CHAPTER 9

Helen was shocked. "About me and Maria?" she asked. "What do you mean?"

"It seems he thinks that you're her re-encarnation," the black hedgehog replied.

Helen said nothing to that. Maria's re-encarnation? They did look a lot alike and seemed to have the same personalities. Maybe that's why I've been having those weird dreams recently, she thought, Do re-encarnations have flashbacks from past lifes?

She wanted to ask Shadow about it but decided not to. He might now know, she figured. Or he might get offended.

Shadow, who was unaware of her thoughts, started pacing the floor. "If that's true," the hedgehog was saying. "He may use you as black mail to get me to work for him."

"How?"

"He may threaten to hurt you if I don't do what he tells me to do," Shadow replied looking over at her then looking away. "I don't know..."

"Would you let him?" she asked concerned.

"No, I wouldn not," he said, looking back at her. "and he knows that. It doesn't help that you look so much like Maria. He knows how devoted I was to her. If you are her re-encarnation, as he says, then things will get even worse for the both of us."

"So what are we going to do?" she wanted to know.

"I don't know," he said truthfully, closing his eyes and turning his head away. "Let's just hope he doesn't try anything like that."

What they didn't know was that Dr. Eggman was listening to their entire conversation.

"Thank you, Shadow," the scientist saif with a grin. "You just gave me the ultimate idea. AHAHAAHAAAAAAA!"

The next day when Chris Throndike came to school he discovered that Helen was absent. Since she sometimes wasn't able to come to school because of doctor visits he didn't really notice. Still he was a bit curious about it and when he sat down at his desk he turned to the red head sitting next to him.

"Hey, Francess, where's Helen?" he asked his friend.

"We don't know," Danny, his African-American friend spoke up. "We haven't seen her since Friday."

"She was suppost to come over to my house yesterday," Francess said. "but she never did. When I called her house to find out why, her mother said she wasn't home."

"I wonder where she is," Danny mused. "It's not like Helen to break promises like that."

The red head nodded. "Hey Chris. When was the last time you saw her?"

"I saw her Saturday morning," the rich kid replied. "She wanted to hang out with Sonic, but I told her he was busy."

"What happened then?" Danny prompted.

"She got angry and accused me of lying," Chris shrugged carelessly. "I think she went to the lake after that."

"Wait a minute!" Francess suddenly exclaimed. "I think I remember seeing her Sunday morning. I was walking down the Station Square shopping center when I thought I saw her ride past me on a motorcycle with a black hedgehog."

"Shadow!" Chris said before he could stop himself.

Danny and Francess satred at him. "Who's Shadow?" they asked in one voice.

Chris' face turned red. "Uh. nobody," he lied.

"If it's nobody why did you say that name?" Danny wanted to know.

"I...Uh...," Chris began.

Luckily for him the last bell rang and class began, thus ending the conversation.

When Chris came home a few hours later Amy Rose, Miles "Tails" Prower, Cheese the Chao, and Cream Bunny bowled him over the instant he walked through the front door.

"Chris, you have to see this!" Amy shouted, dragging the boy into the living room.

Whe they came in the huge living room Tails ran up to the giant Plasma TV and turned the volume up high.

Chris saw Helen's class picture on the screen. Scarlet Garcia stood next to it broudcasting from what looked like the subway station.

"Eye witnesses say they saw a black hedgehog and the missing girl here at this subway station around eight-fifteen last night. "The hedgehog was carrying the girl and looked nervous," one eye witness says ..."

"A black hedgehog!" Amy exclaimed. "That has to be Shadow! Could this mean he's still alive!"

"And he kidnapped Helen," Tails said. "But why? Why would Shadow kidnap Helen?"

"Maybe she knows something he doesn't want her to tell people," Cream suggested.

"Chao!" agreed Cheese.

"But that's not like him to kidnap little girls," Tails said folding his arms thoughtfully. "Usually he kidnaps pansys."

"HEY!" Chris said offended.

Tails didn't take back the insult.

"It really doens't matter why he kidnapped her," Amy spoke up. "What matters is he did. I think we should tell Sonic about this."

"NO!" Chris screamed.

The four creatures looked at him. "Why not?" Amy Rose demanded putting her hands on her hips.

"Uh, I don't think any one of us should get involved," the rich kid said, putting his arm behind his head like he always did when he said something stupid.

"Why not?" Amy demanded again. "What if Shadow is helping Dr. Eggman to take over the world again!"

"I doubt that."

The pink hedgehog stood on the livingroom table and glared at the rich boy. "I don't care what you think! I'm going to tell Sonic and you'd better not try to stop me!"

As it turned out Sonic has just returned from his runs, just in time to the whole broudcast and the argument between Amy and Chris that came afterward. He was slightly angry at the boy for not wanting to tell the hdgehog about Helen. After all Helen was his frienfd too and they'd had a pretty exciting adventure together. Sonic grew worried. He couldn't believe it! Shadow, the dead hedgehog, had kidnapped Helen?

I wonder why, Sonic thought.

Sonic didnt' even bother to say hello to his friends, he had a feeling Chris would try to tell him to not get involved. Screw him! He's not my mother I can do what I want! He turned and ran to the front door. I never not get involved when a friend of mine is in danger!

He was out of the house before anyone realized he'd come in.

""Shadow, what do you think Eggman is planning on doing with us?" Helen asked the black hedgehog.

