Welcome to the comic novella for Sonic Regen.

Sonic ReGen is a fan comic collaboration, this is a side story.

I am Chief Editor and Co-Lead for this project alongside Titus Dunn. TiDunnOnTheRunn on Twitter.

If you like what you read and you'd like to contribute on Sonic ReGen, please see our twitter page SonicReGen and apply on our discord server. We're currently looking for active artists to help us.

Please enjoy!

The Shadow Conspiracy - Act 2

Credits

Scenario: Titus Dunn, OnyxCrimsonBlur

Writer: OnyxCrimsonBlur

Revisions: Titus Dunn, OnyxCrimsonBlur

Some things never change. Chris thought as he walked into the lab to see it in utter disarray. Where he was orderly and organized, his grandfather was like a tornado. Papers were scattered everywhere, empty coffee mugs lined the corners. He ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair and sighed. Truthfully, he questioned why he decided to take this job. Sure, he was just as interested in Gerald's research as Chuck, but working with someone who was on the opposite side of the spectrum from him could be jarring. He was going to have his work cut out for him.

It seemed like Chuck had been up all night again, working away on calculations and drawings. There was a half-finished schematic setting on the workbench beside him. It definitely looked workable, all the calculations were there, but the actual execution of the formulas were missing. This was a common pattern when they were working together before. Chuck was often scatter-brained when it came to the application of topics, but he had the decency to take very detailed notes beforehand.

That's where Chris came in. He enjoyed this aspect and hated it at the same time. He flipped through the pages of his grandfather's notebook and started connecting the dots. Chris finished the applications and completed the drawings for the schematic.

Project Shadow

"There you are, Chris! It's about time you showed up. I'm on the verge of a breakthrough, and I figured you'd want to witness it," Chuck said as he wiped some grease off his hands and set the towel down next to the papers.

"Be careful!" Chris exclaimed. He breathed a sigh of relief when Chuck narrowly avoided making a mess of his work. "I just finished those, and I'd prefer if you read them instead of mucking them up."

"Oh. Of course, of course. Cleanliness and all that," Chuck dismissed with a wave of his hand. He blinked before pulling his glasses down, quickly scanning them over, "great work, Chris. For someone of your experience, that is."

His grandson rolled his eyes before scanning his attire. Of course, Chuck decided to forego the GUN-issued uniform and showed up in a worn t-shirt and jeans. The only thing he bothered wearing that GUN provided was a white lab coat. He shook his head.

"You know, one of these days, someone at GUN is going to take issue with your wardrobe. You can't just shamble around the place in your household outfit. Not to mention how rugged those pants look. When was the last time you got new clothes, anyway?"

Chuck rolled his eyes this time. He couldn't be bothered with GUN's mandated attire when there's work to be done. Perish the thought of coming to work without the intention of comfort. He works in a lab, not on the field of combat, so he should be able to wear whatever he wants, right?

"I'm an important asset hand-picked from a lineup of top-level candidates. I hardly think they care what I wear, and if they cared they wouldn't do anything about it, anyway. No need to give an old man grief for wanting to be comfortable in his golden years."

"Whatever," Chris mumbled as he looked over some more of Chuck's plans and schematics. He spied an early prototype for the containment area. One of Chuck's many botched attempts because he rushed ahead of schedule without the necessary steps and didn't consult Chris.

"We're definitely going to finish the containment area today," Chuck stated enthusiastically. He smiled before walking towards the back of the lab. He was always confident that today would be the day of his new horizon. He thought he was destined to succeed. It wasn't by luck he was chosen for his position, after all.

"Did you even finish the bioagent synthesis?" Chris inquired with a flatness to his tone that could put a flatlining heart monitor to shame.

His grandfather had the audacity to look sheepish.

"Um… I wouldn't call it 'finished'," Chuck hesitated, stuttering a bit, "it's in its late stages of development! I've been focused on-"

"Grandpa, you're so scatterbrained," his grandson huffed in exasperation as he walked over to the test tube rack, "I'm amazed you got your degree."

"It's mostly complete," Chuck attempted to reassure him.

"What is? The bioagent synthesis or your degree?" Chris sighed, sarcasm thick in his question.

"I plead the 5th on that," Chuck retorted with a small scowl.

"'Mostly' doesn't cut it," he lamented with a sigh before placing the test tube in the cycling machine. "Without this, Chuck. Without this, the project will be stalled completely! We need the proper vessel. Are you sure this is the right animal? I could understand something strong like a bear or smart like a dolphin, but why a hedgehog?"

"According to all of Gerald's notes, journals, and the actual murals themselves, this seems to be the most viable option for a vessel," his grandfather explained as he picked up a loose stack of papers next to the machine. "If we use the hedgehog as an anchor, the proper biomaterial energy receptor, the 'wish', should take."

