Amy was dead. Shadow and Rouge were still digesting the suicide of the pink hedgehog. Shadow never showed it, but he grew fond of her, and also, she was the third woman he had had such a connection to. Rouge, being the one who directly felt responsible for her death, had turned manipulative, much more than normal, always following her own agenda along with the orders. Careless about everything and ruthless when it came to executing someone. G.U.N didn't seem to care, but Shadow had begun to be disturbed.
Eggman was running as fast as he could, terrified, trying desperately to open the door to GUN with his feet. Shadow was the one to open the door.
"Please!" he cried, a disheveled mess that didn't fit the scientist at all. "H-Help...M-My head!"
He was holding his head with both hands, if he hadn't had googles, Shadow could swear the man would have his pupils very small. He was sweating bullets, and for once, the dark hedgehog had mercy. Rouge lifted an eyebrow, putting down her vodka and getting up, hands on her hips.
"What the fuck are you doing here egg?" asked Rouge, ready to make some teasing banter like she used to. Shadow wasn't sure how to feel about this.
"Those...those girls! T-they cut my head with their dark vines! Dark clouds! My head is not attached! T-They said that if I let go, my head will explode with the ugly dark smoke!" Eggman was genuinely terrified.
"What kind of bullshit is this?" Asked Rouge rhetorically. "I haven't drunk enough alcohol to think this makes any sense."
"I-Its the truth! I-I promise!"
"We are not as naive as Knuckles to believe your tricks," said SHadow coldly.
"Please help me!"
"We'll lock you up," said Rouge rolling her eyes, but his answer caught both off guard.
"Yes! Yes! That is perfect! Please!"
They did so, locking him in a room with only a futon, a blanket, and a pillow just in case. They also called Omega to be able to go towards Eggman's old lab. They supposed he came from that one because it was the closest to G.U.N headquarters. They didn't expect to find ruins of what once was a technological wonder. Darkened vines were everywhere, ad it smelled sweet. Shadow could swear it was chocolate mint, Maria's favorite flavor. They did their best to ignore the attractive smell and walked inside.
"Shadow?"
He stopped, frozen, and confused. There she was, standing in front of him as if nothing had happened, Maria Robotnick. The only human he ever loved, the girl who died to save him, a miserable experiment. Rouge also gasped, watching how this human who was supposed to be dead walked towards her work partner and hugged him close. Omega analyzed the situation.
"None is real, just a hallucination"
"What?" Shadow was ready to growl but Maria stopped him with a gentle smile.
"I am only here for you. But I can't leave here. My existence, my life was gifted because of love" She stroked his face making him calm down. "I can show you how I came to be."
"Made with plant and chaos" informed Omega.
"That makes sense"
"Dark CHaos"
"Maria isn't dark!" retaliated Shadow as he followed the girl. The other two did as well, Maria handed Omega a flash drive.
"The thing that gave me life will be shown there. You will have to leave here since Technology that isn't conscious does not function."
"Maria...I will come back"
"I'll be waiting"
Shadow ran out, eager to understand, it was hard for Omega and Rouge to keep up with him. As of now, they were sitting together, watching Omega's recent video. It was Eggman. Or, before she did, he had kidnapped her, which made the ones watching confused, nobody had noticed? More like, how had nobody noticed she was alive?
"Ohohohoho!" he laughed. "Now Sonic will never save you!"
"I know" her emotionless response made Eggman stop.
"Eh?" He stared slightly confused before laughing again. "Of course he will! He always does!"
"He won't. Just tell me your plan"
"Glad you asked!" Shadow and Rouge noticed he was ignoring how suspicious Amy sounded. That was when the three's eyes widened. There was Tail's Plant and artificial body made of organic matter...A perfect replica of Cosmo!
"Cosmo..." Amy got up with her fists balled up. "What are you doing!?"
"What do you mean? You turned out fine!" he said proudly. "Caos and my memory gave you life! You are alive again! ANd now Sonic will break!"
"He didn't save me before he won't save me now! But! Don't you dare do anything with Cosmo and Tails!" She was furious, Eggman didn't seem to see the dark aura around her.
"Oh! But it won't be that she will reveal the way to replicate her species! That way I can make some slaves similar to the Metarex!"
That was when it happened Amy growled, her aura completely dark. The same one started to surround Cosmo, making her evolve into her adult form. A young beautiful woman of Tails current age, she opened her eyes, no longer green, but purple. Eggman seemed proud she had woken up. But the woken up Cosmo lifted her hand, vines growing all over, grabbing him and a tin one tied on his neck tiny ones entering his neck. How did they know? because of how his head almost detached. It was just a little, enough to allow him to live, but also to show off a gruesome scene.
"Cosmo" Amy had relaxed a little. "What are you doing?"
"Love...bringing love back" answered Cosmo softly. "His memory, it has someone loving...she needs to come"
"Ok..." Amy didn't interfere. Eggman couldn't even speak because of how horrified he was, The plats had covered everything the metals crushed under them being used like bones. And eyes, all over there were open eyes. From the center, as Amy had managed to get herself free, a figure started to form and revealed Maria. She smiled looking at herself curiously.
"I brought her soul..." said Cosmo calmly.
