CHAPTER 7

Escape Attempt

As Mystic lay dazed on the floor Sonic reached into her cloths and grabbed the key. He unlocked his cuffs then unlocked the ones holding Shadow to the ceiling.

Shadow woke up startled. "Sonic what-"

"Nevermind," Sonic said. "we have to get out of here. Come on!"

Shadow, in a state of confusion, followed his look alike out of the room.

Mystic sat up holding her head in the palm of her right hand. "What hap-Uh oh!" she exclaimed looking at the empty chains. "This is not good!"

She stood up. "They can't have gone far," she said out loud. "I'll catch up with them easily."

She dashed out of the room after the two male hedgehogs.

"Sonic, what's going on?" Shadow asked as he followed Sonic down the corridor.

"We're bustin' out of here!" Sonic replied looking back at the black hedgehog.

Shadow looked over his shoulder to make sure they weren't being followed. "But she can run fast," he pointed out. "She'll be able to catch up with us easily."

"You worry too much," Sonic said. "there's no way she'll be able to catch us if we keep running."

Shadow wasn't so sure. He had done a lot of running the night before, but that purple hedgehog had caught up him in less than half an hour.

Sonic really needs to think about these things more, the black hedgehog thought.

"There's the way out of here!" Sonic exclaimed pointing at a door ahead. "Pretty soon we'll be home free!"

Suddenly something gray and purple streaked past them. "Whoa!" Sonic exclaimed shrieking to a stop in front of the door.

Shadow, who didn't see what happened, ran into the blue hedgehog and fell over on his behind.

"Hey what are you doing!" Shadow demanded glaring up at Sonic. "What did you stop for?"

Sonic pointed ahead of them.

Shadow looked up.

Mystic stood in front of the door holding a long sword. "Thought you could get away did you?" she demanded. "Well you have another thing coming!"

Sonic grabbed Shadow's wrist and began to run in the other direction.

"Uh uh," she called after them. "you're not going anywhere."

Mystic was once again able to get in front of them. Sonic turned and nearly drug Shadow down another hall.

Shadow looked up and saw Mystic flying over them. She once again landed in front of them. Sonic turned around and ran the other way.

"What is she?" Sonic asked glancing up and seeing her flying above them.

She landed in front of them again. Sonic turned another corner and drug poor Shadow down another hall.

"Sonic!" Shadow shouted from below the blue hedgehog's waist. "You're gonna kill me!"

"Sorry," Sonic said. "but there's nothing I can do about it."

"Can you at least slow down so I can stand up?" Shadow asked. "I'm getting brush burns on my butt!"

"If I slow down she'll catch us," Sonic protested.

"BUT, YOU'RE KILLING ME!" Shadow shouted.

Sonic didn't say anything.

Suddenly the blue hedgehog lost his balance and fell forward. When he did his arm, out of reflex, went forward too, to break his fall. He flung Shadow over his head.

Shadow felt Sonic let go of his wrist then air rushing by as he flew forward. The next instant he crashed into a door bashing his head in the process.

"Shadow are you okay?" Sonic asked, scrambling to his feet.

Shadow sat up seeing stars. "I...uh...who are you?" he asked in a daze.

Sonic knelt down and draped the black hedgehogs arm over his shoulder. "Come on, we have to get out of here."

He helped Shadow to his feet.

"You're not going anywhere," Mystic said landing in front of them.

Sonic turned ready to dash down another hall. "Don't even think about it," Mystic said getting closer. She pointed at Sonic's throat with her sword. "If you even try you'll no longer be the worlds fastest living hedgehog. You'll be the worlds fastest Dead hedgehog."

Sonic didn't know what to do. Finally he sighed and let Shadow go. The black hedgehog fell to his knees on the floor holding his head in his hands.

Mystic poked them with her sword. "Okay let's move along," she said.

When they didn't move she sighed, rolled her dark red eyes, and grabbed their arms. She began to drag them back to their prison.

As they walked back Shadow angrily glared at Sonic. Sonic's face seemed to say. "What are you staring at me like that for?"

Shadow mouthed. "For your stupidity."

Sonic stuck out his tongue at the black hedgehog then looked away.