"Where did GUN get the Chaos Emeralds anyway?" Chris quired with a raised eyebrow. "I thought they were a myth. Fairy tales, like the sword in the stone or the djinn?"

"They just dropped them off. I don't ask questions, not that they'd care to answer them, anyway. I assume it was from one of Gerald's archeology projects. Don't bother asking questions I can't answer, please," Chuck sighed, even more dismissive than before. The beep of the machine a welcome distraction signaling the sequence was complete.

He opened the containment area, the resounding 'hiss' signaling the breaking of the seal. With gloved fingers, he gently eased the test tube from the machine and walked it over to the containment tank. Entering a passcode, a small slot opened and he placed the glass tube inside the slot. The glass softly tinked against the edges as it slid into place, the stopper nudging against the locking pin before a soft 'click' could be heard.

Chuck pressed the "Close" button and the slot slid shut with a resounding CLACK before the machine powered on. The large plexiglass tank started to fill with a green liquid, its internal temperature rising slowly until the tank was full ensuring that the fluid was evenly heated to the ideal temperature for the bioagent to form.

"This liquid has everything our hedgehog will need to form," Chuck remarked with a confident smile before pressing more buttons on the console. "Germination will take about a week. In the meantime, we need to set up the Chaos Drive Transfer Machine."

Loud alarms sounded before several mechanical arms started to perform pre-programmed actions inside the tank. A bio sack was injected with the DNA material, the sack akin to the embryonic sac in the womb. In real-time, they could see cells starting to divide and start to form a creature before their very eyes.

"He will be about three months in four hours," Chuck explained as he walked away from the tank, "but for now, there's really nothing for us to do."

"Where are the schematics for the new machine?" Chris asked as he walked towards the workbench.

His grandfather shifted some papers around and pulled out the half-completed schematic. With a sigh, Chris sat down and pulled over another one of his grandfather's notebooks and got to work. This was going to be a long day.

XXXxxx

Chris wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand as he finished another weld. The heavy helmet didn't help matters, but he had to wear it if he didn't want to go blind from the flashes of the welder. "Shadow", the hedgehog vessel, was almost ready to be placed into the Chaos Drive Transfer Machine. The week had been long, challenging, and somewhat stalled by irritation. What his grandfather lacked in organization, he made up for in brilliance. Putting everything into a cohesive thought just made Chris' involvement a necessity if anything were to be done by the next decade, at least in his eyes. Chris accepted his role in this and just hoped that GUN were going to be happy with the results.

"Why don't you take five, kiddo? You've been at this for awhile, and exhaustion never did me any good," his grandfather remarked, stepping up beside him with a bottle of water in hand.

"Good idea," he accepted the drink gratefully, "thanks."

Cracking the top, he drained over half the bottle as he walked towards the holding tank. The hedgehog floated inside the nutrient soup, his black fur slicked down, the red stripes of his quills dull, muzzle pale. Their whole livelihoods rested on this experiment being a success. GUN didn't play games and he hoped "Shadow" would be what they were looking for. The last piece of the puzzle Gerald wanted to grasp so badly during his life.

Chris turned back to the worktable schematics and looked down at the scattered pages of Gerald's research. They were using parts of the scrapped Biolizard support system, the Artificial Chaos, and the full Chaos Drives wrapped into something that resembled the Emerald Altar from the murals. It was crazy but genius at the same time. This machine setup would allow the power to focus centrally on "Shadow", setting in the middle. Hopefully, the theory would be correct.

"Just a few more hours my boy. Let's ready the machine!"

XXXxxx

Chuck watched as the tank drained out and Shadow was eased onto a mobile table. His fur was matted with the biofluid, his quills limp and dull. Chuck rolled the cart slowly towards the finished machine. Chris helped him move the hedgehog to the metal chair, gently placing the straps around his arms and legs to keep him in place. From there, the machine hummed to life, and Chris dragged over the box the Chaos Emeralds were contained in.

Each emerald was placed on a pedestal atop a Chaos Drive. Inherently, the drives were neutral, amplifying the emeralds which sent the charged Chaos Gel toward Shadow. After the last emerald was placed on its pedestal, Chuck stepped forward and placed his hands atop the emerald closest to him. The red glow illuminated the dimly lit room and he closed his eyes. Concentrating, he made his wish and slowly stepped back.

The machine hummed, each tube underneath the Emeralds opening and the Chaos Gel running down the tubes to engulf the hedgehog at the center. Electricity crackled in a rainbow of colors,the swirling echoes of power and a bright flash of light. As the light faded, Chuck opened his eyes to see two ruby red ones staring back at him. The cream color of his fur faded back to black. Red tipped quills glowed softly against the dark backdrop.

