CHAPTER 3

The next morning when Helen woke she was surprised to find Shadow laying next to her. She stared at him. He was asleep, his right arm draped over her shoulders.

He looked so peaceful.

She didn't want to wake though she knew she had to. She put her hand on his shoulder and shook him gently, "Shadow," she said soflty, "Shadow, it's time to get up."

He opened his eyes half way and stared at her face. "Maria," he said still half asleep, "you came back to me."
"Shadow, it's me Helen," the girl corrected him.

That's when the black hedgehog realized who he was talking to. He was instantly wide awake. "Uh, Helen," he said sitting up, "I'm sorry. For a moment I thought you were Maria."

Helen gave him a small smile. "Not exactly," she said.

"Are you ready to go back to Station Square?" he asked changing the subject.

Helen nodded eagerly. "Yes, I am," she replied.

Shadow pucked her up. She's real light, he thought.

He carried her to her wheelchair and set her in it making sure she was comfortable before he grabbed the handles. "Let's go," he said.

He started to push the chair up the ravine.

The chair lurched to the left.

"Uh, Shadow," Helen said worriedly.

"Hmm?" he asked, his voice betraying tiredness.

"Are you okay?" she asked turning around in her chair. She saw him pushing the chair slowly. His head rested on his arms.

"Shadow?" she asked.

Slowly he looked up at her. She could see he was still tired. "Yes?" he inquired.

"Are you still tired?" she wanted to know, 'because if you are I can wait a while longer before you take me back."

Shadow let go off the handles. "I'm fine," he protested.

But even as he spoke his body pitched forward. Helen was able to catch him before he fell over.

"Thanks," he said sighing, "maybe I am still a bit tired."

He sat down by the chairs left wheel. His head rested against the arm rest. Within minutes he was sound asleep.

Helen stroked his ear, humming softly. She's let him sleep. She could wait a little longer. She once again noticed the cut mark on his arm. It was bleeding slightly.

Helen untied the green ribbon around her neck. She picked up his injured arm and quickly and carefully wrapped the ribbon around it. It was long enough to cover the whole thing. She tied it in a loose knot, so it wouldn't cut off circulation, and then let it drop back to his side.

I hope that helps, she thought.

She looked away from him and her mind started to wander. The next thing she knew Shadow had snuggled into her lap. She looked down at him.. His eyes were half open. "Thank you," he whispered.

Helen put her right arm under his head. He rested it against it and fell back to sleep. "You're welcome, " she whispered in his ear.

Then there was a long silence that lasted more then an hour. Helen listened to the birds chirping and watched the shadows move as the sun changed position in the sky. She heard Shadow's slow regular breathing as he slept. She let herself relax a little. It was peaceful here.

Helen was still worried about her parents though. She'd been gone since yesterday afternoon. She just knew they were worried about her. It was a Sunday.

What if my parents think I came home late and left real early? she thought, I do usually do that on weekends.

She absently stroaked the spot between Shadow's ears. He sighed in his sleep. She looked down at him.

That's when another worry struck her. What if her parents see Shadow and call the military? That would be terrible. He'd blame her. Maybe I should just tell him to forget it.

She knew he wouldn't do that. She had a feeling that he was the type that always kept his promises.

Helen began to doze off. The instant her head rested on the back of her chair a sharp jerk woke her. She looked around wildly and discovered she was moving.

Thinking that the chair was moving by itself she pushed the control button and the wheels braked.

She heard a thump and then an "OW!"

She glanced over the back of the chair. She saw Shadow. He was lying on his stomach on the ground. His hands still holding onto the handle bars.

"Oh, Shadow!" she exclaimed, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were back there."

He looked up at her. His teeth were grinding to hold back pain and he stared at her with one open eye.

"Cough cough.... It's my should have woken you up cough cough..," he hacked covering his hand with his mouth.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked in concern.

Shadow got a hold of himself. "I-I'm fine," he finally answered.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I just got the wind knocked out of me that's all."

Shadow got himself upright again and began to push the chair.

"I'm real sorry," she said again.

"Hmmmmmmmm," he said, "it's okay."

When they reached the outskirts of Station Square Shadow stopped pushing the chair and stared into the city. "Station Square," he said mostly to himself, "it's been awhile since I was here."

"If you want I can go the rest of the way myself," Helen offered noticing the black hedgehog hesitated in going any further.

"No," Shadow objected, "I said I was going to take you home and that's what I'm going to do. I made a promise and I won't break it."

"Okay," the girl said hesitating herself, "if that's what you really want."

Shadow nodded. "Yes it is," he confermed, "I may get spotted but I won't break my promise."

"Hmmm...........," she said.

Shadow grabbed the handle bars again and began to push the chair into the city. 'Let's go."

Now Dr. Eggman was feeling lucky that morning and he decided to cause some trouble in Station Square using a test version of his new Eggship.

This was a small model that could easily go from car to ship in just a few pushes of a button.

