot." Shadow said walking toward the other enemy. The machine landed and, like its companion, took an attack position "Who are you?" The black hedgehog asked stretching his arms "This is a unit destined to the battle; code-name: Metal Shadow." The robot responded flatly "How explicit…" Shadow said jumping; he performed an homing attack but he wasn't able to hit his adversary because something hit him from behind "What the…!" He exclaimed landing on his back; he looked at his right and saw Sonic raising from the ground "That's it! You're scrap metal!" The blue hedgehog said jumping into the air; he started to perform the homing attack without stopping.
The robot was in difficulty and to escape from the mad hedgehog it started flying over the sea. Sonic was so angry toward his metal double that he didn't noticed what the other robot was doing. A missile went off from its forearm; Shadow wasn't able to stop it in time "SONIC! ON THE GROUND!" He yelled. Sonic throw himself on the ground without looking around; the missile instead of hitting its original target hit Metal Sonic.
After the collision the robot was visibly ruined; the right arm lay on the ground near the stairs and the right eye was broken. The other machine flied beside its comrade; they looked like they were ready for another attack but instead they turned heels and flew away; in the same direction from they came.
Shadow raised and massaged his back "Eggman is definitively up to something…" "Yeah, and this is not good…" Sonic said sitting up "Sonic! You ok?" Amy asked hugging his hero at the neck "Yeah, ok… but… can you let me go? The arm hurts…" He said "Oh… sorry…"
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Sonic seated on the bench "Ok…
it's better if I start from the beginning. Yesterday I meet with Shadow in the
forest and we fought against the BioLizard; we managed to stop her but it's
only for the moment, I think that she will return soon." "Sonic, how
did you know that Shadow and the BioLizard were still alive?" Knuckles
asked curiously "I'm curious to hear what Sonic will say…" Shadow
muttered looking at the other hedgehog.
The blue hedgehog hummed "Exactly
I don't know; when we got on board of the shuttle I saw the Earth, in that moment
I felt strange…" He responded scratching his head. The other three looked
at him perplexed.
Shadow sipped a cup of tea
"That's not an answer…" He said laying the cup on the table "Well,
then how did you know that she was still alive?" Sonic asked crossing his
arms "Remember that I'm the Ultimate Life Form created by Professor Gerald."
"That's not an answer." Sonic said looking at him "That's a good
answer!" "No!" "Yes!" The two started gazing to each
other in the eyes "Guys! Please!" Amy meddled stopping the incoming
quarrel "Anyway, Shadow, how did you survived to the fall?" Rouge
asked "I still had some Chaos Energy left into my body so when I was falling
into unconsciousness I involuntarily used Chaos Control, ending in the forest."
"But, Sonic, why didn't you helped him?" Amy asked taking a biscuit
from the tray "I tried, but he disappeared before I reached him, leaving
only the bracelet." He responded shrugging "Right! The bracelet!"
Rouge exclaimed searching into her handbag "Where's… ha! Here!" From
the bag she extracted a bracelet "This is your." She said handing
it to Shadow "Thanks." He said taking it and wearing it again "Wow,
Shadow! You changed a lot in these two days!" The bat noticed "You
think so?" He asked perplexed.
Sonic took a biscuit "Anyway,
we must find out what Eggman has in mind." "But what do we know?"
Amy asked "Well I saw him took something away from the ARK. A CD, I think."
Tails responded "And me and Sonic saw some spy-robot in the capital."
The black hedgehog stated "And a large zone of the forest is razed to the
ground…" Rouge finished "Rouge… that's the result of our battle against
the BioLizard…" Sonic corrected her "Wow! She managed to make a disaster!"
"Yeah… and it's a miracle if we're still alive…" He muttered raising
from the table "Sonic where are you going?" The pink hedgehog asked
"Around, maybe I can find something… you know; it's the troubles that come
to me, not the opposite." "Now I know why Eggman hate you so much…"
Shadow commented "Well, good for him…" The blue hedgehog said shrugging;
he opened the door and walked outside. "Well, I think that I'll search
the government archives… maybe there I can find something…" Rouge said
standing up; Knuckles did the same "If Eggman is really up to something
then I must go back to Angel Island and protect the Master Emerald." He
said.
