Chapter 6 (Shadow): A Tempting Offer
The trip through Mephiles's time portal was just as rough as the first time, almost leaving Shadow a bit envious of the others for not taking the induced Chaos Control portal they had endeavored hard to make. If there was any silver lining, however, it was that Shadow learned Mephiles had some interest in him, regardless of whatever dark agenda he had in stored for the hedgehog.
He'll pay for trampling on Maria's name! Shadow swore to himself.
At long last, Shadow and Omega landed on the ground waiting on the other side of the portal; with a quick glimpse around, he was able to distinguish the familiar clear skies, salt air and skyscrapers as Soleanna in the present time.
But Mephiles was nowhere to be seen.
"It appears Mephiles is no longer here." Omega stated, confirming his suspicion. No doubt Omega used his scanners to perform a wider range search of the immediate area for Mephiles. "I will assist in pursuing him."
Shadow nodded in agreement. Despite being a robot that hates side-tracking, Omega was capable of recognizing greater threats or missions beyond his own. Why Dr. Eggman didn't make more obedient versions of the E-series with the power and mind of Omega as his main force, Shadow will never know. At the very least, he was grateful Omega was his ally, even if he didn't show it.
"Let me get in contact with G.U.N.," Shadow said. "We'll regroup with Rouge and work from there."
"Affirmative."
Once that was settled, Shadow placed a call to HQ on his communicator.
"G.U.N. HQ, this is Shadow. Reporting in."
After a brief silence, a response came in from Commander Tower. "Agent Shadow! You're finally back." Shadow raised a brow as to how the commander knew he was gone, but his answer swiftly followed. "Agent Rouge sent us a report on the time-travel incident. What kept you?"
"The Scepter of Darkness contained an entity known as Mephiles, who was responsible for me and Rouge being sent to the future in the first place. I stayed behind when I noticed him in the area, and attempted to capture him. Though he escaped, Omega and I followed him back to the present time."
Once Shadow finished his explanation, he waited for the commander to respond. "I see. Rouge also informed us of the ambush you two endured by Eggman. We found a hole in our security program created by Dr. Eggman; rest assured, it's been patched."
"Where is she now?"
"We received reports of Badniks lingering in the warehouse district following an all-out attack by Dr. Eggman earlier today. Rouge was sent to investigate and dispose of them."
"Understood. Heading there now." Shadow signed off and began to skate towards the warehouse district. Omega hovered behind in silence.
Shadow maneuvered past the civilians in the streets of Soleanna's New City. From their attitudes, they seemed to fit one of two categories: tense or happy-go-lucky. Though the attack the Commander mentioned from earlier left some of them scarred, the lack of wreckage around gave the impression that a battle never took place to begin with.
Remembering the city in fire and brimstone just a few hours ago, Shadow couldn't help but feel the battle was nothing extraordinary by comparison as he and Omega reached the gates of the warehouse district. Guarding the front entrance beside the Soleanna Royal Guard were two G.U.N. soldiers who, upon recognizing him, agreed to his request to enter.
The short exchange with the guards reminded him of a warning Mephiles issued him:
"After the world was devastated by Iblis' flames, what do you think happened? A search for the guilty. […] They used this as an excuse to hunt you down."
Would the ones hunting me, Shadow wondered, include the organization I've aligned myself with?
Somewhere deep inside, he felt he already knew the answer yet hoped it wasn't so.
"Eggman robots detected." Omega's voice snapped Shadow out of his thoughts as he looked around. Sure enough, a pile of Egg Gunners laid clumped together off to the side of a nearby crane. The two approached the robotic corpses without the slightest hesitation.
Here are the Badniks. So, where is Rouge?
But just as Shadow was thinking this, heels strolling across the gravel made his and Omega's heads turn.
"Hi."
Time travel was a strange thing to think about. The notion of not seeing someone for a few hours or even a day can sometimes be hard to put alongside not being in the same time period as them. For Rouge, it had only been a short amount of time since she had seen Shadow and Omega, relatively speaking. However, just knowing they were in a devastated future many decades from now adds a whole different perspective on it. After all, how long have they themselves been there? Shadow may have been there days after she returned to the past.