Shadow, who had been quiet for the past half hour, shrugged. "I don't know," he said without emotion. "I just hope he doesn't try anything."

"I hope so too," she agreed. "but what if he does?"

"Look, Helen, can we not talk about this?" he finally asked sounding slightly annoyed.

The girl had a feeling she'd offended him. "Okay," she said. Silence. Then. "Uh, Sahdow, are you mad at me?"

"No," he said not looking up. "I'm not mad at you. I'm just a little tired that's all."

"Oh," she said, having the strongest feeling that he was lying to her. "I understand."

Nothing more was said between them for the next thirty minutes.

Decoe and Bocoe returned to the cell.

Shadow looked up and saw them. He hated those goofy looking robots. "What now?" he demanded.

"Eggman wants you," Decoe said.

"Again?" He got up. "All right. I'm coming."

He glanced back at Helen. She looked worried. He was about to reasure her but all she said was. "Good luck," and turned away.

I hope she's not mad at me. I don't want her to be mad at me...

He left the cell and followed the robots. When he was back in the controle room, he demanded. "Now what do you want? To confuse me again?"

Eggman grinned. "How about we make a deal?"

The black hedgehog stared at him suspiciously. "What kind of a deal?"

"Simple," Eggman raised his index finger in the air. "You help me and..."

"I will not help you."

The scientist shrugged. "Suite yourself. But if you don't want to lose a certain friend of yours..." his voice trailed off.

Shadow looked sharply at Eggman. "What do you mean!"

"Simple. If you don't want to lose that little blond friend of yours you would help me. If you don't help me... That little bond friend will cease to exist."

"Don't you dare hurt Helen!" the black hedgehog houted.

"Then do we have a deal? Will you help me?"

Shadow lowered his head. How low can he get? Shadow knew he couldn't let anything happen to Helen not after the promise he'd made her. I hate decisions like this! But what choice do I have? He nodded slowly. "Yes, we have a deal."

"Good." Eggman looked satisfied.

"What do you want of me?"

"I want you to find the seven Chaos Emeralds and give them to me?"

Shadow hesitated. He didn't want to cause anymore trouble with that nor did he want to run into people who constantly followed him around where ever he went. The thing was, he knew he really had no choice. Either do what Eggman wanted or risk Helen being killed.

Finally he nodded. I just hope I don't run into that brat again!

It was getting dark by the time Sonic returned to Station Square. The hedgehog had spend all of his afternoon looking for Helen. He'd had no luck. Where would Shadow or Eggman hide a little blond girl? I doubt they'd go camping. They might go to ARK. But I doubt it.

He just happened to be walking by the city musium when he saw a dark figure steal down the street.

On impulse he went after the figure. Since he was so fast he was able to easily catch up with the person. He saw it holding a dark blue Chaos Emerald.

"Hey!" he called reaching over and grabbing the thief's wrist. "Where are you going with that Emerald?"

The thief, instead of answering, swung at him.

Sonic dodged and punched the person in the face. The thing grabbed Sonic's wrist in a death grip. He swung the blue hedgehog onto the ground.

Sonic grabbed the thief's leg and pulled him downward.

Soon they were fixed in a struggle. Sonic got a grip of the thief's arms and pinned them to the ground. Now the thief couldn't move.

"Let me go!" a familer voice demanded.

"Huh?" Sonic exclaimed. I can't be...

The blue hedgehog looked closer at the person's face. Shadow. The black hedgehog looked like he'd been crying.

"Shadow?" Sonic exclaimed. "But how? Why?"

"Because he was going to kill Helen!" Shadow blurted sniffling.

"Who?" Sonic questioned.

"Eggman!" the black hedgehog wailed. "He said if I don't do what he says he's going to kill her!" Shadow looked away. "And it's all my fault," he said in a voice so low Sonic didn't hear it.

"Why did you kidnap her?" the blue hedgehog demanded, grabbing the white fluff on the black hedgehog's chest and pulling him forward.

Shadow's eyes grew wide in pain and misunderstanding. "I didn't!" he cried, looking back at Sonic. "I've been trying to take her home!"

"I find that hard to believe."

"Sonic, why would I kidnap Helen?"

"I don't know," Sonic admitted. "I don't know how your twisted mind works."

"I wouldn't kidnap anyone."

"Liar! You kidnapped Chris remember?"

"And I regret that! That kid was a brat! He wouldn't leave me alone! He followed me around even when I didn't want him to. Which was all the time!"

"If you didnt' like him why did you kidnap him!"

"For a very stupid reason!"

"I bet Eggman set you up to kidnapping Helen didn't he?' Sonic said, going back to the real topic. "I bet he made you kidnap her so I would come and rescue her and fall into a trap! Am I right!"

"No!" Shadow screamed, struggling against Sonic grip. "You are wrong! I would never do that!"

"I don't believe you," Sonic said, pulling Shadow's face so close to his own they almost touched. "And if I find out you hurt her..."

"No!" the blach hedgehog shrieked, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "I WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING TO HURT MARIA!"

Sonic's face turned into one of confusion. "Maria?" he said. "Whos' Maria? AND WHAT DOES SHE HAVE TO DO WITH WHAT YOU DID TO HELEN?"

Author's note: Like I said in chapter one. I do not like Chrs Thondike. In my oppionion he's a little gay brat who shouldn't have been in the show. I hope this doesn't offend anyone. This is just how I feel. If you feel different and like Chris well I'm happy for you.