When they arrived outside the room Mystic opened the door and shoved Sonic inside. Instead of shoving Shadow in too she closed the door and pinned him against the wall with her hand.

"Now that you're awake," she began, "I can ask you the question I was going to ask you before."

"What?" he asked slightly annoyed.

"Do you know where the last two Chaos Emeralds are?" she asked.

He looked away.

"You do don't you!" she exclaimed.

"I-"

"Where are they?" she asked interrupting him.

He didn't answer.

She put her face in his and looked him straight in the eyes. "Where are the last two Chaos Emeralds?" she asked again with more force.

Still Shadow didn't answer.

"If you don't tell me I'll make you tell me!" she growled, slamming him back against the wall.

"If you want them so much why don't you go look for them?" Shadow growled back. "I won't tell you where they are and that's final!"

Mystic slapped him across the face then when she was about to do it again to make a point, she stopped.

For some reason she felt it wouldn't be right if she hit him again. It seemed like she didn't want to.

He stared at her surprised by her hesitation.

Mystic let her hand drop and said. "Please tell me where the last two Emerlds are."

"No," he said again.

Mystic didn't push it any farther she just opened the door and gently pushed him inside locking the door behind him.

Shadow leaned against the door trying to figure Mystic's behavior out.

Sonic must have said something because he kept on saying, "Did you hear me?"

"Huh?" Shadow asked looking at his look alike. "Did you say something, Sonic?"

"I asked 'Why did Mystic keep you out in the hall for so long'?" Sonic repeated himself.

"She wanted to know where the last two Chaos Emeralds are," Shadow replied.

"Did you tell her?" Sonic presisted.

Shadow gave him a nasty look. "No, I didn't," he snapped. "I'm not stupid."

Sonic didn't answer but the look on the hedgehog's face told Shadow, Sonic didn't believe him. Who cares anyway? Shadow thought, Let him think what he wants but he's going to be wrong.

Since he was no longer chained to the ceiling the black hedgehog found the farthest and darkest corner of the room and lay down. Thanks to Sonic's little escape attempt Shadow now had a headache. Oh man, he thought, why does this always happen? That's it! From now on I'm going to ignore him. He's making my life more miserable than it already is.

With that in mind Shadow turned on his side and within minutes was sound asleep.

Maria's fingers flew as she tapped away on her computer keyboard. Now that I know who the people in my locket are I'd better find out more about what Gerald's life's work was besides Shadow, she thought, I remember an old newspaper article in the library about another much bigger ultimate life form. I wonder what it was.

As she looked farther into it she read some other stuff she hadn't heard about. Gerald escaped from GUN about the same time ARK was going to fall? she thought surprised. That wasn't on the news. I wonder why.

She went into various websites trying to get the infoe, but no matter how hard she tried to find out more about it she didn't come up with anything. I guess the military is embarrest about him getting away so they aren't saying anything about it. All well I might as well get back to my other search.

Within minutes Maria was finally able to find out what she'd wanted. "Hmmmm ... an ultimate life form prototype, the Biolizard," she said out loud. "The Biolizard was going to be the ultimate life form but I guess the military thought it would be too dangerous since it was so big and Gerald, after encapsuling it, made a smaller one, Shadow, instead. But it seems the military still didn't trust Gerald anyway and they went to ARK to get rid of anyone who was involved in creating Shadow. I guess Maria, in order to protect Shadow who wasn't finished at the time, sent Shadow to Earth hoping he'd be okay. After Gerald found out what happened he went crazy, built the Eclipse Cannon, finished Shadow, and then let the military put the poor frightened hedgehog in that capsule on Prison Island where he was kept until Ivo Robotnick aka Dr. Eggman released him from the base. Hmm... sounds like an interesting story. I just feel terrible now knowing that I'm related to Eggman and Gerald who both want to destroy the world."

Maria looked out the window into the street. "I wonder what happened to Shadow after that purple hedgehog got him out of the new Prison Island the other day. I wonder who she is and who she works for," she said to herself, "I wonder if maybe...no...that can't be it...or can it?"

"So Mystic," Gerald said walking into the computer room the next morning. "did you find those last two Emeralds yet?"

The female hedgehog shook her head. "No, I'm sorry doctor," she answered.