And then there's Omega – for him, time was nothing more than a value in his systems. Obviously, he would spend a lifetime waiting for the day to complete her request to come, but it was like dreaming to him, wasn't it? The last thing he did was talk to her, go to Club Rouge and finally go into stand-by mode. Thus, the concept of not seeing someone for a long time might fall on deaf ears for him as it was the last thing he really did.
Ultimately, Rouge was not a philosopher – such thinking would merely give her a headache.
Once she had sent Omega on his way, she returned to Club Rouge to find the Chaotix working hard for their pay. Vector was hitting up a tune on the piano for the audience in the dining area, Espio prepared a set of drinks for customers at the bar, and Charmy flew around to grab orders.
The sight left Rouge emotional from the moment she stepped into her establishment – the contrast between the lifeless ruins of the future and the lively atmosphere of the present almost brought her to tears. Eventually, Charmy took notice of her and informed her of Omega taking up one of the guest rooms; she told him not to worry about Omega as it was on her orders. Of course, Charmy whined about wanting to know why, and Vector, having finished his performance to a round of applause, pulled him back for Rouge's sake.
But just as she was about to pull out a drink and extend the offer to her three workers (a rare gesture coming from her), a G.U.N. call came in for Rouge. Apparently, the New City had been attacked by Eggman during their absence, and a few Badnik stranglers were spotted lingering in the warehouse district. Of course, she had been assigned to eliminate them given her relative location and skills.
With a sigh, Rouge answered the call and flew over to the warehouse. As was her style, she stayed high and out of sight to get a better view of her prey without them being alerted to her presence. Much to her surprise, the Egg Gunner Badniks in the district were scanning the area for 'Hedgehog Priority 2.'
Shadow.
Normally, Eggman's machines were always on the lookout for ol' blue boy, so for Shadow to be in their line of sight, he must've posed some danger or interest to the doctor. Granted, he didn't do much to avoid Eggman's ire the past couple of weeks: blowing up bases, turning his machines into scrap, and not to mention letting the Scepter of Darkness break for her sake. By that logic, Eggman had every right to be frustrated.
Keeping the element of surprise, Rouge flew above the Gunners' position, dropped a few bombs, and watched them make quick work of the robots. Piling them together, Rouge returned to her vantage point and remained vigilante for any more Badniks in the area.
That's when she saw Shadow and Omega arriving through the front gate. Call it sentiment or something stronger, the sight of her two friends left her feeling as light as a balloon.
They're ok.
Not that she ever doubted them.
Regaining her usual composure, she watched as they approached her handiwork before gliding down to meet them.
"Hi."
Shadow and Omega turned to find Rouge strolling up to them, unscathed.
"It seems like Eggman's machines are looking for you. What did you do this time?"
Not even a "I'm glad you two are back, safe and sound," Shadow thought. Not that it mattered to him. The three of them trusted each other to take care of themselves when apart, save for one or two occasions.
Refocusing on what Rouge actually stated, the Egg Gunners in pieces before them were looking for him as opposed to Sonic. While Dr. Eggman certainly had his reasons to be vigilant, Shadow knew there was more to this than meets the eye.
First, while he had been going after Eggman's bases recently, the amount of damage to Eggman's schemes Shadow performed paled in comparison to Sonic's level of mayhem – he had other assignments to worry about as opposed to Sonic's deep history with the doctor.
Second, even assuming Eggman treated Shadow as a higher target than that blue faker, there was no way he could've known so quickly that he returned to the present. Eggman was there when Mephiles sent him and Rouge through time, and if Sonic returned before him, Eggman would've shifted his attention back to Sonic, assuming he knew Sonic was back as well.
"Hmm..." Shadow did suspect one possibility as to the change in the Egg Gunners' behavior. Dr. Eggman was there when Mephiles was released.
And Mephiles took Shadow's appearance as a form to walk in.
