Hunter and the Hunted

In a helicopter flying over a darkened forest Commander Adrian Burns was taking a particularly unpleasant call. His superior officer was currently ranting down the phone at him, demanding an explanation as to why Project Shadow and his collaborator had not yet been apprehended. Burns was rapidly growing red around his ample neck, tugging at his collar where the top button threatened to spring free. His balding head was wet with perspiration, his gaping blue shirt growing damp beneath the arms. He shifted uncomfortably in the leather chair, listening to the rising pitch in his commander's voice, wishing he would shut up and just let him get on with his job. For a moment he pressed his pudgy face up against the glass of the helicopter window, blocking out the cabin light so that he could study the forest below. Just a little ahead of his helicopter he could see the dark shape of the one of the army's combat helicopters, complete with soldiers and guns.
"Don't worry commander; we're tracking Project Shadow as we speak. One hedgehog and an Echidna aren't going to escape us"
"Well they'd better not!" The voice spat shrilly down the line, before it cut off.
Burns looked out the window again, at one of the other helicopters, as he did so it pointed a bright searchlight into the trees.
"Target sighted sir" The pilot told him
"Good… make sure you keep pace"

The roar of engines had been growing louder for the last ten minutes. Shadow and Knuckles were running through the forest, these soldiers were able to track them with frightening accuracy. They'd picked them up only a few hours after they had left their rock shelter. They'd been running ever since, for hours, zigzagging in a vain attempt to throw them off their trail. Now they were running exhausted, tripping over branches, their own feet and each other's. The noise was growing louder. Only desperation and their proximity to each other gave them the strength to continue. Their chests heaved painfully, the thudding of blood in their ears deafening, but unable to block the noise of the helicopter engines. They could smell kerosene in the night air now, the fuel for the aircraft. The ground beneath their feet was growing soggy. Then all of a sudden their world was lit up by a bright yellow light. For a second they stopped and stared up, dazed, only to see a helicopter drawing close, a soldier's dark metal gun just picked out by the bright lights. Their terror heightened they ran headlong through the trees, Shadow dragging Knuckles behind, heedless of their direction, aside from away from the men and their machines.

Burns considered it sport. He stood behind the pilot watching the red shape occasionally highlighted by the helicopter's lights as the two creatures ran through the trees. He enjoyed a good chase. The helicopters flew along slowly, easily keeping pace with their prey, as though toying with them. The helicopters were herding them, ahead Burns could see forest opening out into grassland, then a shallow lake.

Knuckles realised too late they were running out of forest. The trees opened out around them, almost immediately shots cracked the air. Shadow upon hearing them kicked up a gear, dragging Knuckles faster than he could keep pace with. He resorted to using the Bond, and glued Shadow's feet to the floor. Upon finding his legs suddenly unresponsive Shadow tumbled to the ground, taking Knuckles with him.
"Shadow we can't outrun them!"
"We can't just sit here either, they'll shoot us!"
"We have to get back into the trees!" As soon as Knuckles spoke that option was cut off, a helicopter dropped down low and flew towards them over the grass. They didn't question it this time, they both ran. Soon they had a helicopter on either side, driving them towards the lake; they had no choice but to enter it. For just moment Shadow dropped behind, then there was another crack of gunfire and Knuckles was pulled to a stop by what could only be described as a squeal of pain.

Shadow staggered, drawing his arm to his chest and fell face first into the water. Knuckles ran back to him. Shadow tried to push himself out of the water, but all of a sudden his body seemed weak. He felt someone pull him up. He looked through blurred vision to see Knuckles dragging him to his feet. There was pain in his chest. He pulled his hand away and looked down; his glove was stained with deep crimson blood. He tried to take a breath, but felt as though he was breathing in as much water as air. Terrified, he clung tightly to Knuckles. Around them the air seemed to have exploded with noise. The helicopters were coming in to land.

Knuckles looked from the helicopters to Shadow and back again, one of them had landed and was offloading troops. These were heading towards them, hiding behind their guns. Anger filled his soul. Somewhere, he'd lost his crossbow. The water around them sparkling in the searchlight was rapidly turning red; Shadow was bleeding freely, clinging to him increasingly weakly. Knuckles felt the rage wash over him, and with it came a burst of furious indignant energy as his Hyper-Form took hold.