The two of them walked out of the house "So… you're returning on your island?" The bat asked looking at the train that in that moment arrived at the station "Yes…" He responded "Alone?" "Yes, why?" "Nothing, only that the persons can't bear solitude, to live happily they need company…" "Maybe you're right, before I knew Sonic and Tails, I lived all my life in solitude, always thinking to protect the Master Emerald… I still remember the first time we meet; we were enemies 'cause Eggman tricked me. But now I feel good 'cause I know that I have friends…" Rouge smiled "If you need a hand you have my number." She said looking at him "Ok…" He responded walking away 'Or he's really shy or he don't care… or he didn't noticed it…' She thought.
"Rouge?" A voice asked;
she turned around "Oh, Shadow… what is it?" "Can you help me?"
"Sure!" She responded brightly "You said that you're going to
the government archives, right?" "Yes, why?" "Can you find
me everything that happened on the ARK before it was shut down?" "Do
you think that Eggman is searching for another project of his grandfather?"
"Maybe," He shrugged "I don't know. I ask you this because last
night I made a strange dream that maybe has something to do with my past…"
"Can you tell me what you dreamed? It will be easier for me… if you want."
Shadow thought for some moments
then he turned toward the sea "Well, I was still young and I was sure that
somebody survived at an explosion, taking away six of the seven emeralds…"
He paused and sighed "I can't remember anything else… I'm so frustrated…"
"Don't worry, I'll search anything that will help you remember…" "Thanks."
He said facing her, she waved good bye and ran toward the station.
The black hedgehog looked again at the sea 'Why I can't remember?' He thought closing his eyes; the lightly breeze that was blowing from east make him feel good "Shadow?" "Uh?" He asked snapping out of his thoughts; he turned around "Who… Oh, it's you… Amy, right?" "Yes." She said smiling. He turned again "What can I do for you?" He asked looking at the water "Nothing, I saw you here so I came to talk." She paused and sat on the stairs "Shadow, you seem so lonely. Can I help you?" "No… I think not…" And he walked down the stairs "Shadow! Wait!" "What?" He asked turning his head "If you have nothing to do I can read you the tarots!" She said holding her tarot cards.
Shadow looked perplexed "Well,
I accept…" He said sitting beside her. She started shuffling the cards
and after some second she put down the first "You're trying to remember
your past…" She paused and extracted another card "But the more you
try, the more it will be harder for you to remember…" She said shuffling
again the pack. She stopped and put two cards on top of the others "Actually,
Shadow, you feel lonely. Right?" Shadow looked at the cards on the ground;
Amy sighed "Don't worry, now you have friends!" "Did you read
it on the cards?" He asked looking at her; she shook her head "No…"
She said "I didn't read it on the cards, I know it because I'm one of them."
She smiled "Then there's Sonic and the others." "But, how do
you know that they're my friends too?" "I'll answer you with a question:
Why are you still here?" "It's for the promise I made to Maria."
"What promise?" "That I'll make the people of this planet happy.
That's why I'm helping you." "Are you sure that is only for that?"
"What do you mean?" "I think that Maria wished your happiness
too…" "You think so?" "Ha-ha." She said nodding.
She was ready to put the next
card on the ground when a gust of wind made the others fly "AH! MY CARDS!"
She exclaimed putting her hands upon them. When the gust passed she uncovered
the cards; their original position was ruined "Awww!" She exclaimed
throwing the card that she was holding on the ground "Uh? What's this?"
She asked to herself watching the new formation of the cards "What they
say?" Shadow asked curiously.