There's the answer.
"Nothing," Shadow responded. "Their target is probably Mephiles."
"What is Eggman up to?" Omega asked Shadow. "Who is Mephiles?"
Unfortunately, Shadow didn't have the answer to either of those questions.
But Eggman did.
"I'm gonna ask him directly."
Shadow began to walk back towards the gate. He would comm HQ to see if they could find Eggman's last sighting, and Shadow would pick up the trail from there.
"Hey, wait a sec!" Rouge called out to Shadow, causing him to stop. He couldn't afford to wait around for whatever Rouge had to say, though it most likely would've been for her to suggest they work together on this. While he knew the two of them would be fine against Eggman, there was still the other target they were chasing.
"I can handle this alone," Shadow bluntly stated. "You keep track of Mephiles."
Rouge and Omega watched on as Shadow headed off to the entrance and disappeared behind the gate.
"Hmph," Rouge grunted. "He finally shows up again, and then he leaves before even saying 'Hello.'"
But that's Shadow for you.
Turning to Omega, Rouge teased, "Well, it seems his little trip hasn't changed him."
From their position, Rouge could smell the sea salt in the air as the ocean waves rustled gently with the warehouse docks. In the distance, light gray clouds could be seen heading their way. The weather forecast today told of area showers, but rain or shine, a GUN agent had to complete their role.
Rouge brought up her wrist communicator and began a transmission. "This is Rouge. GUN HQ?"
"Agent Rouge," Tower answered. "Glad to see you're alright."
"Yes, thanks. Listen, I need a favor."
"If it's another gem you've caught your eye on, you're out of luck until the next pay day."
Rouge ignored his clearly unfunny joke. "Pull all available data on the Scepter of Darkness for me."
"Copy that." Rouge ended the conversation shortly afterward.
We'll prevent that future, Rouge told herself. Once we have Mephiles.
"Strong energy readings detected."
Omega's statement took her by surprise. "What's up?"
"Scanning... Analysis completed. Energy matches that of target, Mephiles."
Rouge's eyes widened upon this revelation. "Can you track it?"
"Affirmative."
"Ok, Omega. Find where Mephiles is heading. I'll wait for Shadow and meet up with you later. Call if you need me."
"...Understood."
Omega wasted no time in hovering away. From his path of travel, it seemed as though he is heading out towards the ocean area.
Initially, Rouge thought of joining him, but with no way to trap Mephiles, they couldn't risk him escaping their grasp once they've detained him. Or worse, getting sent back to the future.
Without the Scepter of Darkness, Mephiles would surely do just that. Thus, with her recent request, she needed to know how to make a proper prison for Mephiles.
Hopefully, this one will be much sturdier than the last scepter.
Upon leaving his teammates, Shadow returned to Club "Rouge" to refill his ammunition. As he normally relied on hand-to-hand combat and Chaos powers, there was little to no need to lug around a lot of ammo. Besides, even if he did use his gun more often these days, belts and backpacks were not his choice of wardrobe.
Once he finished checking his pistol for any damage, he began to head out to the main lobby. Given the nature of his job and the atmosphere of Club "Rouge," all ammunition was stored up in Rouge's area for safe-keeping, out of sight and out of mind from the visitors below. By the time Shadow had made it to the lobby, a few patrons were still seated around the area, with Charmy attending to their tables.
"Heading out again?"
Vector called out to Shadow, helping Espio with cleaning the used glasses from the lunch rush. Shadow nodded, but after taking a few steps, he stopped before the exit. Normally, Shadow would call up GUN for information about Eggman's whereabouts, but given Sonic's involvement and the talk in the air about Eggman's plot with the princess, it may be faster to ask Vector about it instead.
"Have you heard anything recently about Dr. Eggman and his whereabouts?"
"Heh, funny you should ask. The news and customers were just talking about him."
"And?"
Vector scratched the back of his head. "Apparently, Eggman recaptured the princess at her castle and was confirmed hijacking a train. GUN just relayed this information to the Soleanna Royal Guard."
