Chapter 13: Silhouette of the Ominous Shadows

Dice approached a metallic doorway. Rust attacked it ages ago, and the lock on it was destroyed by dust. All the motion detectors and eye scanners which once crawled over the metal, sparked occasionally, signaling to Dice that her high profile-clearance was unnecessary.

Caressing the fingerprint scanner out of tradition, she grudgingly gazed through the closed entrance. Closer to the doorway, the wires and chalk illustrations on it became vividly clear. The drawings resembled rough designs portrayed by someone with the skill of a toddler. There were seven white circles, each glowing with green lines above their silhouettes. Above them stood a white stick. The symbols were familiar, but she did not remember drawing them, nor seeing them before. Though, she must have walked through this entrance dozens of times, almost a decade ago. Butterflies flew in her stomach, when she considered physically entering the room. It held excruciating forgotten memories which Dice no longer wanted to be a part of.

However, the nameless contents of the room were important. Though she did not remember exactly what lay behind the door, her soul knew it was meaningful and necessary. In fact, Dice was unaware of how she reached this location, initially. She recalled the hundreds upon thousands of different passageways and which one led to the control room, where Shadow probably resided. However, her instincts tugged at her body to this familiar door. Almost unconsciously. One minute she was infuriated at Angel Island, and the next, a depressing sense enveloped her in front of this ominous doorway.

The rusty, wet smell invaded her nostrils, so despite ruing ever finding the door, she applied pressure on the fingerprint scanner. The metal wall quickly shot upwards, with a whooshing noise, and an even mustier smell escaped into the silent hallway. Pretending to be indifferent, she sauntered through the access way. Another whooshing noise rung behind her as the door closed.

There was one dim light bulb above the tiny room, with a chain dangling from its foundation. The luminosity was weak, but Dice could comprehend the contents of the room, which hardly be called as such. Considering its size, the space was more of a closet. A miniscule vicinity within which, only one person could reside. In one corner lay a metal bunk bed, extending from out of the wall, like those in a jail cell. The mattress and sheets were larger than the bed and overflowed onto the floor.

Dice carefully walked to the bed, one step at a time, and then turned around to face the whole room.

Her room. The room which she lived in as a child. The memory was dim and hard to see, but she knew the recollection was real. Of course the space seemed larger when she was young but it was hers nonetheless. This was her bedroom, her home, her pathetic little sanctuary.

She plopped on to the bed, sitting up. Dust flew out from underneath her and visually floated as fog around the room. Her eyes followed the particles until it reached the other corner of the room which held metal cabinets. They contained her clothes, or at least her memory told her that was the case.

Despite wanting to investigate, Dice remained frozen on her bed. All she wanted was to fade away just like her room. Just like her childhood. Just like the warmth which was once a part of her heart. Sadness crept over her and for once, Dice did not attempt to forget or futilely escape it. She touched the feeling, truly trying to understand her unhappiness. Trying to understand herself, her purpose, and why and what she did on that day almost two years ago. However, the warrior found nothing. In fact, recollecting her memories from that day revealed to Dice that she did not even remember what happened. She remembered an entrance to the base, a blue bat, and Knuckles' sympathetic face. Nothing more. Something was wrong, and it frightened her.

When that hedgehog asked Dice about her role in the situation, she did not respond. Was it because she knew she was responsible or that she did not know? The blackness in her heart was fully aware of every evil deed she ever committed. Her red-eyed alter-ego. However, when she was consumed in darkness and remembered her misdeeds, her other memories, doubts, and conscience were distant. She had two different souls, or at least, one soul which was divided literally between the life of a villain and hero. And each was indifferent to the other half, almost separate. Pure confusion ensued and thus, she grudgingly stood up, sauntering towards her clothes cabinet.

To her surprise, within its contents were clothes of her size, not that of a child. "Someone knows I am here," she whispered inaudibly.

Whether the clothes contained tracking devices or a poison that could be absorbed through the skin, Dice's current attire was trashed. She could not fight to her full potential with clothing that might affect her aero-dynamics, or make her trip over when running. Besides, with the chaos blade at hand and the moon nigh, she considered herself immortal.

Shedding her bloody clothes and shoes, Dice reached within the contents of the cabinet. She found a skin-tight battle-ready undergarment, like that of a gymnast. It was a purple gray with a vertical black stripe running from the center of the turtle neck down to the ankles. Dice slipped it on over her underwear and zipped up the back, which contained holes for her spikes and tail. The cut was sleeveless and the legs ended an inch below her knees.