"Why thank you!" said the blonde doing a curtsy, and then looked at her cousin. "Oh Ivo, how many times did I tell you not to be hurting others?"
All she got was choking sounds. Maria, the sweet Maria Shadow knew...how could she be this way? And cosmo! She was so selfless and wished nothing but good to others except the Metarex. Amy could be violent at times, but never heartless enough to allow this to happen! Rouge and Shadow were incredulous.
"I will let you go soon" informed the seedrian. "Though I warn you, your head will fall if you don't hold it"
"And, it will explode also," said Maria. "Ivo...when you brought us back, it was your first mistake."
"Chaos doesn't like things being unbalanced, so..." Amy giggled a little. "I guess we must balance everything again!"
"Run.." Eggman did as Cosmo said, sweating bullets and holding on to his head for dear life. Rouge tried not to throw up when it ended.
"We gotta check on the boiled egg" she tried to joke. That was when they noticed everyone from G.U.N running towards where they had locked up Eggman.
"Doctor Cain..." said Shadow seriously.
"It is a very curious and disturbing case" he answered the unsaid question. The man watched the screen, one of his assistants had entered the premises. They could only see the kotatsu and a lump under it. It was obviously Eggman under it, but why would he even do that if his head was in danger? the opening was lifted, Eggman's head rolled out shocking those who were witnessing it. And underneath the cover, there was a spongy thing that glowed phosphorescent purple but looked black. It had colonized there in a matter of minutes or hours.
"Gate, what does your scan analysis tell you?" asked Dr. Cain to the robot.
"It is a mold...It has energy similar to the chaos emeralds..." answered Gate. The purple assistant looked back at where the mirror window was. "So, what now?"
"We will have to study it further, for now, disinfect yourself and place it in quarantine."
Shadow and Rouge were still staring at the head, wondering what the three girls were up to. But they swore they heard the man's lifeless head say:
"Maria..."
Rouge hadn't gone in today, SHadow was sure that she was off in a mission or stealing something. Maybe even bothering/flirting with knuckles. The hedgehog was sure he had had the craziest dream last night and reminded himself never to sip Rouge's vodka glass even if she bagged or dared him. If this was going to happen, he would rather not.
He stretched and got ready to train, perhaps he would catch the other robots that Dr. Cain had made. Honestly, Shadow was glad that his blueprints were adapted to create AI. It was also with the help of Princess Sally, who had created Nicole, and Tails. Therefore these humanoid almost organic robots were born, Androids? There had been such a debate that the stupid names were fused. Shadow would still call then robots, not all were humans, and Omega was a robot, therefore they were robots, end of the story. His musings ended suddenly when he heard a familiar sweet voice:
"Shadow..."
Maria? He didn't stop himself, he ran, now sure it wasn't a dream, or if it was he didn't care. This was his beloved Maria. She called his name so many times, he was going crazy. Nobody was there, Shadow was lucky to get where Eggman had died without a hitch.
"What are you doing?" Rouge was the one who interrupted him.
"Maria is calling me"
"You are hallucinating, she isn't here, plus, she is supposed to be dead!" added the bat concerned for the friend she considered a brother. SHe lost one, and she wouldn't lose another one.
"Maria is calling me, I don't care what yous say"
He grabbed onto the door, Rouge wasn't able to stop him but did manage to follow him inside the room. Mint chocolate...there it was again. The Futon was swelling as if a person was still in there. Was it Eggman's body and it was breathing? No, they knew it wasn't. He was removed a while ago and being studied. They were interrupted as they heard a pained moan and the Futon opening. Shadow was kneeling next to it, and Rouge decided to hesitantly get closer. A pair of delicate hands emerged, and then a head with long blonde hair. But nothing more, it was as if from the chest down was covered or censored by the cloth.
SHadow was too gone to question it. He allowed her to take his face.
"I can be like your people shadow"
"Mobian?" he asked confused. "I like you any way you are Maria."
"Shadow! What the hell are you doing!?" Yelled Rouge.
"I'm busy!" he answered back with a growl, but his aura was darkening, Rouge felt her fur stand on end. He was turning dark, she had seen Amy, she had seen Sonic...but never Shadow. The bat couldn't get close to him, she knew she would be killed. Frozen, her eyes widened a little more when the "human" girl shifted into a hedgehog. A blonde hedgehog, looking like the human she used to be.
"You're beautiful" Rouge wasn't sure if she was worried or disgusted when she heard him say that. Rouge broke once she saw Maria kiss her best friend.
"Maria...who the fuck are you!?" asked Rouge as if she were exorcising a ghost, well, in a way she was.
"Leave us...He is mine..." answered Maria with a sweet smile. "Don't you see? We love each other! You are a witness to our unending love!"
"STOP IT!" Rouge didn't care about her safety now, she grabbed Shadow's shoulder. "SHADOW! WAKE UP! SHE ISN'T YOUR MARIA!"
He pushed her away, her back hitting the wall.
"Yes, I am...I came back to you...I woke up from the darkness" said Maria never looking at Rouge. "Remember when we used to watch movies together? We loved the sound of music...with is open scenes..."
"I remember..." he smiled slightly
Rouge felt someone carry her, and Shadow was taken too, having to be shot with a tranquilizer. As for the futon, it was burned, and screaming echoed through the halls.