What?
That was unexpected, yet a smart move on the doctor's part. His actions have left the kingdom in a state of awareness, and with GUN aware of his meddling with their security system, it was unlikely for him to simply fly his way back to White Acropolis.
The trains were a fast alternative, and though it became apparent that he stole one, Dr. Eggman would more than likely make up for it with a Badnik battalion at his side.
Leaving the Chaotix to their work, Shadow bolted out the doors of Club Rouge.
The doctor's travelling by train? Shoot! I've got to get to the station.
Making his way through the crowds and traffic, Shadow considered his next course of action once he arrived at the station. Potentially, he could just hover skate his way to where Dr. Eggman was, but as much as he hated to admit it, his fight with Mephiles and the trip through time left him a little burnt out. If he rested a little, he would have his full strength back within no time.
But this was now or never. Dr. Eggman couldn't get away.
The second option would waste a little bit of time as well, yet it would be worth the wait if it meant compensating for his fatigue. Plus, it's been a while since he's utilized his preferred mode of vehicular transportation.
Shadow sent a message to HQ. "This is Shadow the Hedgehog. I'm at the Soleanna Train Station Terminal in the New Town. Send me my bike."
Dr. Eggman continued checking each of the monitors in front of him, each showcasing an area of the train he 'procured' from the kingdom of Soleanna. Once they caught sight of him and what he had done, GUN made sure to send in its own army of heavily-armored and weaponized drones to take back the train.
For all their shortcomings, Eggman knew never to underestimate GUN's dedication to the job at hand. And after they've patched his little entryway into their network, he knew they wouldn't let him surrender without some kind of harsh punishment prior to his arrest.
Not that it bothered him too much. This wasn't the first time Dr. Eggman had to deal with the military organization, and it certainly won't be the last. On top of that, his Badnik army crushed their flying drones like soda cans, while Metal Sonic dealt with the Heavy Dog units that tried to stop the train by force.
"Ho ho ho ho ho!" Eggman didn't bother to hide his glee, not that anyone would notice.
Except for one.
"I see you're enjoying your mayhem."
"Huh?!"
A deep voice from behind startled him. Swiveling his chair around, the sight of a hedgehog with rocky skin and stalagmites nearly stopped the doctor's heart. His appearance reminded him of Shadow, though the differences were apparent enough, and the voice distinguishable from the first moment they had met.
"M-Mephiles!"
Eggman, you fool! he cursed himself. He's one-half of a being that can transcend space and time. You should've been prepared for something like this!
And yet, how could he? It was difficult enough to keep track of Metal Sonic and his collecting of the Chaos Emeralds, and then there was the princess and her constantly acts of escaping. If he had more time to focus and complete one objective, everything else would fall into place.
Plus, while he had studied the energy readings from the Scepter of Darkness, the entity within the long-gone artifact was much more powerful than the readings he found prior to his escape. As such, his machines were nothing but motes to the dark figure before him.
"Rest assured, I do not intend to hurt you."
Eggman raised a brow. He won't hurt me. "Then am I wrong in thinking you've come to surrender to me?"
"Mwahahahaha ha ha!"
In spite of him telling him he wouldn't hurt him, Mephiles' laugh alone made tense the nerves that Eggman's body had started to relaxed.
"I have too many things to do before coming to you. As it so happens, I have currently made plans for an old machine of yours. I only came to ask something of you."
"And that is?"
Mephiles' eyes narrowed. "Do you believe the princess of Soleanna will ever completely submit to you?"
Unable to answer immediately, Eggman pulled at his mustache. The question was simple enough, and had he been asked the question when this whole plot began, his answer would have been a quick yes. But as he had learned, Blaze was much more stubborn than he gave her credit for. Three times now, she had tried to escape: first with Cream and Cheese, then with Sonic in the desert, and the most recent case, with Amy in his own base! Sure, it was amusing the first time with the rabbit and Chao – heck, Blaze's feisty tone was enough entertainment while she was held prisoner. However, it was becoming increasingly difficult to not only capture her but to keep her his prisoner as well.