They had done it, Shadow lived. Gerald's research had led to this. The culmination of a lifetime of searching, of failures, of study. Shadow stared at both of them, motionless, curious. Chuck wondered if he could talk. But he didn't get the chance to find out. Immediately the huge door opened and GUN soldiers rushed in. Shadow was whisked away, the machine destroyed and all of this research taken. In a whirlwind, it was all gone with the slamming of the door.

Chuck dropped to his knees in front of his broken machine as Chris placed a hand on his shoulder. Ruined.

"You knew this was a possibility when you signed up with GUN; we both knew. I'm sorry, grandpa."

Chuck didn't respond. He simply stood up and walked to his quarters in the back of the lab. He needed time to himself to think. Chris breathed a sigh of disappointment. This was the expected outcome, but that didn't mean he didn't sympathize with his grandpa. He turned in the other direction and got back to work.

XXXxxx

Another day passed of testing, needle-prodding, and just general discomfort. Maria hated testing day. Every Tuesday without fail, the lab techs in charge of her cure would come in to take samples. When they left, she'd be sore and feel like a human pin cushion. Late nights, alone with her thoughts, caused her to wander the base. It was here she remembered the old spot she would go to when she was younger, the quiet place she'd retreat to when her grandfather was too busy.

Maria was still a curious girl; that hadn't changed from her early childhood. GUN had taken her on, saying they could cure her as a promise to her late grandfather. They increased her life expectancy by many years, but something new was going on. She was sure they knew of her nightly trips around GUN HQ. Yet, they never said a word about them or attempted to stop her. Blue eyes scanned the hall, watching for guards as she went to her "secret place": An old abandoned lab in a long-forgotten hallway, one that used to be sealed off. She could just fit in the space hidden behind a soda machine.

Keeping an eye out for GUN soldiers that might take her back, she slowly made her way towards the mostly abandoned hallway. Behind the soda machine, there was a space where a door used to be. It was mostly sealed, but the space was big enough for her to slip through. As she crossed the threshold into the long-forgotten lab in the dim light, she realized someone else was there: A slight red glow surrounded the figure, a hedgehog with fur black as night and eyes sparkling like the reddest rubies. Crimson dipped quills turned upward, the red causing the soft glow almost like bioluminescence.

The figure uncrossed his arms from across his chest to reveal a white tuft of chest hair, appearing soft and fluffy. Maria swallowed softly, eyes never leaving his as she slowly walked forward.

"Hello," she whispered, afraid to spook him.

He blinked once, as if in response, and she approached the chair adjacent to where he sat.

"I'm Maria, what's your name?"

"They call me 'Shadow'."

Those were the only words he spoke to her as she rambled on about her day, what the scientists were doing to her, and why she was there. The whole time his red eyes followed her movements, his foot tapping a little bit, body tight with tension as if he could bolt at any moment. Their subsequent meetings were a little bit better, as Shadow realized she meant him no harm; that her actions were genuine, pure, and without guile or malice.

With this realization, on later visits he opened up to her more and spoke about how he came to be, or what he knew about it. He was 'born' here and from his first breath, he'd worked for GUN. He knew nothing else, and anything he understood about the world was only through the missions he was sent on. He was curious, but they didn't feed into his need to learn.

They'd formed a bond then, one of mutual respect and understanding. Both were bound to a place that was using them, but they couldn't yet leave, albeit for different reasons. She told him what she knew, brought him books on any subject he wanted, and in return he would bring her back items of her request, souvenirs she'd asked for since she couldn't leave the base. A taste of the outside world. Tonight was one such night.

"Hi." She broke the silence and took her seat.

He nodded in greeting and handed her a small bag. Inside was a snow globe, the little island figure inside dancing amid a sea of sparkly glitter. She smiled and placed it back in the bag so it wouldn't get broken.

"Thank you."

"Of course," he leaned back in his chair and sighed. "How are they treating you?"

"The same as ever," she replied, rubbing softly at her arm. The new suit they had given her was a little on the tight side, but it monitored her vitals and dispensed the new medication they were trying out on her. Maria watched his nose twitch as he sniffed the air around them, his lip curling.

"More painkillers?" Shadow stood and walked towards her, his hands gently taking her arm and moving up the sleeve. Needle scars lined the surface, each pockmark a testament to her torture. Shadow's brows lowered into a scowl with the realization that they weren't trying to cure her as they had insisted. She deteriorated every day, even more so in the last few months.

"Yes, and another experiment."

"How long has it been?"

"Too long. At least a few years now," Maria looked down at his hand on her arm, the soft fabric of his glove tracing the line of scars towards her hand.

"Unacceptable," he let her arm go and walked back over to his chair, "I've seen the experiments they work on. All expendable. If they were going to cure you, they would have by now."

"I'm beginning to think the same thing. There's something they're not telling me," she shrugged.

