Chapter 7
Jack and Shadow carefully approached the room at the ending of a new corridor. Inside of the room were a number of pods filled with some type of green liquid, but spiraling through each one, as if it was a living being, was a liquid metal, each one with some sort of colored tint of blue, pink, orange, or green. Shadow carefully examined one of the blue pods. Did the Metal Virus ever move like that? He hadn't been uninfected long enough during that period to observe it, but he had a gut feeling that this wasn't the same thing. Perhaps some other prototype?
"Shadow." came Jack's voice across the room. Shadow quickly walked over to observe what Jack was looking at. Another assembly line, fully automated this time, carrying metal exo-skeletons across a conveyor belt. Shadow observed as their cores were loaded with some type of odd DNA matrix before some of the liquid metal from the pods was placed onto the exo-skeleton, which then proceeded to shape itself out into a very familiar form...
"This shouldn't be possible..." Shadow said, shocked. "I destroyed them all after the war!"
"Oh Shadow. Haven't you realized by now?" Said a cold, but recognizable voice from behind Jack and Shadow. They both turned to face the figure, shrouded in darkness, with only its red, glowing pupils being visible. "The blood of Black Doom is amazingly resilient. All it takes is one stone being left unturned..."
Shadow tensed as the figure stepped out of the darkness, recognizing all too well its black fur and quills, with yellow marks indicating its power. Yellow and white air shoes matched with a white glove and inhibitor ring on its right arm, while the left arm had been entirely stripped of its cloned flesh, replaced with the liquid metal seen in the canisters. Words exited its mouthless muzzle in a disturbingly familiar voice. Despite its rough features, Shadow and Jack could feel the smugness coming off of the figure as it spoke. "Quite a development, huh?"
Downstairs, Omega smashed the last Badnik by hand as Rouge and Cyber sat down, exhausted. "Is that the last one?" Rouge asked. "Unfortunately." Omega said, quite satisfied with himself. "And to think, I still have an ammo cartridge left..." Just then, Raccoon entered back through the entrance he and the ECS Units had left through earlier. He immediately jumped over to Cyber and began frantically signing at her. She seemed more and more concerned as he told his story. "What's up?" Rouge asked. Cyber gave a prompt reply to Omega, who translated. "All ECS Units have reached the surface, but Raccoon's enhanced sense of smell has detected..."
"Wait, what's that?" Rouge interrupted, hearing some noises coming from where the Badniks had earlier busted in. The group listened as the marching of metal footsteps grew ever closer, until the shocking sight of fully metallic hedgehogs with blue, orange, and green stripes became fully visible.
"Shadow androids." Rouge said, in frustration. "I'm going to need more ammo cartridges." Omega lamented.