"She is a troublesome girl," Eggman admitted. "However, when given an ultimatum between her freedom and those she cares about, her spirit is quick to submit."
"...If that is what you believe."
Mephiles generated a dark ball of energy that grew to envelop him; in an instant, he disappeared into the darkness.
The built-up air that filled Dr. Eggman's lungs was finally given the chance to escape. The feeling of dread, unfortunately, remained lingering in his mind.
If that is what you believe? Eggman wondered. It was difficult to tell what Mephiles thought of his actions thus far, but he almost sounded disappointed. As if he were expecting more from the intellectual genius that Dr. Eggman boasted himself to be.
The princess was indeed easy to break, yet she always rebounded, no doubt thanks to that troublesome hedgehog. But Sonic was gone now – she should be more ready to submit to her fate.
Although...
Now that he thought about it, what if was the opposite? Maybe it would be better to think of Sonic as an encourager of Blaze's defiant behavior. The rebellious teen always seemed to have an impact on those around him, but when it came to the people he had come in close contact with, he served to influence them to make them better, or at least bring out another side to them.
Miles Tails Prower, for instance, may very well have been either a cowardly kid or an evil genius such as himself given how others treated him in the past, but Sonic influenced him to be cool, brave, and accepting of his intellect. In the end, that very kid managed to stop him at Station Square and produce a fake Chaos Emerald, something an amateur with a degree could never hope to achieve.
For Blaze, she has always been one stuck in a role of responsibility and manners, never being free to be herself. For someone like Sonic to come into her life, he is breaking that chain, allowing her to be more defiant. Free.
Is Mephiles suggesting I tighten the chain?
Dr. Eggman could only sigh in resignation. If things came to that point, then he supposed it would be for the grand scheme of things. For the time though, Blaze was in his clutches and the people of Soleanna and G.U.N. helpless to stop him. The recollection of his own genius helped him to relax.
The fools.
A sudden beeping from the console brought Eggman out of his thoughts. It appeared Metal Sonic was attempting to alert him to something. He answered with the press of a button.
"What is it, Metal?"
Metal Sonic responded by sending him live footage of the train tracks. Running along the tracks was a blue hedgehog whose smirk alone brought back horrible memories.
"WHAT?! IT CAN'T BE! Grrrr... persistent indeed."
As part of regulations at G.U.N., all agents are issued a vehicle and undergo training to utilize a variety of both ground and air vehicles. Most agents often choose a buggy or car.
Shadow was a part of the minority that chose a motorcycle.
Though weaker in armor and more difficult to control, the motorcycle was faster and easier to turn. Add in how hard it is to hit given the smaller size, an expert in the bike could be a rather dangerous force to be reckoned with.
Furthermore, each vehicle was capable of customization for the rider's purposes. The motorcycle allowed for a turbo attachment that increased speed for a brief time before needing to recharge, as well as side guns for those that couldn't aim and shoot.
The Dark Rider included all of these features, making it a truly deadly bike.
And Shadow loved it for that.
The bump bump of the Dark Rider as it raced across the train tracks could make many riders nauseous, but Shadow was one with his vehicle now – it didn't bother him in the slightest. Rouge often complained about why he needed a motorcycle when he could move faster with his Hover Shoes; instead, she opted he trade in his bike for something more compensative, like a fully-outfitted jet glider. The Dark Rider, for example, added nothing to speed since Shadow could match Sonic's speed on his own, and as the Ultimate Lifeform, he possessed power stronger than what the bike had to offer. Unlike Rouge, though, he couldn't fly. The Dark Rider would be a dumbed down version of his own skills, so why not get the glider to gain that which he lacked?
Shadow knew she was trying to be helpful, but she didn't understand his mindset. True, he could use the glider to fly, but he was more of a ground fighter anyway. Plus, just because he had power didn't mean he would always be ready to use it. Shadow was strategical, willing to not only overpower his opponent but outsmart them as well. If he showed off his trump card early, it could spell the difference between victory and defeat.
