Chapter 4: Arrival
The first step he took back into Central City might as well been as momentous as the first step on the moon. The bustle of people, the chatter of inane conversations, the sight of bright marquees that featured the latest product… Shadow hated it all. Although Central City has been up and coming for a while now, he's never "come" around to it. He hated the way people walked about with their noses in the air, the sight of children and their lack of supervision, the conventionally beautiful people who flashed their latest additions to their fashion wardrobe, all walked the same granite that Shadow stood on. While all else was color, Shadow remained black. He rolled his carry-on to his side and sighed, taking out his cellphone to review the text messages he had received while he was on the train. It was a short one-hour flight from Metropolis, and although Shadow could've easily reviewed them on the train, he wasn't quite in the mood for conversation. He received a litter of performative condolence messages regarding his loss:
I'm so sorry to hear about your loss…
Our thoughts are with you…
If you need anything at all, I…
She lived such a fulfilling life…
He was sick of it all.
What's the matter, Shadow?
He flinched with a rapid shiver down his shoulders, glancing left and right within his peripheral vision. He felt his chest getting tight, the voice that protruded through his mind like a gunshot. Its echo caused Shadow to massage the temples of his forehead; the earliest memory of life consisted of that voice.. that voice in which he refused to acknowledge. He adjusted his coat half-heartedly, I guess it's time to get this over with. He then began his trip to the home of a familiar face, the asphalt soaking in his footsteps as he joined the rest of the obnoxious conglomerate of Central City.
Sonic put down his pen and reclined back into his chair; the amount of time that he's been sitting at his office was staggering. It's been a while since he was able to go out into the newsroom and converse with his staff, but ever since Central City has announced his image renovation, the city has been getting all sorts of coverage: whether it was a celebrity donating a tree to the new scientific studies that have been licensed, the city was getting all sorts of spotlights, and it was Sonic's job to report them. He never considered writing in his youth, but after some time running and seeing the sights… he wanted other people to know too.
He was always efficient in collecting information from one place to another and was a great photographer when it came to adding visuals to his stories. His time of being in the spotlight as a hero have long since passed since Eggman's reign, and he now rather prefers his career as a journalist than going through his many back-breaking adventures. With the Chaos Emeralds placed within government security, there's no chance of there being another hostile takeover, so… what else is a hedgehog to do?
Sonic rubbed his nose, a well-known habit of his when he was deep in thought, It's really crazy how much things have changed, but man… can't help but miss those days a little.
He glanced at a photo on his desk of he and a familiar pink hedgehog; her long rosy quills descended onto her face like a veil, her face curved into a hearty smile as she stood next to Sonic with her arm looped into his. The photo was from their trip to the beach, (the sight of her swimsuit always being a plus for Sonic's view) and although he had always associated the photo with positive memories, it was also associated with the chaotic drama his group was always in. Of course, they were young, time's have changed, but it's still funny to think back on. His smile wavered into a frown, as he remembered the conversation, he had with his pink girlfriend a few days ago.
Because of the funeral… Shadow will be coming…
Sonic let out a dragged-out groan, his hands ruffling his deep-sea colored quills in frustration. "I'm not annoyed by it, I swear…"
He shifted some more in his seat, before he finally rose from his chair, "I need to go for a walk."
Shadow finally made his way to his grandfather's manor, Professor Gerald Robotnik. Although he shared no bloodline with him, his grandfather raised him as his own, even through the rigorous work he dealt with daily at the time. Shadow was adopted within the peak of Gerald's career, and he watched his grandfather through it all: every meeting Gerald hosted, every demonstration of an invention, every speech he had delivered, Shadow was there to witness it all and grow a fondness for everything scientific.
Despite being adopted, Shadow still considered Gerald as his grandfather, despite the move from Central City. But even with all that, he still found it difficult to stand outside the gates of his grandfather's prestigious property, paved with beautifully lined cobblestone and rows of adorning pieces of greenery that were in shapes of birds in midflight. Something that she had always loved.
Shadow sighed, and proceeded to press the intercom button that enabled the manor's speakerphone, "Robotnik Labs, to what do we owe the visit?"
Another receptionist. It was odd.
"… I'm here as a guest."
"Please present your invitation pass through the screen, please."
In an instant, the intercom transformed into a small screen, its red scan line running left and right to detain a barcode. The red light blinded Shadow's already-crimson hues, to which he flinched at the scans blinding light. "… I don't have a pass."
"Without a pass, one must obtain a pass or permit to enter."
"I'm his… grandson."
Silence.
"The sir made no mention of a 'grandson' stopping by. I'm afraid you must leave—"
"SHADOW?! Is that you?"
Shadow jumped at the booming voice that flowed through the intercom, shuffling noises filled the air before the speaker finally had a moment to speak again.
"Shadow. Come on in. Sorry about that… we do have new help after all."
"New help". As though he can say that so easily without even a thought.
The gates opened before Shadow, revealing a noninterrupted image of the grandeur he was used to seeing when he was younger. He closed his eyes for relief. His eyes felt strained, as did his mind as he made more steps forward, but he knew that it was something he had to do. Each step he made towards the manor was one more step towards seeing her. Towards seeing Maria.
How could he even utter her name? Not out of anger or pettiness, but out of longing. The last place he wanted was to be here, but he knew he had to go on and see her one last time.
She was not the only one who died that day.