Her face was filled with fear
"Someone will be killed by cold hands!" "What!?!" The black
hedgehog exclaimed incredulous "Cold hands… who's the one that has cold
hands?" Amy picked again the tarots and extracted three cards consecutively;
she placed them beside the others "It will happen when the moon will kiss
the sun on the cheek…" She paused and looked at the sky "… an eclipse."
She murmured looking again at the cards 'Why the cards are telling me this?'
She closed her eyes trying to make out the meaning of those terrifying words.
"Amy…" A distant voice
called; it was so distant that it was barely audible "Amy…" It called
again. She tried to respond but she was feeling too weak "Amy… you ok?"
It asked. Though she was feeling very weak she found the strength to open her
eyes.
What she saw was a shadowy
figure against the sky "Sonic? No… you're not Sonic… you're… Shadow."
She found herself lying on the ground "What happened?" She asked rubbing
her eyes "You were reading the cards when you fell unconscious right upon
them." "The cards…" She murmured looking again at Shadow; suddenly
her eyes opened wide "SONIC!" She exclaimed standing up abruptly "Whoa!"
The black hedgehog exclaimed falling backwards. Amy picked up the cards and
ran dizzily towards Tails' workshop.
Tails was peacefully servicing the
first Tornado; though its red paint was a little ruined here and there it was
ready for a flight 'Lucky that some time ago a group of sub found the wrecked
plane near the Station Square's coast.' He thought tinkering with the engine.
Suddenly the door of his workshop opened abruptly "TAILS!" The pink
hedgehog yelled urgently.
The fox dropped the wrench
with a yelp of fear mixed with surprise; he turned around "Amy! Is this
the mode to call someone? You scared me!" "Sorry but we don't have
time for this now!" "Uh? What happened?" "Tails, Sonic is
in danger!" "Ehhh? You sure?" He asked lightly confused "Yes!
I was reading the cards to Shadow when a gust of wind messed up the original
configuration making me predict this! Shadow, you can confirm it. Right?"
She asked at the black hedgehog.
The only response from him
was a nod; he was too confused to say something. That episode managed to give
him the shivers; something that he never experienced "Can you tell me the
original words?" The fox asked jumping down from the ladder that was leaning
on the plane. Amy thought of the words and shivered on doing that; she wanted
to forget them but she forced herself to remember them clearly, it was for Sonic,
and only for him "The first phrase was like this: 'Someone will be killed
by cold hands.' And the other was 'It will happen when the moon will kiss the
sun on the cheek.' Then I fell unconscious." "But, how do you know
that it's Sonic the one of your prediction?" "I don't know how, but
I'm sure of that!" She paused and took a long breath "Listen Tails,
on the next eclipse Sonic will die!" "If that's so then we must hurry,
I read in the newspaper that the next eclipse will be today at 14.25."
The fox stated; he looked at the clock on the wall "That's mean that we
have less than three hours to find him. The only problem is… where did he go
to?"
"I think he went to the
capital." Shadow suggested "Are you sure?" Amy asked looking
hopefully at him "Well, it's there that we saw that robot." "Can
you reach him?" She asked more hopefully than before "Sorry… I don't
know where the city is… besides I don't have any emerald…" He answered.
Amy felt her heart hurt, like it was pierced with a knife; she wanted to cry
but something held her tears back: it was hope. 'There's still three hours left.'
She thought.
Tails grinned widely and turned toward the red plane "We can use the Tornado!" "Tails… you can't land on the streets of the capital…" Amy stated "I know… that's why Shadow will come with me…" "Uh?" The black hedgehog asked more confused than before.
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Wow, it's done! I think that this is the longest chapter I wrote so far…
Mmm…Considering that the plot is
becoming a real tricky situation (at least for me…) I'll try to give you a little
preview.
I think that Sonic will finally
find out what Eggman has in mind (maybe… not sure… need to think… mumble… mumble…).
And the chao? Don't worry,
I have something in mind for 'em; just wait the next chapter… BWA HA HA HA!!!
The title? Maybe will be 'From the Frying Pan to the Fire'
Az