In the end, Rouge gave up and left him with his bike. And now, that same bike is catching up to Dr. Eggman's train in tunnels too cramped for a glider to fly through.
There he is.
Up ahead, the back of a train started to come into view below him. As it emerged from the tunnel it was racing out of, Shadow was able to see the multiple compartments linked together in sequence. During his call with G.U.N., Shadow learned the doctor had left off the passengers and conductor, leaving only himself and the princess onboard. Initial attempts to rescue the princess ended in failure, meaning the doctor had his own security surrounding the train. Sure enough, a couple of Egg Gunners flew out of the spaces between a few of the compartments and headed for the tracks below it, where another train was moving along.
"Huh?"
Shadow noticed one of the robots appeared different than the others. It was blue, smaller, and slightly faster.
"Metal Sonic…"
The last time he saw that robotic doppelganger of Sonic, he had captured his creator and tried to take over the world in his stead, all just to prove he was better than Sonic. Once he was defeated, Shadow, Omega, and Rouge took him to G.U.N. for containment. At the time, Shadow wasn't an agent nor did he remember everything about his past; as such, the mixed reception between the agents and the commander himself left him feeling unwelcome, so he dropped Metal Sonic off and took a picture with Sonic at the White House in Central City.
Sometime later, Metal Sonic was freed from containment by Dr. Eggman himself, most likely due to the doctor still having use for him.
"Sonic, shouldn't you save the train before chasing after me?"
While the robots began attacking the passenger train below, Eggman's voice crackled from an Egg Flyer that popped out of his train. Immediately after he said this, the Egg Flyer was kicked into the cliffs by an entity tailing the doctor's train from behind. Though it was harder to see, the blue color and speed of the object made its identity obvious.
"Sonic…"
He must be here for the princess.
But given Eggman's targeting of the innocent people below, Shadow knew Sonic wouldn't leave them to die; as expected, Sonic jumped down and chased after the passenger train.
Shadow picked up his speed and made his way across a bridge connected two cliffs, never losing his focus on the path before him and the doctor's train. Once he was halfway across, he swerved his bike hard to the left and flew off the side. Hanging in the air for a moment, gravity eventually brought him down onto the tracks below.
Now I'll be able to catch up with the Doctor's train ahead.
Shadow handled his bike across the unsteady tracks until the Dark Rider was but a few yards away from its target. Though the initial attempts by G.U.N. to rescue Princess Blaze ended in failure, scans indicated she was being held in the fifth car from the back. Between her compartment were cargo holds for the goods being transported, followed by the passenger cars, and finally the fuel reserves that helped power the train. The only other car would be the engine in the front, where Shadow deduced Eggman would be. If he took out the fuel reserves, he could slow down the train and make his way to the front. Whether Sonic made it back in time or not, Shadow would make sure the princess was safely offboard before he pursued Eggman.
"You're mine, doctor!"
With the press of the buttons near the handle bars, the machine guns on the bike began to fire.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"
In the rear monitors of the train, Dr. Eggman saw the screen flicker as the view kept changing with each camera lost. However, in-between each camera lost, the feed that came through showed a string a bullets heading toward the car that was about to be blown away. The bullets source was a motorcycle brandishing the G.U.N. logo; it's rider was none other than Shadow.
Of course he made it back as well, Eggman thought.
This was bad. Sonic was one problem in and of itself, but Shadow was a more dangerous threat (however occasional he messed with his business). With his speed matching Sonic and his ability to call upon the power of Chaos, Eggman would be in a bind without a proper plan or strategy.
Dr. Eggman barked at the comm unit, ordering any Badniks not engaged with Sonic or holding the princess to go after Shadow. It would take some time for them to make their way to the back, though. How many fuel reserves would Shadow destroy?
BOOM!
The train rocked from the explosion, almost throwing Eggman out of his seat if he hadn't held his grip on the armrests. Once he was sure the train was stabilized after the last explosion, Eggman turned his attention back to the rear view screen. With Shadow now on his tail, the situation couldn't get worse.