Just as it was coming into the city Decoe shouted, pointing out the windsheild. "Doctor look!"
Eggman glanced out the windsheild. He saw that girl again and...

"Shadow!" the scientist exclaimed in surprise, "but I thought he was dead!"

"He must have survived the fall somehow," Decoe said, "after all he is the ultimate life form."

"But now he's with that little snoop," Eggman shouted, "we'd better get that girl before she tells the military my plan."

The scientist stood up and shouted. "After her!"

"Aye aye sir," the robots saluted pushing the speed buttons.

The ship lurched forward. The force knocked Eggman over.

"Hey watch what you're doing!" he shouted at the robots and he climbed into his chair.

"Sorry doctor," they said lowering their heads in shame.

Shadow and Helen noticed a shadow cast over them. They knew it wasn't cloudy so they had no idea what it was. They glanced over their shoulders.

What was that big ugly jalopy barreling down on them?

Then it hit Shadow. "That's one of Eggman's!" he exclaimed.

"Oh no!" Helen shrieked in panic.

"What?" the black hedgehog asked, looking down at her.

"He's after me," she quickly explained, "I over heard him say something about a new world domination weapon and he saw me. We have to get out of here."

"Don't worry," Shadow said, "I won't let him get you."

With a sudden burst of speed the wheelchair shot forward. The force pinning her to the back rest.

Helen watched as cars and building flew by. Shadow ran as fast as Sonic!

"Are they still after us?" she asked.

Shadow looked over his shoulder. "Yes," he replied, "and they're gaining!"
"What are we going to do?" she asked in a panic.

Without a word Shadow wipped the chair into an alley. Then he wipped it into another and another. Finally he came to a stop and peeked out of the alley. No one.

"I think it's safe now," he said.

He slowly pushed Helen's chair out ofthe alley.

A huge metal hand appeared out of nowhere! It grabbed the chair and pulled it backwards.

Shadow looked over his shoulder. Eggman's jalopy was reeling the chair in as if it were hooked by a fishing line!

"Shadow, we can't let them get us!" Helen exclaimed, "if they do.............." her voice trailed off.

Shadow thought fast. There was no way he was going to let that happend. Not on his life!

He kicked the chair into the air.

Helen felt herself come flying out of it. She saw the pavement below her. She closed her eyes expecting an impact.

Someone caught her. She dared to open her eyes. It was Shadow!

"Don't worry," he said assuringly, "I will get you home!"

The instant he landed the black hedgehog began to run.

"Shadow," the girl exclaimed looking over his shoulder, "they're still catching up."

Shadow's scarlet eyes darted around. He needed to find something faster. He couldn't run very fast holding someone.

He spotted a motorcyle. Someone had left the keys in the ignition and it was running. Shadow grinned. Perfect!

The black hedgehog ran up to it and set Helen on the back. He quickly hopped on the front seat and revved it up. "Hold on tight!" he ordered.

Helen wrapped her arms around his waist.

The motorcycle roared out of its parking spot and shot down the street.

"Do you think we'll lose them?" she asked, not daring to look back.

"I hope so!" he shouted over the roar of the engine.

The bike roared past a girl Helen knew.

"Helen?" the girl shouted over the noise as the machine sped away, "HELEN!?!"

Suddenly an ugly red race car like police car rounded the corner and headed straight for them!
Helen screamed.

Shadow swerved the motorcycle to the right barely missing the cars windsheild.

Helen caught a glimpse of the driver. It was Sam Speed Chris Thorndike's uncle. His expression was startled then it got that fermiler competative look on it.

"So you wanna race!" he shouted "well get ready to loose!"

With a squeal of tires the S Team leader turned his car around and gave chase.

Shadow looked back. "Who is that guy and what's with him?" he demanded.

Helen looked back. Eggman was gone but Sam was after them and he was getting close.

"That's Sam Speed. He's Chris Thorndike's uncle," she explained, "he likes to prove he's the fastest person in the world."

"I don't care who's uncle he is," Shadow shouted, "he's a pest! And there's no way he's going to stop me!"
The black hedgehog made the motorcycle pop a wheelie and drove onto a sidewalk.

"Now that's illegal," Sam said from his car.

Shadow then drove the bike up some stairs.

"What's with him?" sam said, "does he want to be arrested?"
Then.

Right into a brick wall!
"Woah!" Sam scream, "that guy's insane!"

Helen braced herself ready for impact.

"He's gonna kill that girl!" Sam shrieked, "I'd better stop him!"

Suddenly Shadow had a green Chaos Emerald in his hand. "CHAOS!" he shouted as it glowed brighter, "CONTROL!"

The motorcycle was enveloped in a bright green light. The next instant the machine and it's rider vanished.

Sam came to a stop just in time to see the light and then nothing.

"What the-" he said, "what was.......?"

He looked around a bit. He couldn't find the people he'd been chasing. They were gone.

"What in the world?"

He called in his report.

"This is the S Team leader. You won't believe what just happened!"