She searched, again, the contents of the cabinet to find an earring, a pair of white biker gloves, and shorts. Dice felt naked with the skin-tight leotard and thrust the khaki colored cargo shirts over her hips. They ended abruptly before her knees, allowing the leotard to be seen on her legs. The outfit in its entirety was very slimming, not to mention complimented her breasts which were almost invisible in size. Her black-white fur with the purple-gray and tannish-gray was extremely appealing, and vanity took over Dice temporarily.

Quickly switching gloves, Dice finally came across the single silver hoop earring. From gazing it at the side, it reminded her of the crescent moon. Curious as to why there only existed one, she caressed her ears. To her surprise, she found a hole on one ear and another earring, hidden on the inside of the other. Dice took out the previous one and gazed at the post. It was placed in reverse, so the shimmering diamond could not be found from simply looking at Dice's ear. The post earring reminded her of a star or possibly a sun. Both earrings, despite not matching, seemed to go together like yin and yang. She carefully put both earrings in their proper, visible places. Dice caressed both ears and felt whole. At least, more whole than she usually felt.

Also, with this change in attire, Dice became more focused, feeling energized. She remembered the situation with Shadow as well as its urgency. However, two items remained unchecked which Dice quickly remembered. Besides, her memories were equally important as Shadow's mission. After all, Shadow refused to tell Dice anything about his 'duty.' He just came to her one day, introduced himself, and requested her aide. True, whatever his mission was, it involved the death of Eggman. That was one common interest, not to mention both their personalities were similar. Tasks between the two were simple because both agreed in the way of fulfilling them. Also, Dice liked Shadow in an eccentric way. He was not openly kind, but was mature and focused. Two characteristics that everyone can agree are important to achieve any type of goal.

Escaping her trail of thought, Dice headed back towards her bunk bed. Bending down despite the suffocating dust, she extended her arm underneath the metal bed. A warm, sharp object came across her grasp. She pulled it towards her but did not gaze at it and continued searching the floor.

Memory serving, she recalled a box that contained an object of immense importance to her childish personality. Finding it at last, she thrust the weak, old box out from underneath her, accidentally hitting the sharp object from before. Both the box and the warm item were now visibly in front her.

The chaos emerald.

It was the red chaos emerald resting next to her lap. She nervously grabbed both the emerald and the box, and sat on the musty mattress.

Disregarding the emerald, she opened the box, within which she knew was important to her. SOAP shoes? The blue and black sneakers seemed unimportant by comparison to the emerald. Why did she remember the box over the hidden emerald? Until suddenly the memory, despite being broken and vague, came back to her...

After attack on Station Square. All the bodies... and ruins. No memory. What happened, where am I? Smoke, blood...gore, piles and piles of gore. That bat... the boy...he...who is Shadow? And Sonic...the bat knew of...the photograph? ...

The memory began to physically hurt her skull, and Dice clutched it vigorously. However, no matter what pain, she must know...

His childhood...his sister, told me everything and I, him. All the blood...his tears...told of his happiness... sister... Shadow...appeared...ran away...scared, forgotten... something's wrong...pain in eyes...chest on fire, can't breath. Pain, pain, pain! Aaah! Loss of conscious... woke up... in underground base? ...destruction, wreckage, gore. The shoes... lying there untouched, untainted. Same as in photograph...

The shoes were almost a symbol to her. Whoever this nameless bat from her memory was, he knew of a happier childhood which she had not. Despite the blood and his wounds, he was content, saved by a hero, Shadow. Was that why Dice liked Shadow? She thought he could save her, too? However, these shoes, they were the ones that all the rebels wore. They fought for a cause and believed in it until their deaths. She did not believe in a cause, or anything. She did not even know what her purpose was.

The blue sneakers were more important than her emerald. The chaos emerald was power, one which she could not control without wreaking death, while these shoes were freedom. One that she could never possess. All those years ago, Dice used chaos control, thus hiding the emerald and the shoes under the bed without physically entering the room. All of which, she committed subconsciously. Dice did it to remind herself of the little boy, and to be frank, it worked.

Dice tugged the shoes onto her feet. They were low cut and matched her leotard, not to mention made her legs slimmer due to the shoes' immense size. True, the sneakers were clunky, but they were empowering. Dice felt secure, bold, and even free.

Clutching the chaos emerald, Dice finally exited her bedroom. She gazed back with one final glance and left all her regrets in the room. No one was going to rescue her for all she had done and the past was indeed the past. Her childhood was not a happy one and that could not change. It would never change. She had to accept, forget, and move forward. It was time to leave her sadness behind. With the hedgehog's, Shadow's, and Knuckles' aide, maybe she could escape her alter-ego and that relentless incantation.