Knuckles left Shadow where he was. Sparking with silver-blue electricity he raced for the airborne helicopter. Flying, he slammed his furious fist into the side of it, puncturing the fuel tank and causing it to burst into flames. Knuckles turned towards the people on the ground. Rapidly doubting the strength of their guns, they turned and ran, some towards the remaining helicopter, which was hastily trying to take off, others into the trees. Mercilessly Knuckles grabbed them, his electrified fists burning into their flesh in a different but equally painful way to Shadow's flames. He beat them, relishing in the sound of their screaming, he couldn't blame Shadow for wanting revenge. He beat several until they lay still in the water. Knuckles looked up; the last fancy helicopter still hovered above, watching, though it now hastily tried to make its escape. The commander would be in that one. Scowling darkly Knuckles leapt into the sky, the lumbering machine was too slow for him. He rose up beside it, hovering menacing for a moment, looking in on its human occupants. Then he recognised the leader, the one in the blue shirt. The grin on his face spread. He grabbed hold of the side of the helicopter and flung off the door, throwing it clear of the blades so that it landed with a splash far below. Inside the few human occupants cowered away. Knuckles flew inside. The army personnel did nothing to protect their valiant leader. Knuckles grabbed him and flung him out of the helicopter.

He dove with the human. Just as he was close to hitting the ground Knuckles grabbed him, and pulled him enough to slow him, gently enough so that his arm didn't rip from his body, but not so gently as to save him from pain. With a satisfying pop Knuckles heard his shoulder come out of joint. Knuckles dragged him through the water to where Shadow crouched, struggling to breathe. Twisting his arm he made the human look at Shadow.
"Look at the pain and suffering you have caused!" He growled angrily "Look at what you fear, the creature you love to torment. The fire in the village was not our doing. But it is easier to blame us than seek other causes. I suggest you look harder for your culprit, we are not so defenceless, continue your pursuit and the suffering will become yours!"
Knuckles scowled at the human, the water they knelt in stained dark red. He let him go, and the human, like an animal ran into the trees.

Knuckles Hyper-Form left him. He looked around wearily, a dull ache behind his eyes, he was no-longer angry; the strength his Hyper-Form had given him had ebbed away, to be replaced by despair. Shadow looked up at him, his ruby eyes flooded with pain and despair. With his free hand he reached out to Knuckles, managing only a strangled whimper where words should have been. Knuckles drew him into his embrace, almost resigned to their shared fate. As he held Shadow one part of his mind desperately searched for a way out, as his glove grew stained with the blood from the entrance wound on Shadow's back. Slowly his mind offered him a choice. Sit here and die, or grab hold of life and fight, more for Shadow than himself Knuckles chose the latter. He turned his head around, to look at the helicopter still on the ground.
"Shadow, in that military mind of yours… can you tell me how to fly a helicopter?"
"Iyoveyu" Shadow muttered
Knuckles groaned, and lifted Shadow gently into his arms "Come on… how hard can it be, right?"

Knuckles carried him to the door of the helicopter. Carefully he climbed aboard, what was only a small step for a human was more significant for a Shremu carrying another. When he got inside he noticed something however, there was another presence in the machine. There was a human sat at the controls.
"Can you fly this thing?" Knuckles snarled
The young pilot looked at them with a terror stricken face and didn't answer. Knuckles lowered Shadow to the ground and approached the pilot, fists bared. He didn't have time for games.
"Can you fly this thing, yes or no?"
The pilot nodded.
"Then do it, get this bucket of bolts into the air or you'll be going flying all on your own"
Knuckles didn't give him time to respond. He walked back to the door and slammed it closed. After a few seconds he heard the satisfying sound of the machine's huge rotors begin to spin. He returned to Shadow, a small puddle of blood beginning to form on the metal floor around him. He wondered that he wasn't dead already; he had no idea a hedgehog had so much blood. He knelt at his side, putting his hand over the messy wound in Shadow's chest. He was trying to say something, Knuckles had to lean close to hear him.
"Tr-Tras-Trasponder, or thell fin uh…"
"Where?" Knuckles asked surprised he'd even understood
"Box… by p-pi-pilot"
Knuckles moved away, as Shadow had said he found a small black box by the pilot's seat. It had lettering on it, but Knuckles couldn't read it. He looked at the terrified pilot.
"Is this the trasponder?"
The pilot looked at him but said noting.
"Tell me or so help me I'll rip it out anyway, I don't want this thing to fall out of the sky anymore than you do"
"The transponder, yes"
Knuckles pulled at the box and it came away in his hand. He took it back to Shadow.
"Is this it?"
Shadow looked up "yss… gt rid ofit"
Knuckles clenched his fist, and crushed the small computer in his hand. The helicopter disappeared from the radars.
"Is there a medical kit on this thing?"
"In the back"
Knuckles ran to the back of the aircraft and found the kit as the helicopter pulled away.
"If I see us going anywhere near a military base or large human habitation I'll kill you, regardless of whether I need you to fly this thing or not" He warned as he dropped to Shadow's side.
"So where should we go?"
"You pick, anywhere that fits those criteria, for now, just keep flying. Don't get any smart ideas about flying around in circles either, you might not be able to navigate by the stars, but I can, and if you try to use your radio I'll break your neck before you can say a word."
The pilot said nothing, simply turned and looked back out at the dark and starry sky. Knuckles set about doing as much for Shadow as his limited knowledge allowed.