"Do you have an idea on where they might be?" he asked.

"Well..." she began, "I think Shadow knows but he won't tell me."

"Well, make him tell you," Gerald ordered impatiently. "I want those Chaos Emeralds and I'm going to get them. No matter what it takes I will have my revenge."

"But how can I make him?" she asked. "He has his mind made up. He won't help us and I have a feeling he's not going to no matter what we do to make him."

Gerald sighed. "I think you might be right," he admitted, "but he is going to help us and that's final. All he needs is a little persuation."

"How?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

Great, leave it all to me.

"So, Shadow, listen to any good music lately?" Sonic made another pathetic attempt to start a conversation with the black hedgehog who sat in the darkest corner with his knees tucked up to his chin.

Shadow looked at Sonic with annoyance. "I'm not interested in music," he said simply. "I don't care about music. It's just a waste of time."

"Whatever," Sonic said rolling his eyes. "Man, you're boring! You don't like anything fun, you hate music and you never laugh in fact you never smile. Why's that?"

Shadow's look of annoyance morphed into a hateful glare. "It's none of your business, Sonic!" he shouted getting to his feet, crossing the room, and grabbing the blue hedgehog by the throat. "Stop asking so many questions! Stop being so nosy!"

Sonic beat Shadow's hands off. "Look, sorry. Cool your jets, man. If you didn't want to tell me you should have said so. There's really no need to blow up at me. I didn't do anything. I was just asking a simple question."

Shadow let his hands drop and sighed. "Sorry," he muttered before he turned and returned to his corner.

"That's okay. It was just as much my fault as it was yours."

Shadow didn't say anything back.

The black hedgehog sat down and wrapped his arms around his legs. He rested his head on his knees and tried to think of something else even though Sonic's words stung him.

He heard the door open and looked up.

Mystic entered the room and walked straight to him. Now what does she want? he thought.

She stopped in front of him and simply said. "Come with me."

Before he could say or do anything she grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room. Then she held him against the wall and said. "Now, I'll give you one more chance to tell me where the last two Chaos Emeralds are willingly or I'll have to use force."

He looked away. "I'm not telling you," he said. "and nothing you do will change that."

"Oh, yeah?" she challenged.

"Nothing---OW!" Shadow felt something sharp go into his arm. He pulled away. "What did you do?" he demanded as he felt a tingling sensation go up his arm.

"I gave you something that will make you tell me where the last two Emeralds are," she said. "and you can try all you want to resist it but eventually you won't be able to any longer."

Shadow suddenly felt like he had to tell her. Like it was the right thing to do. I can't, he thought.

Even though he knew that he didn't feel that way. For some reason he felt like he could trust her.

"Now," she said locking eyes with him. "tell me. Where are the last two Chaos Emeralds?"

"Dr. Eggman has one," he heard himself saying.

"And where's the other one?" she asked.

"Tails Prower has it," he replied.

Mystic smiled. "Thank you," she said kissing him on the cheek. "I'll be sure to let Gerald know you told me."

She opened the door and pushed him back inside. "Now I'd better go tell him and then get them," she said walking down the hall.

"Shadow?" Sonic said looking up at the black hedgehog.

Shadow cast a sad look in the blue hedgehog's direction. That's when Sonic knew. He jumped to his feet and ran up to Shadow. "You told her didn't you?" he demanded.

"Yes," Shadow said without hesitation.

"But you said you'd never tell!" Sonic exclaimed. "What made you change your mind?"

"She gave me something that made me tell her where they were," Shadow replied. "I didn't want to tell her, but I couldn't stop myself. I felt like I had to tell her. For some reason I felt I could trust her."

"But, Shadow," Sonic began.

"I'm sorry, Sonic," Shadow said. "but it wasn't my fault. Oh Maria, please forgive me."

Shadow's eyes filled with tears and he returned to his corner as quickly as possible. The minute he sat down he buried his head in his legs and began sobbing.

Author note: This chapter is kinda weird and I don't really like how it turned out. I had to figure out a way to make Shadow tell so I did my best with that truth stuff. I don't really like that part but I had to put it in. If this stories getting boring don't sweat it. It will get interesting again soon. You just have to be patient. Well, I'd better get going, bye.