"And I will, even if it means through my death."

"Will what my dear?" inquired an insidious hiss. Her heart froze in fear, knowing to whom the voice belonged. Her mind and thoughts evaporated, as if never existing. The resolutions from earlier were immediately scattered into oblivion. Her body unwillingly grew rigid, as her eyes remained frozen, gazing through the wall.

"I will serve you master Robotnik," she answered, truly believing the words. Her eyes were emblazoned red.

"Ha-ha, of course you will," he snickered, noticing the chaos emerald. However, he remained indifferent to its resonating power.

"Have you new orders for me? I have tortured and tormented the four who you requested that I keep alive."

"Excellent," he sneered, with an eerie smile.

Robotnik appeared different. For one, he was much leaner. His facial expressions seemed sharper, more malicious. Pure evil resonated about his figure. The same clothing draped over his body, but the colors were brighter, demanding attention. Overall, his stature made him taller than in reality, and ominous looking. His wicked smile gleamed pure white, while his goggles were black as coal. His infamous mustache was smaller, almost invisible, with orange hair replacing it on his scalp. The malevolent Robotnik stood with confidence.

"At last my plans and research is completed," he began.

"And what do you wish me to do?" Dice blindly asked in a monotone voice. Robotnik laughed wickedly and grabbed her cheek.

"Dear, when my plan is carried out, I will have no need for your pathetic hide. Nor the blade or for the other four. The reason I requested you to keep them alive is so I can test out my plan before I carry it out on my other realms. True, I am emperor, but that is only due to your efforts. I must have ultimate power to truly be ruler! And that means to steal yours."

"I shall give it to you," she replied in a whisper; even with her alter-ego in control, she felt a twinge of disgust. However, Robotnik's power over her was too immense.

"You fool, I already have it in my grasp," he laughed, "But I need to test my other plans and fully obtain it. Of course, until I do that, I still need your aide. But don't worry, your time will come."

"What do you request of me?"

"Destroy this facility, and the research within. I don't want anyone else to understand my plans now do I? Also, kill two of them."

"Who?"

"Either Tails, Amy, Knuckles, of Shadow," he retorted in disgust, "I don't care who or how. The smarter of them. I can't have them figuring out this plan. Though, when I return to do my tests, they won't stand a chance," he laughed.

"Some of them are in the base as we speak."

"Excellent, annihilate them along with the base."

"Do you desire the chaos emerald my master?"

"Soon. You, keep it safe. I will contact you further. Remember, destroy the base," he sneered.

"But of course."

"If only you were like this all the time..." He frowned. His wicked smile grew and he grabbed Dice by the throat. "Do not fail me, like you have in the past." Dice said nothing, allowing Robotnik's filthy claws sink deeper into her skin.

Suddenly, an immense pain shot through her neck. Even the body of Dice's alter-ego could not withstand the searing lines of pain, pulsating through her body. She gasped and Robotnik threw her to the ground. "Listen to me Slice. Do not let your other personality know of this. Trick her into thinking she is succeeding, that everything you are doing is a part of her plan. However, let her be aware of my presence and our future meeting. I will contact you through the emerald."

Slice nodded, rubbing her neck.

"Now if you don't mind..." Robotnik glared at the warrior and then motioned his hand. She retracted her blade and cut through space. A visible hole in time was visible and Robotnik quickly entered it. "Until we meet again."

After lying unconscious for several minutes, Dice was awakened to a twinge of pain in her neck. She recollected everything.

Slice did not want her power stolen and thus, she allowed Dice to know of Eggman's plans. However, Dice could not stop herself from running to the main circuitry. Her fingers involuntarily flew upon the wires and re-routed them.

Suddenly, the hallway became pitch black. A red pulsing light flickered on and off.

The base was on countdown for self-destruct.

A/N: Well, this definitely thickens the plot, now doesn't it? Remember to leave a review, and in turn, I will thank you and post the next chapter sooner. Oh and I decided to give Dice's red-eyed alter-ego a name to eliminate the confusion. But I just want to make it clear that they are not two different people, in fact 'Slice' is...well you'll find out on your own when the future chapters come in. . .

Also, I just want to re-iterate that my story was deleted and so were the reviews. Please, please, please review all of the chapters! I really desire feedback whether it be polite criticism or encouragement of certain aspects of my writing. Please, please, please review! I don't often beg, but come on guys! Puleez....