The vision began with Zero approaching the front of the ARK facility much in the same way that Sonic and Shadow had. The weather was overcast and chilly. Zero was accompanied by four other jackals who wore black combat gear. The group stopped once they noticed the entrance was already open.

"There really is a hidden lab here. Something seems off, though. You guys better weapon up. I'll go first since, you know," Zero gestured at his chest while smirking.

The other four members of his squad chuckled in response. One member shifted into a serrated combat knife, while the other became a red sword with a curved blade. The two meisters grabbed their respective weapons and walked cautiously behind Zero.

Noticeable damage had been inflicted on the facility. When a branching path came, Zero directed the two meisters to take one path each, while he entered the final one on his own. After proceeding, he heard the slightest noise come from a nearby room. Zero didn't see much in the room at first, just a table, chairs, and various forms of cabinets. When he moved further in, he saw someone.

It was the girl from Shadow's past, the one he had nearly remembered. She looked exactly the same as the image Zero had first shown, although she looked entirely frightened now.

"You don't need to hide like that. I won't hurt you," Zero saw no change, so he tried asking questions to prompt a response. "What is this place? Did something happen?"

Still nothing.

Before Zero could think of a plan, he heard a distant crash. Hasty footsteps entered the hall just outside.

"Zero!"

It was one of the meisters of his team. They had been trying to reach him and warn him of something. A wet ripping noise came from the hall, and the yelled in pain.

Zero hurried to the doorway, but just when he peered down the hall he felt a sharp blade drag across his chest. Blood gushed from his open torso. The resulting drop in blood pressure made his balance fail immediately. Zero felt someone step over him before his wound healed. He got a good look at the figure once they proceeded into the room.

A black hedgehog was now peering around the room with sunken, bloodshot eyes. He wore a gray jumpsuit reserved for test subjects inside this facility, although numerous fresh blood stains were tainting this jumpsuit's color. Shackles were placed on each of the hedgehog's ankles and wrists, with a few links of chain still dangling from them. His unkempt fur contained several streaks of red that were lost among all the blood.

Zero got up. "Who are you?"

The startled hedgehog reacted quickly. He stabbed the jackal with a bladed hand. Zero stumbled backward, but kept himself from falling this time.

"Stop, please," Zero coughed from the pain. "I'm just trying to figure out what's going on here,"

"Shut up!" The hedgehog snarled. He clawed at Zero again. A grunt of frustration came when he observed the jackal heal. "Why won't you die?"

A blob of magical energy crashed into the hedgehog before Zero replied.

"I'm sorry to hurt you, but you aren't listening to reason,"

The black hedgehog growled while righting himself. "I can't kill you. Not without more power," The monster's eyes widened when he noticed Maria, who had peered too far out of her hiding place. "There you are!"

"Shadow, no!" The girl protested upon having her arm grabbed.

"Leave her alone!" Zero pleaded.

"Shut up, both of you!," Shadow pulled the girl near, then began glowing. His body became a warped light that wrested its way into her grasp. The terrified girl soon found herself wielding a black scythe with a red streak on the blade.

A sinister metal voice came from the weapon. "You're a magic user. I know just the thing to deal with you,"

Black static cut through the air. The girl screamed from the pain of soul waves burning her body. Darkened veins became visible on her arms alongside black sores that bled openly. The scythe's blade grew, becoming jagged

"Witch hunter!" Shadow yelled.

The scythe launched forward of its own accord just before the girl collapsed. Zero yelled once the glowing weapon stabbed him. His body was torn apart. One arm and one leg were ripped off completely.

Time began distorting once the jackal lost consciousness. The memory skipped ahead. Zero's body was being repaired by the phantom ruby embedded inside his chest. He regained consciousness just in time to see a tall human man standing over the human girl, who was now dead. The man was crying, and very much resembled Eggman.

"How could this happen?" he whimpered. After noticing Zero, he glared. "You…"

Zero held up a hand defensively. "No, it wasn't me! There was a monster!"

The man wasn't phased. "If you hadn't angered Shadow, this wouldn't have happened. I can't have you telling anyone about what you saw here today, so I'll make sure you stay locked away for good,"

A pair of robots detained Zero, who wasn't healed enough to fight back. The jackal pleaded as he was drug away. The figures within the memory faded, but the room remained. Sonic and Shadow stood in the room together now. A white sheet had been draped over her. Black bloodstains polluted the fabric.

Shadow stared at the scene, despite his horror. Something within his mind wouldn't let him look away. When he reached his limit, he stumbled out of the room. Then, he found himself on all fours. Tears were filling his eyes, threatening to fall out at any second.

"God…"

It all felt very real. Hearing his own voice come from that cruel monster. He still couldn't remember, but there was something very familiar about the sadness he felt now.

Sonic calmly examined the area. "I don't buy it,"

"What?" Anger brought Shadow back to his senses.

"It felt so forced. No way that actually happened," Sonic proceeded through the hallway. "We're still connected to his mind. There's gotta be something else here,"

"Stop it!" Shadow yelled. His voice echoed throughout the distorted corridors of this alternate world. "You saw what happened; you can't just ignore this!"

Shadow expected an argument from his meister. Instead, he found that he was alone. Shadow still felt regret, although he knew this was for the best. He rubbed at his tired eyes and let out a prolonged sigh. He had no idea what to do now. He sat in silence until footsteps reappeared. Shadow prepared for another argument with his meister, then stopped.

"You're meister's gone. I can't believe you brought him along," Zero criticized. "Even without your memories you're still a danger to everyone around you,"

Shadow scoffed. "I really tried coming alone," Suspicion hit him. "What do you care, anyway? You said I could do what I want, as long as I don't go back to the DWMA,"

"I'm not convinced that you won't go back,"

"Are you serious? They were planning to wipe my memory before I left! They probably caused my amnesia in the first place,"

"Most likely," Zero agreed. "I wonder if that option is appealing now that you've seen your past. Most people in your position would prefer a clean slate. Perhaps you've chosen that option before?"

Shadow's eyes widened at the thought. "No, I won't," His expression became sad again. "Even if I'm better off alone, I still have memories worth keeping,"

Zero began walking forward. "The madness is spreading, Shadow. What will a monster like you become once the world has fallen into chaos?,"

Shadow reflexively stepped back, but the hallway behind him was sealed now.

"What are you doing?"

"I've tolerated your rancid wavelength for long enough. Now that your resonance with your meister is failing, I'm going to strike your soul with my wavelength. You won't be able to resonate with him at all shortly. It's safer this way, don't you think?"

A scythe blade replaced Shadow's forearm as he readied a strike. The ground underneath him liquified. He sank until he was submerged up to his knees. Once the ground re-solidified, Shadow was trapped in place.

Zero laughed. With a glowing hand, he sent out a strike at Shadow. Another hand appeared out of nowhere to grab his arm and stop the attack completely.

"Still here dude," Sonic said.

Sonic punched Zero square in the jaw. The jackal stumbled backward, then found himself being punched repeatedly in the mouth until the link between minds shattered.