"Rrrggghhh!"
Oh, how wrong he could be.
Much to his disappointment, Sonic had found his train again and was now running alongside Shadow, the two hedgehogs conversing with each other. Over the next few moments, his Badniks reappeared to dispose of the two hedgehogs – although one succeeded in destroying Shadow's junk of a ride, the black hedgehog delivered a Chaos Spear to that particular Badnik's head as revenge. In any case, nothing his mechanical minions did could slow down his opponents.
Eggman's anger rose to a boiling point once the hedgehogs made their way inside Blaze's car. He watched as Sonic and Shadow made quick work of his guards, and how the princess rushed into her savior's arms. The sight made him sick to his bones.
And yet, despite how annoying it was to lose the princess to that blue hedgehog who's too stubborn to die, Dr. Eggman had something more pressing to worry about.
Unlike how Sonic came for Blaze and left as soon as he had her, Shadow appeared to be a different case.
What does he want with me? Eggman considered the possibilities without delay. Up until now, Shadow had only been going after his facilities as per orders by G.U.N. Perhaps G.U.N. finally gave their little tool of destruction the order to arrest him?
No, they would have done that a long time ago if that were the case.
Was he mad about the ambush earlier and wanted payback?
If anything, I'd think he'd enjoy that as a test of his skills… Ah!
Of course… the answer was too obvious. Shadow was a strategical weapon, collected yet deadly. As the Ultimate Lifeform, there were very few who could rival him.
So what happens when a being who can harness Chaos powers meets a being with seemingly equal power?
Mephiles!
"He's after answers, eh?"
Eggman considered his options as the train began to slow to a halt. Shadow's attacks on the train's fuel sources have left the train initiating emergency stopping procedures. Eggman knew his Egg Mobile was situated above the engine, making it easy to prepare a getaway with the current time left. He was right about to summon it when realization hit him.
Come to think of it, even I don't know much about Mephiles…
As far as he knew, Mephiles, along with Iblis, was the key to unlocking the ability to control time and space, shaping it to his will. With his recent appearance and the events of the ambush earlier, Mephiles was capable of utilizing such power on his own, and he certainly was not a being to underestimate in a battle of minds.
Other than that, nothing.
All information and documents relating to the Solaris Project held nothing about the two beings, only that Mephiles seemed to be more of the mind while Iblis, the strength.
Shadow may know more about Mephiles at this point than I, yet he's still coming to me.
It was clear neither of them had much information about Shadow's doppelganger, but Shadow was unaware of his current lack of knowledge.
This could be an opportunity to strike a deal, but I would need something more than just potential knowledge to sway him to my side… Oh ho!
A sinister grin broke upon Eggman's face as a deceptive plan came to mind, but he quickly suppressed it as the sound of footsteps could be heard above the ceiling of the engine car. He sent an order on the controls in front of him to his Badniks to find Sonic and the princess, and then report their current location. Once the order was sent, Eggman relaxed in his chair as the footsteps above finally stopped.
Really? The door's right there.
BOOM!
A hole formed in the ceiling of the train compartment, the sound of debris striking metal following immediately afterward. A second later, Shadow entered the train and landed in a crouch. He glanced in the direction of the operations terminal, which was blocked by a chair facing in its direction.
"Wouldn't the door have been easier?"
The chair swerved around to reveal the mustached, bald-headed man Shadow was all too familiar with.
"So," Dr. Eggman sighed. "What do you want now?"
"Who is Mephiles?" Shadow wasted no time getting to the point. "And why are you trying to capture him?"
"If you want to know," Eggman responded, standing up. "You should go find him yourself." He paused for a moment. "But here's a hint: it's all linked to the Soleanna disaster 10 years ago."
The Soleanna disaster... 10 years ago?
Shadow mused over it, then recalled something Rouge said prior to their trip to the future. A 'prototype energy engine failed,' she had told him. Then Eggman appeared and referred to it as...
"The Solaris Project" Shadow finally answered.