"They think I'm blind to what's going on here," Shadow sighed as he looked down at his hands, "these missions I go on... I know there's more to it all, but I go because I know of nothing else."

"GUN has always been good at keeping secrets; it's what they do," Maria stood and walked forward, she placed a hand on his muzzle. "I have faith that something good will happen. Why else would you be here if not?"

XXXxxx

Shadow started to see less and less of Maria as the months passed. Every time he saw her, she looked more pale, sallow, and sickly. It seemed as though her illness was overturning what remained of her immune system. After the third time she missed their meeting upon his return from a mission, he decided to go in search of where Project Maria was being conducted. The wing dedicated to medical smelt heavily of industrial cleaners and soiled dressings.

He'd been around her long enough to pick out the scent of her treatment among all the other smells. Looking up at the numbered signs on the door, he stopped in front of one that carried a heavy wave of sickness, and Maria: PM24786. The door creaked open loudly in the silence, the only other noise was the soft cadence of the heart monitor. Maria's blonde hair cascaded against the white pillow beneath her head. Her forehead was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, and she appeared to struggle to breathe. She was ashen, and the bed looked far too big for her small frame.

Shadow's eyes widened in horrified shock at the sight for a moment, his fist clenching. GUN was doing barely anything to keep her alive, let alone cure her. It appeared they were just trying to make her comfortable as she rode out the disease that would soon take her life. Questions continued to fill his mind about what his purpose was, especially as he looked at his only friend in this cruel world he'd been brought into.

"Hi … Shadow," she smiled tiredly, voice light.

"What have they done?" He sat next to her, taking her clammy hand in his own. "Correction, what haven't they done?"

"It's okay," her blue eyes softened, tears collecting in the corners. "I've known for a long time that it would end like this."

"It shouldn't have to," his red eyes scanned the multiple IV bags on the stand, all delivering a series of pain meds and a useless cocktail of drugs that were doing nothing. "This project they named after you was nothing but a facade."

"Maybe, but at least I felt close to my grandfather one last time," she smiled. "There's something I want to give you. Something that's important to me."

Maria lifted herself up, her shaky hands reaching behind her neck to unclasp the chain of the necklace she always wore. Holding out her hand, Shadow placed his in hers as she dropped her locket in it, closing his fingers around the warmed metal.

"Grandpa Gerald gave this to me. It's not a coincidence we met, or that I'm giving this to you now," she wheezed softly. "You are the product of his research, something to benefit mankind. GUN thinks I'm stupid, just a kid, but I'm not blind."

"Gerald?" Shadow's eyes widened and shifted away for a moment to think about the name mentioned. "Gerald Robotnik?"

"Yes. I think grandpa would've been happy to see you."

He remembered seeing a picture of the man, the one who revolutionized GUN technologies in weapons, medical equipment, and advances in archeological research. Gerald was her grandfather? Why did he not know this before?

"I also have something to ask you, something important," She placed a hand on the side of his muzzle, her skin cool to the touch.

"Anything, Maria."

"Promise me, no matter what happens, that you'll protect humanity. It's your reason for existing, I know that, I believe that," she gasped. "Everything you need to know is in that locket. Everything GUN has kept from you."

"Maria …"

"Go, Shadow." A tear trailed down her cheek. "It's okay."

XXXxxx

Shadow stood outside, underneath an awning, as the rain continued to soak the ground around him. He gripped the necklace in his fist before stuffing it in the small pocket in his glove. On the bench beside him were Maria's ashes in an onyx box. GUN didn't even give her a funeral or even a proper burial. He would do what they wouldn't despite their objections. Her memory should be honored, so Shadow braved the long flight alone to the one place she wanted to go, one of the places she'd wanted a souvenir from. A city that made her eyes twinkle in happiness.

Maria loved art and she had always talked about Spagonia, her hands animated as she showed him books with pictures of the city streets, the art galleries, the quaint buildings. He could see why; it was a beautiful place. He remembered the look of joy on her face as he pulled out a small painting of the city from a gift shop bag. A tear trailed down his cheek as he looked out at the clearing clouds. The sun was just beginning to set and he now had his chance. Lifting the box gently in his hands, he walked down the length of the beach to the water. The box felt heavy in his grip, the weight of not just her but of the emotions he felt as he held her hand while she slipped away.

The weight of her blue eyes closing for the last time, of her smile as she took her final breath. She had changed him, for the better. Maria was full of warmth and light. Someone so innocent didn't deserve the fate she had been dealt with. He lifted the lid and gently tilted the box towards the incoming tide, every single memory they shared passing before his eyes. When she brought him books to read, shared her favorite memories of childhood, her bright spirit and laughter. He was certain Maria brought joy to everyone she touched with her beautiful personality.

"I promise you, Maria," he softly spoke as her ashes took to the wind, "I will protect those in need and give the people of this world a chance to be happy."