"Is he dead?" The pilot asked about twenty minutes later.
"No, though I don't see why that should concern you" Knuckles snarled.
"Because if he dies, you'll follow him, and I'll be free to take this helicopter anywhere I choose"
Knuckles looked up "You know a little of Guardian kind?"
"My kidbrotherhas a Guardian. But he's far nicer than you"
"I'm sure you've never done anything to incur his anger"
"You killed my best friend out there"
"I did my duty. When you put on that uniform you accept that one day you may have to die in the call of duty, same as I did when I became a Guardian. When you pick up those foul guns of yours you acknowledge that one day you may be called upon to use them, same as I do every time I bare my fists"
"We're not like you"
"No, we're not. We are willing to accept the ways and shape of the world rather than try to mould it in our own image. You humans are all so self-righteous, I wonder if you ever stop to question the merit of your actions, or if you simply believe that it is your right, your jurisdiction to do whatever you please to who and whatever you please."
"Don't try to pretend your innocent in this!"
"Then don't pretend you are either! You seem to forget that it was humanity who created Chaos Controlled, not the Shremu."
"Maybe, but your always proclaiming your rights as sentient creatures, now when you're asked to take responsibility for your actions you're blaming us!"
"The fire in the village was not our doing"
"What about down there then? You can't honestly say that the death of those people wasn't your responsibility"
"I was merely doing my duty. Would you expect your brother's Guardian to look away from those causing him pain rather than bloody his fists? I'm sure you yourself would go to any lengths to defend those you love and your own life"
The pilot didn't answer.
"Wouldn't you? You aren't going to escape by not answering"
"I suppose so…" The pilot conceded
"Then can you really blame me for going to Shadow's defence?"
Again the pilot didn't answer, but Knuckles let that one go as he moved Shadow to a hammock type bed and covered him in a blanket.

"This helicopter only has limited range. We're running out of fuel"
Knuckles snapped awake, confused, he hadn't even been aware he was sleeping.
"Huh what?"
"This helicopter is short range, we're running out of fuel"
"Are we going to crash?"
"No I just thought you should be made aware that we will have to land soon"
Knuckles pulled himself up from the floor beside Shadow. Briefly he made sure he was still breathing before walking up behind the pilot's chair.
"Where are we?"
"I thought you could navigate by the stars"
"I can…" Knuckles hoped into the co-pilot's seat "But it's easier for you to tell me"
"We're flying over empty plains; the nearest human habitation is ten miles to the southwest"
"Land, here"
"We've still got fuel enough for a few more miles-"
"No, here now, if we go to the end of our fuel we'll be easier to find. Land"
The pilot considered struggling for a moment, but then abandoned the thought. He spotted a suitably flat area and began to slow the helicopter. Knuckles watched him closely until they were on the ground.

The helicopter's engines shut down with a soft whine. After a moment the pilot turned scowling to Knuckles.
"I've done as you wished. Am I free now?"
Knuckles appeared thoughtful "No. I need someone to carry Shadow for me, and I can't have you running to the nearest humans and screaming for help"
The young man's face paled. "So I am to remain your hostage"
"Yes" Knuckles said simply "Get up slowly, hands where I can see them"
"I'm unarmed, or I'd have shot you both by now"
"I don't doubt it" Knuckles watched him get up "Leave your helmet and any other equipment behind."
Knuckles watched as the pilot moved from his seat.
"Touch nothing." Knuckles warned "Walk ahead, pick Shadow up and go to the door, if I hear one whimper of pain from him you'll pay it back doubled"
Knuckles never took his eyes off the pilot as he did as he'd been instructed. The man, who was blonde and had a surprisingly young, if unshaven face lifted Shadow cautiously. Knuckles fancied he feared he would burst into flames as any moment. If anything, Knuckles supposed, the man was more afraid of Shadow than of him.
"Good" Knuckles pulled the door "Walk"

The three of them walked up a gently sloping hill beneath a starry sky. Knuckles was eager to put as much distance between them and the helicopter before dawn and before he succumbed to exhaustion. He was surprised by how calmly the human walked, not attempting to run or struggle, though he did hold Shadow as though he were a bomb waiting to go off. Secretly Knuckles was grateful for his meek submission, he wanted to avoid a fight. All he really wanted was to sleep for a week, but with this human in tow he expected sleep would be long in coming. He walked up beside the man.
"What's your name human?"
"Paul Spencer"
Knuckles nodded "Nice to meet you, I'm Knuckles and that black bundle of fluff and blood your carrying is Shadow"
That almost raised a smile, but instead Paul just grunted.
"You'd better get used to us, because you're going to be stuck with us for a while. Come on, we've got a long way to walk…"