Eggman nodded. "Indeed." He walked over to Shadow without a hint of fear. Even when backed to a corner, Dr. Eggman always remained calm when he felt things were still under his control.
"You're after Mephiles too, correct? If and when you capture Mephiles, you must bring him to me."
"And why would I do that?"
"Don't you want to see Maria again?"
"...!" Shadow's eyes went wide, his back straightened from shock. "Wh-what are you saying?"
The doctor grinned, having anticipated Shadow's reaction. "You heard me right: through Mephiles, I can obtain the power to bring my cousin – and your dear friend – back to life."
"That's im–"
–possible? No, Shadow knew Eggman better than that. This was the grandson of his creator, Gerald Robotnik. His very existence as 'the Ultimate Lifeform' should be considered an impossibility, yet here he was.
And Mephiles can travel through time himself. Is Mephiles that powerful?
It may as well rival Shadow's own power, perhaps even the power of the miracle gems that are, the Chaos Emeralds.
However...
"Why would you care about Maria?" Shadow inquired. "Why now, of all times?"
Eggman fiddled with his mustache. "I'll admit: I have no intention of bringing back the dead because there is no need for me to do it. You, on the other hand, seem to be interested, are you not?"
Shadow remained silent, though he turned his head away from Eggman.
"There is no need to hide it. Don't forget: I read my grandfather's diary, too. He made it very clear how special your friendship with Maria was, how she was tragically taken at such a young age when you, the one thing that could have led her recovery from a fatal illness, became the instrument for her demise." Eggman paused, then added, "And now, you work with the very people who took her life, just so they could detain you."
Eggman's tone was calm, yet his words were minced with a subtle poison that struck at Shadow like needles. He wasn't wrong. The irony of how things turned out can be brutal when put into consideration.
Eggman sighed. "Look, you and I have had our squabbles in the past, what with the Black Arms and the Shadow Androids. That being said, you once offered me the world and delivered on it, despite the devious machinations of my grandfather. If you cooperate with me on this, then I will repay my debt and return to you that which is your world."
Shadow remained frozen in place, unable to process everything at once. All he could do was barely nod in understanding of what Eggman was offering.
From behind Eggman, a blinking dot on the screen caught his attention. "I must get going. Your blue doppelganger has taken the other piece of the puzzle. I will need her in order for this to work." Eggman walked past Shadow and opened the exit door in the back. As all of the other compartments of the train were either destroyed or unlatched at some point along the way, the path before the doctor was nothing but the tracks.
Eggman called his Egg Mobile over to his location; once it arrived, he stepped aboard. "Bring me Mephiles, then I'll tell you the truth about Solaris." With that said, he flew off, disappearing over the canyon walls.
Now alone in the train engine, Shadow had a moment to reflect on Dr. Eggman's offer and the state he was in. There was no doubt Eggman had some ulterior motive for the offer; he practically admitted to it. But Shadow felt Eggman may not have be lying about keeping his word to Shadow. Plus, Eggman had a point: Shadow wanted to keep Maria's wish, yet he chose to do it by working with the very people who killed her. Perhaps it was his way of atoning for his actions against Maria, but would they ever atone for her death? One could not undo death, nor the suffering death brings with it. But now...
To bring Maria back to life...
Shadow couldn't help but be enticed with the offer. All those years of hatred and contempt for humanity could be undone with one simple gesture, a sin erased from existence. If bringing Maria back to life was what he wanted, maybe working with Eggman temporarily wouldn't be a bad thing.
If that's what I want... But what does Maria what?
Therein lies the problem. If he sided with Eggman, there was no doubt people would get hurt in the process, and once Eggman gained the power to bring Maria back to life, he would use that power to take the lives of others.
If Shadow agreed to assist him with that, Maria would never forgive him.
"No," Shadow told himself. "I won't betray her. Not again."
Glancing at the monitors before the conductor's chair, Shadow saw the location Eggman was interested in and left the compartment.
Eggman needed Mephiles and the Princess of Soleanna for his schemes?
He'll get neither.
