-Shadow-

The pile of scrap metal Tails saw was easy enough to climb, although in some places it was pretty unstable. Standing poised on the top, I take one last look back to check nothing's going to see my movement – then I jump. I half-expect to just catch the edge, to have to be pulled up, but after the rest Sonic's return has granted me, I'm stronger now than I have been for... a long time... Landing easily within the chute, I give a slight nod to Sonic and Tails, and look up its steep slope... into darkness.

"It's pitch-black up there..." whispers Tails, looking the same way.

"There's probably just a cover over it or something, Tails. Even if there's not, we can handle the dark well enough, right?" Even whispering, Sonic's voice is full of confidence, an energy and spirit we've not heard in so long. Tails replies, his own whisper drawing strength from Sonic, some slight touch of the youthful hope and absolute trust in his friend that he once had returning to spark in the tone of his voice.

"You're right, Sonic. Ready?"

He nods, as do I. I step forwards, up the slope – and my foot almost skids out from under me! For a moment I'm helpless, off-balance, about to fall, but Sonic's already reacted and he catches my right hand, stabilising me for just long enough to let me regain my balance.

"You okay, Shadow?"

"I'm fine," I reply. "I just slipped." I briefly bend and trace the gloved fingers of my real hand across the ground. When I hold them up to the light shining in from the end of the chute, I see a dark stain across them... some kind of liquid, oil perhaps from the robot parts, mixed with whatever other things leak from what comes down here. My jets have never burned anything before, shouldn't do, operating as they do by the natural energy that flows through my body, rather than in the way that most people think when they hear the word 'jets'. Using them, I'll be able to run up this chute no matter how slippery it is. Tails can fly... but that leaves us with Sonic, who can't...

"What is it?" Tails asks, looking at my hand and the liquid on my fingers. I hold it out to him, let him see.

"...It looks like oil or something... Sonic, this whole chute's gonna be incredibly slippery..."

"Can you fly me up?" Of course, Tails can fly with him... as long as the chute's short enough for Tails to reach the top before he has to rest. If it isn't... I might be able to support Sonic, stop him sliding back down, for a little, if I channel a lot of my energy to my jets... but trying to support my own weight again when they're not really designed to lift anything much heavier than myself will be hard... and if I have to do it for very long, I'll rapidly exhaust myself before we even get there...

"I think I can. It depends just how far the chute goes..." Tails sounds uncertain. None of us can see how far we'll have to go in the darkness ahead.

"...If it's too far for you, I should be able to hold Sonic up for a little..." I say. It might mean I exhaust myself, but if we can just get into this place...

"What about Tails? If he needs to rest, he can't hold himself up there, either!" ...I hadn't thought of that, Sonic... I don't know why. Maybe I'm still a little tired, maybe I'm still not reacting, not thinking quite as fast as I should do... if I'm not, that could get us all killed... no, I won't let that happen! I'm not going to see anyone else die...